World Music thread

[clandestino]

Well, I think that this board lack some music threads. Maybe there is a reason for that, like lack of interest, but I'll give it another try anyway.

I've devoted this one to World Music, that crazy music that subhumans that don't sing in English do.. I'm not going to discuss what is considered world music, nor the fact that some English spoken tunes might be considered in this cathegory in my opinion.

This will be a place to share your favourite artists or internet ressources on the subjcet, or for me to try to lecture the uninterested mob before loosing interest.

Anyway, without further delay, I'll present you my first sugestion:

Omar Souleyman



Location: Northeastern Syria

Background: Omar Souleyman is a Syrian musical legend. Since 1994, he and his musicians have emerged as a staple of folk-pop throughout Syria, but until now they have remained little known outside of the country. To date, they have issued more than five-hundred studio and live- recorded cassette albums which are easily spotted in the shops of any Syrian city. Born in rural Northeastern Syria, he began his musical career in 1994 with a small group of local collaborators that remain with him today. The myriad musical traditions of the region are evident in their music. Here, classical Arabic mawal-style vocalization gives way to high-octane Syrian Dabke (the regional folkloric dance and party music), Iraqi Choubi and a host of Arabic, Kurdish and Turkish styles, among others. This amalgamation is truly the sound of Syria. The music often has an overdriven sound consisting of phase-shifted Arabic keyboard solos and frantic rhythms. At breakneck speeds, these shrill Syrian electronics play out like forbidden morse-code, but the moods swing from coarse and urgent to dirgy and contemplative in the rugged anthems that comprise Souleyman's repertoire. Oud, reeds, baglama saz, accompanying vocals and percussion fill out the sound from track to track. Mahmoud Harbi is a long-time collaborator and the man responsible for much of the poetry sung by Souleyman. Together, they commonly perform the Ataba, a traditional form of folk poetry used in Dabke. On stage, Harbi chain smokes cigarettes while standing shoulder to shoulder with Souleyman, periodically leaning over to whisper the material into his ear. Acting as a conduit, Souleyman struts into the audience with urgency, vocalizing the prose in song before returning for the next verse. Souleyman's first hit in Syria was "Jani" (1996) which gained cassette-kiosk infamy and brought him recognition throughout the country. Over the years, his popularity has risen steadily and the group tirelessly performs concerts throughout Syria and has accepted invitations to perform abroad in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Lebanon. Omar Souleyman is a man of hospitality and striking integrity who describes his style as his own and prides himself on not being an imitator or a sellout. Sublime Frequencies is honored to present the Western debut of Omar Souleyman with this retrospective disc of studio and live recordings spanning 12 years of his career, culled from cassettes recorded between 1994 and 2006. This collection offers a rare glimpse into Syrian street-level folk-pop and Dabke– a phenomena seldom heard in the West, not previously deemed serious enough for export by the Syrians and rarely, if ever, included on the import agenda of worldwide academic musical committees.
(shamelessly stolen from his myspace page)

Publisher: Sublime Frequencies

Youtube Link - "Leh Jani": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgRUHIeaKOk

Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/omarsouleyman (with two more songs)

[Savonarola]

One of my long standing favorites is Shoukichi Kina.  From Wikipedia:

Kina Shoukichi (喜納昌吉, Kina Shōkichi?), born June 10, 1948 in Koza (now part of the city of Okinawa), Okinawa, is a Okinawan rock musician who, along with his band Champloose, played a large role in the Japanese home-grown "folk rock" scene in the 70s and 80s. His first big hit was "Haisai Ojisan" (Hey, old man) in 1972, which he wrote when he was in high school. His song Subete no Hito no Kokoro ni Hana o has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. He is now perhaps equally well-known for his ongoing activism in the name of peace.

He was elected a member of the House of Councillors in July 2004.

Okay that was worthless. 

Shoukichi sings with his wife and daughter and his music is upbeat, poppy and very strange.  I recommend this collection of hits:

http://www.amazon.com/Asia-Classics-Vol-Peppermint-House/dp/B00004RD0J/ref=ntt_mus_ep_wlb_dpt

[CountDeMoney]

[Jaron]

What in the FUCK is that?

[CountDeMoney]

What in the FUCK is that?

World music.  Get with the thread, bitch.

[Jaron]

[Ed Anger]

I suddenly want tacos.

[jimmy olsen]

What in the FUCK is that?

You thought that was weird, how 'bout this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVZ1qHPe5n4

[Ed Anger]

What in the FUCK is that?

You thought that was weird, how 'bout this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVZ1qHPe5n4

Sigh.

[jimmy olsen]

What in the FUCK is that?

You thought that was weird, how 'bout this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVZ1qHPe5n4

Sigh.

Your sighs do nothing to me!

[katmai]

What in the FUCK is that?

You thought that was weird, how 'bout this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVZ1qHPe5n4

Sigh.

I jacked up his warning level for it.

[Ed Anger]

Your sighs do nothing to me!

You should be thankful the technology to punch people in the nuts through the internet hasn't panned out yet.

[Jaron]

Your sighs do nothing to me!

You should be thankful the technology to punch people in the nuts through the internet hasn't panned out yet.

I should be too.

[clandestino]

One of my long standing favorites is Shoukichi Kina.  From Wikipedia:

Kina Shoukichi (喜納昌吉, Kina Shōkichi?), born June 10, 1948 in Koza (now part of the city of Okinawa), Okinawa, is a Okinawan rock musician who, along with his band Champloose, played a large role in the Japanese home-grown "folk rock" scene in the 70s and 80s. His first big hit was "Haisai Ojisan" (Hey, old man) in 1972, which he wrote when he was in high school. His song Subete no Hito no Kokoro ni Hana o has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. He is now perhaps equally well-known for his ongoing activism in the name of peace.

He was elected a member of the House of Councillors in July 2004.

Okay that was worthless. 

Shoukichi sings with his wife and daughter and his music is upbeat, poppy and very strange.  I recommend this collection of hits:

http://www.amazon.com/Asia-Classics-Vol-Peppermint-House/dp/B00004RD0J/ref=ntt_mus_ep_wlb_dpt

Well, I've searched a little bit around this guy and it seems nice. I don't know why, though, I don't really connect with Far East music that well. Lack of percussion might be a reason though...

[clandestino]

Anyway, I'll recommend a new group. I'll keep with the same influences, albeit a little different approach. Feel free to ignore it.

Tinariwen

Location: Northern Mali, Sahara Desert

Background: The Tinariwen story is already well marinated in startling myths; fierce nomadic desert tribesmen toting guns and guitars, Ghadaffi's poet-soldiers spreading their gospel of freedom throughout the world, turbaned rock'n'roll troubadours, Stratocaster on one shoulder, Kalashnikov on the other, 17 bullet wounds and rawest desert blues on earth.

Like all myths, like all legends, there's plenty of truth mixed in there with the wild fantasy and wishful thinking. But the real story is deeper, richer, more engrossing, and more universal. In the desert oasis of Tamanrasset, southern Algeria, three aimless teenage friends in exile – Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Hassan Ag Touhami aka 'The Lion of the Desert' and Inteyeden - fall in love with the guitar, and with all the dreams of modernity and freedom that it embodies. They write songs about their own lives and about those of their friends, the modern Touareg youth, no longer lording over the desert on their camels, but living the clandestino life far from home, surviving by any means necessary, longing for friends and family, dreaming of retribution, of freedom, of self-determination. They are Kel Tinariwen, the 'desert boys'.

In the 1980s, all three become soldier-musicians, lured into military camps in Libya by Colonel Ghadaffi. Their songs become the soundtrack of a time and of a movement; the ishumar, the Sahara desert's Generation X. They fight a brief, painful rebellion against the government of Mali. They accept peace. They become full-time musicians and meet LoJo, a group of musical adventurers from Angers in France. They stage the first Festival in the Desert, visit Europe for the first time, release two albums including the award winning 'Amassakoul' and tour the world. This whole epic story takes 28 years to unfold.

And now the third album, 'Aman Iman: Water Is Life'. No difficulties here, apart from the 1,200-mile journey from their desert home in Kidal, north-eastern Mali, to the recording studio in the capital Bamako. Tinariwen simply delved into their seemingly inexhaustible trove of songs and dusted down 12 classics, which they worked up with the help of live sound engineer Jaja, producer Justin Adams (Robert Plant's guitarist and producer of the first Tinariwen CD 'Radio Tisdas Sessions') and recording engineer Ben Findlay. It only took ten days at Bogolan studios to nail them down and freeze frame the raw power and tenderness of modern desert blues at its best.

So forget the myths, forget the 'guns-and-guitars' fantasies and tales of blue-men on their camels. The humanity, the wonder and the epic sweep of the real Tinariwen story doesn't need any photoshopping or romantic embellishments. It is the raw tale of an everyman, who was cut off from history and embraced the modern world, who lost his home and found solace in the guitar, who through pain and exile invented a new style of music that could express who he is and where he's going. Nothing mythical or exotic about that. You can find the same story the world over.

Tinariwen would like to dedicate 'Aman Iman' to "Peace, tolerance and development in the Sahara and in the world of the oppressed."
(stolen from their myspace page)

Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/tinariwen (5 songs)

"Cler Achel" video from their official page: http://www.tinariwen.com/video/tinariwen-cler-achel-from