The Ministry of Culture of Vietnam is collaborating with international agencies to develop a national action plan to safeguard nha nhac music.
 
 Local and international experts gathered in the former imperial city of Hue last Friday for a workshop to discuss the action plan. At the two-day workshop were representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Department, UNESCO, the Japanese embassy, and court music artists and practitioners.
 
 The safeguard plan aims to strengthen transmission of the music, create a group of young and skilled musicians and performers, and document reminiscences from the nha nhac community.

 

The plan takes into consideration all of the required elements emphasized in the 2003 Convention for the Safeguard of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The project is supported by UNESCO through the UNESCO-Japan Fund in Trust for Intangible Cultural Heritage programs.

 

According to UNESCO, Nha Nhac, meaning “elegant music”, refers to a broad range of musical and dance styles performed at the Vietnamese royal court from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Nha Nhac was generally featured at the opening and closing of ceremonies associated with anniversaries, religious holidays, coronations, funerals and official receptions.

 

Among the numerous musical genres that developed in Vietnam, only Nha Nhac can claim a nationwide scope and strong links with the traditions of other East Asian countries. Nha Nhac performances formerly featured numerous singers, dancers and musicians dressed in sumptuous costumes. Large-scale orchestras included a prominent drum section and many other types of percussion instruments as well as a variety of wind and string instruments. All performers had to maintain a high level of concentration since they were expected to follow each step of the ritual meticulously.

 

Photo courtesy of Thua Thien Hue Center for Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion

 

New York (NY), USA - The master musicians of the Orchestra of Tangier will present a program of vocal and instrumental suites from medieval Andalusia in New York, Boston, Washington D.C. and Atlanta, during a U.S. September tour.
 
 Performing sung poems of love, pleasure, wines and nature, Tangier Ensemble will tour four cities in the U.S., starting on September 24 in Washington, D.C. The concerts in D.C. and Atlanta will mark the first appearance of a leading Arab-Andalusian music ensemble from Morocco in these two cities. The musicians will then visit Boston and New York.

 

Wed. Sept. 24 Washington, D.C. F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre at Rockville Civic Center Park

Thurs. Sept. 25 Atlanta, Ga. Rich Theatre at Woodruff Arts Center

Sat. Sept. 27 Boston, Mass. First Church in Cambridge

Sun. Sept. 28 New York, N.Y. Merkin Concert Hall

In the Arab world, Andalusian music refers to "art music" as opposed to traditional and popular music. Arab-Andalusian music is believed to have originated in Moor-ruled southern Spain in the 9th century, and these musical and poetic traditions based on ancient poems have been preserved and developed in North Africa by descendants of Muslim and Jewish populations who left Andalusia during the Christian Reconquista.

The Andalusian repertoire consists of vocal and instrumental suites called Nawbat, or Nubas. As Morocco was never ruled by the Ottoman Empire, its Andalusian music has the least influence of Middle Eastern musical styles, especially when compared to Algeria and Tunisia.

Tangier Ensemble is a small formation derived from Orchestra of Tangier. Led by the legendary master Ahmed Zaitouni, the orchestra toured the U.S. in September, 2007, before enthusiastic audiences. The visiting ensemble consists of five virtuosi on lute, violin, rebab (2-stringed hand-held bass) and tambourine with celebrated tenor Mohammed Arabi-Serghini on viola and vocals.

The ensemble members have received international recognition for the last two decades for their recordings of Arab-Andalusian music for European labels, extensive tours in Europe and the Arab world, and collaboration with Spanish musicians.

MENA Music will launch "Andalusian Music Festival of New York" in February, 2009, and the current tour is a festival preview, introducing Arab-Andalusian music to American concert-goers in N.Y., Boston, D.C. and Atlanta.

MENA Music  was established in 2006 in New York City by Ms. Kazko Kawai in an effort to enhance mutual understanding between the U.S. and the Arab world through music in the post 9/11 world. The organization is committed to bringing the best musicians from the Middle East (ME) and North Africa (NA) to North America to develop audiences for music from these regions. To date, MENA Music has produced several concerts to introduce North African music to the American people, which includes two Arab-Andalusian orchestral debuts in the U.S. and live performances by leading Moroccan Arab-Andalusian musicians broadcast for the first time in the U.S. on national television and NPR.

More information at: http://www.menamusic.org

 

World music presenter Rhythm Foundation announced today that the upcoming concert featuring Buika, September 9 at Gusman Theater, Downtown Miami, is postponed.
 
 Some members of the group are Spain-based Cuban nationals.  The processing of their visas was delayed and they were unable to travel.
 
 Rhythm Foundation will announce a new date for the group soon.  Ticketholders can wait and exchange them for this new date, or receive a refund at the place of purchase.

Buika is one Spain's world music sensations. She has a third CD out, titled Niña de Fuego, which is now available in the United States. The album includes recreations of classic Spanish coplas and Mexican rancheras as well as new material that is more flamenco-oriented. Renowned producer and composer Javier Limón, produced the CD and provided some of the new songs. 

 

Buy the CD:

• In North America: Niña de Fuego, and also purchase her previous recordings: Mi Niña Lola and Buika
• In Europe: Nina De Fuego, and her previous CDs:  Mi Nina Lola and Buika

Mayra Andrade - Navega (Sony BMG 886971005642, 2007)

Tcheka - Lonji (Times Square/Four Quarters Entertainment FQT-CD-1809, 2008)

How can a country like Cape Verde- a small, remote, rather barren archipelago a few hundred miles off the west coast of Senegal -produce so much great music? I don’t know. There must just be something inspirational about the place. Whatever it is, I hope it continues.

 

When I first heard Cape Verdean music, what immediately attracted me was the similarity it bore to that of Brazil, another former Portuguese colony. But soon, through hearing the distinctively Cape Verdean styles of morna, coladera and funana, it began to take on its own voice. That said, I must disclose that if I had heard Mayra Andrade’s album Navega without knowing her nationality, I might well have guessed her to be a Brazilian singer with Cape Verdean leanings rather than the other way around. But the Cuban-born Andrade is Cape Verdean sure enough, though she spent parts of her childhood in Senegal, Germany and Angola as well and currently calls Paris home.

Before she was even 20 years old Mayra Andrade was an acclaimed vocalist, winning contests and captivating audiences in both the Americas and Europe. Navega  is her debut disc, and this still-very-young singer possesses a warm, nimble vocal style that makes the early acclaim understandable. Several of the players providing instrumental support on the CD are in fact Brazilian, thus accounting for a samba-like feel for much of the album’s first half. But keep listening (and believe me, you’ll want to) and a vibe more befitting Andrade’s true homeland seeps in.

 

By the time the closing track “Regasu” unfolds in true morna style worthy of Cesaria Evora (whom Andrade once opened for), you’ll want to hear the whole lovely disc again just to catch the subtlety and sparkling beauty with which Andrade vocally spans the Atlantic to connect Brazil and Cape Verde.

 

There’s likewise something of a Brazilian bottom line to Tcheka’s Lonji, which was produced by Brazilian rocker Lenine. But Tcheka’s sound is based on Cape Verdean batuku, a voice-and-makeshift-percussion style originally sung primarily by women on both celebratory and sad occasions.

 

While there is some strange percussion accompaniment mentioned in this disc’s credits (including kitchenware and brushes on a telephone book), the main focuses here are Tcheka’s voice and guitar. His singing suggests Angola’s Bonga without so much gravel, and his acoustic picking deftly guides his whispery delivery through the breezy but insistent rhythms of the songs.

 

Decorative touches like the accordion that weaves through “Tuti Santiagu” and the trombone enrichment on “Lingua Pretu” shed some light on the shadows of Tcheka’s intimate style, which is every bit as inviting as more established Cape Verdean stars like Tito Paris. Lonji prompted me to revisit Tcheka’s previous release Nu Monda (which I lazily never got around to reviewing) and marvel at the hints of jazz and blues (as well as “real” percussion) that Tcheka adds on both discs while maintaining an unspoiled sense of underlying simplicity befitting the music’s traditional sources. So consider Lonji a must if you like your Cape Verdean sounds especially tasty, and check out Nu Monda as well.

Buy the CDs:

• In North America: Navega and Lonji
• In Europe: Navega  and Lonji

New York (NY), USA - Rachel Unthank & The Winterset will head to the United States this September for their debut American tour. The critically-acclaimed English female quartet features sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank, whose intimate vocals combine for a startlingly innovative new sound. The group is nominated for the UK's prestigious Mercury Prize,
 
 Raised in northern England singing traditional folk repertoire, the Unthank sisters developed a harmonizing style of spine-tingling clarity. Their first Real World release, The Bairns features spare instrumentation and a haunting, moody sound that transforms traditional material. The band also presents a fresh take on new folk, with two originals and surprising interpretations such as Robert Wyatt's aching 'Sea Song.'

The Bairns earned the band the coveted Horizon Award at the BBC Folk Awards and was named one of the top 10 folk albums of 2007 by Mojo, UK Channel 4, fRoots and the Daily Telegraph.

Rachel Unthank & The Winterset's 10-city North American tour begins on September 18, bringing them through the Midwest, Toronto and to the East Coast.

• Sept 18, CSPS, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Sept 19, Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Sept 20-21, Chicago World Music Festival , Chicago, IL
• Sept 22, The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
• Sept 23, Hugh's Room, Toronto
• Sept 25, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
• Sept 26, Joe's Pub, New York, NY
• Sept 28, World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA
• Sept 29, Jammin' Java, Vienna, VA
• Sept 30, T.T. & The Bears, Cambridge, MA

For more information on the band, visit www.rachelunthank.com.

Nigerien sensation Etran Finatawa returns to the US for the third time this year. Etran Finatawa. They are six Tuareg and Wodaabe musicians now based in Niamey, Niger. Etran Finatawa, whose name literally translates as “the stars of tradition,” began as a group of ten musicians who wanted to unite these two nomadic cultures as a symbol of peace and reconciliation, forming around the time of the 2004 Festival in the Desert near Timbuktu.

 

The touring and recording band consists of six players, three Tuareg and three Wodaabe. In Niger, the Wodaabe and the Tuareg live side by side on the desert’s fringes, sharing pastures and water sources, which sometimes leads to feuding. Here they work together for unity and strength and to give their culture a future in an ever-changing world. The music of the two tribes is very different but the way it has been combined produces a powerful and hypnotic sound, one which could be called “Nomad Blues.”

Concert dates:

• 9/20 Madison Madison World Music Festival
• 9/21 Chicago Chicago World Music Festival
• 9/22 Chicago Chicago World Music Festival
• 9/23 Los Angeles Amoeba Music (in-store)
• 9/25 Los Angeles Japan American Community Cultural Center
• 10/3 Bloomington Lotus Festival
• 10/4 Bloomington Lotus Festival
• 10/6 World Café
• 10/7 Philadelphia Crossroads Music (Calvary Church)
• 10/8 Boston Museum of Fine Arts
• 10/11 Pittsburgh Carnegie Mellon University

Buy the CDs:

• In North America  Desert Crossroads and Introducing etran finatawa
• In Europe: Desert Crossroads ad Introducing etran finatawa 

Read the CD review: Saharan Intersection

European company Wolsfraektroes Music has released Beetz n Bobz Shock Out, a set of "in your face" drum & bass sounds ready for dancefloor productions. The pack size is 650mb with 128 drum loops, 150 single hits, 20 musical loops, 5 drum kits, 84 bass sounds, 40 pads, 51 sound effects, and 118 synth sounds.

 

The set comes in Wav and Rex for drum loops formats. There is also a 'boutBeats Bonus Folder containing 20 Speaker Smashing Drum Loops. This pack has been aimed at the dance floor jump up, techstep, jungle and wobble heads which need high quality breaks, bass and everything else every time they get in the studio.

"We created this pack as we where fed of getting poor quality half assed sample packs which where well below par, check this pack out and you will see that we have put everything into it," says the company press release.

Exlusive instant download on Dance Midi Samples (UK) and Sonomic (USA) at:
http://www.dancemidisamples.com/Beetz-N-Bobz-Shockout-DB.html
http://sonomic.com/components/display/cdrow_display.jsp?id=1971&product_type=samples

The Beetz n Bobz Insanity FX Sample Pack press features 100mb of sound effects.  All sound effects are in wav format and are completly unique.

Exclusive instant download on Dance Midi Samples (UK) and Sounds To Sample (UK):
http://www.dancemidisamples.com/Beatz-N-Bobz-Insanity-FX.html
http://soundstosample.com/info/Wolsfraektroes_Music/Insanity_FX/94

Castleton (Vermont), USA - For the thirteenth year now, the serene countryside of Vermont roared to life with the thunderous sounds of drums and percussion in the little village of Castleton. KoSA International Percussion Workshops and Festival held its annual drum camp this past July 30th to August 3rd at Castleton State College. Established by Montreal percussionist Aldo Mazza, KoSA's theme this year encouraged all who attended this unique event to "change their world" by furthering their knowledge in what KoSA promises to be a magical "fix" of drums and percussion.
 
 This year's participants, coming from as far this year as Turkey and ranging in age from 8 to 74, experienced a thrilling week of intense,
 hands-on percussion training with some of the finest artists in the world. Only at KoSA can you take intimate small group lessons in Taiko, amazing instruction with a world-renowned hand drum master on the same day as a fusion lesson with a legendary artist such as Chester Thompson followed by a rock lesson with Jonathan Mover.

Other celebrated artists this year at KoSA included: Memo Acevedo (Tito Puente), Cyro Baptista (Paul Simon), Ignacio Berroa (Dizzy Gillespie), Mario DeCiutiis (KAT Electronic percussion), Kenwood Dennard (Sting), Marc Dicciani (University of the Arts/Philadelphia), Dom Famularo (world drumset ambassador), Gordon Gottlieb (Steely Dan/Julliard), Arnie Lang (New York Philharmonic), Russ Lawton (Trey Anastasio) Marco Lienhard (Japanese Taiko master), Aldo Mazza (Répercussion), Allan Molnar (Nelly Furtado), Mario Monaco (Al di Meola), Jonathan Mover (Shakira), Emil Richards (Los Angeles studio legend), Jim Royle (steel drum ensemble), Bobby Sanabria (Arturo Sandoval), Rajna Swaminathan (South Indian artist), Chester Thompson (Phil Collins and Genesis), Glen Velez (Four-time Grammy Award master frame drummer), Michael Wimberly (West African Drumming) with Mamadou Dahoué (West African Dance) and Nancy Zeltsman (Berklee College).

 

The nightly performances also featured the KoSA rhythm section: Oscar Stagnaro on bass (Paquito D'Rivera), Rafael Alcala on piano (Manhatttan Transfer).

At this world-class event, participants and faculty live and eat together while exchanging ideas about drumming virtually all day and
night. Besides the hands-on daily classes conducted by their idols, attendees get the opportunity to play with the rhythm section in
residence, participate in masterclasses, and perform in nightly jam sessions and a formal recital. Every evening participants were treated to exciting concerts in the KoSA Festival which are open to the public. An estimated 1000 drum and percussion enthusiasts The event culminates with a grand finale faculty concert which is recorded live.

KoSA was generously sponsored this year by: Asano Taiko, Beatnik, Bosphorus, Cooperman, Canadian Musician, D'Addario Foundation, Drum Magazine, Drumhead Magazine, Drummers Collective, Evans, Gibraltar, Hansenfutz, Hudson Music, KAT, Lang
Percussion, LP,Ludwig/Musser, Mapex, Mike Balter Mallets, Meinl, Modern Drummer Magazine, PAS,Paiste, Premier, ProMark, RegalTip,Remo, Sabian, Shure, Stagg, Tama, Taye, Toca, WB, XL, Yamaha, and Zildjian.

 

For more information on KoSA or to purchase KoSA CDs and/or the newly released KoSA DVD, visit www.kosamusic.com.

 

Photo caption: Glen Velez

Ventilador Music has published two new books (with CD) with sheet music by the legendary Flamenco guitarist Mario Escudero and contemporary guitarist Juan Lorenzo.

 

Mario Escudero - Gloria de la Guitarra Flamenca, written by Claude Worms includes some of Escudero's most important works, including the buleria ‘Ímpetu.’ Escudro performed with some of the leading artists of his time, including Vicente Escudero, Ramón Montoya, Tomás Pavón, Niña de los Peines, and Mairena. The book's notes are in English, Spanish and French.

Guitarist Juan Lorenzo provides 200 exercises for flamenco guitar on 200 Ejercicicios para Guitarra Flamenca. The book comes with a CD that allows the student to listen to the exercises at lower speed. Bilingual edition in English and Spanish.

 

Both titles are available from hwww.ventilador-music.com.

The song "Tamahana", written by Te Vaka's Opetaia Foai and Malcolm Smith has won the " International" category in the 28th Australian Songwriting Association Awards. The Australian Songwriting Contest is highly respected and extremely prestigious and is the longest running songwriting competition in Australia. The National Awards Night held in Sydney on the 28th of August was a memorable event.

 

The winners of the 12 songwriting categories performed their winning songs to a sold out venue of top music industry personnel and Australian celebrities. Te Vaka's performance of "Tamahana" on the night also won the group the PPCA "Best live Performance of the night" Award presented by Mondo Rock Bass player Paul Christie.
 
 Photo caption: Malcolm, Opetaia and Olivia with the legendary Australian rock musician Doc Neeson from the Angels

 

Take a communist playwright, actor, singer, and songwriter and introduce him to a young American musician and singer half his age. They fall in love. Add an ex-submarine commander with a eccentric view of radio as Art. Send them with the new mobile tape recorder to railway yards, onto fishing vessels, down coal mines, in search of gypsy encampments. Now read about the most compelling series of radio programs ever made.
 
 So state the notes on the cover of Peter Cox's latest book, Set into Song. The book that all folk music lovers wish they had written. The making of the eight ground breaking Radio Ballads. It's about the lives of the makers, the lives of their subjects set into song, public broadcasting, the BBC and above all it documents a slice of the folk revival in the UK. Such tremendous subjects and timely too as 2008 marks their 50th anniversary year.

 

So what of Peter Cox's treatment, who by his own admission has only been involved in the "folk scene" for the last two years. It is impeccably well researched. Access to Peggy Seeger's phone book was a huge initial step up, serving as an introduction to the old folkie grapevine. As a consequence, the original musicians and studio hands could be contacted along with the actual subjects of the ballads. When he wasn't on the phone or chatting face to face, time was spent pouring over various archives. A year in fact, writing content, cross referencing and checking his sources.

The result is an absolute treasure trove of a book that delivers and delights on so many levels. The early chapters satisfy any biographical interest in the contrasting lives of the three protagonists. Whilst the middle section with its behind the scenes approach, transcripts and detailed processes for each of the eight ballads, immediately turns the book into a companion to the audio material and at times a handbook for radio producers.

The latter part continues with a number of chapters on life after the Radio Ballads for all concerned. The final one, devoted to the 2006 radio ballads, finds the author bold enough to offer a comparison between the two series. This book is an absorbing, entertaining and educational read. It deserves to be cited many times as an invaluable reference book.

Copies of the book can be purchased postage free through its own website, where you'll also find transcripts of the radio ballads, the first two pages of each chapter, photographs and other companion material.

Peter Cox was my guest on GondwanaSound on the auspicious day of 2nd July 2008, the 50th anniversary of The Ballad of John Axon, the first of the Radio Ballads to be broadcast by the BBC.

Buy the book:

• To get a signed copy of the book, order it from www.setintosong.co.uk
• You can also order it from Amazon.com in North America: Set into Song

 

From Mambo to Hip Hop: A Bronx Tale is an hour-long documentary that tells a story about the creative life of the South Bronx, beginning with the Puerto Rican migration and the adoption of Cuban rhythms to create the New York salsa sound; continuing with the fires that destroyed the neighborhood but not the creative spirit of its people; chronicling the rise of hip hop from the ashes; and ending with reflections on the power of the neighborhood's music to ensure the survival of several generations of its residents, and, in the process, take the world's pop culture by storm.

The DVD features Angel Rodríguez, Benny Bonilla, Bobby Sanabria, Bom 5, Carlos "Charlie Chase" Mandes, Clemente "Kid Freeze" Moreno, Curtis "Caz" Brown, David Gonzalez, Mr. and Mrs. Salsa, Eddie Palmieri, Emma Rodríguez, Jean Manuel Massenya, Louis Mercado, Luis "Trace" Otero, Luis "Track II" Mateo, Luis Chalusian, Orlando Marín, "Popmaster Fabel" Pabón, Ray Barretto, Sandra María Esteves, Tony "Peanuts" Aubert, Willie Colón and also Featuring Rock Steady Crew and Dnynamic Rockers.

 

Bonus Materials include extra Interviews with: Mike Amadeo, Joe Conzo Sr., Marta Moreno Vega, DJ Hess, Paula Grillo, Jo-Jo Torres, Orlando Marín, Pebblee Poo, as well as outtakes of featured artists.

 

The DVD is scheduled for release in late October 2008

 

Preorder the DVD:

• In North America: From Mambo to Hip Hop

World music presenter Crossroads Music has announced its late-2008 schedule. While West African music is especially strongly represented this fall, there are also Eastern European, English, Latin American, and North American artists scheduled. Concerts take place at 7:30 pm in the chapel of West Philadelphia's Calvary United Methodist Church, a beautiful room with excellent acoustics.
 
 Thursday, September 18, 2008
 Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies
 Topical folk music from England's post-industrial northeast

 

Friday, September 26, 2008
 Jayme Stone & Mansa Sissoko
 Africa to Appalachia
 
 Saturday, October 4, 2008
 Bernard Woma
 Master of the Gyil (Ghanaian xylophone)
 with Alokli West African Dance and Gina Ferrera's Gyil Fusion
 
 Tuesday, October 7, 2008
 Etran Finatawa
 Nomad Blues from Niger's Tuareg and Wodaabe peoples
 
 Saturday, November 8, 2008
 Venissa Santi
 Cuban jazz standards and Afro-Cuban folkloric song
 Sonic Liberation Front
 Afro-Cuban Yoruba roots meet free jazz and electronica
 
 Saturday, November 22, 2008
 Metrofolk Band
 Traditional Music from Hungary and Romania.
 
 Saturday, December 6, 2008
 Arpil Verch Band
 Ottawa Valley fiddle and stepdance
 
 Saturday, January 17, 2009
 Peter Ostroushko
 Heartland Americana (with a Ukranian twist)
 with Svitanya Eastern European Women's Vocal Ensemble
 
 Wednesday, January 21, 2009
 International Guitar Night, featuring
 Pierre Bensusan (France)
 Benjamin Verdery (New York)
 Cecilia Zabala (Argentina)
 Brian Gore (San Francisco)
 
 Most tickets are priced between $10 and $20 and are available both at the concerts and in advance from Brown Paper tickets (via our website or at 1-800-838-3006) and at House of Our Own Books (3920 Spruce Street). More information on the season  is available at http://www.crossroadsconcerts.org.
 
 Crossroads' programming is in part supported by grants from the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, the Samuel S. Fels Fund, the Five County Arts Fund (a Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts program funded by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and administered by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance).

Photo:  Etran Finatawa

 

Afro-Spanish singer Buika will perform Tuesday, September 9, at 8 pm at Gusman Theater in Downtown Miami, This is an exclusive U.S. 2008 concert. The Madrid-based artist, born in Spain of African parents, has attracted the attention of Spanish audiences because of her unique blend of flamenco and copla (traditional Spanish song) with neo-soul and jazz.

 

Buika has a third CD out, titled Niña de Fuego, which is now available in the United States. The album includes revamped versions of classic Spanish coplas and Mexican rancheras as well as new material that is more flamenco-oriented. Renowned producer and composer Javier Limón, produced the CD and provided some of the new songs. 

Buy the CD:

• In North America: Niña de Fuego, and also purchase her previous recordings: Mi Niña Lola and Buika
• In Europe: Nina De Fuego, and her previous CDs:  Mi Nina Lola and Buika

Purchase tickets online

New York (NY), USA - Renowned Greek singer Savina Yannatou & Primavera en Salonico have a new album out titled Songs of an Other (ECM, 2008). In September she will be touring the United States (see concert dates below).

Songs of an Other, recorded in Athens last October, is the third ECM album by Yannatou & Primavera en Salonico. It finds the adventurous collective sailing through traditional songs from Armenia, Macedonia, Serbia, Kazakhstan, and Southern Italy as well as Greece, adding a 16th century hymn from the Yiddish tradition.

Once again, the arrangements, by Kostas Vomvolos with input from all band members, find the points that suggest a unity of the traditions, while Savina locates areas where experimental vocal technique can overlap with the idiosyncrasies of folk singing, as folk melody erupts into free areas.

The improvisational quotient is stronger on Songs of an Other, than on Sumiglia, the collective's 2004 album and the whole ensemble's growth of confidence is immediately evident. They've toured extensively in the last four years and the group sound is at once tighter and liberated.

 

Distinctions between 'jazz' players and traditional instrumentalists inside the ensemble no longer apply. Each musician is fully engaged in shaping and developing the music. "If you start improvising then something else happens, just as one thought will take you to another, without the connections being obvious." Yannatou has said. "This time the selection of material seemed to emphasize strongly rhythmic elements and 'strange' melodies, and I think this encouraged the flow of improvisational ideas."

On Sumiglia, songs were effectively portraits; here the themes are many - love songs, religious songs, philosophical meditations, lullabies, songs of working the land, songs of leaving and returning -all bringing forth evocative playing. "Ah, Marouli" is from the Greek island of Calymnos, and is a traditional song of sponge-divers. "Adio Amore" is an olive-harvester's song, "Omar hashem Leyakoyv" a Yiddish song from the Ashkenazic tradition, probably from the 16th century. So it goes.

 

In addition to the arrangements of traditional material, there are two new compositions based on Greek sources - "O Yannis kai O Drakos", and "Perperouna" respectively a dragon-slaying song and a gentle call for rain. The first features percussionist Kostas Theodorou on second double-bass, the latter cross-references Burundi rhythm with Greek melody, and adds African kalimba to the arrangement.

"There were no limits imposed about where the music might come from," Savina says. Much of the choice of material - intuitive rather than systematic or conceptual - was made by sifting through hundreds of folk tunes, from all over the world, archived by nay player Harris Lambrakis, who is also a musicologist. "I was simply being open to anything that held my attention." Her choices spurred Kostas Vomvolos to find ways to arrange the material that would fully engage the playing capacity of all members of Primavera en Salonico. Sumiglia, she reflects, was in some ways a record of restraint, of holding back, of putting the focus on the songs' narratives. Songs of an Other,, by contrast, has more to do with letting go, opening up, flying... "On the last recording we were asking ourselves: What are these songs about? This time around we were simply saying: Let's play!"

Born in Athens, Yannatou studied at the National Conservatory. While still a student she sang for Greek National Radio 3, under the direction of composer Manos Hadjidakis. In the ensuing years she explored a range of options from renaissance and baroque music to contemporary composition as well as Greek "entechno" art songs. In the early 90s she experimented with free improvisation, with both Greek and international collaborators and began to work also with a circle of Thessaloniki-based musicians who formed the band Primavera en Salonico for her recording of Sephardic folk songs from the region. The group is now in its 15th year, its progress informed by its members range of activities:

Kostas Vomvolos, the band's principal arranger, is a resourceful accordionist, and an innovative exponent of the quanun (or psaltery). Well known in Greece as a writer of theatre music he has scored more than fifty plays and is, furthermore, an authority on the reconstruction of ancient music.

Oud and guitar player Yannis Alexandris worked for the State Theatre of Northern Greece in the 1960s, originally as a member of the choir, and also played Greek music as a guitarist in the taverns. From 1973 he lived in Sweden for ten years, a period in which he intensified his studies of Greek traditional music. A member of the Tombourlika ensemble, whose vast repertoire of Rembetika songs is legendary, Yannis is also highly regarded as an instrument builder, and has for thirty years made bouzoukis, baglamas, lutes, lyras and more.

Violinist Kyriakis Gouventas recently co-founded the folk orchestra Estudiantina. He has worked with many of the most skilled traditional singers and instumentalists in Greece and played also with orchestras and chamber ensembles.

Bassist Michalis Siganidis is also a poet and songwriter. In the late 1970s he belonged, along with Floros Floridis and Sakis Papadimitriou to the first wave of Greek players addressing free improvisation. He has also written music for stage and screen.

Kostas Theodorou who plays percussion in Primavera en Salonico is a self-taught musician whose history also includes periods as a guitarist and bassist. He has worked with Bulgarian kaval player Theodossij Spassov, combines Greek rhythms with those of the neighboring lands and once described himself as 'an avant-garde folk musician'.

Harris Lambrakis, much in demand as a nay player on the traditional circuit, also plays with jazz and contemporary music groups. He is currently researching urban traditional music in Greece at the musicology department of the University of Athens.
 

Buy the CD:

• In North America: Songs of an Other
• In Europe: Songs of An Other

Savia Yannatou photo by Marco de Luca

 

The WOMEX Daycases provide the ideal setting for more intimate artists who present acoustic, intimate or traditional music best heard in a theatre-like setting. With the additional opportunity to provide specialist introductions, Daycases are the opportunity to  listen and learn.

 

WOMEX is the largest international conference for world music. WOMEX 2008 will be taking place in Sevilla, Andalusia (Spain) from Wednesday, 29 October - Sunday, 2 November. The Worldwide Music Expo, WOMEX, is the largest world music trade show, showcase and a great networking point. It is exclusively dedicated to world, roots, folk, ethnic, traditional and local music of all kinds.

 Thursday, 30 October
13:00: Zabit Nabizade Trio (Azerbaijan)
Intro: Kurttas, Erdal (Turkey)

14:15: Liu Fang (China/Canada)
Intro: Wang, Risheng (China/Canada)

 Friday, 31 October
13:00: Jouhiorkesteri (Finland)
Intro: Bass, Colin (UK/Germany)

14:15: Ólöf Arnalds (Iceland)
Intro: Baldurson, Sigtryggur (Iceland)

 Saturday, 1 November
13:00: Beats in the Heart of Orient (Iran/India/Greece/France)
Intro: Brown, Daniel (USA/France)

14:15: Salamat Sadikova (Kyrgyzstan)
Intro: Humphrey, Mark (USA)

All Daycases will be taking place in the Auditorium Al-Andalus/FIBES.

WOMEX 08 Showcase Program at www.womex.com/realwomex/showcases

 

Photo: Liu Fang

The results are in and this year’s WOMEX top world music label is United States-based Cumbancha. They will be awarded the customary WOMEX Top Label Award plaque during the WOMEX conference at the Sunday ceremony, and will share the stage with the other winners Muzsikás and the Folk Music Department of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland.

 

WOMEX 2008 will be taking place in Sevilla, Andalusia (Spain) from Wednesday, 29 October - Sunday, 2 November. The Worldwide Music Expo, WOMEX, is the largest world music trade show, showcase and a great networking point. It is exclusively dedicated to world, roots, folk, ethnic, traditional and local music of all kinds.

 

Denver (Colorado), USA - Yonder Mountain String Band, hailing from Nederland, Colorado (forty miles northwest of Denver), will be performing at this year's Democratic National Convention held on Denver August 24-28. Yonder will take the stage on the final day of the convention - August 28th at INVESCO Field at Mile High Stadium - just prior to Barack Obama's highly anticipated acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination. Also scheduled to perform at the event are will.i.am, Stevie Wonder and Dave Matthews Band.
 
 The convention anticipates 75,000 people in attendance, and a huge international and national media audience, for the acceptance event. This 2008 Democratic National Convention is a monumental moment in the country's history and in Denver specifically, marking the first convention to be held in Denver in one hundred years. This acceptance speech event, which was moved to INVESCO Field at Obama's request, will host more general public than any previous acceptance speech.

Yonder Mountain String Band is proud to call Colorado home, and to be a part of a community that has supported the band since its beginnings nearly ten years ago. Over the past decade, Yonder has built a loyal and strong fan base in Colorado, and throughout the country: one that has enabled them to perform and headline at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater (Morrison, Colorado), to host three-night stands at the historic Fillmore Auditorium in Denver for New Year's Eve, and to perform at the famed Telluride Bluegrass Festival seven years in a row.

After ten years of solid touring and recording, Yonder Mountain String Band continues to break new ground, bending their rock-infused bluegrass sound with their marathon live shows. Jeff Austin (mandolin), Adam Aijala (guitar), Dave Johnston (banjo), and Ben Kaufmann (bass), have formed a group that is a force to be reckoned with.

 

This summer has been very busy for the band, including the release of  Mountain Tracks, Vol. 5  (the band's new live album), a national tour, a main stage performance at Bonnaroo, the band's seventh appearance at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, a performance at the inaugural Rothbury festival, the annual North West String Summit, hosted by the band, and their big return to headline Red Rocks.

 

Yonder Mountain String Band will close out their summer touring with a performance at Jazz Aspen on Labor Day. Yonder heads back out on tour for the month of October. In between touring, Yonder will return to the studio with famed producer Tom Rothrock (who's produced Elliot Smith and Beck), to record a new studio album.

 

Photo by: Tobin Voggesser

Web site: www.yondermountain.com

Contributed by Ms Lakshmi

 

The five day Music festival at the Subha Sidhi Vinayaka Mandhir is slotted to have the grand finale on the 2nd of September 2008 (Tuesday) with a concert by the bright and sparkling local artist from Mayur Vihar, Ms. Mahalakshmi. It has been a healthy development in recent years of finding select youth with good lineage and aptitude to pursue their interest in music in a mature way by consolidating their interests academically and with full confidence. Luckily the opportunities in this field has fortuitously opening up.
 
 Kum. Mahalakshmi hails from a musical family and is the great granddaughter of the famous violinist Kumbakonam Sri Rajamanikkam Pillai and the younger daughter of Kalaimamani Sri V.S.K. Chakrapani (Violinist). She is now pursuing a study in Phd in Music after completing a post graduation and successfully completing her M. Phil from the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi.

 

She is also a graded artist in the All India Radio, Delhi. She won the Senior Scholarship for Karnatic Music (Vocal) 2000 - 2004 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. She bagged the award with the Title “Yuva Kala Bharathi” by the Bharat Kalachar, Chennai in the year 2005.

The concert is scheduled as under:

Kum. C. Mahalakshmi - Vocal
Mr. VSK Annadurai - Violin
Mr. Kumbakonam Padmanabhan - Mridangam
Time: 0660 PM onwards.
Venue: The Concert Hall, Sri Subha Sidhi Vinayak Mandhir, Pocket IV. Mayor Vihar (Ph 1)

This program is cosponsored by Issai Kudumbam (issaikudumbam@gmail.com).
All are welcome.

 

Picture: Ms C Mahalakshmi

 

A new DVD,  Greatest Hits Live,  captures the experience of a live performance by Conway Twitty. Throughout his career transformation from rock ’n’ roll teen idol to country music superstar, Conway Twitty’s rich, down-home voice has spoken to the souls of music fans for over five decades. The smoothest of country’s balladeers, with a record-setting 40 #1 hits, Twitty is the true embodiment of country music.
 
 This never-before-released, rare performance was caught on video in 1993, and has since been in the possession of the Twitty family. Experience the hits from “Hello Darlin’” to “Desperado Love” as Conway belts out the favorites.

DVD Performances

It’s Only Make Believe
Hello Darlin’
Boogie Grass Band
I’d Love To Lay You Down
Tight Fittin’ Jeans
Image Of Me
Fifteen Years Ago
Desperado Love
Goodbye Time
Crazy In Love
Who Did They Think He Was
Slow Hand
The Rose
That’s My Job
You’ve Never Been This Far Before
Why Me Lord
It’s Only Make Believe

Buy the DVD:

• In North America: Greatest Hits Live
• In Europe: