Waterworld: Mariza and "Terra d'Agua"

The singer of today's song is Mariza, a Portuguese fado singer born in Mozambique before it gained independence from Portugal. She is of mixed Portuguese and African heritage. When she was three her family moved to Lisbon and while young she began learning to sing in many styles, including jazz, gospel and soul. She adopted the fado style at the insistence of her father, who felt it would give her more acceptance in the Portuguese community. After the fado's most famous interpreter, Amália Rodrigues, died in 1999 Mariza was asked to perform a tribute in her memory, which led her to record a fado album. Fado was starting to regain popularity, and her album sold an astounding number of copies. She has since focused on fado, has released seven albums and has sold over a million records worldwide. This song, Terra d'Agua, appears on her debut album Fado em Mim (2002).

Wishing for Youth: Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem with "The Dutchman"

Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy bring us the random tune for the day. Makem, who died in 2007, was a folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller known as the Bard of Armagh. Internationally acclaimed, he was a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. A baritone, he played a number of instruments including 5 string banjo, tin whistle, low whistle, guitar, bodhrán and bagpipes. Liam Clancy, who died in 2009, was the youngest member of The Clancy Brothers. He was known for his powerful voice. Bob Dylan considered Clancy the greatest ballad singer ever and he was a hero to the young Dylan as he was learning his craft. He was a central figure in the folk revival of Europe and North America. This song, The Dutchman, can be found Clancy's 1974 album Farewell to Tarwaithie and its 1993 re-release under the title The Dutchman, and on the retrospective album The Makem and Clancy Collection by Readers Digest (2011). This video is concert footage from 1983.

Dylan's Heroes: Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy with "Morning Glory"

A little touch o' the Irish for you in today's random tune. Morning Glory is by Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy. The song was clearly written before the Irish were willing to ignore church warnings and began using birth control - it is about a guy who regularly visits four sisters, the daughters of the landlord in the Cross Keys Inn, goes to war, and comes back to find the sisters four have made babies four that look just like him. Makem, who died in 2007, was a folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller known as the Bard of Armagh. Internationally acclaimed, he was a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. A baritone, he played a number of instruments including 5 string banjo, tin whistle, low whistle, guitar, bodhrán and bagpipes. Liam Clancy, who died in 2009, was the youngest member of The Clancy Brothers. He was known for his powerful voice, and Bob Dylan considered him the greatest ballad singer ever and he was a hero to the young Dylan as he was learning his craft. He was a central figure in the folk revival of Europe and North America. Morning Glory can be found on Makem and Clancy's 1978 album Two for the Early Dew.

Rescued: Gjallarhorn and "Sylvklar"

Today's song is by Gjallarhorn, from their 2006 album Rimfaxe (2006). The song, Sylvklar (Silverbright), is a mediaeval ballad about Prince Roamtree who, after looking through seven kingdoms for his sister Silverbright, learns that she is kidnapped by a mermaid. When he finally arrives at the ocean demesne of the mermaid, he finds Silverbright serving as her maid. He tricks the mermaid by using seductive words and rescues Silverbright, and the mermaid becomes so enraged she splits into pieces.

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 Ostrobothnian area. Gjallorhorn is also known for their use of the hardanger fiddle, an 8 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. While Gjallarhorn was on hiatus for a number of years after the release of Rimfaxe, they began touring again in 2011 and were expected to release a new album in 2013, though there is still no mention of it on their website.