Hump Day: Amar Sundy and "Camel Shuffle"

A Tuareg bringing the blues to France brings us today's random tune, called Camel Shuffle. Amar Sundy is originally from Mauritania but has made a name for himself as an original blues guitarist melding the music of North Africa with American blues he learned at the feet of blues legends such as Albert Collins, BB King, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and Albert King. On top of that, he adds the traditional music of his adopted home, France, where he honed his musicianship as a busker in the Paris Metro. You can find Camel Shuffle on his 2009 release Sadaka, and on the various artists compilation Putumayo Presents: African Blues (2012).

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.

Source: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/amar-sundy-mn0000747175

Could Elvis Sing This?: Aki Kumar and "Eena Meena Deeka"

Our random tune for today is called Eena Meena Deeka, and is performed by Aki Kumar, an Indian-born blues musician now living in San Jose, California. Aki Kumar moved from Mumbai to Oklahoma City in 1998 to study computer science. He finished out his degree at San Jose State University and worked at Adobe. However, he had also studied keyboards and harmonica and listened to Bollywood music and US "oldies" music while growing up in India. After moving to the Bay Area, he got turned on to the blues after going to blues bars and nightclubs, and he eventually joined a band playing harmonica. When Adobe closed his department, he decided to concentrate full time on a career in music, and quickly found a niche blending Bollywood music with the blues. He has released three albums. Eena Meena Deeka can be found on his 2016 album Aki Kumar Goes to Bollywood. The song is a Hindi song from the 1957 Bollywood film Aasha, and is considered the first rock and roll song used in a Bollywood movie. One version of the song in the movie is sung by the great playback singer Asha Bhosle, and another version is sung by another great playback singer, Kishore Kumar. The song was inspired by the children's game Eeny Meeny Miney Moe.

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.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aki_Kumar; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eena_Meena_Deeka_(song)

We Had a Yen: Ali Farka Touré and "Yenna"

Today's song, Yenna, is by the great Malian guitarist and singer Ali Farka Touré. Ali Farka Touré was a Malian singer, multi-instrumentalist and one of the most renowned African musicians. His music fits right into the intersection of traditional Malian music and North American blues. Known as the "African John Lee Hooker," he sang in several African languages, and was once ranked by a panel of critics for Rolling Stone magazine at number 76 of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and was ranked by Spin Magazine in 2012 as number 37 on the 100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time. In 2004, he became mayor of a small town and spent his own money on improving infrastructure. He died in 2006 of bone cancer.  Yenna can be found on his 1992 album The Source.

Griot with Gravy: Diabel Cissokho and Ramon Goose with "Totoumo"

Hello! Today's random tune is Totoumo, by Diabel Cissokho & Ramon Goose. Cissokho is a Senegalese musician from a griot family who had an early musical pedigree with his family's band Bannaya. He has served as Baaba Maal's kora player, as well as many other acclaimed musicians. He now partners with bluesman Ramon Goose, an English guitarist, singer and producer known for his West African Blues Project and the hip hop band NuBlues. He is a master of the slide guitar, and has produced a number of other blues recording artists such as Boo Boo Davis. You can find Totoumo on their album Mansana Blues (2010) and on the compilation album Putumayo Presents: African Blues (2012)

Not Stocks, Boats: Taj Mahal and The Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar with "Dhow Countries"

Today's random tune is by an American blues legend teamed with an African orchestra. Taj Mahal is the performing name of Henry Saint Clair Fredericks, a blues musician who often incorporates elements of world music into his music. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist (guitar, banjo, piano and harmonica), he has reshaped blues by combining it with nontraditional forms from the Caribbean, Africa and the South Pacific. The Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar is one of the largest, most successful and most prolific of African orchestras. It began life as an extension of an independence party of the now semi-autonomous province of Zanzibar in Tanzania. They are known for their presentation of Swahili Taarab music. As such this song, called Dhow Countries, has a nice slow groove to it. You can find Dhow Countries on the compilation CD Putumayo Presents: African Blues (2012).

Mike would like to dedicate this song to his mother, Shirley Hess, who suffers from Alzheimers. It is her birthday today. Happy birthday, mom!

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).

African Mellow: Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté with "Hawa Dolo"

The great Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté perform our random tune today. Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Mali renowned as one of Africa's greatest musicians, and the person who represents the intersection between Malian music and the blues. Known as the African John Lee Hooker, his playing style on guitar was similar to Hooker's blues. He sang in several African languages, and won two Grammy awards. Toumani Diabaté is a Malian kora player who not only plays traditional Malian music but also has collaborated cross-culturally in blues, jazz, flamenco and other international styles with musicians such as Björk and Taj Mahal, among others, This song, Hawa Dolo, is from their Grammy Award winning album (for best traditional world music) In The Heart of the Moon (2005).

Yo Mama: Zap Mama and "Hello to Mama"

Yo mama is here. At least, the random tune for today is by Zap Mama, the music act of Belgian artist Marie Daulne. Daulne sings in polyphonic and Afro-pop styles, infusing harmony with African vocal techniques, as well as throwing in some hip hop. Much of her musical inspiration comes from her roots in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where her Belgian father was killed during the Congo Crisis. Her Congolese mother and all the children were airlifted to Belgium, where she grew up in a household infused with Congolese culture but also in a society where there were few black people. Her first musical influences were African songs her mother sang, European music, especially French, and later blues, reggae and hip hop. In 1984, she returned to Congo to learn about her heritage and trained in pygmy onomatopoetic techniques. First conceived of as an a capella quintet, Zap Mama has evolved to just Daulne's voice and instrumentation. This song Hello to Mama, can be found on Zap Mama's 2009 CD ReCreation.

Two of the Top 100: Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder with "Diaraby"

When two of the top 100 of anything show up at a party, it immediately goes from run of the mill gathering to gala event. Just like an awards show advertised on television, where some second tier stars are scheduled to perform or read the award winners and then someone like Scarlett Johansson or Bruce Springsteen commits to appearing and the awards show suddenly becomes "star-studded" and "a very special night." Well, today's random music selection has all of that, because we have Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder. In case you wonder why that makes it so special, well, let's just forget for a moment that these two musicians are world renowned. Let's put aside that Touré helped define "world music" and that Cooder has made significant contributions of his own through his explorations of roots music and his collaborations with international artists such as Touré and the Buena Vista Social Club. Let's also not consider, for the moment, the huge international appeal that these two musicians had and continue to have.

No, let's rest it on this. In 2003, David Fricke proposed a list of the top 100 guitarists of all time. Ry Cooder is #8, and Ali Farka Touré is #76 on his list. In 2011, Rolling Stone came out with a list made up of the opinions of a number of music critics, and Ry Cooder made #31 on that list. Touré was not on that 2011 list, probably (in my opinion) because many people hadn't heard him or heard of him and didn't appreciate his contributions not only to African and world music but also our understanding of the blues. Of Cooder, Rolling Stone said:

As a sideman, Cooder has brought true grit and emotional nuance to classic albums by Randy Newman, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. Cooder is also a soulful preservationist, keeping vital pasts alive and dynamic in the modern world. A good example: the night Bob Dylan showed up at Cooder's house asking for a lesson on how to play guitar like the bluesman Sleepy John Estes.

Of Touré, Fricke wrote:

The Malian singer and guitarist is often compared to John Lee Hooker, though that's too easy. He has clearly been influenced by rural blues, but Toure is a technical marvel, and his delicately plucked clusters and blindingly fast runs gather influences from African hymns to folk songs.

Ali Farka Touré was a Malian singer, multi-instrumentalist and one of the most renowned African musicians. His music fits right into the intersection of traditional Malian music and North American blues. Known as the "African John Lee Hooker," he sang in several African languages. In 2004, he became mayor of a small town and spent his own money on improving infrastructure. He died in 2006 of bone cancer. Ry Cooder is an American producer and guitarist known for his slide guitar and his interest in roots music. He has collaborated with many musicians both from the US and abroad, and his albums have covered many different genres, including folk, blues, Tex-Mex, soul, gospel and rock among others. He also produced the worldwide hit album Buena Vista Social Club.

This song, Diaraby, is from their Grammy-award winning collaboration Talking Timbuktu (1994). Enjoy your star-studded, very special daily tune!

Sweet and Salty: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Zarico Est Pas Salé"

I've never really thought of zydeco as being "sweet" music, but I've never really thought of it as being salty either. Zydeco is too rooted in different types of music, such as the blues and country and a rollicking dance beat, to be sweet. But it often touches on a lot of cultural norms so present in folk music so it doesn't really have a salty flavor either. When I think of zydeco music, I think of a bunch of people getting together in the rural Cajun areas of Louisiana and just having a good time with each other over beer and dancing. You don't need too much sweetness or saltiness, just a good delicate balance between the two. I guess you could call zydeco the kettle corn of music.

Zarico Est Pas Salé is a zydeco tune that our first three-peaters, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, perform with Sonny Landreth. A Cajun band from Southern Louisiana, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys were 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 personal to them. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Sonny Landreth is an American blues guitar player especially known for his slide guitar method and of whom Eric Clapton said that he is one of the most advanced and under-appreciated guitarists in the world. He is known as "The King of Slydeco." He has released twelve albums. Zarico Est Pas Salé can be found on The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (2008).

Bucking the Forces of Oppression: Zeb & Haniya with "Rona Chor Diya"

One of the great things about co-hosting a global music show is the hope it gives me.  Especially in the present, while I write this blog, I read about the forces of repression and oppression overrunning areas of the world locked in turmoil.  Recently, a woman was stoned to death for adultery in Syria by forces belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  A few months ago, hundreds of girls were captured at a school in northern Nigeria, and while some have escaped, the leader of the group that captured them has threatened to sell them into slavery.  International sex trafficking has risen to unprecedented levels.  It seems as if everywhere I look, advances and gains that humanity has made over the past 50 years, especially women, is under assault by those who would roll back the clock to times just this side of barbarity.

And then, when I am at a low ebb, I come across Zeb & Haniya in my music collection.  I had seen them in concert a couple of years ago and purchased a CD from them (which unfortunately didn't work when I got it home) and we've played them a few times on our show.  Pakistan is not the hub of the most enlightened thinking in the world at times, particularly with the Taliban still controlling a lot of areas of the country.  Yet Pakistan once, and still in many areas, was a country where women made many gains under more secular rule.  To see two Pakistani women who, it is true, were allowed the space to develop their musical talents in the United States while in college but who, at the same time, have become popular for their talent in Pakistan and have pledged to bring happiness to Pakistan through their music in a time of extremism strikes me as extremely brave.

Zeb & Haniya's music doesn't fit one description, covering alternative, folk, blues and easy listening. 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 has sang from 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 their song, Chup. After an enthusiastic response from their college community, they recorded a version 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. They 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 artists such as Suzanne Vega, Turkish artist Barış Manço and Muddy Waters. Rona Chor Diya is from their album Chup! (2010). This version is from their Coke Studio Sessions show in Pakistan and features Javed Bashir as guest artist.

Pull Out That Squash and Play Me Something: Adama Yalomba (feat. Piers Faccini) and "Djamakoyo"

The more I listen to music from Mali, the more I am convinced that music influences through time and space in ways that ultimately surprise us.

Why do I write that? One cannot listen to Malian music, for instance, without often hearing tunes that sound vaguely familiar, or styles that seem to have hit one's ears before. Then, it hits you. You are hearing some of the blues. Perhaps, you think, that this Malian player was influenced by listening to Muddy Waters or John Lee Hooker sometime in the past. And you may be right. The world is getting smaller, and a lot of music passes around the globe and gets picked up in the most unlikeliest of places. While traveling in rural Bangladesh, for instance, I had to listen to the continual play of Aqua's Barbie Girl because my translator and guide loved the song so much. I still hate that song to this day. So, it is conceivable that a particular Malian singer was influenced by bluesmen from the United States. And that certainly doesn't disprove our theory that music influences through space.

But through time? What if you are listening to "traditional" Malian music, performed by Malian musicians who most likely have not had exposure to the blues and yet, their tunes still ring familiar and the styles still seem to fit? What if a band like Tinariwen, a Touareg group from Northern Mali that was formed in 1979 and that plays hard-driving bluesy electric guitars, emphatically denies that they ever heard the blues until they traveled in the United States for the first time in 2001? Then, we're talking about musical influences through time, and specifically African influences that traveled with slaves over in slave ships to the United States, and dispersed around the South as slaves were bought and sold. Eventually, those influences along with others picked up by generations of African Americans became a new American music, partly born in Africa and partly in the hot, steamy, oppressive South of the time.

I can go on and on about this. About how, in some of the Eastern European/Central European/Northern European songs, you find rhythms, songs and styles that are similar to Celtic music. Which all makes sense when you think about it because though not really related, most European cultures migrated from the east and it is not far-fetched to think that remnants of the Indo-European culture that birthed them stuck with them and echo their past one-ness throughout time.

It is finding these similarities or perceived similarities that drives the creativity of artists who create this "world music."

Today's randomly selected song is performed by Adama Yalomba, with some help from Piers Faccini. A Malian singer, instrumentalist and composer, Yalomba plays guitar, n'goni and dan. He learned to play the dan, an instrument with 6 strings on separate brackets mounted on a calabash squash gourd, from his father. He released his first cassette in Mali in 1995 and it was well-received. He made two other cassettes before releasing a full album in 2000. Since then, he has performed at the Festival au Désert and at WOMEX, has been featured on Putumayo Presents: African Blues and has toured internationally.

Piers Faccini is an English singer, painter and songwriter who first appeared on the London music scene with the band Charley Marlowe. He left the band in 2001 to pursue a solo career and released his first solo album in 2004. His followup in 2006 featured Ben Harper. He has released seven solo albums and has collaborated with musicians such as Rokia Traoré, Ben Harper, and Ibrahim Maalouf among others.

This song, Djamakoyo, is from Adama Yalomba's 2010 album Kassa, and can also be found on Putumayo Presents: African Blues.