Sunday, December 31, 2017

It Must Be Lovely: Hapa and "Manoa, in the Rain"



Hapa plays our random tune for today, called Manoa, in the Rain. Hapa means "half," and refers to the fact that one of the members, Barry Flanagan, is a white guy from New Jersey who is currently working with Hawaii natives Kapono Nāʻiliʻili, Tarvin Edwin Lono Makia, and Radasha Ho`ohuli. 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. Manoa, in the Rain, can be found on Hapa's 2002 album In the Name of Love.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Making Tortillas: Tish Hinojosa and "Las Marias"



Our random tune for today is by Tish Hinojosa, a south Texas Mexican-American singer-songwriter originally from San Antonio. Hinojosa sings traditional Mexican folksongs and her own compositions in both Spanish and English. She accompanies herself on guitar, playing right-handed even though she is naturally left-handed. This song, Las Marias, can be found on her 1995 album Frontejas.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Friday, December 29, 2017

He Is: Fela Ransome Kuti and the Highlife Rakers with "Fela's Special"



Today's random song is an early tune by an African and music legend, Fela Ransom Kuti, accompanied by The Highlife Rakers. A Nigerian musician and composer who played many instruments, Fela Kuti was a pioneer of Afrobeat. In 1958, Kuti was sent to London to study medicine, but decided to study music instead and formed his first band, the Koola Lobitos, who fused jazz and highlife music. After five years in London, he moved back to Nigera and reformed the Koola Lobitos but after a while, he decided to move to Ghana to try a different direction. It was in Ghana that he first started playing what would be called Afrobeat, a unique fusion of jazz, funk, highlife, psychedelia and traditional chants and rhythms of West Africa. In 1969, he spent 10 months in Los Angeles where he became acquainted with the Black Power movement, and this experience would influence his future music, as well as drive his human rights and political activities. He became not only a revered musician, but a political figure as well. He frequently decried Nigerian political corruption and mistreatment of Nigerian citizens and consequently was arrested over 200 times. Personally, he also believed in polygamy as part of a greater African culture, and participation in this practice may have led to his contraction of HIV/AIDS which was his official cause of death in 1997, although his exact cause of death remains controversial. His funeral featured a five-sided glass coffin for full public viewing. His music has since undergone a revival, helped by the Broadway musical Fela! which was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, and an annual Felabration festival in Lagos. You can find this song, Fela's Special, on the 2015 various artists retrospective Highlife on the Move: Selected Nigerian & Ghanaian Recordings from London & Lagos 1954-66, issued by Soundway Records.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Don't Jump on the Bed: Asheba and "No More Monkeys"



We have fun little song today, but don't jump on the bed to it! No More Monkeys is performed by Asheba, a musician who according to his website, strives "to encourage hope and happiness in children of all ages, abilities and background." Originally from Trinidad and now based in Oakland, California, he tells stories of hope and happiness through his music which is inspired by the musical and folkloric tradition of his homeland's calypso. He performs original lullabies as well as uptempo remakes of classic children's songs such as Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. You can find No More Monkeys on his 2004 CD of the same name, and on the 2015 Putumayo various artists release Animal Playground.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Not Gypped by Gypsy Jazz: 8½ Souvenirs and "Souvonica"



Our random tune for today is by 8½ Souvenirs, an Austin band of the 1990s that disbanded about 2000. While called an American swing jazz band, this group led by French-turned-American lead guitarist Olivier Giraud was clearly influenced by gypsy jazz and other European and Latin American styles. The band's name came from the Fellini movie and the Django Reinhardt song Souvenirs. This song, Souvonica, is from 8½ Souvenirs' 1997 album of the same name.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Dance Lobby: WAI and "He Kanikani Mahau"



Today's random song is called He Kanikani Mahau, and is performed by New Zealand band WAI. WAI was started in 1999 by Mina Ripia and Maaka McGregor, and they released their debut album in 2000. They were immediately hailed in New Zealand and beyond as groundbreaking and bringing a new sound to music from the Pacific Rim. In 2007, the duo went on hiatus to focus respectively on having a family and to work on new songs for an album. They have since evolved into a five piece outfit that sings in Maori, and uses traditional Maori music as a base to create what they call Maori electronica roots world music which also is infused with jungle, funk, reggae, hip-hop and deep house. You can find He Kanikani Mahau on their 2000 debut release, WAI 100%.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Monday, December 25, 2017

Shredding the Kora: Prince Diabaté and "Sabou"



A very happy Christmas to you today. Prince Diabaté performs today's song called Sabou. A griot from Guinea in West Africa, Diabaté's father was a kora player who broke tradition and also taught Diabaté's mother to play. Prince Diabaté gained proficiency by accompanying his parents to their concerts. He takes as inspiration traditional Mandingo and Malinké music, but he also borrows from reggae, rap, blues and funk. He has been called the "Jimi Hendrix of the kora," and he is responsible for creating the sound he calls Mandingo reggae. Sabou can be found on his 2006 album Djerelon.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Respect the Spider: Bjornemyr and "Iktomi, The Teacher of Wisdom"



Today's random tune is called Iktomi, The Teacher of Wisdom. It is a song in the style of Native American flute playing by Bjornemyr. We can't find much information on Bjornemyr other than it is the name of a Norwegian village, so we'll tell you a little about Iktomi. A spider-trickster spirit of the various Sioux peoples (Lakota, Dakota and Nakota) who can take human form, Iktomi is one of those troublesome spirits that can teach humanity as well as cause it trouble. One should avoid his gaze, so that trouble does not find one. The tales of his misbehavior are often humorous, ribald, and occasionally violent. However, he also seems to be a spirit that makes ways of communication easier, and his spider's webs, which in legend are supposed to cover the land, have been interpreted by some as the web of modern communications. You can find Iktomi,The Teacher of Wisdom on the 2009 album The World of Indian Spirits.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Pretty Rain: Camille and "Jolie Bruine"



Today's random song is by French singer Camille Dalmais, who performs under her first name. Born and raised in Paris, she is the daughter of an English teacher and speaks both fluent English and French. She developed an early interest in bossa nova music and studied literature at the Lycée International de Saint Germain-en-Laye, a prestigious French school. Camille began performing in Paris jazz clubs in the early 2000s, and was signed to her first record label contract in 2002 and released her first album that same year. In 2004 she started working with the band Nouvelle Vague, which combines new wave and bossa nova, as well as continuing her solo career. She has released six studio albums and one live album, and has appeared as a guest on many other albums. She is also an actress, appearing in six films and performing the opening song, Le Festin, for the animated film Ratatouille (2007). This song, Jolie Bruine, can be found on her 2006 album Le Fil.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Lost Youth: Moya Brennan and "Gone Are The Days"



Our random tune for today is sung by Moya Brennan. A native to Ireland, Brennan comes from a musical family (one of her sisters, Eithne, is better known as the singer Enya) and the family's band Clannad have been credited with creating the contemporary Celtic sound. Brennan is the eldest of the siblings, and started her own solo career in 1992. She is often classified as Celtic or New Age, though she feels uncomfortable with the New Age label as her music often has Christian themes. She has recorded 25 solo albums, her music has been featured in film, and she has collaborated with numerous other musicians in a variety of genres. She has also been very candid about her life - in her autobiography The Other Side of the Rainbow she recounts her upbringing in her family and her struggles with alcohol, drugs and an abortion which made her reevaluate her life and become a committed Christian. To help others with similar problems, she has given much to philanthropic endeavors and is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Christian Blind Mission. This song, Gone Are The Days, can be found on her album Signature (2006) and on her 2011 live album Heart Strings. The song seems to be an ode to lost youth.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Are You Sure: Carolyn Penley & The Shantones with "That's All You Gotta Do"



We really don't know what to say about this one. There isn't any information on the artist or the song, though one person online speculates that Carolyn Penley is the daughter of Asheville bluegrass and country musician Rex Penley. The song appears to be sung in a foreign language, though we really don't know. How it ended up in our collection of global tunes is a mystery to us. So, enjoy That's All You Gotta Do from the album True Rockabilly, Vol. 4 (2014).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Hawaii West Side: Kuana Torres Kahele and "Kawaihae"



From Hawaii, our random song for today is called Kawaihae and is performed by Kuana Torres Kahele, a Hawaiian musician, vocalist, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and educator. While he does traditional Hawaiian music, he is more well known for his original compositions which he performs on a variety of instruments such as ukelele, guitar, ipu (a percussion instrument made from a gourd) and bass. He is a co-founder of the award winning Hawaiian group Na Palapalai, and released his first solo album in 2012. He has voiced the lead character in the 2014 Pixar short Lava, and he teaches cultural workshops and classes. He operates the Na Lei Lanakila O Ni'ihau halau (hula school) in Hawaii and the Kuana School of Hawaiian Music & Culture in three Japanese cities. The recorded version of Kawaihae can be found on his CD Music for the Hawaiian Islands: Vol. 1 Hawaii Keawe (2014).

We wish a very happy birthday to Mike's sister Pauline today!

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Good Riddance: Doves and "There Goes the Fear"


Doves - There Goes The Fear from Chris Sayer on Vimeo.

Today's random tune is by Doves, an English alternative rock band. The core of the group formed as the band Sub Sub in 1991 in Cheshire playing dance-oriented music, but changed their direction to alt-rock when their studio burned down in 1996. They reformed as Doves in 1998. The band went on hiatus in 2010 and one member, Jimi Williams, has released his own solo album. The band itself has put out four studio albums, and there is a fifth album, The Places Between: The Best of Doves, which was released in 2010. This song, There Goes the Fear, was part of their 2002 album The Last Broadcast.

A very happy birthday to Mike's mother Shirley Hess. She turns 86 today!

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Monday, December 18, 2017

I Hope It Was Good: Epiphany Project and "Taliesen's Dream"



Epiphany Project brings us our random tune for today, called Taliesen's Dream. Epiphany Project is a new world folk ensemble that features Bet Williams on vocals, John Hodian on piano and Mal Stein on percussion. They combine unique melodies, world music styles and rhythms, thoughtful lyrics and improvisation to create music that spans time and space. Their goal is to put you in the moment, and to do that they have gathered sacred and secular texts in Aramaic, Sanskrit, Armenian, Farsi, Swahili and Welsh and employ inspiration from Armenian spiritual music, minimalism, Appalachian folk, jazz, qawwali devotional songs, acoustic blues and Tuvan throat singing. You can find Taliesen's Dream on their 2008 album Hin Dagh. The title of the song refers to a great Welsh bard whose work dates to the 6th century CE (AD).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Shredding Sitar: Ashwin Batish and "Sitharmony"



Today's random global is by Ashwin Batish, an accomplished sitar and tabla player. Originally from Mumbai, India Batish is the son of composer and Bollywood playback singer Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish. Ashwin Batish was a child prodigy who started playing music on the dholak drum, then the tabla at age 10, but he fell in love with the sitar at age 12. He began to learn sitar through lessons taught by his mother and by listening to Ravi Shankar albums. He also learned some guitar and enjoyed playing Western music by The Beatles, Pat Boone, Cliff Richard and others of the 60s era. After joining his father in England, he began to learn North Indian classical music and composition. His training was rigorous, but Ashwin realized he had to study diligently because he found himself uncomfortable playing in front of audiences. Batish moved to the US in 1973 with his father, and played music with him at their family restaurant. In 1986, he released his debut album called Sitar Power #1. A sitar fueled fusion of Indian and Western rock music, it brought him much attention and a recording contract. He currently runs his own record label that focuses on publishing all of his family's music, and he teaches music in Santa Cruz, California at his Batish Institute of Music and Fine Arts. This song, Sitharmony, can be found on his 1986 release Sitar Power #1.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Vocal Tradition: IYASA and "Helele Mama"



Our random tune for today is called Helele Mama, and is performed by IYASA. Short for Inkululeko Yabatsha School of Arts, IYASA is a Zimbabwe-based award winning performing arts school for youth which was established in 2001. The school uses workshops, classes, projects, training programs and performance to build awareness of and support for the arts in Zimbabwe, and also serves as an incubator for talent in the country in a wide range of fields, including poetry, acting, music, voice, drama, film and other areas. You can find Helele Mama on the 2016 album Best of African Mbube. Mbube is an African vocal genre which is commonly associated with the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and was originally developed in coal mines by young Zulu men. It is characterized by a strong four part a cappella vocal harmony with dancing.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Friday, December 15, 2017

Dr. King Might Have Approved: Mighty Sparrow and "Death of Martin Luther King"



It's hard to come up with an upbeat song about an assassination, but Mighty Sparrow did it in our random tune for today, called Death of Martin Luther King. Born in 1935, Slinger Francisco aka Mighty Sparrow is one of the giants of calypso music, and for his lifetime of work has received the highest order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and also was made a officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He is also known as the Calypso King of the World. Born in Grenada, he moved to Trinidad and Tobago as a small child and initially his love of calypso was thwarted while in Catholic school, where he sang in choir. As a teenager, he joined a steel band, and earned the name Little Sparrow during his early music career for his energetic performances. He later changed his performing name to Mighty Sparrow, and in 1956 he won his first Calypso King competition (he is a multiple winner). He was also a social activist - because he received so little for winning the Calypso King competition, he organized other musicians to boycott Carnival and he claimed to have succeeded in making conditions better for Trinidadian musicians. He also was able to take advantage of calypso's brief popularity, coinciding with Harry Belafonte's Calypso album, in the rest of the world. In the late 70s and 80s, calypso began to be eclipsed by soca, and Mighty Sparrow began performing hybrid music by mixing calypso, soca and local music called chutney. His style is described as witty, ironic and ribald, and he frequently comments on political and social issues, as well as themes of peace, tolerance and concern for the poor. You can find Death of Martin Luther King on his 2001 album Corruption.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Blue Skies Leave You Smiling: Vintage Culture & Santti Remix Charlie Brown, Jr.'s "Céu Azul"



Vintage Culture and Santti remix a Charlie Brown Jr. song called Céu Azul for our upbeat random song for the day. Vintage Culture is the performing name of Brazilian DJ Lukas Ruiz, who works in electronic and house music. Born in Paraguay, he was raised in Brazil. He was immersed as a child in the electronic music of the 80s, and after some brief studies in law school he dropped out to devote himself full time to music. With only a small computer, he began remixing songs, and he released his first remix on Soundcloud, a remix of a New Order song. He began DJing and performing in 2013, and fairly rapidly began to get a following. In two short years he made a world tour of countries such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Ireland, Spain and Belgium, and has since toured and played many other countries. I can't find much information on Santti. Céu Azul can be found on Vintage Culture's first full length album, Vintage Culture & Friends, released in 2017.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

The Oath: Oumar Konaté and "Allahidou"



Malian guitar master Oumar Konaté brings us today's random tune. Konaté started music at an early age, astounding his hometown of Gao with nightly performances on an old bucket, helmet and drum outside his family's home. He joined the Orchestra of Gao while in high school and accompanied them on their national tour. While in the orchestra, he was introduced to guitar. He went on to enroll in the National Institute of Arts in Bamako and recorded his first album there which brought him to the attention of many artists such as Vieux Farka Touré, Sidi Touré and Khaira Arby. He has performed in numerous festivals all over the globe, and has received accolades worldwide for his music. This song, Allahidou (The Oath), can be found on his 2014 CD Addoh.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Beauty: Gjallarhorn and "Hymn"



Today's random tune is from Swedish-Finnish band Gjallarhorn. Gjallarhorn was formed in 1994 in a Swedish-speaking portion of Finland and performs world music based in the folk music and traditions of that region. As such, their music tends to be Swedish in nature, but based in acoustic folk music unique to the Ostrobothnian area. Gjallorhorn is also known for their use of the hardanger fiddle, an eight or nine string violin (as compared to four strings on a standard violin), and lead singer Jenny Wilhelm's singing technique called kulning, a technique based on Scandinavian cattle herding calls consisting of high pitched wordless tones designed to be heard over long distances. The band's name derives from the name of the horn of the Norse god Heimdallr, who blows the Gjallarhorn signaling the last battle of the Norse gods. This song, Hymn, can be found on their 2006 release Rimfaxe.  (Note: even though it looks like it won't work, the video does work if you hit play).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Monday, December 11, 2017

Rapping Janitor: Die Fantastichen Vier and "Hausmeister Thomas D."



Die Fantastichen Vier (or Fanta 4), pioneers of German rap and hip hop, bring us the random tune for today called Hausmeister Thomas D. From Stuttgart, Die Fantastichen Vier was formed in the 1980s. They were one of the first groups to rap in the German language, and charted the first German rap hit in 1992. The group went to Los Angeles in the late 1980s for inspiration, but quickly realized that there was little in common between the experience of poor African-Americans in the US, whose circumstances fueled the creativity in the US rap and hip hop scene, and that of middle-class Germans. They moved away from gangsta rap influences to create a more German style which was often more serious and philosophical. The group has released 17 albums and 32 singles. Hausmeister Thomas D., referring to member Thomas Dürr who also calls himself the "janitor" ("hausmeister" is janitor in German), can be found on the group's 1991 debut album Jetzt Geht's Ab, and on their best hits compilation Best of 1990-2005 (2005). You will recognize the bass sample that they rap over from the Commodores' 1977 hit Brick House.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Tell Me Why: Amina and "Dis-Moi Pourquoi"



Today's song is by French-Tunisian singer-songwriter Amina Annabi, who is best known for finishing second in the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest. Her family was involved in setting up the Tunisian Tabarka Music Festival, and so at an early age Annabi was introduced to music through concerts by Joan Baez, James Brown and Algerian singer Warda. She also became friends with Senegalese star Wasis Diop. She formed her own group, but in 1982 she went solo, as well as developing a relationship with producer Martin Meissonnier of the French radio station Radio Nova. She won a music contest in 1983 with an Arabic-influenced rap song called Shehérazade, and began performing in Paris. She eventually married Messonier and had a daughter. She has recorded five solo albums and has released a number of singles, and she has also acted in 15 movies. You can find this song, Dis-Moi Pourquoi, on her 2001 album Nomad, on her 2002 album Le Best of, and on the Putumayo various artists compilation North African Groove (2005).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Drumming and Dancing: Nii Okai Tagoe and "Oh Nu Kpa"



Ghanaian percussionist and dancer Nii Okai Tagoe performs the random tune for today, called Oh Nu Kpa. Tagoe was born into a family of master drummers and dancers in Accra, Ghana and eventually moved to London where he was principal performer and teacher for Adidzo Dance Ensemble. With the ensemble he traveled and toured around Africa, watching and learning other forms of African dance and music. He eventually formed Frititi, a London-based performing arts company whose name is the word for "ancient" in Ghana. He was the choreographer for Peter Gabriel's floor show at the London Millenium Dome, as well as two enthronements of Archbishop of Canterbury and a performance for the Pope. He has released two albums. Oh Nu Kpa is off his second album, West to West (2016).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Friday, December 8, 2017

Don't Kick Me There: !DelaDap and "Le Shin"



Today's random tune is by !DelaDap. From Austria, !DelaDap is a music project by Prague producer Stani Vana that began with an international cast of musicians that fused Roma music with jazz, electronica and pop. As of 2012, they have turned more toward urban pop music with elements of club and global folklore. This song, Le Shin, can be found on their 2006 album Dela Paji and on the 2008 compilation Putumayo Presents: Euro Groove.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Eating the Bread of Sorrow: Bob Marley and the Wailers with "Guiltiness"



The legendary Bob Marley and the Wailers perform today's random tune, called Guiltiness. Bob Marley and the Wailers was a reggae and ska band formed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963. Many of the band's early songs were recorded with the aid of Lee "Scratch" Perry and his studio band The Upsetters. Bob Marley and the Wailers were known for recording some of the most notable reggae songs in history. Tosh and Wailer left the band in 1974, leading to a revamped Wailers lineup, and Marley died in 1981 of malignant melanoma. Guiltiness is from the 1977 groundbreaking album Exodus, which redefined reggae music and was named by Time Magazine in 1999 as one of the three best albums of the 20th century.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

On the Dhol: Ryan Singh and "Margaye Kutiye"



Our random tune for today is sung by Ryan Singh, and is called Margaye Kutiye. Unfortunately, I can't find much information on Ryan Singh. You can find Margaye Kutiye, a fun, bhangra-style song, on his 2006 album Dholicious.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Necking: Shri featuring Hammonds Saltaire Brass Band with "Neck to Neck"



Shrikanth Sriram (who performs under the name Shri), with his guests the Hammonds Saltaire Brass Band, brings us today's random tune, called Neck to Neck. A British-Indian acoustic, electric and computer-based musician, Shri delivers eclectic live performances that also features traditional Indian instrumentation. Shri grew up learning classical Indian music on tabla in Mumbai, but tired of its rigid structure and taught himself how to play bass, guitar and flute. Today his trademark instrument is a self-designed fretless bass guitar that he plays with a bow. After working with rock bands in India, he moved to London in the 1990s where he worked with such musicians and producers as Nitin Sawhney, Talvin Singh and DJ Badmarsh. After touring five years with Sawhney, he released his own debut album in 1997. Since then he has released 15 albums, both solo and as part of the electronic trip-hop duo Badmarsh and Shri. You can find Neck to Neck on his 2015 album Just a Vibration. The song includes the Yorkshire-based and award-winning Hammonds Saltaire Brass Band.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Monday, December 4, 2017

Song of a Drifter: Värttinä and "Päivän Nousu Nostajani"



Today's random song is by Värttinä. Värttinä is a Finnish folk group founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen, who had performed together reading poetry in the 1970s. In 1983, the sisters entered a youth arts contest with their poetry reading. They made it into the finals that first year. The next year they decided to refocus on singing and they won the event. They brought on some male members in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. Many children in their hometown were now eager to join the band, and finally Värttinä had to establish a new group for the youngest children to join. In 1987, at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, they were chosen "Ensemble of the Year," and in 1988 they released their first album. In the early 1990s, they moved to Helsinki and began training at the Sibelius Academy and perfecting their skills. The band first performed traditional Finnish folk songs, but in the mid-1990s began playing its own original compositions. Over the years the band has had many forms and lineup changes, and is currently made up of three female vocalists and three acoustic musicians. They have performed worldwide to international acclaim and have released 14 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. You can find this song, Päivän Nousu Nostajani, on their 1998 album Vihma.

The song's lyrics are:

Where can I go, poor drifter in this world?
Where will my song take me, child that I am?

Evening is my father and dusk is my nurse;
the dark night is my keeper and dawn my rouser.

I have nothing but the wind to rely on.
I shall keep my hands from play and close my mouth to song.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Romance of Desperation: Charanga Cakewalk and "Romanticos Desesperados"



Romanticos Desesperados is today's random tune and is performed by Charanga Cakewalk, which is the brainchild of Michael Ramos. Ramos is a Latino Chicano Mexican who also describes himself as a citizen of the world. A once sideman and rocker who played with John Mellencamp, Paul Simon, Patty Griffin and others and was a sometime member of the BoDeans and The Rembrandts, he maintained a keen interest in the Latino music of his childhood. Ramos has made Charanga Cakewalk the leading proponent of a style called cumbia lounge. Within his musical landscapes, you might hear tejano, flamenco, merengue, salsa, garage rock, ska and reggaeton. Charanga Cakewalk has released three albums. Romanticos Desesperados is from his 2004 album Loteria de la Cumbia Lounge.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Fool Me Once: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Je Suis Pas un Couillon"



Our random tune for today is by Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun Louisiana band founded in 1988. The band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also unique and personal. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category, and in 2013 Steve Riley took home a Grammy as part of The Band Courtbouillon, a Cajun jam band featuring Riley, Wayne Toups and Wilson Savoy. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. This song, Je Suis Pas un Couillon (I am not a Fool) can be found on the 1998 album Bayou Ruler, on the 2009 album Live From Breaux Bridge, Pt. 2 and on the compilation album The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (2008).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Friday, December 1, 2017

Reel 'Em In: Samuel Le Hénanff and "Reels"



Today's random tune is by Samuel Le Hénanff, who is recognized as one of the best diatonic accordionists of his generation. Hénanff is from Brittany and is steeped in the Breton language and music. Conscious of preserving the music of his region and culture, he studies musicology and is engaged in collecting music to preserve and record. He performs solo, in a duo and in a trio. You can find this song, Reels, on his 2009 album Accordion Diatonique.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.