Cinco de Mayo

To celebrate Cinco do Mayo (A celebration of Mexican Culture held in the U.S.) I bring you a Mexican duo who met playing in a thrash metal band and later gained fame playing in the pubs of Dublin.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Amazing musicians who don't like to limit their music to a single genre. They have an energy an intensity that translates into the musical experience. They also do a great version of "Stairway to Heaven"

 

  Before I had seen any of this I was watching something on SBS last week when they flashed up a promo of four world music albums. "Time for some new music I thought" so yesterday I went into JB-Hi-Fi to look for the albums. mentioned. I could only see one of them and it was also listed as a staff recommendation with the comment "Rodrigo Y Gabriela as you have never heard them before"

As I hadn't heard any of their music before I was pretty sure they would be right so "Area 52" joined my collection.

The sticker on my copy of the album goes on to describe how they are backed by a 13 piece Cuban Orchestra and special guests. From track 1, it's a masterpiece! I have yet to listen to the whole album but it is my currently my favourite album and my neighbors will be hearing it most of the day. The musicianship and artistry of the duo is now backed by all the power they need from a Latin brass section. The full orchestration adds so much to the songs while still allowing the two guitars to shine through. So I'm off to fill the esky with Mexican beer and have a blast for Cinco de Mayo.



If things do need to slow down later in the afternoon I can always listen to one of Linda Ronstadt's Spanish albums...I'm sure the neighbours will approve.

Angelique Kidjo - Now Touring Australia

Angelique Kidjo - With a voice even more impressive than her full name, which according to Wikipedia is Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo This singer from Benin has been at the forefront of African Music for a long time.

The first CD I picked up of hers was a greatest hits collection titled "Keep On Moving" Some of the track names looked familiar and once I listened to them the tracks were definitely ones I had heard before but I couldn't tell you where. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) is more familiar by Jimi Hendricks. "Agolo", "Batonga" and "Wombo Lombo" turned out to be tracks I was also familiar with. The standout however was "Sumertime" the Gershwin penned song from 1935's Porgy and Bess. This version is certainly the best I have ever heard. Backed only by what sounds like a sparse bass line and a A Capella choir Angelique stuns with her vocals.  The A Capella treatment features on most of the tracks on the album to great effect with the African rhythms

A search of the web will turn up many collaborations with famous western musicians and it is no surprise that she is held in great regard by Musicians everywhere.

Currently touring Australia I unfortunately missed out on tickets to see her at the Sydney Opera House which would be a fitting setting.

HAPA - gateway drug to Hawaiian Music

My first purchase of a "Hapa" CD falls into the category of albums purchased because of the cover art. Browsing through the world music section at Borders many years ago (When the Borders at North Ryde was new and different) I came across this album and was immediately struck by the contrast between the two figures. The figure on the left looks pretty unremarkable for an album of Hawaiian music but what is with the guy on the right? From the sunglasses to the kilt and the black boots everything was different from the expected. And the guitar, not just the violin style head and tuning keys but the strange angle it was being held at. A quick check of the track list on the back confirmed my suspicions. Besides tracks with Hawaiian titles there were some old surf classics (sleepwalk and europa) plus a cover of the U2 anthem Pride(in the name of love). So expecting some fusion/melding of Hawaiian Music with other influences I purchased the CD.

I'll admit that some albums I have purchased based on the covers have not been great successes musically. This is certainly not one of those. This album remains a favourite (and no surprise to regular readers) I have since purchased every available album by this duo.

It turns out that the groups name "HAPA" in Hawaiian means "of mixed blood, person of mixed blood" which fits perfectly with the album cover, the set list and the groups overall approach. Which is not to say everything is a mixture or dilution of Hawaiian culture and music. It is more a case of Hawaiian Music being approached with the reverence and respect that it deserves and some Hawaiian influences being applied to other music and vice-verse. 

This album is perhaps the least traditional of the Hapa albums and the unusual U2 is pretty much the only track on any of the CD's that does not have some Hawaiian connection. Each of their other albums has a unique character, they even did an album of Surf Music but the combined Guitar and Vocals on the Hawaiian tracks are the standouts.

I recommend this album in particular but all of the "Hapa" albums are well worth a listen. Just beware, after listening to these albums you may find yourself going in search of more Hawaiian Music and end up in a ukelele band wearing a grass skirt, (worse things could happen)

If you want to catch some of their other work the track olinda road is featured in episode 20 - series one of the new Hawaii-5-O

www.hapa.com

Tinariwen - Taureg-Berber Guitar on Colbert!

As my last post could be described as a bit "middle of the road" featuring as it did Elton John and a Cello duo, I have moved way out to the area where mostly only hard-core fans of the unusual and different reside.

And who better to drag us all way out to left field than Stephen Colbert. Last night flicking through the TV Guide I noticed that Tinariwen were listed as gusts on the Colbert Report. Being familiar with their work I was surprised to see the Taureg-Berber group of musicians listed on a major US show even Colbert. So I had to watch.

So its a "Tip of the Hat" to the Colbert Report for once again managing to be informative, inclusive and above all funny while exposing his audience to people and ideas they will not get anywhere else. His interview with the band members in their full desert garb was great and then the band performed a track from their latest LP.

Then its a "Wag of the Finger" to the Colbert Report. I'm petulantly refusing to give a link to their website "colbertnation.com" because once again we run into that infuriating copyright issue that just shows the message "Unavailbale Video" because I have the temerity to live outside the US. I'm not giving up yet but it still seems to be a difficult concept for some people that www stands for WORLD-WIDE-web and the World is bigger than just the cities that play baseball in the "world-series".

The link below will show you what the band looks like and what they sound like. I think you will agree they are not standard prime time fare anywhere (with the possible exception of Mali)

So onto the actual Album. I'll repeat the warning that this is not an album for the casual appreciator of things different and new. But I'll trust that you listen to the samples before laying down any actual money just on my recommendation. This is the first Tinariwen Album I purchased. (and yes there is also a second album in the collection.) It could easily have made it just on the basis of the album cover, the Guitar and Camel motif is unusual to say the least. I was drawn to listen to some tracks on the basis of a review which described the guitar playing as being a unique style. I have to agree, I don't understand a word of the lyrics and to be honest the almost chant like vocals loose their charm after a while but the electric guitar is at the same time familiar and strange/eerie and mesmerising. The image in my mind of the roadies unpacking the camels before each gig just raises the question of which oasis has power available for the amps?

I do have translations for some of the track titles so I'm happy to give you this sample which hints that being a desert nomad in war torn Mali is no bed of roses:-

Track 2 - Oualhia Ar Tesininam (Oh My God, You're Unhappy)
Track 8 - Aldhechen Manin (Tired, I'm Tired)
Track 9 - Alkhar Dessouf (Feeling Worry and Nostalgia)


So none of this Album is on any of my party playlists, but if you are up for something truly different then have a listen.