Echoes of the Land

Friday, August 03, 2007

Putumayo - World Hits

Kaylor Maddox reviews Putumayo's World Hits compilation.

World music rarely ventures into the realm of international recognition, but occasionally breaks from the narrow path and reaches the eager ears of the world's population. Putumayo's “World Hits” parades those successful songs in a fun, colorful compilation.

One would be surprised by how many of these international hits are recognizable, whether you're a child of the '60s, '70s, '80s, or even the '90s. The compilation starts off with an amusing reggae cover of the Temptations hit "(You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back," sporting a mellow Mick Jagger in duet with Jamaican musician Peter Tosh. The Afropop group Toure Kunda follows with the melodious hit "E'mma" and suddenly you're sent into a completely foreign world. The rolling vocals and lulling rhythm add to an overall mirthful listen.

A Gogol Bordello's concert review.

Everyone in the crowd at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza is hot but happy, arms draped around friends – and strangers. As the beat blares, they jump in unison. It's a scene one expects to see at a Pearl Jam show rather than a concert where two of the foremost instruments are an accordion and a violin. But Gogol Bordello, a gypsy-punk outfit that has improbably become something of an It Band, takes pride in stirring up some of the craziest live shows on earth.

On stage, accordion, violin, drums, bass, and electric guitar create a high-speed punk symphony, while two masked go-go girls run around playing on washboards, drums, and fire buckets. Above the fray, Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz – hard to miss in tight purple pants and pointy blue shoes – strums his guitar, dances, and sings lines such as, "There were never any good old days/ They are today, they are tomorrow."

Angelique Kidjo - Interview

Angelique Kidjo sings in six different languages on her latest album — two fewer than she speaks.

She realizes that few, if any, of her fans are as linguistically versatile, but she views differences in language as an opportunity, not a hindrance.

Kidjo, a native of Benin, a small country next to Nigeria on the western coast of Africa, said she has learned through her extensive travels that it is the music — and the emotion behind it — that brings people together, not necessarily the lyrics.

"Music is a universal language," Kidjo said during a telephone interview from her New York City apartment. "That's one of the first things I learned from traditional singers and musicians from my country — the power of music to bring people together.

"Music breaks boundaries."

Kidjo knows better than most, as she has traveled the world both as a musician and as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. When words fail, she knows she can always turn to her music.

Kidjo, a four-time Grammy nominee, will bring her exotic brand of polyrhythmic Afro-pop to the Giant Center tonight when she opens for singer Josh Groban.

Groban happens to be one of the many stellar musicians who guest-star on Kidjo's latest album, "Djin Djin" (pronounced Gin Gin).

He helps out on a cover of Sade's "Pearls," and Kidjo said they will perform the song together tonight during Groban's set.

Also featured on the album are Alicia Keys, Carlos Santana, Branford Marsalis, Ziggy Marley, Joss Stone and Peter Gabriel.

"The only one I had for sure from the beginning was Alicia Keys," Kidjo said. "Because we have worked together in the past, she expressed an interest in what I was writing and she said, 'Let's do something together.'

Sound of the World 2007

Two reviews of Charlie Gillett's compilation.

As an introduction to the stars and new voices of world music, Charlie Gillett's Sound of the World compilations are hard to beat - a clear endorsement of an informed editorial line. Among the established artists are electro tango band Gotan Project, South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Touareg rockers Tinariwen and the fabulous Pakistani singer Abida Parveen, sadly doing Bollywood rather than her Sufi music. But there are notable new names, including Vieux Farka Touré, following in the footsteps of his late father, Ali Farka Touré, Cape Verdean singer Mayra Andrade, Andy Palacio from Belize and Mali's marvellous desert lute player Bassekou Kouyaté. The many raplike tracks get a little tiring, but that's indicative of the scene and not solely Gillett's fault.

It may seem confusing that Charlie Gillett's latest annual compilation has exactly the same title as his 2005 set, but no matter. This is another highly entertaining guide to the best new music from around the world. As ever, some of the tracks are by established favourites, this time including desert blues exponents Tinariwen, the Gotan Project, Los de Abajo (with their wild Mexican treatment of The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum) and Andy Palacio, with a song from his intriguing Garifuna project. Then there's a reminder of the instrumental brilliance of Bassekou Kouyate, the African newcomer of the year.
Lesser-known artists include the cool and charming Mayra Andrade from Cape Verde, who can be heard both on a track from her forthcoming album and on a collaboration with local rap exponents LA-MC Malcriado (one of several reminders of the way that hip-hop is taking over the world). Then there are the oddities: the best this year is the Berlin-based collective 17 Hippies, with a gloriously unlikely, breathy burst of French chanson.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Tinariwen - Aman Imam: Water is Life

Chris Pacifico reviews Tinariwen's Aman Imam: Water is Life.

Tinariwen's mixture of French and Tamashek in their lyrics makes their eloquence all the more enigmatically exotic. The opener "Cler Achel" sees the chanting like a vintage Bollywood film soundtrack atop supple polyrhythms. "Ahimana" is a sooty campfire hymn-a-long with clip-clopping, psychedelic rhythms and slinky mantras reminiscent of King Sunny Ade that slowly dashes upward and upward, yet is in no way a crescendo. Speaking of old world music in the vinyl vault, the brittle island dub and earthy resonance of "Toumast" and "Imidiwan Winakalin" got me digging through my crates to find my Cymande records.

Aman Iman is probably the most unfettered studio release yet by Tinariwen. Producer Justin Adams, who plays guitarist in Robert Plant's Strange Sensation, goes light on the technological touches to create a full-bodied, simmering listen.