Showing 1 - 9 of 9
A Mediterranean union
Life, John Clewley, Published on 08/11/2025
» In 1993, multi-instrumentalists Fain Sanchez Duenas and Vincent Molino from Spain formed Radio Tarifa with singer/songwriter Benjamin Escoriza and released Rumba Argelina, an album that blended Flamenco, Arab-Andalusian, Arabic, Moorish and Mahgrebi music with that from the Renaissance, Mediterranean and even the Caribbean.
A deep dive into music history
Life, John Clewley, Published on 07/01/2025
» In 1965, Joe Boyd was stage manager at the Newport Folk Festival when Bob Dylan plugged in and went electric, shocking the conservative folk world. And having navigated that seismic shock, he went on to produce Pink Floyd, Nick Drake and Fairport Convention in the 1960s and 1970s.
The sound of the Balkans
Life, John Clewley, Published on 28/02/2023
» One of the Balkan's best-known bands is Mostar Sevdah Reunion, whose 12th studio album Lady Sings The Balkan Blues (Snail Records, Bosnia and Herzegovina) is currently riding high on the World Music charts. The band is something of a Bosnian institution, carrying the torch for updated versions of folk music, in this case, sevdalinka music of Bosnian Muslims.
The craic was 90
Life, John Clewley, Published on 15/03/2022
» Bangkok's resident Irish music expert Prof Mick Moloney recently journeyed back to his old stomping ground in New York to perform with his musical mates at the annual Irish Heritage Concert at St Patrick's Cathedral. The concert is held each year to celebrate St Patrick's Day. This year it was held on March 10.
Global genius honoured
Life, John Clewley, Published on 14/05/2019
» The summer festival season kicks off in Europe, Japan and North America early next month, with many bands from developing countries joining the festival circuit. There are lots of festivals that celebrate musical diversity, which is, I believe, important in these times of rising intolerance and xenophobia.
Top of the world
Life, John Clewley, Published on 05/02/2019
» The European Broadcast Union's Top 10 Chart for February -- taken from radio DJ playlists across the continent -- has just been released and there are some stunning new albums for world music fans to check out.
Joy to the world of music
Life, John Clewley, Published on 25/12/2018
» It's been a busy year for "World Music" fans. There have been some fabulous new releases from artists across the globe, and compilations of music that might easily have gone unnoticed. But while we are celebrating new music and golden hits from the past, some musical giants have left us for the great stage in the sky.
Musical archaeology
Life, John Clewley, Published on 10/07/2018
» James Cagney is regarded as one of the first gangster tough guys of Hollywood. Films like The Public Enemy (1931) made him a big star and his tough-guy persona belied his background as a dancer. If you look at the opening scene to his 1932 film Taxi, you'll hear him speaking fluent Yiddish, a "High German" language that originated with Ashkenazi Jewish communities and was later fused with other German dialects, as well as the Hebrew, Aramaic and Slavic languages.
African and Eastern European artists dominate World Music Charts
Life, John Clewley, Published on 12/06/2018
» This month's World Music Chart from the European Broadcast Union, selected by 45 radio producers across 24 countries, features some interesting new releases that music fans might like to consider.