Firm Joiks: Värttinä and "Raijan Joiku"

Our random tune for today is byVärttinä, a folk group from Finland founded in 1983 by sisters Sari and Mari Kaasinen when they entered a youth arts contest and read poetry. They made it into the finals that first year, and the next year they switched to music, named themselves Värttinä, and won the event. They added some male musicians in 1985 and entered the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, becoming known as the group that sings high and loud. 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 16 albums, including 3 compilation albums and one live CD. You can find this song, Raijan Joiku, on Värttinä's 2016 album Viena. A joik is a type of personal or spiritual chant associated with the Sami peoples of the Nordic countries.

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/V%C3%A4rttin%C3%A4; http://varttina.com/

Don't Leave: Inti-Illimani and "Tú No Te Irás"

Chilean folk group Inti-Illimani plays today's random tune. Formed in 1967 by university students, Inti-Illimani gained popularity in Chile due to their song Venceremos (We Shall Overcome) which became the anthem of the populist movement. This led to their exile - Allende's government was overthrown while they were on tour in Europe and, fearing for their safety, they stayed in exile in Italy until 1988, leading them to joke that their exile was the longest tour for any band ever. While in exile, they began to combine their Latin musical heritage with elements of European baroque and popular music, and by doing so helped create some of the first "world" music. Their music was banned in Chile, though distributed underground, and in 1988 they were allowed to return to their country. They participated actively in the campaign that ousted Pinochet from power in a democratic election, and continue their political activism to this day. However, in 2001 the band split over musical and political differences, and there are now two bands. The first retained the name of Inti-Illimani, and the second became Inti-Histórico. This song, Tú No Te Irás, is on Inti-Illimani's 2002 album Lugares Comunes.

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/Inti-Illimani

Image of Love: Metá Metá and "Imagem do Amor"

The performer of today's random tune, Metá Metá, is a Brazilian band from São Paulo with musical roots in the Candomblé religion. This song is called Imagem do Amor and it's from album Metá Metá's 2016 album MM3. The album is influenced by Brazilian political crisis, and its songs incorporate Northern African influences from their travels to Morocco, as well as a post-punk/thrash sensibility.

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://metametaoficial.com.br/; https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/08/meta-meta-mm3-review-brazilian-fusion-world-jazz

Oh My Little Boat: Cathie Ryan and "Óró Mo Bháidín"

Cathie Ryan, an Irish-American native of Detroit, Michigan, brings us today's random tune. Ryan was exposed early to Irish musicians such as Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers as well as American musicians such as Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves and Hank Williams. In her childhood she idolized her father, a tenor, who taught her how to interpret and honor songs by knowing their histories and contexts. She was also exposed to the music of Appalachia from neighbors who had migrated to Michigan to work in the auto factories and gained an appreciation for the likes of Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, as well as the local music out of Motown. Moving to New York, she learned more about traditional Irish music from her then husband singer-songwriter Dermot Henry and mentor Joe Heaney. After graduating from CUNY with a degree in English Literature and Secondary Education, she began teaching at Lehmann College in the Bronx, but left the classroom behind as her singing career began to blossom. She still continues to teach workshops in traditional Irish singing and Irish mythology and folklore. She was a member of the all female Celtic group Cherish the Ladies. This song, Óró Mo Bháidín, can be found on her 1997 debut album Cathie Ryan.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Shimabukuro; http://jakeshimabukuro.com/

It's Cool: Lord Echo and "Just Do You"

New Zealand native Lord Echo, who also goes by the name of Mike Fabulous (real name Mike August), brings us today's random tune called Just Do You. Exposed to music by his mom early in life, August learned to play ukulele and guitar at age 10, and currently his main instruments are guitar and bass with dabblings in percussion, keys and drums. He had a short stint studying music composition at Victoria University in Wellington before getting interested in reggae and performing with The Black Seeds. After 15 years with them, he moved on to do his own solo work. You can find Just Do You, a song that manages to be both funky and chill, on Lord Echo's 2017 album Harmonies. The song features Mara TK, another New Zealand musician, on vocals.

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://nzmusician.co.nz/features/lord-echo-melodies-harmonies-curiosities/

Makes Me Wanna Uke: Jake Shimabukuro and "Less Cowbell, More Ukulele"

Jake Shimabukuro, a fifth generation Japanese-American who is redefining the ukulele through his virtuosity, brings the random tune for today. Known for fast and complex finger work, Jake Shimabukuro mixes all kinds of elements into his music, including jazz, blues, funk, rock, bluegrass, classical, folk and flamenco. He is well known in his home state of Hawaii, but gained international recognition in 2006 for a video capturing him and his rendition of The Beatles' While My Guitar Gently Weeps, which was posted on YouTube without his permission and became one of the first viral videos. He has become very popular in Japan, where he tours often. He originally used effects pedals to alter the sound of the ukulele, but in the past number of years has relied on the instrument's natural sounds. He has won numerous awards, and has been declared a "music hero" by Rolling Stone. This song, Less Cowbell, More Ukulele (also known as More Ukulele), can be found on his 2012 album Grand Ukulele. This version is a special in-studio performance he did for PBS Hawaii.

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Shimabukuro; http://jakeshimabukuro.com/

Early Christmas: The Chieftains with Renaissance Singers Belfast and "Ding Dong Merrily on High"

We're about a month away from the holidays, and the Global Music randomizer wants you to start getting in the mood, kind of like a department store after Halloween. Today's song is by The Chieftains with The Renaissance Singers Belfast, and is a holiday song called Ding Dong Merrily on High. The Chieftains are an Irish ensemble formed in Dublin in 1962, and they developed their music primarily around the distinctive sound of the uileann pipes. They took their name from the title of a novel by Irish author John Montague. Besides releasing several critically acclaimed albums, they are just as well known for their collaborations with such artists as Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sinead O'Connor and Roger Daltry. They have released 44 albums. Ding Dong Merrily on High is from their 1991 album The Bells of Dublin.

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/The_Chieftains; http://www.thechieftains.com/main/