Showing 1 - 10 of 20
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.
Carrying the torch forward
Life, John Clewley, Published on 04/02/2025
» Rizwan-Meuzzam Qawwali Group is a Pakistani Qawwali ensemble led by brothers Rizwan and Muazzam Ali Khan. The duo performs with their seven-member party, who provide harmonium, percussion and handclaps. The singing brothers are nephews of the late great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who popularised the Islamic Sufi genre worldwide before his untimely death at 48 in 1997.
Bridging cultures
Life, John Clewley, Published on 18/06/2024
» In 2011, Iraqi musician, actor and writer Ahmed Moneka was working as an artist and actor. He studied at Baghdad's Institute of Fine Art and, according to Canada's The Globe And Mail, he was the first black TV presenter in the country. His father, also a well-known comedy actor, was the pioneer. Moneka went into the "family business".
Celebrating three decades of discovery
Life, John Clewley, Published on 27/02/2024
» World Beat celebrates 30 years on the music trail this month. The column started in Feb 1994 when Chuan Leekpai of the Democrat Party was in his first term as Prime Minister.
And ya don't stop!
Life, John Clewley, Published on 16/08/2023
» On Aug 11, New York City celebrated the 50th anniversary the birth of hip-hop with exhibitions, concerts and street art across the five boroughs.
Remembering an icon
Life, John Clewley, Published on 01/08/2023
» On July 13, luk thung singer, actor, movie/TV producer and label owner Phanom Nopporn passed away in hospital at the age of 77. One of the giants of the "country music" genre, fans and stars of the luk thung industry attended his funeral on July 18 at Wat Bang Rak Noi Ban Sai in Nonthaburi.
Root of the matter
Life, John Clewley, Published on 20/07/2023
» Earlier this year, Craft Recordings released the 2CD compilation Birth Right: A Black Roots Music Compendium with the aim of introducing the astonishing variety and depth of black roots music in the US in just 40 songs. Historian Dr Ted Olson and producer Scott Billington have done a great job of presenting a wide range of styles and genres -- from trad jazz to gospel to Louisiana la-la to Gullah music to country blues to brass bands. It's a fascinating musical ride for the listener.
The vinyl comeback
Life, John Clewley, Published on 25/04/2023
» Music fans and "crate diggers" enjoyed Record Store Day (RSD) last weekend. The inaugural event was first held in the US in 2007, on the third Saturday of April and on Black Friday in November. The idea, according to USA Today, was to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store" and indie outlets banded together with the support of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores and the Alliance of Independent Media Stores.
Compilation honours legacy of Jamaican giant
Life, John Clewley, Published on 13/09/2022
» A year after the death of legendary Jamaican reggae musician and producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, the good folks at Trojan Records have released the very first posthumous anthology of the influential artist's unparalleled career, King Scratch (Musical Masterpieces From The Upsetter Ark-ive).
The sounds of the jungle
Life, John Clewley, Published on 10/05/2022
» The acclaimed traditional music ensemble Fong Naam was founded in 1981 by American Bruce Gaston and "Teacher" Boonyong Khetkong. Even after the death of some of the original masters, all of whom were national artists, the band remains Thailand's most well-known musical group internationally.