Showing 61 - 70 of 80
A true one-off: Remembering Gil Scott-Heron
Life, John Clewley, Published on 06/09/2016
» The music and biting satirical poetry of Gil Scott-Heron have been booming from the World Beat beatbox this week. Earlier, I had watched a fascinating 2003 BBC documentary on his life and work, Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The title was taken from one of his most popular songs which has been covered many times by other musicians, although if he were to write the song today it might be called, "The Revolution Will Be Digitized Or Tweeted".
Music to move to
Life, John Clewley, Published on 26/07/2016
» The fascinating sounds of "Lollywood" (Pakistani cinema) soundtracks have been exploding from the World Beat turntable for the past week, courtesy of an excellent recent double vinyl compilation, 'Life Is Dance!' Plugged-In Sounds Of Wonder At The Pakistani Picture House (Finders Keepers, 2011). The compilation was sourced from EMI Pakistan's vast archives by Chris Menist, DJ partner of Zudrangma's Maft Sai and a member of local favourites the Paradise Bangkok Molam International band, and is a part of the series called "Sounds of Wonder".
The wedding singer
Life, John Clewley, Published on 05/07/2016
» One of the most unusual success stories in electronic music of recent times has to be that of Syrian farmer and wedding singer Omar Souleyman, who hails from northeast Syria. Before he left Syria in 2011 due to the civil war, he had been a prolific wedding singer, with hundreds of live cassettes and CDs to his name.
A world-music classic returns
Life, John Clewley, Published on 24/05/2016
» The Malian singer Oumou Sangare burst onto the West African music scene when she released her first album, Moussolou, on cassette in 1990. I was living in Tokyo at the time and African friends told me about a new singer rapidly rising to fame on the back of an album that had already sold a quarter of a million copies. A kind soul bought me the cassette from a trip to Mali so that I could review it for the Japanese newspaper I was writing for. I still have the original.
Music of the struggle
Life, John Clewley, Published on 05/04/2016
» Thomas "Mukanya" Mapfumo, the Zimbabwean bandleader, singer and songwriter, turned 70 last year. Mapfumo, one of the country's most beloved musicians, was the creator of chimurenga music, or "music of the struggle" which was at the heart of the anti-colonial movement in Zimbabwe, which led to independence on April 18, 1980.
African ambassadors of music
Life, John Clewley, Published on 03/11/2015
» Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux, one of West Africa's most famous dance bands, reunited last year to play shows in Europe and to celebrate Stern Music's release of a wonderful compilation of their early, formative music from the band's residency at the Motel de Bamako.
South to Louisiana – R&B on the Bayou
Life, John Clewley, Published on 15/09/2015
» Several fun-packed R'n'B compilations have sashayed their way onto the World Beat desk recently, led by a wonderful set of forgotten gems, Rhythm 'n' Bluesin' By The Bayou -- Mad Dogs, Sweet Daddies & Pretty Babies, and a superb collection of early hits by Memphis-born pianist and singer Roscoe Gordon. Both albums are on the Ace label.
New releases for June
Life, John Clewley, Published on 23/06/2015
» Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba continue to dominate the top spot on this month's European Broadcast union Top 10 World Music chart. The Malian, who has brought the ngoni or Malian lute, to global fame, is on a hectic summer touring schedule that sees the band play in European and US festivals. Catch him if you can but if you can't get his new album Ba Power.
Stunning chorus of molam sounds
Life, John Clewley, Published on 31/03/2015
» One of the delights of hearing the morning dawn chorus of birds here in Bangkok and indeed many Asian cities is the sound of the Asian or common koel (Eudynamys scolopacea), which in Thai is called nok ka-wow. I can mimic the sound of the koel roughly with a whistle, but khaen player Sombat Simla echoes the bird's sound exactly in the middle of a molam tune, with effortless ease. He can also mimic horns, ambulances and police cars, disco beats and synth drums, and the sound of heavy traffic. But his tour de force, which I've written about before, is the sound of a train journey, complete with traffic crossings and the calls of barbecue chicken vendors.
Time With an african music icon
Life, John Clewley, Published on 03/03/2015
» They are gone now but during the 70s and 80s, Africa's two great dance music masters, Franco and Tabu Ley Rochereau were in a friendly rivalry (sometimes strained) for the title of best Congolese artist. Franco, the child guitar prodigy, whose band defined the rumba Congolese sound with his band OK Jazz, came first; Rochereau, whose sweet tenor was honed in choirs, favoured a softer more international sound.