It's Strong: Pangea and "Sanza's Spirit"

Our random tune today, called Sanza's Spirit, is by Pangea. Pangea was a project of Dan Lacksman, a Belgian composer and sound engineer. He mixed and produced albums in a variety of genres, such as pop, rock, jazz, classic, dance and electronica. He is a co-founder and member of the avant-garde electronica group Telex, and a producer of the world music group Deep Forest. On the whole, Pangea was formed to make world music more accessible to European and American audiences and was one of the early pioneers of the genre. You can find Sanza's Spirit on the 1996 album Pangea.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Lacksman

The Early Bird: Beausoleil and "Contredanse de Robin"

Beausoleil brings us today's random tune, called Contredanse de Robin. Beausoleil was founded in 1975, released its first album in 1977 and became one of the most well-known groups from playing traditional and original music in the Creole tradition of Louisiana. They have also gone beyond the traditional, incorporating rock and roll, jazz, blues, calypso and other genres. They are an extensive touring band, and they sing in both English and Colonial Louisiana French. The band takes its name from Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil, who led the Acadian resistance to British deportation from Canada and led 193 exiles to safety in Louisiana. The band almost didn't come to be - Michael Doucet, one of the founders, was going to New Mexico to study Romantic Poets, but he won a Folk Arts Apprenticeship sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. As he puts it: "I traded William Blake for Dewey Balfa," and he sought out every living Cajun/Creole performer to learn what he could about Cajun music and their techniques. He even encouraged some to resume performing. They are one of the few Creole/Cajun groups to win a Grammy. Contredanse de Robin can be found on their 1999 album of the same Vintage Beausoleil.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeauSoleil

Evil Eyes: Soneros de Verdad and "Ojos Malignos"

Our random tune for today is by Soneros de Verdad. The group's name means "Singers of Truth," and they call themselves the second generation of the Buena Vista Social Club, bridging the gap between the son cubano of 50-60 years ago with more modern sensibilities and original compositions. Fronted by Luis Frank Arias and Mayito Rivero, both international music award winners, the band also employs some other Cuban stars of the newer generation, giving a whole new sound layered on top of the old urban mixed with rural, son, jazz, and other genres. It's Cuba in one package. This song, Ojos Malignos, is from the album Luis Frank Presents Soneros de Verdad: A Buena Vista Barrio de la Habana (originally released in 2000, CD release in 2010).

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: http://sonerosdeverdad.com/bio?lang=en

A Song of Mardi Gras: Jambalaya Cajun Band and "Le Chanson de Mardi Gras"

Today's tune is by the Jambalaya Cajun Band, and is called Le Chanson de Mardi Gras. A band that has been around since 1977, the Jambalaya Cajun Band specializes in Cajun music and is made up of people who have roots in Louisiana music and who are also advocates for the preservation of Cajun French language and culture. You can find Le Chanson de Mardi Gras on their 1992 album Instrumental Collection, as well as the 1992 various artists compilation Cajun and Zydeco Mardi Gras.

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.flattownmusic.com/artist/jambalaya-cajun-band/

Pescator: Flook and "Gone Fishing"

Flook, an Anglo-Irish band out of the United Kingdom, brings us today's random tune. Originally formed in 1995 and briefly known as The Three Nations Flutes, many of Flook's members also have played with other bands such as Capercaillie, The Waterboys, Lúnasa and Altan. In 2008, the group disbanded but as of 2013 they have reformed. The band plays traditional instrumental music, much of it of their own composition. You can find this song, Gone Fishing, on Flook's 2005 album Haven, though we got it from the 2007 various artists compilation Seriously Good Music: Celtic.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flook_(band)

We Are Not Alone: Madredeus and Banda Cósmica with "Não Estamo Sós"

Today's random song, Não Estamo Sós, is by Portuguese band Madredeus & Banda Cósmica. Madredeus combines traditional Portuguese music with contemporary folk, creating melancholy songs that often, like fado, refer to the sea, traveling or absence. This may sound like fado, but fado is a subgenre of the type of traditional music of Portugal that Madredeus draws from. The band was largely unknown for a long while outside of Portugal, but became internationally known when filmmaker Wim Wenders asked them to perform for the soundtrack of his movie Lisbon Story and the soundtrack received rave reviews. Banda Cósmica is a portion of Madredeus that brings in new instrumentation, such as African instruments and percussion. They have released twenty albums to date. Não Estamo Sós is from their 2009 album A Nova Aurora.

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: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madredeus

It'll All Be Okay: Playing for Change and "Don't Worry"

Today's random song is performed by Playing for Change, a project to connect the world through music. Created by American producer and sound engineer Mark Johnson, the project records musicians around the world each playing one element of each of the songs they record. The producers then build, layer by layer, the song by melding the recorded parts, each with the individual interpretations of the musicians involved. They have since developed the Playing for Change Band which tours, and they have built the Playing for Change Foundation, which funds the construction of music and art schools around the world. This song, Don't Worry, can be found on Playing For Change's 2009 album Songs Around the World. The list of musicians and places where they were recorded on this tune is extensive and are listed in the video. The song is the very first Playing for Change original song - they had previously concentrated on covers of well known songs.

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: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playing_for_Change

You're My Shade: Gaby Hernandez and "My Baobab Tree"

Today's random tune is by Gaby Hernandez and is called My Baobab Tree. A Chilean-American musician from Los Angeles, Gaby Hernandez is a founding member of the soul music ensemble Build an Ark, with whom she has recorded and performed since 2001. Her influences are Sade and Karen Carpenter. I couldn't find much more information on her, though. My Baobab Tree can be found on her 2017 album Spirit Reflection.

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: Various

Always Mine: Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino and "Sempre Cu Mie"

Today's random tune is by Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, a band from southern Italy. Formed in 1975, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino is a seven piece band that specializes in contemporary interpretations of pizzica music, a traditional style in southern Italy. They have recorded 19 albums and have worked with musicians such as Ballaké Sissoko, Ibrahim Maalouf, Piers Faccini, Stewart Copeland and composer Ludovico Einaudi. This song, Sempre Cu Mie can be found on their 2017 album Canzoniere.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canzoniere_Grecanico_Salentino

Double-Entendre: Hapa and "Tewe Tewe"

Today's random tune is by the Hawaiian group Hapa. 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 group. 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. This song, Tewe Tewe, can be found on their 2013 album Malihini. The song is a double-entendre, and uses the image of the ʻoʻopu fish, which moves back and forth between salt and fresh water, to serve as a metaphor for sexual relations.

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: http://www.hapahawaiimusic.com/index.html

Compassion: Kishi Bashi and "Theme from Jerome (Forgotten Words)"

Japanese-American singer-songwriter Kishi Bashi brings us today's random tune, called Theme From Jerome (Forgotten Words). Kaoru Ishibashi was born in Seattle and grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. He attended the Berklee College of Music, focusing on film scoring, before becoming an internationally known violinist. He was a founding member of the New York electronic band Jupiter One, and currently also tours with the indie rock band of Montreal. He also has a thriving solo career and has released four studio albums, two live albums and three EPs, as well as one compilation set. Theme From Jerome (Forgotten Words) is from his 2019 album Omoiyari, which focuses on the Japanese internment camps in the United States during World War II. The Jerome camp was operated in Denson, Arkansas and was the most eastern internment camp in the United States, and one of only two in the Jim Crow south. Kishi Bashi describes this song, and the Omoiyari album, as not being about history, but the importance of history and the lessons that can be learned from it. The word "omoiyari" he translates as being akin to compassion, and he hopes that through compassion, empathy and understanding that we can overcome fear and intolerance.

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: http://www.kishibashi.com/

It's an Honor: Samuel Le Hénanff and "Hommages"

Samuel Le Hénanff, who is recognized as one of the best diatonic accordionists of his generation, brings us today's random tune. 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, Hommages, 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.

Source: http://samuellehenanff.com/

Let's Go See Her: 8½ Souvenirs and "Chez Yvette"

Today's random tune, Chez Yvette, is by 8½ Souvenirs. 8½ Souvenirs was an Austin band of the 1990s that disbanded about 2000. While called an American swing jazz band led by French turned American lead guitarist Olivier Giraud, it was clearly influenced by gypsy jazz and other European and Latin American styles. It's name came from the Fellini movie 8½ and the Django Reinhardt song Souvenirs. Chez Yvette is from 8½ Souvenirs' 1997 album Souvonica.

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: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8%C2%BD_Souvenirs

Old Horse: Simón Díaz and "Caballo Viejo"

A Venezuelan classic is on tap for today's random song. Performed by the late Venezuelan singer and composer Simón Díaz, Caballo Viejo has become one of the most important folk songs in Venezuela. Díaz' mission was to revive the music of the Venezuelan llanos, or plains, and his music has been performed by some of the most famous luminaries of the Spanish speaking world, including Julio Iglesias, Celia Cruz and Ruben Blades, as well as English speaking musicians such as Ry Cooder and Ray Conniff. In particular, Caballo Viejo has touched a chord with many performers. The song was a hit for the Gipsy Kings under the title Bamboléo. You can find the first release of Caballo Viejo on Simón Díaz' 1980 album Golpe Y Pasaje, though we got it from the 2011 retrospective album 40 Años 40 Éxitos de Simón Díaz. Simón Díaz died in 2010 after years of battling Alzheimers Disease.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sim%C3%B3n_D%C3%ADaz

That's Hu: Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express with "Hu"

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood performs with Shye Ben Tzur and The Rajasthan Express on today's random song. Long an admirer of composer Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood contacted him with a proposal to collaborate on an album of music from Rajasthan. They both agreed that they would only use native string instruments and hire only musicians from the region. They assembled a group they called The Rajasthan Express, comprising musicians from three traditions: Qawwali, Sufi and Muslim Roma (providing brass). The music was written by Shye Ben Tzur, and Greenwood contributed guitar, bass and keyboards, ondes Martenot and programming. A documentary of the making of the album, from which this video is an outtake, was filmed and recorded by Oscar nominee Paul Thomas Anderson. The song you will experience is Hu, taken from disc 1 of the 2015 album Junun by Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and The Rajasthan Express. The documentary has the same name, Junun.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junun_(album)

This Song is Dope: Bob Marley and the Wailers with "Kaya"

Today's random song is by Bob Marley and the Wailers. 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. 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. Marley died in 1981 of malignant melanoma, and Tosh was killed in a gang holdup at his home in 1987. You can find this song, Kaya, on Bob Marley and the Wailers' 1978 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.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marley_and_the_Wailers

Stephen: Gjallarhorn and "Staffan"

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, Staffan (Stephen), can be found on their 2006 release Rimfaxe.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gjallarhorn_(band)

What Was She Doing: The Mediaeval Baebes and "Maiden in the Mor Lay"

Today's random tune, Maiden in the Mor Lay, is performed by The Mediaeval Baebes. The Mediaeval Baebes began in 1996 when a group of friends led by Katherine Blake of Miranda Sex Garden broke into a North London cemetery and sang a capella in flowing white robes and leaf garlands. They soon became an ensemble, and their first album, Salva Nos, shot to number two on the classical charts. The group has since had many incarnations. They sing in an array of obscure and ancient languages, and have placed three albums in the top ten of the classical charts and participated in the BBC's television series The Virgin Queen. Maiden in the Mor Lay is from their 2000 CD Undrentide.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medi%C3%A6val_B%C3%A6bes

Black Bayou: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Bayou Noir (Back of Town Two Step)"

Today's random song, Bayou Noir (Back of Town Two-Step), is performed by Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun band from Southern Louisiana. 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. Bayou Noir (Back of Town Two-Step) can be found on their 1993 album Trace of Time, and their Best of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys CD of 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.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Riley_and_the_Mamou_Playboys

Get Up and Rap: MC Solaar and "Leve-toi et Rap"

French rapper MC Solaar, one of France's most influential rap artists, is on tap for today's random song. Of Senegalese and Chadian heritage, Claude M'Barali was born in Senegal but his parents relocated to suburban Pariswhen he was six months old. At age 12, he lived in Egypt with an uncle and became influenced by Zulu Nation and became fascinated with Afrika Bambaataa's rap styles. After studying languages and philosophy, he began his music career and released his first single in 1990. As his rap has evolved, he has become known for complex lyrics and flow, word play, lyricism, and inquiry. He has released eight studio albums and one live album. This song, Lève-toi et Rap, is the story of his parents' move to Paris and his upbringing in the village of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges and in Cairo. It can be found on his 2010 album Magnum 567.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MC_Solaar