maintained by Roy Jones, music@hennapage.com
"Today, like every
other day, we wake up empty and frightened.
Don't open the door to the study and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument."
Don't open the door to the study and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument."
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Baaba Maal "Firin' in Fouta"
Baaba Maal
is about half traditional Senegalese songster and half all-around
groove merchant. This CD shows him in both those roles, backed by a
fine small band with flourishes on traditional west African
instruments. Recommended cuts: "Salimoun," a song about the valuable
lessons learned from the senior women in the family, and "Tiedo," a
jazz-tinged treatment of a song that tells an old story about the
futility of war. |
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Talvin Singh "Ha"
This is a
set of south Asian dance tracks from one of the best in the business.
Talvin Singh surrounds himself with an array of singers and
instrumentalists to bring his mixing, composing and production skills
to life, including percussionist Karsh Kale, vocalists Cleveland
Watkiss and Bhairavi, and Ustad Sultan Kahn on sarangi and vocals.
Recommended cuts "Mustard Fields" and "See Breeze." |
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Ali Farka Toure :The Source"
This is
what you get when you combine a knowledge of Sahelian music with an ear
for the blues and a unique approach to the electric guitar. Tuareg
guitarist and singer Ali Farka Toure sings traditional and compsed
songs accompanied by his backing group "Asko" with a guest appearance
by American bluesman Taj Mahal. Recommended cuts: "Goye Kur," a song
about devotion to one's work, and "Dofana," a modern praise song about
a resurrected village near Toure's home in Mali. |
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Rajamani "Pakiam"
Oliver
Rajamani's roots are in the same region of western India that is an
ancestral home to the people we call Gypsies. The influence of their
music can be heard in many of the old cultures of Europe where the
wandering folk settled, especially in Spain, and Rajamani combines
those traditionas, both in his singing and his skill on guitar and the
sarod. Recommended cuts: "Unnai Marenthal (If I Forgot You)," and
"Korathi (Gypsy)." |
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Miriam Makeba "Sangoma"
Miriam
Makeba is one of the great voices of our time. On this CD, she performs
songs she learned from her mother, a "sangoma" a traditional
healer and other songs from her South African roots. Recommended cuts:
"Ngalala Phantsi" and "Nginani Na," both songs about seeking healing
from the sangoma. |
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