Rolling Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2014 Thread Formerly Known as World

I don't know David Rudder but I love sparrow

Rudder's younger than Sparrow but no youngster. He's done a number of great songs, many with socio-political lyrics, since the '80s-- "Rally 'round the West Indies", "High Mas," his Haiti album and more

glad to see we are at 3 supporters of these veteran artists

Youssou N'Dour put a new release out in April that I just discovered. Youtube link to it is over on a Youssou thread.

I know, I know, you hated that collaboration he did with Neneh Cherry from years ago and then never bothered with anything else. But really you should. At least try his Egypt album that sounds different than anything else he's ever done and then figure out how to see him live where his Senegalese band's mbalax polyrhythms will make more sense and his amazing voice will stun you.

one of my friends is releasing a new volume of Ghanaian music, very raw field-recording style, and it's great: http://artsextract.com/2014/09/04/album-stream-bawku-west-collective-upper-east-untouched/

I know, I know, you hated that collaboration he did with Neneh Cherry from years ago and then never bothered with anything else. But really you should. At least try his Egypt album that sounds different than anything else he's ever done and then figure out how to see him live where his Senegalese band's mbalax polyrhythms will make more sense and his amazing voice will stun you.

― curmudgeon, Thursday, September 4, 2014 3:03 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Okay you've sold it to me.

http://www.okayafrica.com/news/orlando-julius-heliocentrics-jaiyede-afro/

can stream the new album ^

That looks good

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/claude-mckay-gnawa-music

Gnawa musicians now in the US and in Harlem especially

Told my sister I am seeing Youssou N'Dour in concert soon and she responded "who's that." Sigh. My Dad knows, I once took him to see Youssou, and I think Mom knows because of that.

I saw him in 86 when he opened for Peter Gabriel. Haven't paid much attention to him since.

If you haven't heard the Egypt album or seen him live when he headlines you are missing out.

I interviewed Orlando Julius for Wondering Sound.

Looking forward to reading this. And checking out some music too!

Me too. Am busy this week relistening to some old Salif Keita (from Mali) records. He's coming back to the US this month. Like N'Dour he has put out some lousy crossover ones (and thus gotten tainted with ooh 'world music' shade), but also some good ones and his voice is similarly striking live. Like N'Dour he is also a pioneer.

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19726-aby-ngana-diop-liital/

Another Awesome Tapes re-release I need to check out

x-post --Salif is 65 now so you folks who enjoy old-school African sounds should check out his back in the day singing with the Rail Band and with Le Ambassadeurs after that. Youssou's old-school stuff is worth checking for too.

Yeah I think the only Youssou stuff I've heard is with etoile de Dakar. Gonna listen to Egypt tonight though

speaking of salif an acquaintance once lent me one of his from the 1990's that sounded lovely but didn't make a huge impression. but recently picked up Rail Band - Dioba 3 2cd set and it's phenomenal! brilliant guitars and vox.
and speaking of vox, etiole de dakar effing rule. the energy of that band is kinda protopunk imo

Yep. Those early years efforts are often much better than their later highly produced crossover efforts. But I'm such a big live music fans and Youssou N'Dour and Salif Keita gigs over the years here in DC with lots of folks in attendance from their respective countries plus others (like me) always convey more energy and excitement than those crossover discs. Dismissing those tours as "world music" for stereotypical aging boomers is foolish if you ask me.

Speaking of live music, I kinda liked the special Ethiopian New Year/9/11 event last night with DJ Rupture & his laptop,locally based Ethiopian masinqo (a one-stringed instrument similar to a fiddle or lute) player Gizachew T. Habtemariam and vocalist Kalkidan Woldemariam, and a NYC choir. A blend of avante-minimalism with traditional Ethiopian sounds. Took place for free from 7 to 8 outdoors on the grounds of the St. Elizabeth's mental hospital in SE DC and then the House of Booty djs spun upbeat Afropop while an Ethiopian food truck gave out free Ethiopan veggie platters!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-hMkHkoFrU

Fair amount of Salif Keita on YouTube, but alas not his charming reinvention of "Begin The Beguine," from the very fine Red Hot + Blue AIDS benefit anthology.

New reissue of 1975 to 77 Les Ambassadeurs with a young Salif Keita

http://www.afropop.org/wp/20314/les-ambassadeurs-du-motel-de-bamako/

Two discs and available on spotify. Very good ^^

Cool. I am gonna listen to that and see now 65-year-old Salif live on Sunday, he's also doing shows in NY and elsewhere. Hw was good live when I last saw him many moons ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngLb03UwTTc

The Salif Keita show was fun. His voice is still strong and I liked the call & response with his 2 backing singers. Band got those Malian polyrhythms going--electric guitar plus ngoni, kora, drums and kora player also operating a synth with programmed sounds. Many Malians in the crowd gathered right up front and sang along for some cuts. Lots of dancing. The show was a bit overpriced so the 1,800 seat theatre was not full. Youssou N'Dour show was more crowded (plus DC has more Senegalese than Malians).

We regret to share the news that the Toumani and Sidiki Diabaté performance has been cancelled due to factors outside Artisphere’s control. We have been informed by the artists’ management that a combination of unexpected logistical problems, complicated by Toumani’s health, has resulted in the cancellation of the artists’ American tour.

Feel better Toumani Diabete.

I second that - hopefully it isn't anything too serious and he will be back on his feet again.

I couldn't find any more details online

If some of the New Yorkers here go to ome of these special South African music events coming up in October at Carnegie Hall and elsewhere, they will hopefully tell us about them:

Thursday, October 9, 2014 | 6:30 PM

Part of Africa Now!—South Africa, ethnomusicologist and University of Pittsburgh Professor Gavin Steingo looks at the post-Apartheid music scene with Simphiwe Dana, Tumi Molekane, and musicians of The Soil.

Apollo Theater | Soundstage
253 West 125th Street | Manhattan
apollotheater.org | 212-531-5300

Free (RSVP suggested)

http://www.carnegiehall.org/SouthAfrica/Events/

I am curious about some of the more obscure to me South African acts chosen. But on a quick glance, I don't see any South African kwaito/afrobeats/dance stuff. No Mafikizola? But maybe I missed something. One of those acts above is compared to Miriam Makeba on the pr announcement on the site.

http://www.afropop.org/wp/20542/hip-deep-in-madagascar-the-tsapiky-story/

I heard that Damily/Tsapiky story as I sat in line to cross the border back into the US from Canada this weekend. Fascinating story, and the music is really striking.

There are two Damily albums on Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/5jkEJPnSB0VcF7EQzgF8mM

I was listening to Madagascar music circa the early 90s when guitarists Henry Kaiser and David Lindley went there and recorded a bunch of stuff. Then I moved on and lost track of Madagascar for the most part. So I want to listen to that Afropop hip deep thing and catch up. Plus I still haven't listened to those South Africans I mentioned above.

http://www.soundsoftheuniverse.com/img/releases/35785/w/sjrcd275gipsyrhumbacase.jpg

Why do I always have trouble getting into gipsy, Roma, Balkan, and klezmer stuff? Maybe that Spanish rooted stuff will be different. I don't dislike it, just not crazy about it

it's ok to not dig every outernational music on planet Earth

it's not okay to not dig roma/balkan/klezmer music tho :)

curmudgeon, have you ever heard this comp?

http://ak1.ostkcdn.com/images/products/613819//bmmg/ent/Naftule-Brandwein-King-of-the-Klezmer-Clarinet-L011661112728.JPG

it's a classic - he's an amazing musician and it's really rocking. maybe you'd dig it?

Have not heard it

naftule is fucking awesome; if you can't dig him, that's probably a sign it's just not gonna happen.

Was busy listening to Chinese rock band Second Hand Rose instead last night, whom I am writing up for my local weekly. They are a theatrical mix of art-rock and prog and Primus and glam with some trad Chinese folk touches. Sometimes they dress in drag. Some songs I liked and some I did not. They are doing a US East Coast tour.

Ended up missing Oumar Konate, Malian guitarist & band last night in DC. I am spoiled as I had seen him before and we get so many tours from Malians here that I know he will likely be back and or someone else from there.

Holy Cow; Naftule DOES rock!

-----------------

Mamadou Diabaté – Griot Classique

More divine music on solo kora; however, this one's a bit more chill and doesn't really get cooking until the last 2 tracks. Very nice, but maybe not quite as engaging as Toumani's release from up-thread.

saw the Malawi Mouse Boys last night; those guys are awesome

re vintage South Africa, see my description of that Punk In Africa doc upthread; much more varied than title suggests. Also:

http://www.chicagoreader.com/imager/aphex-twins-moments-of-bliss-on-syro/b/original/15237838/1230/OmarKhorshid-LiveInAustralia1981-600.jpg

Good review by Chicago Reader's Bill Mayer (would just link, but you'd have to scroll waaaay down). Sound quality doesn't bother me at all, though if I knew his studio, suppose it might. Can always turn it up. The excitement of music and audience def cuts through.

Omar Khorshid and His Group
Live in Australia 1981 (Sublime Frequencies)

When Dick Dale turned an Anatolian folk theme into the surf hit "Misirlou" in 1962, he established a template for the combination of modal melody and electric distortion that pays off to this day. No one exploited it more thoroughly than Omar Khorshid, a Lebanese-­born electric guitarist who had a string of marvelous instrumental hits that made him a star of both music and film in Egypt before he died in a car crash in 1981. This LP, which was recorded mere days before his death, is the first live set of his music to be released, and it's not a total mystery why that's the case—while Khorshid and his band play with impressive energy and improvisational flair, especially on an epic blowout of "Sidi Mansour," the recording is murky enough to scare away audiophiles, who should first check out the double-CD compilation Guitar El Chark; once hooked, they'll want this too. —Bill Meyer

that looks great