The First Word of the Q'uran: Oumar Konaté and "Bisimillah"

Today's tune is by Malian electric guitarist Oumar Konaté and called Bisimillah. Konaté started music at an early age, astounding his hometown of Gao with nightly performances on an old bucket, helmet and drum outside his family's home. He joined the Orchestra of Gao while in high school and accompanied them on their national tour. While in the orchestra, he was introduced to guitar. He went on to enroll in the National Institute of Arts in Bamako and recorded his first album there which brought him to the attention of many artists such as Vieux Farka Touré, Sidi Touré and Khaira Arby. He has performed in numerous festivals all over the globe, and has received accolades worldwide for his music. Bisimillah can be found on his 2014 CD Addoh.

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.clermontmusic.com/oumar-konate/

Spaniranian: Shahin & Sepehr with "Persia"

Today's random tune has a distinct jazzy world vibe, and is performed by Shahin & Sepehr, an Iranian-American guitar duo out of Washington DC. Mixing elements of Spanish flamenco, soft rock, jazz and new age music with traditional music from Iran, the group has charted on Billboard, R&R and Gavin. They have released 8 CDs. This song, Persia, can be found on their 1994 album One Thousand & One Nights.

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/Shahin_%26_Sepehr

Golden: Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté with "Kala"

Today's song is performed by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté. Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Mali renowned as one of Africa's greatest musicians, and the person who represents the intersection between Malian music and the blues. Known as the African John Lee Hooker, his playing style on guitar was similar to Hooker's blues. He sang in several African languages, and won two Grammy awards. Toumani Diabaté is a Malian kora player who not only plays traditional Malian music but also has collaborated cross-culturally in blues, jazz, flamenco and other international styles with musicians such as Björk and Taj Mahal, among others. This song, Kala, is from their Grammy Award winning album (for best traditional world music) In The Heart of the Moon (2005). The song's title refers to the name of a village in the Manding Empire known for its gold.

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/Ali_Farka_Tour%C3%A9; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toumani_Diabat%C3%A9

When Slacking is Sweet: Ray Kāne and "Kilakila 'O Halekalā"

Ray Kāne, a legendary Hawaiian slack key guitarist, performs our random tune for today, an instrumental called Kilakila 'O Halekalā. Kāne's middle name, Kaleoalohapoina'oleohelemanu, loosely translates as "the voice of love that comes and goes like a bird and will never be forgotten." His deceptively simple guitar style, coupled with unique ways of brushing, plucking, hammering on and pulling off the strings resulted in his "nahenahe" or sweet sounding music that he always felt should be played or sung from the heart. He was one of the first slack key masters to play public concerts and tour widely, and made his first recordings in 1961. In 1987, Kāne was honored as a national living treasure by the National Endowment of the Arts. Ray Kāne died in 2008, but his music lives on. Kilakila 'O Halekalā is from his 1998 CD Wa'ahila.

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.

I Never Meet Mine: Trevor Gordon Hall and "New Year's Resolution"

A little out of context, but every day could be the start of a New Year, right? Today's random song is called New Year's Resolution and is played by guitar virtuoso Trevor Gordon Hall. From Philadelphia, Hall has been rated one of the top 30 guitarists under 30 by Acoustic Magazine and is known for using almost all parts of the instrument in his compositions which range from edgy, driving rhythms to soft melodic phrases. He is the creator of the Kalimbatar, a unique combination of guitar and the African finger piano known as the kalimba. Hall has earned the respect of such musicians as Graham Nash, Dar Williams and Will Ackerman. He also always experiments, and some of his latest offerings include electric guitar and electronica. New Year's Resolution can be found on his 2008 CD Finding My Way.

Sleeping In: Pascal Parisot and "Je Reste au Lit"

French songwriter and singer Pascal Parisot brings us today's random tune, titled Je Reste au Lit. From the Vosges, France Pascal Parisot fell in love with guitar and Brazilian music at age 12 after listening to a record called 12 Studies for Guitar that had compositions by Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos and performed by Andrés Segovia. Hearing this album led him to enroll in music school and learn to play. He started his musical career as an accompanist, but after releasing his first album in 2000 became much happier as a musician, playing his own songs. In 2009, he began adding songs that would appeal to younger audiences to his repertoire, and has now become a singer that reaches all ages levels with his music and stage performances. Je Reste au Lit can be found on on the compilation album Putumayo Presents: Paris (2006).

We Had a Yen: Ali Farka Touré and "Yenna"

Today's song, Yenna, is by the great Malian guitarist and singer Ali Farka Touré. Ali Farka Touré was a Malian singer, multi-instrumentalist and one of the most renowned African musicians. His music fits right into the intersection of traditional Malian music and North American blues. Known as the "African John Lee Hooker," he sang in several African languages, and was once ranked by a panel of critics for Rolling Stone magazine at number 76 of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and was ranked by Spin Magazine in 2012 as number 37 on the 100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time. In 2004, he became mayor of a small town and spent his own money on improving infrastructure. He died in 2006 of bone cancer.  Yenna can be found on his 1992 album The Source.

Island Beauty: Ray Kāne and "Honolulu Harbor"

Today's random tune is by Ray Kāne, a legendary Hawaiian slack key guitarist. Kāne's middle name, Kaleoalohapoina'oleohelemanu, loosely translates as "the voice of love that comes and goes like a bird and will never be forgotten." His deceptively simple guitar style, coupled with unique ways of brushing, plucking, hammering on and pulling off the strings resulted in his "nahenahe" or sweet sounding music that he always felt should be played or sung from the heart. He was one of the first slack key masters to play public concerts and tour widely, and made his first recordings in 1961. In 1987, Kāne was honored as a national living treasure by the National Endowment of the Arts. Ray Kāne died in 2008, but his music lives on. This song, Honolulu Harbor, is from his 1998 CD Wa'ahila.

Django Gipsy: Biréli Lagrène and "Coquette"

The random song for today is by Biréli Lagrène and is called Coquette. Biréli Lagrène is a French guitarist and bassist born into a traditional Manouche-Romani (Gypsy) family. He is known for his Django Reinhardt style of jazz guitar and for virtuosity in jazz fusion on the electric guitar. He was considered a child prodigy when at 8 he could play the entire Django Reinhardt repertoire. After winning first place in a Romani music festival at 12, he was given the opportunity to tour Germany, out of which was recorded an LP. In the 1980s, he was offered the opportunity to go to the United States, where he met such musical luminaries as Stéphane Grappelli, Benny Goodman and Benny Carter. Coquette is in the style of more traditional jazz guitar, and can be found on his album Gipsy Project (2001).

I Look Bad in a Grass Skirt: Sean Na' Auao and "Li Hing Hula"

We go Hawaiian today in the random tune. Li Hing Hula is performed by Sean Na' Auao, a Hawaiian slack key guitarist, singer, composer and producer. He has won many awards for Hawaiian music and plays everything from contemporary island music to traditional Hawaiian tunes. You can find Li Hing Hula on his 1998 CD Homegrown Hawaiian, and on the compilation album Island Roots (2000). I'm not sure what is going on in this video - I think the footage is of him in concert with the recorded version of the song over the footage.

Drowning in Flamenco: Paco de Lucia and "Entre Dos Aguas"

Today's random tune is an instrumental called Entre Dos Aguas. It is performed by Paco de Lucia, who was a virtuoso flamenco guitarist composer and producer from Spain who was a leading proponent of the nuevo flamenco style. He was well known for his fast picados (fingerstyle runs) and juxtaposing picados and rasgueados (flamenco strumming) with more sensitive styling. He also added jazz influences that put him on the leading edge of nuevo flamenco and flamenco-jazz fusion in the 1970s. He died at age 66 of a heart attack in 2014. He has been called by Richard Chapman and Eric Clapton "a titanic figure in the world of flamenco guitar" and by Dennis Coster "one of history's greatest guitarists." You can find Entre Dos Aguas on de Lucia's 1986 album of the same name.

Nahenahe: Ray Kāne and "Wai O Ke Aniani"

Ray Kāne, the legendary Hawaiian slack key guitarist, performs the random tune for today entitled Wai O Ke Aniani. Kāne's middle name, Kaleoalohapoina'oleohelemanu, loosely translates as "the voice of love that comes and goes like a bird and will never be forgotten." His deceptively simple guitar style, coupled with unique ways of brushing, plucking, hammering on and pulling off the strings resulted in his "nahenahe" or sweet sounding music that he always felt should be played or sung from the heart. He was one of the first slack key masters to play public concerts and tour widely, and made his first recordings in 1961. In 1987, Kāne was honored as a national living treasure by the National Endowment of the Arts. Ray Kāne died in 2008, but his music lives on. Wai O Ke Aniani is from his 1998 CD Wa'ahila.

Not Never: The Twain Shall Meet and "Solstice"

The Twain Shall Meet brings us our song of the day, entitled Solstice. The Twain Shall Meet is comprised of Egyptian cellist Ashraf Hakim and guitarist Scott Wurtz. I couldn't find much substantive information on the musicians. Solstice can be found on their 2008 eponymous album The Twain Shall Meet.

Quitting Cold Turkey: Habib Koité and Bamada with "Cigarette Abana"

Cigarette Abana, by Senegalese singer-songwriter Habib Koité, tops our list today. Based in Mali, Habib Koité leads a supergroup, Bamada, which consists of some of the best West African musicians. Koité tunes his guitar to a pentatonic scale and playing it on open strings, and his music can often sound like blues or flamenco, and he composes and arranges all songs for the band, which may be sung in English, French or Bambara. Cigarette Abana can be found on his 2001 album, Baro.

Afri-laxing: Habib Koité and Bamada with "Batoumambé"

Today's song, Batoumambé, comes to us from Africa. Habib Koité is a Sengalese singer, songwriter and guitarist whose band, Bamada, is a supergroup of West African musicians. Koité is an unusual guitarist, tuning his guitar on a pentatonic scale and playing on open strings like one would play an African n'goni. His styles can often sound like blues and flamenco. His singing is more relaxed and intimate as compared with his contemporaries. Batoumambé can be found on his 2001 album Baro.

Old Contemporary Guitar Music: Puerto Plata and "Los Piratas"

Today's random tune is by José Cobles, a Dominican musician who goes by the nickname of Puerto Plata. 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, Los Piratas, can be found on Plata's first internationally distributed CD, Mujer de Cabaret, released in 2007.

Tears: Oumar Konaté and "Addoh"

For today's random tune, we have Oumar Konaté from Mali and his song Addoh. Konaté started music at an early age, astounding his hometown of Gao with nightly performances on an old bucket, helmet and drum outside his family's home. He joined the Orchestra of Gao while in high school and accompanied them on their national tour. While in the Orchestra, he was introduced to guitar. He went on to enroll in the National Institute of Arts in Bamako and recorded his first album there which brought him to the attention of many artists such as Vieux Farka Touré, Sidi Touré and Khaira Arby. He has performed in numerous festivals worldwide, and has received accolades worldwide for his music. Addoh is a song about the tears a young girl sheds when she is forced to marry someone she does not love, and can be found on his 2014 CD of the same name. I'm proud to present this video that I shot of his performance at Globalquerque 2014 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

African Mellow: Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté with "Hawa Dolo"

The great Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté perform our random tune today. Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Mali renowned as one of Africa's greatest musicians, and the person who represents the intersection between Malian music and the blues. Known as the African John Lee Hooker, his playing style on guitar was similar to Hooker's blues. He sang in several African languages, and won two Grammy awards. Toumani Diabaté is a Malian kora player who not only plays traditional Malian music but also has collaborated cross-culturally in blues, jazz, flamenco and other international styles with musicians such as Björk and Taj Mahal, among others, This song, Hawa Dolo, is from their Grammy Award winning album (for best traditional world music) In The Heart of the Moon (2005).

Hall of Fame Lineup: Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté with "Naweye Toro"

The random tune for today is by the great Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté. Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Mali renowned as one of Africa's greatest musicians, and the person who represents the intersection between Malian music and the blues. Known as the African John Lee Hooker, his playing style on guitar was similar to Hooker's blues. He sang in several African languages, and won two Grammy awards. Toumani Diabaté is a Malian kora player who not only plays traditional Malian music but also has collaborated cross-culturally in blues, jazz, flamenco and other international styles with musicians such as Björk and Taj Mahal, among others, This song, Naweye Toro, is from their Grammy Award winning album (for best traditional world music) In The Heart of the Moon (2005).

Between Love and Luck: Badi Assad and "Pega no Coco"

As I've now passed the 50 year mark (actually I'm 51 or as I'm calling it, forty-eleven), the issue of time has become more and more important to me. Sometimes in the morning, I wake up and realize that I've lived another day, shortening the number of days I have left on the earth. I don't obsess about it, but sometimes I do have some sadness, especially if the previous day has been so busy that it feels like it went by in a blur of activity without proper reflection and appreciation. I can imagine that at times a lot of parents, caught up with their families in our modern lifestyles, feel the same way. They have career and families, and work at both of them, all the while watching their kids grow up while they get older. I'm sure that they want to hold onto some moments and lengthen them, stretching them out so that they last. Unfortunately, time is implacable and it's inertia is inexorable. We are caught between seeking the busy aspects of life to keep ourselves occupied, and craving the quiet reflective moments with ourselves and our loved ones, and for me, there is hardly ever a perfect combination of both.

Today's song encapsulates some of that - a modern woman juggling her career and family and the demands of both. Badi Assad is natural born Brazilian with a Lebanese background. She was born in the state of São Paulo, Brazil but moved to Rio de Janeiro. Her family was a musical family - her father plays the bandolim (mandolin) and her two brothers are classical guitarists in their own group, Duo Assad. She studied classical guitar at the University of Rio de Janeiro and joined the Guitar Orchestra of Rio de Janeiro in 1987. She released her first solo album in 1988. More albums and Brazilian fame followed, but in 1998 she released Chameleon and took Europe by storm - her appearance on a French late show on the Canal+ channel was seen by over 2 million viewers. From 1998-2001 she was afflicted with focal dystonia, a motor skill disability but recovered completely and continued writing music, performing, releasing albums and collaborating with many of the music industry's major stars. She is known for reinterpreting well known songs in different styles, such as putting a bossa nova style on U2's "One," as well as her experimental musical interpretations. In 2013, her album Between Love and Luck was released, and this song, Pega no Coco, garnered her first prize in the world music category of a USA songwriting competition. The upbeat song (and video) shows Assad in the roles of career woman, wife, and mother and the various demands of each, but also a woman who likes the combination. I'm glad she's found hers...I'm still trying.