Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Waterworld: Mariza and "Terra d'Agua"



The singer of today's song is Mariza, a Portuguese fado singer born in Mozambique before it gained independence from Portugal. She is of mixed Portuguese and African heritage. When she was three her family moved to Lisbon and while young she began learning to sing in many styles, including jazz, gospel and soul. She adopted the fado style at the insistence of her father, who felt it would give her more acceptance in the Portuguese community. After the fado's most famous interpreter, Amália Rodrigues, died in 1999 Mariza was asked to perform a tribute in her memory, which led her to record a fado album. Fado was starting to regain popularity, and her album sold an astounding number of copies. She has since focused on fado, has released seven albums and has sold over a million records worldwide. This song, Terra d'Agua, appears on her debut album Fado em Mim (2002).

Monday, June 29, 2015

Going with the Flow: Enya and "Orinoco Flow"



The random song for today is one you'll recognize. Orinoco Flow is by Enya, the performing name of Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, and is off of her 1989 best selling album Watermark. Enya was a brief member of her family's well known Celtic/New Age band Clannad before going off on her own. She wrote the music for the 1986 BBC television series The Celts before releasing Watermark, which brought her worldwide recognition. Her next album, 1992's Shepherd Moons, won her a Grammy. Her music is distinctive for its layered vocals, folk melodies, synthesized backdrops and an ethereal quality of reverberation.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Playing Some 'Tar: Ali Ghamsari and "Ghesehi Kamel"



Today's song, called Ghesehi Kamel, is by Iranian artist Ali Ghamsari. Ghamsari is a multi-instrumentalist who is a master of the Tar, a Persian long necked instrument that may have given its root name to instruments such as the guiTAR and siTAR, also instruments at Ghamsari plays. He graduated from the Tehran Music Conservatory and the University of Iran and has established three musical ensembles. He has released 10 albums to date, and travels the world performing and teaching modern Persian composition. He is the founder of the Institute for Persian Music in Tehran and a professor of Composition and Persian Music Theory at the University of Tehran. Ghesehi Kamel can be found on his 2013 CD Barfkhani.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Electrifying: AfroElectro and "Omin"



Today's random song is by Brazilian group AfroElectro. The band was formed in 2009 and takes as their inspiration Brazilian styles such as music from Nazaré da Mata, capoeira, and African musicians such as Ali Farka Touré, Kasai Allstars, Karim Ziad and Oumou Sangare. Hailing from Sao Paolo, AfroElectro's mission is to bring the roots of African musical culture to Brazil so Brazilians can better understand their cultural heritage. This song, Omin, can be found on the compilation album Best of Far Out 2014.

Friday, June 26, 2015

In the Sun Country: Nana Matias and "Pays Sol"



Today's random song is by Cape Verdean singer Nana Matias. She and her sister, singer Dulce Matias, sang in piano bars in Mindelo, Cape Verde as they were getting their start in music. Matias specializes in "mornas," a type of ballad that is slow and reflective. These types of songs were also associated with the early careers of notable Cape Verdean performers like Cesaria Evora. Matias now lives and records in France. On this song, Pays Sol, she is backed by her uncle on guitar and by her sister on vocals. Pays Sol can be found on the 1999 compilation CD Putumayo Presents: Cape Verde.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Kill Your Daddy: Old Blind Dogs and "Young Edward"



Father's Day was just a few days ago, so if you're now thinking of offing your daddy, Old Blind Dogs have a caution for you in today's song, the murder ballad Young Edward. Old Blind Dogs were formed in 1990 when the three founding members met on a "buskers holiday" in the Scottish Highlands. The band was originally distinctive as it represented the music and traditions of Northeastern Scotland and sang in the dialect of Aberdeen and the region. The band focuses on traditional Scottish and Celtic music, with influences from rock, reggae, jazz, blues and Middle Eastern rhythms. Young Edward can be found (as Edward) on their 1999 CD The World's Room, and in this live version (as Young Edward) as heard on their 2005 CD Old Blind Dogs Play Live.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Dwellers Below: R. Carlos Nakai and "Dreamscapes: Canyon People"



Fall into a dreamworld with today's random tune. Dreamscapes: Canyon People is by noted Native American flautist R. Carlos Nakai. Born in Flagstaff, Arizona, Nakai is of Navajo and Ute heritage. Given that his music is so peaceful, it is hard to believe that he started out his musical career at Northern Arizona University playing brass instruments in a marching band, and that he enlisted in the US Navy as a sophomore so that he might play with the US Navy Band. After passing the audition, he was 28th on the Armed Forces School of Music waiting list, but an auto accident damaged his mouth and made it impossible for him to play brass.

Not long after his accident, he was presented with a traditional cedar flute as a gift, and challenged to master it. And master it he has! Drawing from Native tradition but also blending Native music with that of other cultures, Nakai has created the only two Native American albums to be certified gold and platinum. He has worked with musical luminaries such as American composer Philip Glass, Israeli cellist Udi Bar-David, Tibetan flautist Nawang Khechog, American flautist Paul Horn and slack key guitarist Keola Beamer. He has been inducted into the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. Dreamscapes: Canyon People is on his 1993 platinum album Canyon Trilogy.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Waiting for the Rain: Jonaé and "Summer Storm"



It's summer, and in New Mexico where we reside that means we wait for the summer rains. Summer Storm is by Jonaé, a band from Nashville, begun in 2005, and made up of Californian guitarist/composer Jody Alan Sweet, West Virginia fiddler Renaé Truex, and Swedish percussionist Tom Moller. Jonaé combines diverse instrumentation such as violin, cello, viola, acoustic guitar and a variety of percussion instruments such as cajones, djembes, and mondo drums with electrifying rhythms and haunting melodies. Summer Storm can be found on Jonae's 2005 album Into the Blue.

BTW: If this seems like déjà vu, it is. This is the first "repeat song" in over one year of this daily post. Our rules are that we won't repeat a song from June 15 to June 14 of following year, but after that, if the random gods want to repeat a song the next year, we'll repeat it. You'll see another repeat this week as well. It's not so bad - commercial radio repeats songs multiple times a day!

Monday, June 22, 2015

Pop Pakistan: Zeb and Haniya with "Kahaan"



The random tune for today comes from Pakistani female duo Zeb and Haniya. Zebunnisa Bangash and Haniya Aslam are cousins who began writing music together when studying at Smith College and Mt. Holyoke College in the US. Zeb began singing at age 8 and studied under Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan. Haniya is a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. They began crafting music in the basement of Zeb's dorm between 2000 and 2003 with a rough version of a song called Chup. After an enthusiastic response from their college community, they recorded a version of Chup and another song titled Yaad. The songs spread on the internet and made it to Pakistan's radio airwaves. They released their debut album Chup! in 2008 and following the album's success began to do live performances. Zeb and Haniya have been hailed as one of the first, if not the first, all female band in Pakistan. They sing mostly in Urdu, and their songs, though often with a pop feel, draw on Pashto and Dari folk traditions and the music of artists such as Suzanne Vega, Turkish artist Barış Manço and Muddy Waters. Today's song, Kahaan, is from their debut album Chup! (2010).

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Very Certain: Afro Celt Sound System and "Sure-As-Not/Sure-As-Knot"



Today's song is from a world group mixing African and Celtic sounds. Sure-As-Not/Sure-As-Knot is by The Afro Celt Sound System, which fuses modern electronic dance rhythms with traditional Irish and West African songs. The Afro Celt Sound System were formed by British producer Simon Emmerson and Afro-pop star Baaba Maal in 1991. Since then they've been proclaimed a world music supergroup, and have collaborated with Peter Gabriel, Sinead O'Connor, Robert Plant, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Ayub Ogada and many other pop and world stars. Sure-As-Not/Sure-As-Knot can be found on their 1996 debut release Volume 1: Sound Magic.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Old World Sleepy-time: Mariana Sadovska and "Three Lullabies"



The song for today is by Germany-based Ukrainian actress, singer, musician, composer and recording artist Mariana Sadovska. Emerging from the theater world in Lviv, Ukraine, Sadovska worked in theater and theater production and led ethnomusicology trips and arranged cultural exchanges with numerous countries. She moved to New York in 2001 to be a music director with theater company La Mama. During this time she also began working on her own solo performances. She released her first solo CD in 2001. This song, Three Lullabies, is from her 2001 debut CD Songs I Learned in Ukraine.

Friday, June 19, 2015

Afri-laxing: Habib Koité and Bamada with "Batoumambé"



Today's song, Batoumambé, comes to us from Africa. Habib Koité is a Sengalese singer, songwriter and guitarist whose band, Bamada, is a supergroup of West African musicians. Koité is an unusual guitarist, tuning his guitar on a pentatonic scale and playing on open strings like one would play an African n'goni. His styles can often sound like blues and flamenco. His singing is more relaxed and intimate as compared with his contemporaries. Batoumambé can be found on his 2001 album Baro.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Present Perfect: Acida and "Presente Permanente"



Today's random song, Presente Permanente, is by Acida, a collaboration between Argentinian singer-songwriter Alina Gandini and husband Tweety Gonzales. Started in 1999, Acida takes inspiration from an eclectic range of genres such as tango, trip-hop, bossa nova, rock, jazz and other styles. Presente Permanente can be found on their 2005 album La Vida Real, and on the 2004 compilation Putumayo Presents: Nuevo Latino.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Old Contemporary Guitar Music: Puerto Plata and "Los Piratas"



Today's random tune is by José Cobles, a Dominican musician who goes by the nickname of Puerto Plata. Puerto Plata's music and singing is reminiscent of guitar music heard in the Dominican Republic in the 1930s and 40s, before it was stigmatized by dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo,who preferred accordion-heavy merengue tipico. By the 1960s, after Trujillo's assassination, Dominican guitar music began to develop into bachata. Plata does not play bachata, however, but a music closer in style to contemporary Cuba, even though it is inspired in the Dominican past. In addition, Plata's band features some of the Dominican Republic's finest musicians, such as guitar legends Edilio Paredes and Frank Mendez. This song, Los Piratas, can be found on Plata's first internationally distributed CD, Mujer de Cabaret, released in 2007.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

By Committee: Mexican Institute of Sound and "Comite Culificador Pt. 2"



Our random bit of distortion-infused song is by the Mexican Institute of Sound. The Mexican Institute of Sound is Mexico City-based producer and DJ Camilo Lara's electronic music project. Fusing Mexican folk music with modern sounds, MIS is part of a growing movement in Mexican music. Lara started with mixing music for holiday mix tapes, and after getting enthusiastic receptions for his creations, began making musical collages under the moniker Mexican Institute of Sound while relying on samples of Mexican classical music. He has released four albums, with a fifth due next year. This song, Comite Culificador Pt. 2, is from his 2009 CD Soy Sauce.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Happy Birthday to Us! Happy Birthday Dear Blog...

Today is the first anniversary of this ongoing world and global music party brought to you by the KUNM Global Music First Monday (every first Monday of the month from 10 pm to 1 am Mountain Time on KUNM, 89.9 FM Albuquerque/Santa Fe or live stream at kunm.org). For one year, we have been bringing you at least one world or global music song per day, and have been rewarded with over 5700 hits. I know, that's pretty small potatoes, but clearly some of you like what we have been putting up, and keep coming back. If you ever want to leave a comment, we would welcome it. On to the next year!

Winds of Change: Te Vaka and "Havili"



South Pacific and New Zealand group Te Vaka brings us our random tune for the day, Havili. Te Vaka performs contemporary Oceanic music in a style they call South Pacific fusion. Founded in New Zealand in 1995 by Opetaia Foa'i, they have won a number of awards and have been labeled the most successful contemporary band playing Pacific music by the BBC. They use traditional instruments such as the pate and pa'u (drums) and most of their songs are written in the Tokelauan language, though some songs are in Samoan and Tuvaluan. Havili is from their 2011 album of the same name. The lyrics are about a blowing breeze of hope that refreshes our lives.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Summer Chill: Tha Tribe and "Cold Winter Nights"



We want to wait awhile for the subject of this random song for today. Cold Winter Nights is by Tha Tribe, a Native American band that records songs where reservation (rez) humor meets urban culture, giving us a glimpse of the future of Native American culture. I can't find much information on Tha Tribe or their featured singer Arianne Sheka. Cold Winter Nights can be found on Tha Tribe's 2008 album Tha Quiet Storm: Round Dance Songs.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Getting Lei'd: Hapa and Hei Iti Vaihi Mo'i



We go to the islands for today's random tune by Hapa. The name Hapa means "half," and indeed one of the members, Barry Flanagan, is a white guy from New Jersey who is currently paired up with native Hawaiian Ron Kuala'au. Flanagan has been a consistent 30 year member of the duo. He started out partnering with Keli'i Ho'omalu Kaneali'i. Following Kaneali'i, Flanagan teamed with Nathan Aweau, who eventually left for a solo career. Flanagan then partnered with Hawaiian chanter Charles Ka'upu, who described Hapa's goal as helping revive the Polynesian language and to totally change the way the world perceives Hawaiian music. Unfortunately, Ka'upu died suddenly and unexpectedly in his early 50s in 2011. In its new incarnation Hapa continues to draw from jazz, folk, blues, bluegrass, Latin, flamenco, rock, Irish music and slam poetry as well as traditional Hawaiian music. Hapa's debut CD in 1995 became the biggest selling album ever by a Hawaiian group, and they have since released eight albums. Today's song, Hei Iti Vaihi Mo'i, can be found on their 2005 album Maui.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Move Your Booty Body to the Celt Funk: Black 47 and "Funky Ceili"



We are getting funky and rocky with today's random tune, Funky Ceili by Black 47, a Celtic rock band from New York City with roots in reggae, hip hop, folk and jazz. Known for their Irish Republican sympathies, their name refers to 1847, the worst year of the Irish famine. Their music was initially embraced by both right- and left-leaning people as they sang songs with socialist lyrics and about everyday life in America, but their outspoken opposition to the Iraq War and other topics garnered them controversy and their outspoken Irish republicanism led to a reluctance by UK labels to promote or support their albums overseas. A series of tragedies also befell various band members in the late 1990s and early 2000s. After 9/11, the band began to play regular and emotional gigs in Manhattan to allow people grieving over the tragedy to have a voice. Their albums have almost all been critically praised, with their music given as examples of how Irish music can rock, and their lyrics drawing comparisons with Irish author James Joyce. Black 47 announced in 2013 that they would disband in November 2014 after exactly 25 years of making music, and they have released their final album, Last Call. Their disbanding is, according to their statement, not due to any internal band dissension but because they want to go out at the top of their game and on their own terms. Funky Ceili can be found on their 1993 album Fire of Freedom.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Waiting for a Return: Aziza Brahim and "Regreso"



Today's song comes from disputed territory and a woman without a country. Aziza Brahim was born in the Sahwari refugee camps in Algeria where her mother had fled from Moroccan troops occupying Western Sahara. She studied in Cuba, but was rejected for music school and returned to Algeria. In 1995 she won a contest sponsored by the Sahwari Arab Democratic Republic, then joined a Sahwari musical tour through Mauritania and Algeria. She then toured Europe with the Sahwari group Leyoad. She has since collaborated with Touareg musicians, the Spanish latin jazz band Yayabo. In 2007 she created Gulili Mankoo, comprised of Sahwari, Spanish, Colombian and Senegalese musicians and mixing African music with blues and rock. Since 2009 she has been touring with the Basque txalaparta band Oreka Tx. She has released three albums. This song, Regreso, can be found on the compilation album Freemuse & Deeyah Present Listen to the Banned. The video is live concert footage.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Wishing for Youth: Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem with "The Dutchman"



Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy bring us the random tune for the day. Makem, who died in 2007, was a folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller known as the Bard of Armagh. Internationally acclaimed, he was a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. A baritone, he played a number of instruments including 5 string banjo, tin whistle, low whistle, guitar, bodhrán and bagpipes. Liam Clancy, who died in 2009, was the youngest member of The Clancy Brothers. He was known for his powerful voice. Bob Dylan considered Clancy the greatest ballad singer ever and he was a hero to the young Dylan as he was learning his craft. He was a central figure in the folk revival of Europe and North America. This song, The Dutchman, can be found Clancy's 1974 album Farewell to Tarwaithie and its 1993 re-release under the title The Dutchman, and on the retrospective album The Makem and Clancy Collection by Readers Digest (2011). This video is concert footage from 1983.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Island California: Mystic Roots and "One for Me"



The random song for today is a reggae number by Mystic Roots, a Chico, California born band that is now based in San Diego. Mystic Roots embraces roots reggae with a feel that brings up echoes of No Doubt, Sublime, The Police, Sean Paul, The Fugees and Cypress Hill with a spirit and consciousness of Bob Marley or Spearhead. This song, One for Me, can be found on the CD compilation Island Roots 3 (2002).

Monday, June 8, 2015

Late Night Tequila: Líber Terán and "Después de las Diez"



Today's song is Después de las Diez by Líber Terán. Líber Terán is a founding member and former lead singer and guitarist of the Mexican band Los de Abajo, which focused on Latin ska, rock, salsa. reggae, cumbia, Son Jarocho and banda sinaloense. As a solo artist, Terán has expanded his repertoire to explore classic rock and roll and Balkan influences. Después de las Diez can be found on his 2008 album El Gitano Western.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Make It a Good One: Gaelic Storm and "Kiss Me, I'm Irish"



The song for today is by Gaelic Storm, an American Irish band formed in 1997 in Santa Monica, California. They play traditional Irish and Scottish music, as well as original music in the Celtic and Celtic rock genres. Gaelic Storm got a huge break in 1997 when they were cast as the steerage band in the blockbuster movie Titanic. They have burnished their resume by touring aggressively and adding new instrumentation to their ensemble, such as Uileann, Highland and Deger (electronic) bagpipes to their instrumentation. This song, Kiss Me, I'm Irish, can be found on their 2006 album Bring Your Wellies.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

TGIF: Kimo Kahoano and Paul Natto with "Aloha Friday, No Work Til Monday"



The randomizer is a day behind, I guess, but Saturday is good and, as this song tells us, "no work til Monday." Aloha Friday, No Work Til Monday is by Kimo Kahoano and Paul Natto. Kimo Kahoano is known as the Voice of Hawai'i and is an actor and DJ well known in the islands. Unfortunately, I can't find much information on Paul Natto. Aloha Friday, No Work Til Monday can be found on the compilation CD Island Roots (2000).

Friday, June 5, 2015

Waiting to Exhale: Mercan Dede and "Halitus"



Today's random song is by Mercan Dede. Dede is a Turkish musician living in France who draws inspiration from Sufi music. Dede is also known as DJ Arkin Allen, and is a composer, player of the ney (a Middle Eastern flute) and the bendir (a hand drum). He fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern musics with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. Halitus is from his 2007 CD Breath.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Rockin' West Africa: Juldeh Camara and Justin Adams with "Banjul Girl"



What do you get when you mix a British guitarist, an African griot and a smattering of surf and rock music? You get Banjul Girl by Juldeh Camara and Justin Adams! Camara is a Gambian griot and internationally acclaimed blues musician known for his instrumental virtuosity and international collaborations. He plays the African one-string fiddle, known as a riti or a Nyanyero. He learned to play the instrument from his blind father, who according to legend lost his sight as payment to a Djinn (genie) who taught him to play - and many say you can hear the sound of the Djinn in Juldeh's music. Justin Adams is an English guitarist who works in blues and African styles. He started his career in the band The Impossible Dreamers and then worked for a time with Jah Wobble in his group Invaders of the Heart. He co-wrote Robert Plant's 2005 album Mighty Rearranger. He has collaborated on four albums with Juldeh Camara. Banjul Girl can be found on their 2009 album Tell No Lies.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Deep in the Heart: Beirut and "Rhineland (Heartland)"



Our random tune for today was composed in young man's bedroom in New Mexico. Rhineland (Heartland) is by Beirut, a band initially formed as a solo project by Albuquerque-born Zach Condon and later expanded into a full band. Condon recorded the bulk of Beirut's debut album, Gulag Orkestar, in his bedroom and finished the album with the assistance of Neutral Milk Hotel's and A Hawk and a Hacksaw's Jeremy Barnes. The strength of the recordings brought Condon a contract with Ba Da Bing Records under the name of Beirut, and the album was released in 2006 in conjunction with some live shows in New York - Condon recruited some friends to play the concerts and they became the band Beirut. Beirut has released three albums, the last in 2011, and Condon has been involved in several side projects. Rhineland (Heartland) is from Beirut's 2006 debut CD, Gulag Orkestar.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Foxy Lady: Yanase Miho and "Kitsune"



The country of Japan brings us the song of the day. Kitsune is by Japanese artist Yanase Miho. We can't find any information to give you her bio, unfortunately. The name of the song is the Japanese word for a fox. Kitsune can be found on Miho's 2010 CD Futatsu No Kotori.

Monday, June 1, 2015

Global Music Show tonight...live!

Looking for something to do on a Monday night? Can't sleep? Just feeling like a late night? Let us keep you company. Turn on the Global Music Show - 89.9 FM Albuquerque/Santa Fe or stream live at http://www.kunm.org. I start at 10 pm, Mountain Time, USA - or just under an hour from when I post this.

Six Feet Under: Orkestar Zirkonium and "Bury Your Dead"



Today's song is by Orkestar Zirkonium, an American mobile brass band based in Seattle inspired by the music of the Balkans, particularly that of the Eastern European Romani. Inspired by some of the greats, including Fanfare Ciocarlia, Kočani Orkestar, Goran Bregović, Boban Marković and others, they play music from Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia and India as well as their own original dance tunes. This song, Bury Your Dead, can be found on their debut, self-titled release (2008).