Innovation: Juan Formell y Los Van Van with "Chapeando"

Chapeando is the title of today's random tune. The performers are Juan Formell and Los Van Van. Los Van Van is considered the most well-known post-revolutionary Cuban musical group and Formell is one of the most important figures in contemporary Cuban music. Formell formed Los Van Van in 1969 after breaking with Orquesta Revé where he had been musical director. Los Van Van infused Cuban son with elements of North American pop to try to capture the imagination of Cuba's younger generation. And it worked as the band gained commercial popularity by shattering previous formulaic restrictions on Cuban music. The band continued to innovate through the years, introducing new instrumentation, harmonies and arrangements never before used in Cuban music. In the 80s, Formell added trombones and was the first Cuban group to use synthesizers and drum machines. The band launched the careers of many well known Cuban artists today. Los Van Van continues to perform despite the death of Formell in 2014. Chapeando can be found on their 2005 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/Juan_Formell

Nation in Grief: Kong Nai and "Kamara Rongkaam"

Today's random song is born out of war and revolution. The singer, the blind Cambodian lute player Kong Nai, is known as the "Ray Charles" of Cambodian music and was once a very celebrated Cambodian musician whose appeal abroad eclipses the little regard he now gets in his home country as his style of music, which once entertained kings, dies in the face of an onslaught of Chinese and Thai-style popular music. Kong Nai was blinded by smallpox at the age of four, but was enchanted one evening hearing the sound of the Cambodian lute across the fields. He fully picked up the instrument at age 15. By the 60's he had become a superstar and a very wealthy man. Then came the communist Khmer Rouge insurgency, and support for the traditional music dried up. Kong Nai was forced to sing songs of the suffering of farmers under the previous ruler of Cambodia, and was sent to work on a communal farm in rural Cambodia. After his family was accused of being American spies, he fled to Vietnam and became a refugee. Many of the old masters of his tradition were killed by the Khmer Rouge, and he made his way as a roving musician playing the old songs. In the 1980s and 1990s, his music began to pick up admirers outside Cambodia, and in 2007 he played at the Smithsonian Institution's Folklife Festival, and took part in the 25th anniversary of the WOMAD Festival, where he began to believe that perhaps his music might just survive. This song, Kamara Rongkaam, can be found on the 2016 various artists compilation Khmer Rouge Survivors: They Will Kill You, If You Cry.

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://thingsasian.com/story/kong-nai-ray-charles-cambodia

The Woman: Françoise Atlan and L'Orchestre Arabo-Andalou de Fes with "La Mujer/Soubhana"

Today's song is by Françoise Atlan, a French singer born into a Sephardic Jewish family. She undertook musical studies, eventually finishing with degrees from St. Etienne and Aix-en-Provence conservatories. She has a natural voice, and is known for singing "nawbas" usually reserved for male singers. She has performed solo and in groups, notably with the group Aksak that concentrated on Turkish, Greek and Armenian songs. As a solo artist, she is considered one of the best performers of Sephardic romance songs. She is joined on the recording by Mohammed Briouel and his L'Orchestre Arabo-Andalou de Fes. Briouel is a Moroccan musician who focuses on Arab-Muslim music and Sephardic music. You can find this song, La Mujer - Soubhana, on the 2003 album Andalussyat, which explores the different types of music in Andalusia in Moorish Spain.

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/Fran%C3%A7oise_Atlan

I'm Still Here: Great Big Sea and "Bad As I Am"

Great Big Sea brings us today's random tune. Great Big Sea is a band that was formed in 1989 under the name Newfoundland Republican Army and has become known for its rock interpretations of Newfoundland folk songs drawing from the island's Irish, Scottish and Cornish heritage. Every year between 1996 and 2000 they won East Coast Music Association's Entertainers of the Year until they stopped submitting their name to allow other bands to compete. They have also been nominated several times for the Juno Awards, Canada's top music awards. They have released nine studio albums, three compilation albums, and three live albums. As of 2015 the band is said to be retired, though members Alan Doyle and Séan McCann have been performing solo but using Great Big Sea Material. This song, Bad As I Am, is from Great Big Sea's 1999 album Turn.

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/Great_Big_Sea

He Should Have Built That Bridge: Kate Rusby and "Annan Waters"

Kate Rusby, described as a "superstar" of English acoustic musicians and often called "the Nightingale of Barnsley" (after her home town), brings us today's random tune. Kate Rusby was born into a musical family and learned to play guitar, fiddle and piano. She became the lead vocalist of the all-female Celtic band The Poozies before she broke through in her own right in 1995 on a collaborative album with fellow Barnsley native folk-songer Kathryn Roberts. She recorded her first solo album, Hourglass, in 1997. She was married in 2001 to Scottish musician and former Battlefield Band member John McCusker. She has since divorced and married Northern Irish musician Damien O'Kane, with whom she has two daughters and a dog named Doris who is often a part of Rusby's stage banter. This song, Annan Waters, can be found on Rusby's 1998 album Hourglass. The songs is a tragic tale of a lover who drowns in a river trying to reach his true 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.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Rusby; http://www.katerusby.com/

What Are You Thinking: Afro Celt Sound System and "I Think Of..."

Today's song is called I Think Of... and is performed 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. I Think Of... can be found on their 1999 release Volume 5: Anatomic.

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/Afro_Celt_Sound_System

Smoking Dub: Abdel Ali Slimani and "Ana Guellile Dub"

Abdel Ali Slimani brings us today's tune, called Ana Guellile Dub. A raï singer from Algeria, Abdel Ali Slimani grew up surrounded by all kinds of different music - Arab, Saharan, reggae and Western funk and then witnessed the explosion of raï. He eventually moved to England and became a DJ in North London with an enthusiasm for raï music. He came to the attention of Jah Wobble, who was looking for a lead singer for his band Invaders of the Heart. That led to Slimani singing at WOMAD at a sensation-causing concert in Toronto. He sang with the band for three years, contributed vocals to a Sinead O'Connor song, and was the first Arab singer to appear on the British music chart program Top of the Pops. Ana Guellile Dub is from his 1995 solo debut Mraya, which touches on themes of home and longing.

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://realworldrecords.com/artist/332/abdel-ali-slimani/;

You See Gallup New Mexico: Buckwheat Zydeco and "Route 66"

Buckwheat Zydeco, the late accordion and zydeco player, brings us todays random tune - a zydeco version of an old standard. Buckwheat Zydeco was the stage name of Stanley Dural, Jr. He got the name "Buckwheat" from his childhood resemblance to a character on the Our Gang film shorts. Dural's father was an accomplished Creole accordionist, but Dural preferred rhythm and blues, and actually started out backing artists such as Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Joe Tex. He started his own funk band in the early 70s with some success, but then began backing zydeco legend Clifton Chenier as an organist and discovered the popularity of zydeco. His relationship to Chenier led him to take up the accordion, and after a year he felt confident enough to start Buckwheat Zydeco in 1978. Buckwheat Zydeco opened for and collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, and it was one of the few zydeco bands to achieve mainstream success. This song, Route 66, can be found on his 2005 album Where There's Smoke There's Fire. He performs the song on the video with David Hidalgo of Los Lobos.

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/Buckwheat_Zydeco

The Cabaret Has Closed: Damia and "La Guingette a Fermé ses Volets"

Today's random tune is by "la tragédienne de la chanson," French singer Marie-Louise Damien who is considered the third greatest singer of French chansons réalistes after Edith Piaf and Barbara. Known by her performing name of Damia, she was born in Paris in 1889 in the 13th arondissement, but was raised in Lorraine amid 8 siblings. She ran away from home and arrived in Paris at age 15 to be a performer where she caught the eye of Robert Hollard, who began an extramarital affair with her but also encouraged her to sing. By 1911 she was performing solo and with stars like Maurice Chevalier, but the murder of one of her early backers, singer Harry Fragson, led her to leave Paris for the United States in 1913, where she performed on Broadway until 1916 when she returned to France and sang on the front. Back in France, she was often a singer of second billing but received help from American dancer Loie Fuller on her stage performance and eventually became a star. She became the first singer to have a single spotlight trained on her face, bare arms and hands. She also began a series of lesbian relationships starting with architect Eileen Gray, and later French art promoter and filmmaker Gab Sorère. She also appeared in films with early silent film stars, and later with Anthony Quinn. Her farewell tour was in 1956, though she lived until 1978. She is buried in the Cimetière Parisien de Pantin. This song, La Guinguette a Fermé ses Volets, can be found on many collections - we got it from The Rough Guide to Paris Café (Second Edition), released 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: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Louise_Damien

Like a Phaser: Van Morrison and The Chieftains with "Celtic Ray"

Van Morrison and the The Chieftains are the performers of today's random tune, called Celtic Ray. The Chieftains are one of the greatest ambassadors of Irish music to the world, and have formed their distinctive sound around the Uileann pipes. Van Morrison, from Northern Ireland, is a singer-songwriter and musician who has been described as mystical and transcendental. Some of his albums have appeared near the top of many lists of the greatest albums of all time. He has released 39 albums. The collaboration between Van Morrison and The Chieftains goes back to at least 1979, when they met at the Edinburgh Rock Festival, and agreed to record an album together. The result, 1988's Irish Heartbeat, received positive critical acclaim, including 4 stars from Rolling Stone and was called one of the best albums of the year by The Village Voice. You can find Celtic Ray as the 8th song on Irish Heartbeat, and the video we found is a studio performance, date unknown, by Morrison and the Chieftains which has Morrison on drums and 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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Morrison; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chieftains

So Far, It's Dry: Mamak Khadem and "Varan (Rain)"

Today's random tune is performed by Iranian vocalist Mamak Khadem. Mamak Khadem has been called "one of the wonders of world trance music" by the Los Angeles Times, and works from a base of Persian classical music and poetry to weave a sound steeped in ancient tradition but also completely new. While she continues to use Persian classical music and poetry as her foundation, she has widened the scope of her music to include rhythmic and melodic strains from other countries. Mehdi Bagheri is an Iranian kamancheh player and composer. You can find Varan (Rain) on Khadem's 2007 album Jostojoo (Forever Seeking). This video is a live performance from Texas in 2013.

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.mamak-khadem.com/

Supersonic: Heartbeat and "Boom Boom Boom (Full Version)"

Today's song is a collaborative effort by young people trying to bridge the huge chasm between two warring countries in hopes of peace that peace might come to the next generation. Boom Boom Boom (Full Version) is performed by Heartbeat, a mixed group of Israeli and Palestinian youth who come together to build critical understanding and transform conflict through the power of music." Working to build awareness, trust and and respect, while also building on the tools of nonviolence for self expression and social change, Heartbeat has brought together over 100 youth musicians from both cultures all over Israel and the Palestinian Territories. 95% scholarship based, Heartbeat not only focuses on music but also retreats, workshops, camps, field trips, overseas exchanges, and the development of ensembles. They also teach video and audio production, and Heartbeat youth participate in performances. Boom Boom Boom can be found on their 2013 album Heartbeat: Amplifying Youth Voices. The youth musicians on this track are Dana Herz, Dave Kirreh, and B-Box.

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://heartbeat.fm/

Whole Lotta Love: Los Rakas and "Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero"

Born in the youth centers of Oakland, California in 2006, our performers today are Los Rakas, a pair of cousins of Panamanian descent that perform in both English and Spanish and, even better, teach Spanish through their music. National Geographic said that their music is bringing reggaeton back to its Panamanian roots, while the New York Observer wrote that Los Rakas is changing how we think of hip hop - two genres that show how broad Los Rakas' repertoire is. Bringing the pride of the pueblo forth in their music, the band uses "raka" as their name, where a raka is a person who is proud of who he or she is. This song, Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero, can be found on their 2009 album PanaBay Twist 2: La Tanda Del Bus.

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://losrakas.com/

More Than Anything: Bab & Rolando 808 with "Mas Que Nada (Melodic Side Remix)"

Mas Que Nada (Melodic Side Remix) is the title of our random tune for today. Performed by Bab & Rolando 808, the tune features the voice of respected Brazilian singer Rolando Farias, who now lives in Paris and teamed up with African DJ Alioume Ba to cover this tune. The song was originally written by Brazilian legend Jorge Ben but was made famous by Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66. The song is a celebration of the samba. Mas Que Nada (Melodic Side Remix) can be found on the compilation CD Putumayo Presents: Brazilian Groove (2003).

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/Jorge_Ben_Jor; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9rgio_Mendes

And So Little Time: Bob Marley and the Wailers with "So Much Things to Say"

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, So Much Things to Say, on Bob Marley and the Wailers' 1977 album Exodus.

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

A Sign of Peace: Rahim AlHaj and Amjad Ali Khan with "Release of the Dove"

Today's random tune, Release of the Dove, is by Rahim Alhaj and Amjad Ali Khan. Rahim Alhaj is an Iraqi-American oud player and composer living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He began playing the oud at age nine and soon revealed a great talent for the instrument. A political activist against the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, he was forced into political exile, first in Syria and Jordan and finally in the United States. He combines traditional Iraqi maqams with contemporary stylings and influences. Amjad Ali Khan is an Indian classical musician who plays the sarod, an instrument that his family claims to have invented - he is the sixth generation of his family to be a musician. He is a recipient of India's second highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan. Release of the Dove can be found on their 2009 collaboration Ancient Sounds.

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/Rahim_AlHaj; http://www.sarod.com/

Slightly Off: Zap Mama and "Miss QN"

Today's song is by Belgian artist Zap Mama, and is called Miss QN. Zap Mama is 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 the 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. Miss QN can be found on Zap Mama's 2004 CD Ancestry in Progress.

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/Zap_Mama

Raise the Roof: Bene & Saletico with "Balkan in da House"

A little dance music based on Balkan beats is on tap for you today with the random song. Balkan in da House is by Bene & Saletico, but unfortunately I can't find any biographical information on them other than they may be from Germany. You can find Balkan in da House on the second disc of the various artists compilation The Balkan Club Night Vol. 2 (2011).

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: Not much...

Going South: Gotan Project and "Vuelvo al Sur"

The random tune for today is by the Gotan Project. Vuelvo al Sur is from their album Rasa Mello II (2003). Gotan Project, formed in 1999, is based in Paris and their music uses tango as a base but also incorporates samples, beats and breaks. Their name is a play on a famous tango compilation album called Tango Project released in 1982. The band's songs have been used in American film and television, and the band itself appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2012. The band has released three studio albums, a couple of live albums, and has been included on many compilations.

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/Gotan_Project; http://www.gotanproject.com/

Carnatic Connection: Bombay Jayashri and "Zara Zara"

Today's song is called Zara Zara and is performed by Indian vocalist Bombay Jayashri. A vocalist in the Carnatic tradition, as well as a music composer, violinist and an Academy Award nominee, Jayashri was raised in a Tamil family in Mumbai and began her music learning at an early age. She has participated in artistic dialogues and exchanges with other artists in music and dance, and she has also done collaboration across cultures with artists such as Egyptian singer Hisham Abbas and Senegalese singer Thione Seck. She also participated in an Indo-Finnish collaboration where she sang ancient poems from Sangam literature. Her Academy Award nomination came from her music on Ang Lee's The Life of Pi. She also believes in the healing power of music and has been working with institutions in Tamil Nadu that serve autistic children. You can find Zara Zara on the 2009 various artists compilation Putumayo Presents: India.

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/El%C3%A4kel%C3%A4iset

Melange: Baraka Moon and "Jai Radhe Shyam"

A little Indian raga mixed with a generous helping of Sufi trance music makes a song by today's random artist, Baraka Moon, a Pakistani, Indian, Australian, American band which fuses the music listed above with a dash of didgeridoo, global drums and guitar to create music that transcends boundaries. Legend has it that they were founded on the night of a full moon eclipse in 2008. This song, Jai Radhe Shyam , can be found on their 2011 CD Baraka Moon.

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.barakamoon.com/home.html

Hotel Humppa: Eläkeläiset and "Hotelli Helpotus"

How about some Finnish humppa, in the form of a cover of well-known southern California rock band, for our tune of the day? Finnish band Eläkeläiset plays a form of music called humppa, which is a type of jazz played at the speed of a very fast foxtrot. Primarily playing covers of famous pop and rock hits in a fast humppa or a slow jenkka style, Eläkeläiset often sounds like a Finnish version of Weird Al Yankovic. This song, Hotelli Helpotus, may be recognizable as their cover of The Eagles' Hotel California, and can be found on their 1999 album Verbung, Baby!

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/El%C3%A4kel%C3%A4iset

I Used to Have a Big One: MC Yogi and "Bhakti Boombox"

MC Yogi brings us today's random tune. MC Yogi is a Bay Area hip hop artist and yogi who promotes themes of Hindu religion and philosophy in his music. Nicolas Giacomini, who took the performing name of MC Yogi, began rapping at 13. While living in home for at-risk children at age 17, he became a practitioner of yoga after his father took it up. His songs are often bhajans, or devotional songs, celebrating one or another of the Hindu deities. At other times, he provides interesting history lessons on the lives of important historical figures within Hinduism, such as Gandhi. Even when he is doing nothing but beatboxing, his songs can sound like mantras or prayers. This song, Bhakti Boombox, can be found on MC Yogi's 2008 album Elephant Power.

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/MC_Yogi

Yugoslav Icon: Goran Bregović and "Te Kuravle"

Bosnian guitarist Goran Bregović is performs today's random tune with his Wedding and Funerals Orchestra. Bregović grew up in a divided family after his Croatian father and Serbian mother divorced due to his father's alcoholism. Bregović originally started music on the violin, but was deemed untalented. In high school he took up bass guitar, and eventually became a member of a number of bands, in particular the iconic Yugoslav rock band Bijelo Dugme where he was lead guitar and the main creative force. When that band began to experience troubles, he entered the world of film music as well as embarking on a solo career where he collaborated with musicians such as Sezen Aksu and George Dalaras. His music was featured extensively on the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. He also tours with his Weddings and Funerals Orchestra, which features small (10 member) and large (37 member) versions. His musical style is based on themes found in countries as varied as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Albania, Italy and Turkey, as well as Romani music. He combines these themes with popular music, traditional polyphonic music, tango and brass band sounds. This song, Te Kuravle, can be found on his 2002 album Tales and Songs from Weddings and Funerals.

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://www.goranbregovic.rs/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goran_Bregovi%C4%87

Wild Ride: Gaelic Storm and "Death Ride to Durango"

Our random song, Death Ride to Durango, is brought to you by Gaelic Storm. Gaelic Storm is 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. Death Ride to Durango can be found on their 2008 album What's the Rumpus?

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/Gaelic_Storm

Reminds Me of Oranges: Rachid Taha and "Valencia"

The late, great Algerian artist Rachid Taha brings us today's random tune. This song, Valencia, first appeared on his 1995 CD Olé, Olé and then on his 1997 CD Carte Blanche. Based in France, Taha's music was influenced by rock, punk, electronica and Algerian raï and has been described as "sonically adventurous." He first became exposed to music through his Algerian culture, but moved to France as a child where in his teens he worked menial jobs during the day but DJ'd at night playing Arab music, rap, funk, salsa and other music. He also soaked up raï, which was a music of political protest in Algeria during the 1980s. He co-founded a rock band, called Carte Secours, in 1981 and became lead vocalist. Later in the 80s he went solo, and in 1989 he recorded with producer Don Was playing Arabic style beats, but didn't achieve much success with American audiences. In 1998 he recorded his breakthrough album Diwan, which were remakes of songs from Algerian and Arab traditions. He was known for playing the mandolute, essentially a fretted oud. He is described as an eclectic artist who was gregarious, quick with a smile, and who loved to party through the night. He also claimed he was the inspiration for The Clash's Rock the Casbah. Taha passed away at the age of 59 from a heart attack in September of 2018.

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/Rachid_Taha

Turning the Guys' Heads: Kirsty MacColl and "Celestine"

Celestine, our random tune for today, is performed by Kirsty MacColl, an English singer-songwriter who recorded many pop hits in the 1990s and made notable appearances on other hits. Married to producer Steve Lillywhite, MacColl sang backup vocals on the recordings of many of the artists that he produced. She died in 2000 in a tragic accident in Cozumel, Mexico. While diving in an area restricted for swimming only, she was hit by a speedboat that had strayed into the area - she died saving her son who was in the boat's path. To give you an idea of the esteem she is held in, Billy Bragg always includes extra verses she wrote in covering his song A New England, a memorial bench has been placed in her honor at the southern entrance to Soho Square in London, and she is always heard on her guest vocal in The Pogues' Fairytale of New York, which has been voted as the fan favorite Christmas song on the VH1 video channel. Celestine can be found on her 2000 album Tropical Brainstorm, and is about the singer's comparison of herself to a beautiful and sexually promiscuous woman.

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/Kirsty_MacColl

Sleepy Time: Anoushka Shankar and "Lola's Lullaby"

Anoushka Shankar, the daughter of Ravi Shankar, and the half sister of performer Norah Jones, brings us today's random tune. Anoushka Shankar is a famed sitar player in her own right. She began training to play sitar under her father at age seven, and by age ten she was accompanying him on tanpura in his performances. She gave her first public performance on sitar at 13, accompanied by tabla player Zakir Hussain. At fifteen, she assisted in the production of Ravi Shankar's landmark Chants of India, and producer George Harrison put her in charge of notation and conducting the accompanying musicians. She signed her first record deal at 16, and released her first album, Anoushka, in 1998. After her second album, she took time off from recording to concentrate on building a career outside of her father's ensemble. In 2007, she collaborated with Karsh Kale on an album mixing classical Indian sitar with electronica. Since then, she has had a prolific and very creative period as an artist and performer. This song, Lola's Lullaby, can be found on her 2012 album Traveller.

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/Anoushka_Shankar, http://www.anoushkashankar.com/

To be Treasured and Nurtured: Mystic Journey and "Delicate Rainbow Flower"

Santa Fe, New Mexico ensemble Mystic Journey performs today's random tune, called Delicate Rainbow Flower. Founded by flautist Suzanne Teng, Gilbert Levy on percussion and strings, Dann Torres on guitar, oud and electric sitar, and Jon Ossman on bass and dilruba, Mystic Journey creates an ethereal sound, described by Billboard as "sensual and serene" that has been heard at large music festivals, formal concert halls and intimate settings. The pharmaceutical company Genentech distributed a CD compilation of their pieces to over 50,000 patients to aid in their recovery. You can find Delicate Rainbow Flower on their 2017 album Kingdom of Mountains.

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://mysticjourney.net

Waiting for the Boy: Capercaillie and "M'Ionam"

Capercaillie brings the random tune for today. A Scottish band founded in the Argyll region of Scotland in the early 1980s, Capercaillie is known for mixing traditional Gaelic tunes with modern recording techniques and instrumentation. Capercaillie started as a purely traditional band, but in the 1990s they began mix funk bass lines, synthesizers and electric guitars into their repertoire of traditional tunes. Lately they have been reverting back to more traditional instrumentation while retaining a light fusion feel to their music. In 1992, they recorded the first Scottish-Gaelic song to crack the UK Top 40. They have released eleven studio albums, four of which have made the UK Albums chart, and one live album. They also have two compilation albums and have performed on two soundtracks. This song, M'Ionam, can be found on their 1997 CD Beautiful Wasteland. The song seems to be about, to me, a mother who is waiting for her son to return to her with gifts from his sailings to the Indies.

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/Capercaillie_(band)

Love is a Roasted Parrot: Puerto Plata and "La Cotorrita de Rosa"

Happy New Year's! Let's start the new year off right with a random tune from Puerto Plata. The stage name of Dominican musician José Cobles, 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, La Cotorrita de Rosa, can be found on Plata's first internationally distributed solo CD, Mujer de Cabaret, released in 2007. The song's title translates to "Rosa's Little Parrot," and the lyrics, in which Rosa cries for her parrot which has been roasted and eaten by three men, is also a metaphor for the burning love of the narrator for a paramour.

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/Puerto_Plata_(musician)