Inspired by an Island: Smadj and "Inspiré Par Une Ile"

Today's tune is an interesting , modern sounding mashup of traditional music and exotic vocals over modern, electronic beats. The artist, Jeanne-Pierre Smadja (whose stage name is Smadj) is a Tunisian born, Parisian musician who takes inspiration from Asian, Brazilian, funk, soul and folk music. He started studying music at age 15 with a focus on the guitar, and he became known for turning traditional jazz into eclectic sounds. He gained a degree in sound engineering and became a recording and sound engineer for classical and folk musicians. He released his first solo album in 1994, and eventually became recognized for his blend of acoustic and electronic sounds. He was a co-founder of the famous acoustical group DuOud. He also has worked with a number of famous Turkish musicians, such as Burhan Öçal, Savas Zurnaci and Orhan Osman. You can find this song, Inspiré Par Une Ile, on the compilation CD Istanbul Calling, Vol. 2: Ethnic Electronic (2007).

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.smadjmusic.com/