31/08/2007

Lila Downs - La Cantina (2006)

«En este disco, esta gran cantante, oriunda de México y USA, nos redescubre con su poderosa voz la ranchera mexicana (impresiona la versión de “La cama de pietra”). No sólo hay rancheras, también hay otras expresiones musicales mexicanas como el corrido y alguna composición propia. Temas melancólicos, críticas sociales, la receta del aguacate… todo esto tiene cabida aquí, dándole una mezcla de tradicional con lo tabernario, pero dando lugar también a los ritmos del otro lado de la frontera, conviviendo lo estadounidense con lo mexicano pero sin parecerse en nada al tex-mex, o es que no ¿pueden convivir amigablemente, por ejemplo, con un mismo hilo melódico una ranchera y un blues?» (Musicas de la Tierra)

«Mexican-American singer Lila Downs, who grew up shuttling between homes in Minnesota and Mexico, caught the attention of the general public with her performance in the film Frida. Those who turn to this album for more of what they heard there won't be disappointed, but they may be a little bit startled by the rhythm loops and subtle electronic effects that weave in and out of the traditional instrumentation over which she sings this wonderful program of Mexican ranchera songs. Downs’ dark, smoky voice is the perfect vehicle for these songs, which juxtapose the deep emotion of fado and mariachi music with norteño and tejano influences (notable especially on those songs that feature the legendary Texas accordionist Flaco Jimenez). Everywhere you turn there are deeper complexities lurking beneath the already complicated surfaces of the songs: the quietly wailing clarinet that follows the distorted guitar solo on “Agua de Rosas”; the ska-funk inflections that are constantly hovering around the edges of “Tu Recuerdo y Yo”; the dubwise phase-shifting effects on “Cumbia del Mole” (a song that explains how to make one of the more popular Mexican sauces, and which is helpfully performed in both Spanish and English versions). On “Arboles de la Barranca” the horns are over the top even by Latin standards, but so what? Over the top is half the fun. Very highly recommended.» (AMG)

«Sette anni dopo La Sandunga – l'album che la fece conoscere – e due anni dopo Una Sangre – il disco della consacrazione – torna Lila Downs, artista di padre statunitense e madre messicana che si è ormai affermata come la più originale esploratrice dei limiti della tradizione folk a sud del Rio Grande – l’unica sua vera rivale per talento e ambizione potrebbe essere Lhasa de Sela ma le sue uscite discografiche sono troppo sporadiche.
La Cantina è il lavoro in studio più a briglie sciolte della Downs, stavolta gli accenti jazz sono episodici e i virtuosismi vocali – la nostra Lila è diplomata in canto – sono tesi soprattutto a esaltare il vigore tutto messicano dei quindici brani contenuti nel CD. Passo avanti? Passo indietro? Difficile a dirsi perché Una Sangre è uno di quei dischi cui era difficile dare un seguito giacché l'artista con esso aveva raggiunto l'apice del discorso musicale avviato due lustri fa, perciò pare appropriata la scelta con La Cantina di pigiare il piede sull'acceleratore, lasciare che la sezione fiati fiammeggi come una pietanza messicana e – fermo restando la classe di Lila Downs – strizzare magari l'occhio al mercato: “La Cumbia del Mole” è il suo primo brano a essere sostenuto da un video.
Proprio “La Cumbia del Mole” è la canzone che apre l'album; scritta dalla Downs assieme al suo compagno d'arte e di vita Paul Cohen, ha un testo che è un viaggio tra le mille salse della cucina messicana e così finisce per essere anche una dichiarazione d'intenti per il menu musicale che seguirà. Il disco è stato registrato tra New York, Città del Messico, San Antonio e Austin: eppure all'ascolto dà l'impressione d'essere stato registrato in una sola sessione, segno che la complicità tra l‘artista e i suoi numerosi collaboratori era totale – da segnalare tra i session-men la presenza del leggendario fisarmonicista Flaco Jimenez. Le quindici tracce del disco offrono tutte momenti d'interesse e alternano momenti d'emozione (“Penas del Alma”) a sonorità travolgenti (“La Tequilera”): qualcuno dirà che è un album di transizione, e forse lo è, ma soprattutto è dimostrazione e conferma che Lila Downs è ormai signora e padrona degli infiniti sapori della musica popolare messicana.» (MusicOnTnt)

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30/08/2007

Açoriana: Porto Pim, Horta (Faial)

Laço Tayfa - Hicaz Dolap (2002)

Ok, it seems that my internet connection is working again, although a little slower than before. Anyway, enough to let me present you this astounding band from Turkey. Enjoy!

«Laço Tayfa represents a new synthesis within the Turkish Roma (gypsy) tradition. Under the leadership of clarinetist Husnu Senlendirici, Laço Tayfa brings Turkish regional folk music into dialogue with contemporary world music styles, fired by a driving improvisational style. This unification is achieved in Hicaz Dolap at such a level that listeners will find themselves caught up in a journey to the edges of a harmonious whole that is composed of incongruous melodic structures. Every instrument breathes on its own in this album; instruments once thought to be archrivals merge in great harmony.

Laço Tayfa, who gained instant notoriety with the highly respected album In The BuzzBag, recorded with the funk/acid jazz armada Brooklyn Funk Essentials, are now back with their own brand of funk. […] In this album, Laço Tayfa combines the traditional sounds of Asia Minor and Thrace with Laço Tayfa magic and a highly sophisticated infrastructure. […]

Husnu Senlendirici comes from a family of musicians from the Turkish Aegean coastal town of Bergama, where local Roma musicians play for local inhabitants of different ethnic groups. Interestingly, in this area, Roma musicians play versions of brass band instruments. A typical traditional wedding band consists of clarinet, trumpet, snare drum and a double-headed folk bass drum called a davul. The Senlendirici family has consisted of musicians playing clarinet and trumpet for generations, hence the meaning of their last name, "The ones who create celebrations".

[…] After training at the state music conservatory in Istanbul, Husnu joined his father in concerts, recorded with world music artists such as Okay Temiz, and toured Europe and the United States. Husnu also participated in local avant-garde experiments, such as the fusing of Roma improvisational style, Turkish melodies and Western classical and jazz harmonies. While seeking new musical challenges, Husnu remains grounded in local Roma and Turkish urban styles, performing at weddings, with urban singing stars at concerts and on recordings.

For this project with Laço Tayfa, Husnu worked with traditional folk material from each of the regions of Turkey, using signature Roma tunes as a basis for a new synthesis which incorporates jazz harmonies, riffs and textures with Indian tabla as well as North African and Arabic rhythmic patterns. In this repertoire, Husnu also presents sounds from his native region, such as 9/8-meter Roma wedding pieces with driving melodic solos in the Aegean style, the melody of an Aegean folk dance form (zeybek) known as harmandali with solo clarinet and davul in the manner of a neighborhood wedding and an impassioned interpretation of an Aegean urban folk song, "Izmir'in Kavaklari." Within traditional treatments of these diverse regional styles, Husnu embeds new improvisations.» (National Geographic, Courtesy Calabash Music)

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28/08/2007

Info

Hello everybody!

These days I am experiencing lots of problems with my internet connection (read: virtually no connection at all). I will make new updates and answer your messages & comments as soon as possible.
Cheers, Radu

26/08/2007

Açoriana: Pico & Faial at Sunset

Leszek Możdżer - Solo in Ukraine (2003)

After Stefano Bollani, another piano genius who deserves all your attention: Leszek Możdżer. Thanx to an anonymous reader, I can offer you this amazing Solo in Ukraine (recorded between 2000 and 2001, published in 2003), where Możdżer displays all his talents as a composer, player, arranger and improviser (fully at ease both with Chopin and Hancock). A true discovery!

«Polish pianist playing the style combining the elements of ancient, classical and contemporary music, although classified by the critics as a jazzman. A thoroughly educated musician. Born on 23rd March 1971 in Gdansk. He started playing the piano at the age of five. In 1996 he graduated from the Academy of Music in Gdansk. The winner of many prestigious awards, such as Grand Prix on the International Competition of Jazz Improvisation in Katowice, he won ten times in a questionnaire among the readers of "Jazz Forum" in the category "piano", two times Musician of the Year, the prize winner of the award Fryderyk '98. He played and recorded with Tomasz Stanko, Zbigniew Namyslowski, Dave Liebman, Lester Bowie, Archie Shepp, Joe Lovano, David Gilmour and Pat Metheny. He wrote music for plays and films. He gives concerts all over the world. Recorded 90 CDs as a sideman or soloist. Pianist with classical technique, operating with his own the timbre, articulation, his own harmony. He creates a unique, at times not to say a mystic atmosphere. By definition not commercial, still he attracts crowds of listeners to his concerts. For some fashionable, for others legendary. Definitely a part of the history of Polish music culture.» (MySpace)

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24/08/2007

Açoriana: Angra do Heroismo (Terceira)

Sérgio Mestre - Pauta Inacabada (2005)

Thanx to Simona (a hug) and our mutual friend from Angra do Heroismo (Terceira, Azores), today I can post this exquisite and moving collection dedicated to Sérgio Mestre, flutist, guitarist and singer of Mozambican origin who died on stage in October 2003. During his life, Mestre played with many great names of the Portuguese scene – Adriano Correia de Oliveira, José Afonso, Vitorino, Janita Salomé, Fausto, José Mário Branco, José Medeiros, Pedro Barroso, Manuel Freire, Júlio Pereira, Brigada Victor Jara, João Afonso and Filipa Pais, among many others. Many of them participate in this deeply felt tribute. Highly recommended.

«Companheiro de Adriano Correia de Oliveira e Zeca Afonso nas décadas de 1980 e 1990, Sérgio Mestre participou em vários projectos, designadamente, Lua Extravagante, ou ao lado de nomes como Vitorino, Janita Salomé, Brigada Vítor Jara e João Afonso. Segundo Manuel Portugal, "a vida musical Sérgio Mestre confunde-se com a história da música popular portuguesa ao longo das últimas três décadas".Flautista, guitarrista e também cantor, Sérgio Mestre "notabilizou-se desde muito cedo ao acompanhar os principais nomes da música em Portugal, tais como Adriano Correia de Oliveira, José Afonso, Vitorino, Janita Salomé, Fausto, José Mário Branco, José Medeiros, Pedro Barroso, Manuel Freire, Júlio Pereira, Brigada Victor Jara, João Afonso e Filipa Pais, entre muitos outros". Manuel Portugal considera que se destaca a sua relação pessoal e musical com Adriano Correia de Oliveira e José Afonso, com quem o músico percorreu inúmeros palcos e muitos quilómetros de estrada, desde os anos que antecederam o 25 de Abril de 1974. Segundo Manuel Portugal "não têm conta os trabalhos discográficos em que participou". Para Manuel Portugal "ficou por gravar a muita e belíssima música que compôs". "Deixou uma vasta obra musical que se preparava para gravar e que, uma doença súbita impediu de concretizar".» (Dialogos lusofonos)

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22/08/2007

City Lights

Stefano Bollani - Småt Småt (2003)

A small (Danish småt) homage to a genius.

«Stefano Bollani è un pianista geniale, un figlio unico. Lo dicono in molti: bastano la sua fantasia e la sua stravaganza a renderlo evidente anche a chi non è un esperto del settore.
La genialità di Bollani, o presunta tale, è nella tecnica, nel tocco, ma ciò che lo rende veramente unico è il suo coraggio: la sua musica è una sfida, più o meno consapevole, a qualunque genere. È un tentativo di comunicare una musica, tanto profonda quanto libera.
Questo è, in fondo, quello che fanno i geni: al punto che, per paura, la loro arte viene percepita come un’azione di rottura. Chiedetelo a quegli appassionati di jazz che vedono il “loro” pianista sporcarsi le mani con collaborazioni “profane” con Irene Grandi, con la Bandabardò o con Bobo Rondelli. Chiedetelo a chi continua ad aspettare che maturi, che abbandoni le sue “scappatelle” in altri territori. Chiedetelo a chi da anni sperava in un suo disco solista.
“Smat Smat” è infatti il suo primo disco solista. Un disco che rompe: un incontro non facile per chi è abituato a suddividere la musica, a farla propria attraverso categorie esclusive. Ma anche una rivelazione per chi lascia che sia la musica ad aprirsi e ad aprire, in modo esclusivo.
Di esclusivo c’è che Bollani è il primo musicista jazz in Italia con un suo fan club (i Bollati). C’è che ha fatto un disco con cinque pezzi suoi e nove interpretazioni. C’è che quelle covers non sono i soliti standards, non sono nemmeno rarità sconosciute ai più. Sono pezzi dei Beatles, di Marco Parente, di Frank Zappa, di illustri compositori come Ginastera, Durano, Villoldo, Barbosa, Del Turco.
Bollani nutre la sua impostazione classica con amori sensuali, relazioni pensate e vissute, attrazioni che non hanno pudori, di quelle che vi fanno sorridere da dentro, anche quando siete per strada o sul posto di lavoro. “Smat Smat” è un disco che contiene una struttura complessa e una voglia di stupire, semplice, come un fumetto: è la voce di un Paperino, dotato delle conoscenze e delle intuizioni di un Archimede.
È un disco che vuole essere voce. Ed è voce, una voce che dà un piacere sottile, simile a quello che deriva dai film di Charlie Chaplin. Prokofiev suonato come un rock’n’roll, il classico pianismo europeo avvolto nei gomitoli di Frank Zappa, il pop dei Radiohead alternato alla limpidezza lunare di Thelonius Monk, i saltelli giocosi della musica latinoamericana con la canzone d’autore italiana. Ogni brano è un acquarello, un sasso lanciato nello stagno: quattordici cerchi che si propagano fino a formare un unico vortice. In cui si riflette un volto giovane, forse di un bambino, che “viaggia” su una barchetta di carta e sfida il mare. Mentre canta una musica tutta sua, che fa… “smat smat”.» (Christian Verzeletti, Mescalina)

«Stefano Bollani is another formidable force in contemporary jazz piano, fuelled by a hot core of orthodox jazz-piano energy, but pulls in his wake all manner of atmospherics derived from plucking and banging the innards of the instrument. This unaccompanied set features 14 brief expositions drawing on Monk, Prokofiev and Frank Zappa, among others. Lennon and McCartney are also there, on a version of “Norwegian Wood” that punctuates the dreamy unfolding of the theme with startled percussive accents made from striking the strings. Giant low-register stompings underpin contrastingly romantic right-hand dances, and Bollani sometimes sings in a halting, low-key, torch-song manner, or engagingly duets with his scurrying piano lines on harmonica. Sometimes he's a little arch in his classical-music references, or sounds like a virtuosic Chico Marx or a wine-bar pianist left on his own after closing-time. But his inbuilt rhythmic drive makes an exhilarating job of the bent-blues original “Giroconlon” and turns the Zappa import “Let's Move to Cleveland” into a whirling fast waltz.» (John Fordham, The Guardian)

Biographie en français: http://www.label-bleu.com/artist.php?artist_id=107

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21/08/2007

Açoriana: Pico II (Pico)

Cambodian Cassette Archives: Khmer Folk and Pop Music Vol. 1 (2004)

Pol Pot's horrific regime in Cambodia wreaked destruction in multiple directions, including irreparable damage to the country's culture and musical heritage, as well as the loss of so many lives. It's sadly appropriate, then, that this compilation of Cambodian pop music, spanning the 1960s through the 1990s, had to be pieced together from more than 150 cassettes (described as "ravaged" in the liner notes) found in the Asian branch of the Oakland, CA, public library. Though some of this was recorded in Cambodia before Pol Pot's ascension, much of it was likely done from the 1970s onward by expatriates in the United States and other countries (the presence of synthesizers on some cuts makes it pretty certain that they don't predate the '70s). Here is one case where you really can excuse the lack of documentation in a historical archive release: artists are known for only two of the 20 tracks, and even more than half of the song titles are unknown. Despite the mystery surrounding who made this music where (and the inescapably subpar, erratic sound quality), it's an interesting and, to an admittedly variable degree, fun anthology that captures different admixtures of Western pop/rock with more indigenous Cambodian influences. For Western listeners, much of the interest lies in the sheer novelty of hearing unfamiliar collisions, with melodramatic Cambodian vocals, melodies, and operatic orchestration charged by raw psychedelic guitar, cheesy organ, and fusion-like horns. Some of the later-sounding recordings suffer a little from mechanical synths and percussion, though even then there are some intriguing combinations, like "Sat Tee Touy (Look at the Owl)," which sounds a little like Fairport Convention gone disco. It gets even more unpredictable than that, with one sadly untitled, uncredited number (it's track number 11 on the CD) fusing girl group-inflected singing, British Invasion-type melodic drive, hi-life horns, and upper-register nasal vocal tone in quite invigorating fashion. Though late-20th century Cambodian pop can probably never come close to being documenting with any reasonable thoroughness, this unusual reissue captures at least a slice of it, performing a valuable artistic and musical service. (AMG)

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20/08/2007

Postcards from Italy (40) - Dolomiti di Brenta, Trentino

Lo Mejor del Oriente Boliviano (1992)

A very good introduction to the marvelous music of the eastern, tropical regions of Bolivia (Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, etc.), including among others two tracks interpreted by my beloved Gladys Moreno, justly known as the Ambassador of Bolivian music, and the wonderful "Mi Viejo Santa Cruz" by Arminda Alba. Much more Bolivian music here (thanx, anonymous!). Let me know what you think about it! Cheers, Radu.

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17/08/2007

Açoriana: Pico (Pico)

Ali Hassan Kuban - The Rough Guide to Ali Hassan Kuban (2002)

«Another solid installment in the Rough Guide series of artist retrospectives, this compilation sums up the career of a Nubian music legend. Nubia – once the land of Kush, and today part of Egypt and Sudan – was substantially flooded with the construction of the Aswan dam during the 1950s. By then, Kuban had already moved from the village where he grew up to the Nubian quarter of Cairo. An early brush with lung disease nearly ended his career, and it may have something to do with his soulfully ragged vocals: even as a young man, he sounded old. That ailment, coupled with his affection for jazz band of the era, also inspired Kuban to develop a band that could really support him, including brass and sometimes string sections that could take melodies in call-and-response with the vocal. Working this way, Kuban transformed the complex trance rhythms of Nubian villages into entrancing urban pop music.

This set samples Kuban's four great international releases, and adds two unreleased live tracks and a crisp performance from a radio appearance the band did in Germany in 1989. "Mabruk" with its light, brass-driven swagger, and "Sukkar Sukkar Sukkar," featuring Kuban's characteristic camel-clop groove and a warbling blend of brass melody and organ, were early hits and helped to win him international recognition. Kuban seems to have performed far more than he recorded, but there's certainly plenty of great material to draw upon. The tunes from his 1992 Walk Like a Nubian album are particularly satisfying, seeming to capture the band in it prime on the tumbling, soulful "Habibi," and "Bettitogor Agil (The Girl Sitting under the Date Palm Tree)" with its lush lend of flute, horns, strings, and percussion.

Some of the songs echo urban pop trends, like the hint of reggae in "Mabrouk Wo Arisna," or of shaabi in "Hela Houb." But although Kuban was certainly a modernizer willing to extend and transform Nubian music, the authentic feel of the village definitely remains a strong element in his sound, especially on a percussion and vocal oriented track like "Walla Abshero" and on swirling trance grooves with gorgeous chant melodies like "Gammal," the standout track from Real Nubian, the last album Kuban completed before his death in 2001.» (Banning Eyre, Afropop)

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16/08/2007

Açoriana: Horta (Faial)

Karandila Orchestra - Na Kupon s Karandila (1999)

A nice album of bulgarian gypsy music, thanx to Kaloyan N. from Bulgaria. Well worth a listen!

«Na Kupon s Karandila is a CD that displays the band's ability to convert simple tunes into hot cocek. Most of the tracks featured are cover versions of Bulgarian pop-folk (chalga; contemporary twist on Bulgraian folklore music). The CD starts off at high pace with “Doko, Doko”. The mood remains elevated with tracks like “Izleze Mesetchina”, a creative cover of Goran Bregovic's “Moonlight”. After “Lechkov Kyucheck”, the pace slows down to more casual and loose sound. The last few tracks pick up the speed again culminating with the popular Bulgarian hit “Maimunka”. Even although most of the tracks are not original, this CD shows how creative Karandila can be with contorting and shaping other music into cocek. For people that haven't heard of the original versions, the CD will still entertain thanks to the brass section of Karandila, conveying a wide range of emotions. The overall compositions grabs your attention right away with clinical drumming and indefinable trumpet improvisations, flowing from jazz to gypsy.» (http://cocek.com/albums.html)

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15/08/2007

Los Lobos - By the Light of the Moon (1987)

Roll up! Roll up! Radu's back in town!... And with a masterpiece of good ole American rock to shake your body and move your soul!... Enjoy!

«Los Lobos were one of America's most distinctive and original bands of the '80s. They may have had a hit with "La Bamba" in 1987, yet that cover barely scratches the surface of their talents. Los Lobos are eclectic in the best sense of the word. While they draw equally from rock, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music, their music never sounds forced or self-conscious. Instead, all of their influences become one graceful, gritty sound. From their very first recordings, their rich musicality was apparent; on nearly every subsequent record, they have found ways to redefine and expand their sound, without ever straying from the musical traditions that form the heart and soul of the band. […] On How Will the Wolf Survive?, Los Lobos seemed to be feeling out the boundaries of how much they could say about the hard realities of life within the framework of good-time R&B-flavored rock & roll, and on their next album, 1987's By the Light of the Moon, the group gently shifted their focus to favor their more contemplative side. While the band certainly hadn't lost the ability to rock out (check out "My Baby's Gone" or "Shakin' Shakin' Shakes" for proof), most of the album displayed a lighter touch musically, with David Hidalgo's deft lead guitar and Cesar Rosas' precise rhythm chords fueling lean but smoky R&B numbers like "Is That All There Is?" and "All I Wanted to Do Was Dance" and understated musical snapshots like "One Time, One Night" and "River of Fools." Lyrically, By the Light of the Moon is dominated by the sad mysteries of life and the less-than-generous nature of fate, as ordinary people try to come to terms with death ("One Time, One Night"), disappointment ("Is That All There Is?"), love that's faded into the shadows ("The Hardest Time"), and the mingled comfort and uncertainties of faith ("Tears of God"). While the soundtrack album to the movie La Bamba, released the same year, captured Los Lobos at their most carefree and high-spirited as they called up the spirit of Ritchie Valens, By the Light of the Moon showed the other side of the coin as the group looked into the hearts and souls of themselves and the community around them, and if it's a harder album to enjoy than those that preceded it, its depth rewards repeated listenings.» (AMG)

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08/08/2007

Some Re-Posts

Hello everybody, and thanx to all the readers who sent me a contribution of their own (all very interesting, I must add). Now I'm leaving again for a few days (I'm a lucky guy!), but as soon as I'll be back I'll post them all. Meanwhile, here are some reposts (on request). Enjoy, and see you soon. Radu

Pino di Modugno - Bedouin
Calexico - Travelall
Horslips - Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part
Tarika - Soul Makassar
Djal - Extra Bal
Inti-Illimani - Viva Chile!