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| Scroll down for Gypsy,
Albanian, Italian, Morrocan, Lebanese, French, Scottish, Jewish,
Syrian music and much more... |
(La
Fabrica de Colores)
You can hear and feel the soul and vitality of the teeming streets
of Barcelona in every song on “Bari”. A recording
for our times, it brings a taste of the melting pot/cultural
fusion of modern Spain to every track – brimming with
energy and consciousness …click on the image for a
full review |
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Too
many inebriated versions of Auld Lang Syne or vague memories
of half-hearted piper parades may have left a stale taste in
the mouth of the uninitiated as far as Scottish music is concerned. |
Yet
Scotland is home to a varied, fresh and exciting traditional
music scene that while respecting the tradition reinterprets
it for today,not by overtly fusing it with other world musics
or jazz or rock or whatever (although there certainly are sublime
examples of this) but more by recasting the elements which often
existed in the past as isolated islands scattered in every part
of the country and bringing them together to invest them with
soul, vigour and personality.
You need look no further than the Rough
Guide To Scottish Music,
a superbly recorded 18 track selection of thoughtfully chosen
entries that span a broad range of styles of folk, pipe, flute,
fiddle, lament and ballad music that fairly bristle with lovely
harmonies, intelligent arrangements, remarkable musicianship
and most importantly of all emotional depth...MORE |
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The
most famous group to take Scottish music to the world and into
the pop charts is the quartet Capercaillie who often
expertly fuse rock, jazz, latin and African rhythms into the
mix without disturbing the integrity of their message. |
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Here though they hark firmly to the tradition
with Karen Matheson's haunting voice and the softer
sounding Irish-uillean pipes adding a distinctive layer of
wistfulness.
If you're looking for your first Capercaille
album and don't know which to choose I can certainly recommend
Capercaillie Live In Concert (MRA), 73 minutes from
a performance at the Royal Concert Hall Glasgow on January
25th 2002. You can judge for yourself their skilful fusion
of the old and new.
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Long-time
readers of DIASPORA may have seen the reviews of the Putumayo
World Playground series which we have done over the last
couple of years during our existence as a street publication.
These were CDs of multicultural dance and play music for kids.
The problem is you've got them up clapping ,singing and shaking
but now they refuse to lie down on their mats... MORE |
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Back to Europe
now and another World Music Network compilation The
Rough Guide To The Music Of France.
With the label's knack for unearthing gems that reflect the
soul of the place and the French propensity for iconoclasm that
revels in both the country's multicultural roots and the vast
terrain of its own heritage this collection is not only firmly
centred but wildly diverse...MORE |
As I've observed during the magazine's existence,
if Putumayo represent a more accessible view of music from
a particular country or genre, The Rough Guide could be seen
as the second line, peeling back the layers even further. Maybe
ARC Music, a label that has been documenting world music
for 27 years…well before the marketing term even existed, could
be seen as the third line. Sometimes
their recordings of artists who have developed their music outside
the country of origin have failed to hit the mark, although they
can often be relied upon to uncover music that is fresh and original….and
many of their releases feature the work of one artist or group.
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The Burning
Bush is the leading Jewish musical ensemble based in England,
a septet that play guitar, clarinet, saxophone, darabukka, oud,
laouto, mandolin and include the mellifluous vocals of Lucie
Skeaping...MORE |
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Emad Sayyah
is a Lebanese singer who composed, arranged and produced the
11 songs that are featured on his CD Modern Bellydance From
Lebanon (ARC Music)...MORE |
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A trip to Libya
or Egypt might be more properly included in Le Son Africain
although at a pinch Libyan born songstress Dalinda could
be construed as belonging to the world of bellydance.... MORE |
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If any doubts
lingered as to Hossam's mastery of traditional rhythms and arrangement
they should be dispelled by El Sultaan, a collection
of instrumental pieces sub-titled Classical Egyptian Dance...
MORE |
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A contrast to
the hyperkinesis of the above-reviewed can be found on another
Arc Music disc Maqams Of Syria...MORE |
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While we're
in Iran we might as well check out another innovative approach
to Persian classical music. The Dastan Trio are long
time collaborators in the creation of this rich, powerfully
meditative music... MORE |
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Legends
of the Italian Tarantella |
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Traditional
Music of Macedonia |
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Mysterious
Albania |
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Great
Voices of Fado |
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Legends
of Gypsy Flamenco |
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Moroccan
Gypsies |
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