Showing 1 - 10 of 19
Rhythms of the Northeast
Life, John Clewley, Published on 21/02/2026
» The first Maha Morlum Festival, a showcase soft power event, was held in Maha Sarakham from Feb 13-14 and World Beat travelled to the Isan province to enjoy the two-day, one-night immersive experience promised by the event's organisers.
Passing of a giant
Life, John Clewley, Published on 11/10/2025
» Sad news reached the World Beat desk this week that Prof Dr Terry E. Miller of Kent State University in the US passed away on Oct 1. He was 80 years old.
Molam master passes
Life, John Clewley, Published on 15/07/2025
» World Beat journeyed to Roi Et province last week to attend the funeral of Assoc Prof Jarernchai Chonpairot, who passed away on the July 5 aged 83.
Rhapsody In Blue – a timeless American classic
Life, John Clewley, Published on 19/11/2024
» On Feb 12, 1924, a concert organised by popular jazz band leader Paul Whiteman was held at the Aeolian Hall in New York City. Despite the cold and snow, the show was jam-packed not only with music fans but also composers like Sergei Rachmaninov and John Philip Souza and popular actors like Gertrude Lawrence.
From melons to molam
Life, John Clewley, Published on 02/01/2024
» The Jim Thompson Farm Tour in Pak Thong Chai, Korat, is back after the challenges of Covid lockdowns and economic slowdowns, with a leaner, more focused tour which this year runs from now until Friday.
A timeless musician
Life, John Clewley, Published on 26/09/2023
» Eliades Ochoa was a key member of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club, which was established in 1996 and organised into a stellar ensemble of Cuban musicians, many of whom performed Cuban music of the 1940s and 1950s -- bolero, son and danzon. An album was released to great acclaim and a film documentary of the group garnered an Academy Award for director Wim Wenders.
Top tunes this June
Life, John Clewley, Published on 20/06/2023
» Veteran kora master Toumani Diabaté and Kayhan Kalhor soar to the top spot on the June edition of the Transglobal World Music Chart with a new release on Real World, The Sky Is The Same Colour Everywhere. Diabaté is well-known for his cross-cultural collaborations, from his early days with Ketama, a flamenco, jazz, West Africa fusion, to later work with the London Symphony Orchestra (Korolen), while Kalhor is an award-winning Kurdish-Iranian master of the kamancheh (fiddle) and setar (lute).
Forest folk
Life, John Clewley, Published on 11/04/2023
» As part of an attempt to keep fit and enjoy what little green space we have in Bangkok, I have been a regular visitor to Benjakitti Park and its recently added section known as Benjakitti Forest Park. The new site, situated on land formerly occupied by the state tobacco company, has been transformed into a green space with different forest types such as mangrove, lowland forest swamp and so on.
Seen and heard
Life, John Clewley, Published on 11/10/2022
» It has been nearly 30 years since Dr Grace Nono released her first album on a new label, Tao Music, which she set up with her late partner, producer and guitarist Bob Aves. With her musical collaborator, she set about searching for her musical identity.
Bangkok loses stalwart of city's music scene
Life, John Clewley, Published on 16/08/2022
» Bangkok's local Irish music scene has been in in mourning since news reached the City of Angels that resident Irish music expert Dr Mick Moloney passed away in his Greenwich Village apartment in New York on July 27. He was 77. Mick had been a part-time resident in the city for more than 20 years. Irish President Michael D. Higgins released a statement noting that "his passing is a loss to the musical heritage of Ireland, to Irish America, and to Irish music worldwide".