Quality "World Music"

[Demetrio]

What would you recommend?

Some of my suggestions for someone who wants "serious" World Music would be these:

- EDU LOBO => Brazilian music at the best (especially his wonderful album "Corrupiao")

- DUOFEL => Great instrumental Brazilian music

- LOS JAIVAS => Great andean folk/rock group (from Chile)

- LUAR NA LUBRE => Celtic/Gaelic music ("Cabo do Mundo" and "Plenilunio" are brilliant)

- MILLADOIRO => Another Celtic/Gaelic group (also from Spain)

- AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM => Awesome combination of Irish melodies with African drumlines

- RAVI SHANKAR => Indian ("Passages", in collaboration with Philip Glass, is absolutely great)

- U.SRINIVAS => Indian (his album "Dream", featuring canadian guitarrist Michael Brook, is simply brilliant)

- NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN => Pakistan ("Night Song", in collaboration with Michael Brook, is also great)

- HECTOR ZAZOU => a mix of music from everywhere; BRILLIANT!!! (especially the albums "Lights in the Dark", "Sahara Blue" & "Songs from the Cold Seas")

- DADAVA => Chinese/Tibetan music (her album "Sister Drum" is awesome)

- KIYOSHI YOSHIDA => Japanese

- JESSE COOK => Nouveau Flamenco

Kind regards,
Demetrio.

[Rae]

Oh, man, I am far from the expert on these things. Most of my preferences come from scattershot exposure to specific artists...

As I mentioned in another thread a minute ago, Caetano Veloso has a lot of stuff that I like. Sometimes he seems to run through different styles a little too quickly for my tastes, but when everything gels, it's deliriously great.

I've got one Youssou N'Dour record that I really like (Nelson Mandela) and there's a ton of good stuff in that vein on Davey's African comp.

I don't know if you would necessarily term it world music, but I like old French pop stuff from Edith Piaf to Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour...

Tons of latin music that I enjoy as well. Celia Cruz is one. Cesaria Evora does a good synthesis of latin and African elements.

I don't feel qualified to post in this thread.

~Rae

[Stone]

I'm really just starting to delve into the world music arena, but I like Orchestra Boabab, Manu Chao, Orchestra Super Mazembe.

and I second Caetano Veloso and Cesaria Evora.

Check out this blog if you want to learn a lot in a hurry: http://matsuli.blogspot.com/

[Rae]

Rush.

[nightflier]

Check out compilations from this company:

http://www.putumayo.com

Most of their CDs can also be found on eBay, so it's not expensive to build up a nice collection. I have a good 20+ of their CDs

...I like old French pop stuff from Edith Piaf to Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour...

Only a Frenchman would remember Jacques Brell. Wow, it made me pull out some of my old records. I had forgotten how good they were.

[bobsticks]

...but I too will probably take more than I give.

I like Youssou N'dour in a passive kind of way.

Lately I've been augmenting my collection with some Brazilian Nu Jazz which has that chillout meets samba kind of feel--Bossacucanova, Patife and Mad Zoo, Cantoma. Stuff like that.

I like Manuel de Falla's Noches en los jardines de Espana but I don't think that counts for this thread.

Peace

PS Thanks for the link Stone.

[unleasHell]

I only have one Afro Celt CD, nothing else on yer list...

[basite]

Bobsticks, you also know/like bossacucanova
so:
Bossacucanova, bossa nova-ish,
and foth those who like it, Ladysmith Black Mambazo (album: Shaka Zulu) african, only voices, but really nice...

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

[Demetrio]

I only have one Afro Celt CD, nothing else on yer list...

That's a great group/project.

And I forgot to mention these other greats on my previous post:

- MIGUEL SANCHEZ - Thalisma (Flamenco; a very good sounding cd)

- BOMBAY DUB ORCHESTRA - S/T (orchestral Indian music + electronica; brilliant)

Demetrio.

[nobody]

I'm not too knowledgeable about world music, although I do have a couple Afro-Celt Soundsystem CDs that I enjoy that have been lsited.

Stilll, that's not gonna keep me from tossing out a coupel suggestions.

Most peopel probably already know about the Buena Vista Social Club disc which is fantastic Cuban music.


And, probably what I listen to most for world music is a four disc box called Trance Planet. It's all compilations of music from around the globe, everything from African native music to a male Sopraqno from eastern Europe doing an amazing version of Ave Maria. I believe the four disc box is out of print, but the individual discs are for sale and there are additional volumes that have been released. The sound on these things is quite good as well.

[Monkey Bones]

- HECTOR ZAZOU => a mix of music from everywhere; BRILLIANT!!! (especially the albums "Lights in the Dark", "Sahara Blue" & "Songs from the Cold Seas")

If you like that cool opening track on Songs from the Cold Seas with the Finnish ladies of Varttina, but wanna hear them with a somewhat more traditional backing, definitely grab a copy of "iki" from a few years ago. Many lineups of ladies over the years, but this is the core group. Very nice. It's really almost like a best of collection, but all new songs.

[Monkey Bones]

I've talked about it many times, and made a point of featuring it on that comp Rae mentioned, but one of my favorites over about the last 10 years has been Djam Leelii, a mostly acoustic collaboration between Sengalese star Baaba Maal and blind singer/guitarist Mansour Seck. Beautiful CD. Originally recorded in 1982 and released with very limited distribution a couple years later, only to fall into obscurity. Shame, but I guess the master tapes were even lost for many years. Surfaced again in 1998 on a very nice sounding CD mastered by John Dent with a couple bonus tracks from those same '82 sessions, and since that time has become one of my favorites. Not just a favorite in guitar music, or African music, but an unqualified favorite. Beautiful, sublime and evocative, foreshadowing the wave of acoustic Afro-pop that was to come in the nineties. Masterful guitar interplay between Maal and Seck, with some electric credited to Aziz Dieng. One of those albums that I can just listen to over and over and over and ..... one of the best of the new millenium also came from Baaba Maal in "Missing You". Kind of a modern classic already. Featured on one of my favorite comps from myself, Half Gone (subsequently appended with 2001), kind of a classic in itself

[Demetrio]

If you like that cool opening track on Songs from the Cold Seas with the Finnish ladies of Varttina, but wanna hear them with a somewhat more traditional backing, definitely grab a copy of "iki" from a few years ago. Many lineups of ladies over the years, but this is the core group. Very nice. It's really almost like a best of collection, but all new songs.

Thanks for the tip, I will try to check it out.

Cheers,
Demetrio.

[Auricauricle]

I regularly listen to music from all over....Being married to a German helps, and I have been introduced to many musicians that I probably would have either ignored or not even known about thanks to her keen ears and love of a good tune.

The Europeans have produced some very lovely musicians, and Jacques Brel is well respected here. As well, we have turned on the Salvatore Adamo (seen here), Herbert Groenemeyer (remember the fellow from Das Boot?), Leo Ferrer, Eros Ramazzotti, Franke Potente...

The Africans play loud around here as well, and Youssou N'dor is no stranger around here. Neither are Wes Madiko, Wasis Djop, Henre Dikongue, Majek Fashek and many others.

The Northern European Sound is big here: Bjork is well liked (by me, the wife has problems), Himarsson, and J. Johanson.

Of course the comps are always interesting: Afrocelt Sound System is played LOUD. As well the listening turns variously to Baka Beyond and Deep Forest...

There's plenty to go around, and to those of you who are innerested in delving deep and low, let me know how I can be of assistance....*

*I guess I got carried away, dint I?

[Swish]

Bjork is well liked (by me, the wife has problems)

I like her just fine but my wife can't stand her. Ditto for a good friend's wife. They were here for a some drinks and music and he asked me to (cough, cough) share a couple Bjork cds with him, and his wife said something like "eeeeeeeew'.

Whatever ladies!

[Auricauricle]

Mebbe the name is suggestive....

[Demetrio]

The Northern European Sound is big here: Bjork is well liked (by me, the wife has problems)

I have one Björk cd that I do love: "Vespertine". This is very emotive music, just the way I enjoy so much.

Also have the "Vespertine Live at Royal Opera House" DVD, another must from this Icelandic artist IMO.

Demetrio.

[audio amateur]

I like her just fine but my wife can't stand her. Ditto for a good friend's wife. They were here for a some drinks and music and he asked me to (cough, cough) share a couple Bjork cds with him, and his wife said something like "eeeeeeeew'.

Whatever ladies!

They're just jealous of her...

[Auricauricle]

One of the wonderful CD's my Lady Fair brought back from Iceland was this nugget. The artist is Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, a Swedish composer, whose juxtaposition of traditional and electronic instruments is blended with a sensitivity and sense of oganic depth that is nearly breathless. I regret that my linkage can only include Youtube....I'll work on other souces that can be donloaded and listened to; in the meantime, give this a listen...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DigzsbN5o_8

[Demetrio]

One of the wonderful CD's my Lady Fair brought back from Iceland was this nugget. The artist is Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, a Swedish composer, whose juxtaposition of traditional and electronic instruments is blended with a sensitivity and sense of oganic depth that is nearly breathless.

Thanks for the great suggestion!!!

I have a cd from this composer, entitled "Angels of the Universe", in collaboration with Icelandic group Sigur Rós (another personal favorite), and it's great stuff indeed.



I will be searching for other titles around, for sure.

Kind regards,
Demetrio.

[audio amateur]

One of the wonderful CD's my Lady Fair brought back from Iceland was this nugget. The artist is Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, a Swedish composer, whose juxtaposition of traditional and electronic instruments is blended with a sensitivity and sense of oganic depth that is nearly breathless. I regret that my linkage can only include Youtube....I'll work on other souces that can be donloaded and listened to; in the meantime, give this a listen...

I like it

[Auricauricle]

Shortly after his soundtrack to Last Temptation of Christ release, Peter Gabriel and his team from Realworld compiled a collection of music that was said to influence his compositions. This was called Plus from Us, a wonderful musical journey that takes listeners to every corner of the globe, with artists like Ayub Ogada, The Meters, Peter Hammill, Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, William Orbit, Tony Levin and others, whose music is reproduced in clear, rich detail that is never a bore to listen to. Even now, as I write this, I am listening to Shankar 'n' Caroline's Dreams, an amazing piece lush with all the odors and redolent beauty of the Middle East intact...

[Demetrio]

Shortly after his soundtrack to Last Temptation of Christ release, Peter Gabriel and his team from Realworld compiled a collection of music that was said to influence his compositions. This was called Plus from Us, a wonderful musical journey that takes listeners to every corner of the globe, with artists like Ayub Ogada, The Meters, Peter Hammill, Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, William Orbit, Tony Levin and others, whose music is reproduced in clear, rich detail that is never a bore to listen to. Even now, as I write this, I am listening to Shankar 'n' Caroline's Dreams, an amazing piece lush with all the odors and redolent beauty of the Middle East intact...

I will tell you, you HAVE to get this album:



U.Srinivas & Michael Brook – Dream

One of the best Realworld releases I have heard in all my life. Brilliant combination of Indian ethnic music (composed by U.Srinivas) with elements of occidental culture provided by Canadian guitarist Michael Brook and other renowned musicians such as bassist Trey Gunn, percussionist Nana Vasconcelos, violinist Nigel Kennedy, cellist Caroline Levelle, among others.

A definite MUST !!!!!

Demetrio.

[audio amateur]

I was given a 'realworld' compilation album when I bought my Bowers & Wilkins speaker, and I can safely say it's the worst album I own.

[Auricauricle]

While Middle Eastern music may not be in the forefront among those genres American audiences are turning to, the folks at mondorhythmica urge canny world-music listeners that now is a great time to waken the masses. This is the album, La Bodega Lounge, a trippy collection of electronically infused renderings of contemporary Arabic-inspired music from Cairo. Including such artists like Law Benna Eih, Rahet Layali, Da'wet Farah, and others, La Bodega Lounge is great way to spend a lazy Saturday on the porch with good friends and a bottle of arak. In the crazy world, where East and West are closer than ever before, why not bring the Coming Age with a little more groove?