Road Trip: Eastenders featuring Shady Sheha and "On the Ride"

Our random tune for this morning is by Eastenders featuring Shady Sheha. Eastenders, a collaborative multicultural music project, is led by German DJ Stefan Mueller (aka DJ Eastenders) and Turkish producer and musician Cem Buldak (aka Afrit). They create an exotic blend of European club with oriental flavors inspired by music of the Middle East, Turkey, Eastern European gypsies and India - and using Eastern instrumentation. Shady Sheha is a young Egyptian musician living in Germany who was a contestant on the talent show Germany's Looking for a Superstar. This song, On the Ride, is about forging your own road, staying on it, and making sure you always keep moving. It can be found on the Eastenders 2004 CD Along the Path and on the compilation CD Putumayo Presents: North African Groove (2005).

Night Steed: Gjallarhorn and "Rimfaxe"

The random tune for today is from Gjallarhorn. 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. The band's name derives from the name of the horn of the Norse god Heimdallr, who blows the horn signaling the last battle of the Norse gods. This song, Rimfaxe, is the title song of their 2006 CD, and is about the Norse god of night's horse and the coming of night.

A Chip Off the Old Bloco: Ara Ketu and "Tapete Negro"

We have a little bit of a Carnival atmosphere today with the random song - Tapete Negro by Ara Ketu. Ara Ketu are a band founded in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. They were founded in 1980 and are derived from the Carnival "bloco" of the same name and became popular in Europe before reaching popularity in Brazil. They present a percussive heavy Afro-Bahian dance groove with vocals by lead singer Tatau. Tatau left to form his own band, giving way to vocalist Larissa Luz until 2012 when Tatau returned to the band. Ara Ketu has been praised by artists such as David Byrne and Quincy Jones. Tapete Negro can be found on the Putumayo compilation CD Carnival (2001).

Constructing Turkey: Can Atilla and "Rumeli Hisarinin Yapilişi"

The random song for today is from Turkish composer Can Atilla, who is most noted for composing the official music for the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish parliament. Rumeli Hisarinin Yapilişi (The Building of Rumelian Castle) can be found on the compilation CD Pera Lounge (2011).

Beautiful Losing: Deolinda and "Um Contra o Outro"

Portuguese band Deolinda brings us our random tune for today. Deolinda formed in 2006 when the brothers Pedro da Silva Martins and Luis José Martins asked their cousin Ana Bacalhau to sing on a few songs they had written. Realizing that her voice fit perfectly with their songs, they began Deolinda and rounded out the band with her husband José Pedro Leitã. Their first album, Canção Ao Lado (2008), reached number 3 on the Portuguese charts, and their followup album, Dois Selos e Um Carimbo (2010), hit number 1. During this period, the band performed a song called Parva que Sous at their concerts which was a social criticism of Portugal and the lack of opportunities for young people. Most of Europe was going through a financial crisis, and youth unemployment was enormous, especially in poorer EU countries. The song became an anthem among economically affected youth in Portugal and went viral on social media, with bootleg copies of concert performances shared in great numbers. Deolinda released their third album, Mundo Pequenino, in 2013.

The band's style is inspired by fado, but they have made numerous departures from the form. While traditional fado utilizes Portuguese guitar, the band does not. Deolinda's songs are often contain social criticism, and can be lively, upbeat, ironic and humorous which does not fit the usual melancholy style of fado either. Fado performers often dress in black when performing, but Deolinda does not follow this tradition either. Their music has thus been described as "neofado. This song, Um Contra O Outro, is from their 2010 release Dois Selos e Um Carimbo. The video is the official video for the song, which is a lover exhorting her partner to learn how to lose in order to win her.

Mailing It In: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "The Corner Post"

We go back to Cajun Louisiana for today's random tune, The Corner Post by Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also unique and personal. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category, and in 2013 Steve Riley took home a Grammy as part of The Band Courtbouillon, a Cajun jam band featuring Riley, Wayne Toups and Wilson Savoy. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. The Corner Post can be found on The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (2008).

A Lover Back Home: Jamal Porto and "Gamar Badawi"

Today's song is by an Sudanese artist named Jamal Porto, who lived at an Egyptian inn in the Sinai called RAS. At RAS, musicians have gathered for over twenty years to meet and play, and the family that owns the inn built a recording studio. In 2005, they sent out a call to musicians from all over the world, and forty artists from ten nations responded. They played and recorded music, which resulted in a CD called The RAS Project: A Musical Journey in Sinai. This song, Gamar Badawi, is from that album and is also on the 2008 Putumayo compilation Acoustic Arabia, and is a song of longing for a beloved back in Sudan.