• Music

    UUTAi – Dope

    May 25, 2021 - By 

    Some years ago I had the pleasure of coming across a Sakha (Yakutia)-based singer called UUTAi who left me a bit stunned and gobsmacked, as I had never seen such a wild performance with wailing and Jew’s harp.  Going forward a few years, one of my dear colleagues and friends in Siberia, Daryana, presented this album to me, and it’s a more focused, restrained and quirky affair. I would think that a label like Real World would be quite interested in this, as it definitely presents Yakut music in a favorable light, but it supplemented with electronic music that actually…

  • Music

    Togbe Adjos – Maman Tchamba

    May 14, 2021 - By 

    When reading tags about vodun jazz, a reggae vibe wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.  Still, Togbe Adjos produces an album mixing the rhythms of the Caribbean with those of his native Benin.  This is a mellow but lively album which wouldn’t feel out of place among that massive stack of Trojan Records you have laying around your listening room.  West Africa is perhaps the hottest place in world music these days.  It’s wonderful to see Benin’s musicians receiving more and more recognition.

  • Music

    Albaluna – Heptad

    May 12, 2021 - By 

    Our friends at Tejo Milenario have introduced us to yet another one of their brilliant band and we are expecting to highlight quite a few more as the weeks pass by! Albaluna are a project from Portugal whose stage performances blend together music, poetry and dance, combining cultures of the Silk Road into one well-woven tapestry.  The music is a mix of electronic progressive music, pure folk forms from the Mediterranean, North Africa and even hints of Chinese music.  They literally sound like they are able to vacuum a genre of music and easily mix it into their palette.  They…

  • Music

    Gralitsa – Little Mosquitoes Are Sleeping This Night

    May 7, 2021 - By 

    Some time ago I had reviewed the work of an ethno-folk-jazz band from Kostroma, Russia called Gralitsa, and I found them favorable.  I have to say that I find this album at least as favorable, but it sounds like a totally different band.  This sound is far more affected by genres like trip-hop, downtempo music, and darkjazz (a touch, anyway).  There’s also a slightly ‘free’ element to the music, though it never sounds disjointed. The track Echo Poor Heart is the cornerstone of the album, showcasing the vocals of Olga “Gralitsa” Rodionova layered on top of a dark, jazz noir…

  • Music

    Ombra – Posidonian Poetry

    April 22, 2021 - By 

    This has to be one of the more elegant releases I’ve had the pleasure of spending my evenings with in a few weeks.  Ombra are a quintent, as I understand it, based in Barcelona, Spain.  This sumptuous release blends everything from jazz, a touch of waltz, Arabic and Balkan music with vocals sung in a myriad of languages including Ladino, spoken today in Israel and parts of the Balkans.  This is true ethno-jazz, fusing together music, scales and traditions together seamlessly.  For further information, consider visiting their promotional page at Tejo Milenario. Personnel: Andranik Muradyan — Klarinet Albert Pintor —…

  • Music

    Staritsa – Klyukva

    April 15, 2021 - By 

    It seems the one place in the world where the dreaded term “World Music” is doing well is Russia, though my friends at Xango Music Distribution do a stellar job of selling some amazing artifacts. This project, Staritsa, hail from Prokhorovka, near the dead center of the country.  They, like other Russian bands I’ve had the pleasure of recommending, produce fine traditional folk which seems to be having a Renaissance of sorts.  Between this, the incredible improvisational and classical music scenes and the wonderful Orthodox hymnody being produced these days, I’d say Russian music is in good hands. Kudos to…

  • Music

    ShooDja-ChoDja – Shooldyrak

    March 26, 2021 - By 

    Our beloved comrade in World Music, Christian Pliefke, releases another gem on his label CPL Music.  This new release by the band ShooDja-ChoDja from comes from the region of Udmurtia, populated by people of Finno-Ugric stock, and having traditions far different from their fellow Russian citizens. The music is played on a mix of traditional and modern instruments, with complex vocal harmonies throughout.  Of particular interest to me was the track entitled Krez, which sounded like a mournful dirge.  A bit heartbreaking in parts, but beautiful in its own way.  I’m sure ShooDja-ChoDja must be phenomenal to see live.

  • Music

    Damir Imamović’s Sevdah Takht – Dvojka

    March 11, 2021 - By 

    It is a shame to think that when the words Bosnia, Herzegovina or Sarajevo are mentioned, most think only of the ugly breakup of the former Yugoslavia.  It’s a crime, as the country, and especially her capital, have so much to offer.  The people, the food, the incredible culture, so complex and rich, yet one forgets that Bosnia is a European country. Be that as it may, Sarajevo musicians continue to produce its most famous export – sevdah – the bluesy Balkan style that could be compared favorably to Portugal’s fado.  It’s music rich with pain, pathos and rich voices.…

  • Music

    Alostmen – Kologo

    March 1, 2021 - By 

    Ghanian band Alostmen are bursting with energy and come with a sound mixing highlife with a guitar style that reminds me, slightly, of Tuareg playing one could hear with bands like Tinariwen. From the band’s website: Formed by Stevo Atambire and produced by Wanlov (Fok’n Bois) and Percy Yip Tong, Alostmen’s music is based around the Frafra traditions of the kologo, a stringed lute, using traditional instrumentation in entirely new ways. “I like to force my instrument to work,” explains Stevo. “I’m a yout’man and into rap, reggae, Malian music. I add these to the band’s sound.” “I had toured…