Homeland Security

CD: The Sabri Family - 5 Ragas (sarangi)

|(I was lucky enough to visit the Sabri family in Delhi a few years ago.... Lovely people and great musicians.)

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music by ARomero

The Sabri Family

5 Ragas (ARC Music, 2008)

The sarangi is a beautiful Indian musical instrument. It is bowed and produces a spacey evocative sound that makes you dream and wonder. The liner notes on the CD 5 Ragas explain how a poet, inspired by the hypnotizing beauty of the sarangi's sound, said: "The Sarangi? No, because of its innumerable beautiful tone colours, it is verily the ‘Saurangi’– Meaning full of hundreds of colors".

On 5 Ragas, three generations of sarangi maestros perform together, accompanied by tabla. The four piece ensemble is formed by members of the Sabri Family: Ustad Sabri Khan (sarangi), Kamal Sabri (sarangi), Suhail Yusuf Khan (sarangi), Sarvar Sabri (tabla).

The Sabri Family selected a collection of ragas (also spelled raags) representing various moods and seasons. "Raag Megh" is played during the rainy monsoon season in India and has a romantic mood. "Raag Mian Ki Malhar" is an evening raga. On "Tabla Solo Shikhar Tala" Savar Sabri uses 17 beats, which is an unusual time cycle. "Raag Adana" is a night raga, and "Raag Pancham" is a rarely heard morning raga.

The CD comes with extensive liner notes, in four languages, about The Sabri Family and the sarangi.

Buy the CD:

• In North America: 5 Ragas
• In Europe: 5 Ragas

I Love Tibet Loop Collection

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music by DiscoverySound

I Love Tibet (Discovery Sounds, 2008) is a classy collection of Tibetan samples with a specially included movie. The faithful performances of sacred instruments & voices. In the Tibet Autonomous Region under the occupation of China, extreme human rights violations have continued, and their traditional Buddhist music is also in peril to disappear. Soon after his arrival in India in 1959, Dalai Lama re-organized the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, and their tradition and culture are still maintained by many Tibetan exiles settled in the town.

To record the genuine Tibetan samples on this library, Discovery Sounds visited the refugee settlement under the Tibetan Government-in-Exile located in Dharamsala, Northern India.

I Love Tibet is a CD-ROM with 644 MB of 16-bit/44.1kHz recordings of loops, one-shots, and multi samples made using a varied cross-section of instruments – indispensable sacred percussion, wind instruments and sutras used in Tibetan Buddhist music - together with some more traditional percussion, string and wind instruments and Tibetan Opera which are familiar to Tibetan people.

Users will enjoy the instrumental performances included as a special movie as well as the live performance by monks in a temple on the disc.

Thre collection is available from www.discoverysound.com/en/DFSD700.

Save the Frogs

SAVE THE FROGS! is the nonprofit organization founded by biologist and musician Kerry Kriger. Their website features info on amphibian extinctions, threats to frogs, ways to help save frogs, cool frog facts and pictures, and a Frogs of Australia poster and bumper stickers being sold to raise money for amphibian conservation projects.

CD: Tanya Tagaq (Inuit throat singing + Bjork)

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music

Tanya Tagaq

Auk/Blood (Ipecac Records, 2008)

After the 2005 release of her first debut CD Sinaa, Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq continues to dazzle audiences with her ongoing collaboration with Icelandic singer/songwriter Björk in recording the soundtrack to Matthew Barney's film Drawing Restraint 9, appearing on her ...

CD: Rough Guide to the Music of Romanian Gypsies

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music

The Rough Guide music series has a new title focuses on Gypsy music. The Rough Guide to the Music of Romanian Gypsies (RGNET1210) represents the music of Romania’s 2.5 million Roma (Gypsy) population. Romania has many of the world’s top Eastern European Gypsy musicians, including Taraf de Haidouks, Fanfare Ciocąrlia, Mahala Raï Banda, Toni Iordachi and Gabi Lunca. From energetic brass bands and mesmerizing cimbalom players to legendary haunting fiddlers, The Rough Guide to the Music of Romanian Gypsies presents the internationally acclaimed performers together with renowned local artists...

FULL ARTICLE HERE

CD: Introducing Hanggai (Mongolia)

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music

Hanggai

Introducing Hanggai (World Music Network, 2008)

I’m always elated to hear a group of musicians rediscovering a lost or faded musical tradition, and I’m also a little puzzled because the music produced is usually so entrancing or just downright enthralling that I just can’t imagine why the tradition ever fell out of fashion. No example could be truer than that of Introducing/World Music Network’s release of Introducing Hanggai.

FULL STORY....

CD: Baaba Maal - On the Road (acoustic)

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music

London, UK - The clearest evidence of Baaba Maal's remarkable shows comes with 'Baaba Maal on the Road' a selection of live performances collated from concerts around the world over the past ten years.

Although Maal's music has embraced everything from electric bands to 70-piece orchestras, it is his intimate acoustic performances which, for many, properly encompass the very real contagious nature of Maal's work. It is this raw emotional edge that is showcased on the eight tracks featured on this album.

Included are live versions of a few of the finest songs in Maal's repertoire plus three collectors items a song called Iyango' which has never been recorded before, together with 'Farba', a tune that's appeared only on an Africa-...

FULL STORY HERE

Tibet2Timbuk2 are Q Song finalists!

Tibet2Timbuk2's song "White Crane" (aka "Crane Song") has been selected as a finalist in the World division of Q Song 2008!

2008 Q Song Finalists Announced: Queensland Songwriters Exposed: First Announcement

1 Jul 2008

Q Music is thrilled to announce the finalists for Q Song 2008. Judges faced an enormously difficult task with almost 1400 songs entered in Q Song 2008. Each song was judged anonymously (track title only) by a team of dedicated music industry representatives from The Courier-Mail, triple j, ABC, 989 fm, Musicadium, Australian Music Biz, overcranked, Ward 69 Records, dew-process, 4zzzfm, QUT and APRA. Judges were once again overwhelmed by the enormous talent of Queensland songwriters and the high quality of entries. Executive officer Denise Foley said “The quality of entries continues to increase from year to year, and in this, our third year, there were some world class songs entered. It is a huge job to coordinate everyone who participates in both the short listing and final judging process and we really appreciate the efforts of all involved.” The winners will be announced at The Q Song Awards night to be held at The Tivoli, August 12, 2008. Tickets for this event are now on sale! Purchase tickets online at www.qmusic.com.au/qsong . A limited amount of tickets are available to the public for the event. Without any further ado, the 2008 Q Song finalists are: Song Title - Artist - Writers Primary School Love Chime - Woo Woos - Jazz D’Arcy No Surprise - Stephanie Burns - Stephanie Burns Banana Cake - Emma Hocking - Emma Hocking Believe - Jenna Dearness-Dark - Jenna Dearness-Dark Secondary School Poor Boy - Courtney Young - Courtney Young The Boat Song - Shaun Pryor - Shaun Pryor Insomnia - Emma-Louise Lobb - Emma-Louise Lobb Darkness - David Richards - David Richards Gospel Spiritual Ode To Peace - Mr Rascal - Christian Duell For You - Dave Saxby - Dave Saxby The Family Song - Tyrone Noonan - Tyrone Noonan Regenerate Me - Emmanuel Worship - Pat Keady Rock Ten Paces Away - The Gin Club - Ben Salter Gun And Your Friends - Bowser - O. Mitter/B. Weyuton/ N. Williams/G. Wallis Gifthorse - Little Vegas and the Fuzz Parade - S Lawrie/B. Dean/W. O’Brien/P.O’Brien. Untied Laces - The Faze - The Faze Pop Honey - Chris Pickering - Chris Pickering Strawberry Wine - The John Steel Singers - Scott Bromiley / Tim Morrissey Shake - Tara Simmons - Tara Simmons Gravity and Grace - The Brave - Mathew Griffith, Roger Van Raalte, Michael Mann & Caleb James Alternative Go - My Fiction - E.Robinson, M. Willmett, J.Laubscher, D.Murphy, S.Rigly Suicide Tuesday - Andrew Kennedy - Andrew Kennedy Take Time Take Time - Amy Cushway - Amy Cushway Til You Come Home - James Grehan - James Grehan Blues and Roots Yellow Moon - 8 Ball Aitken - 8 Ball Aitken Judgement Day - Gerry O'Brien - Gerry O'Brien What Do I Tell the Newborn Child - Michael David - Michael David Miss Mayhem - James Grehan - James Grehan World Mari - Yemanja - Edson Gazani & Anita Fernandes Crane Song - Tibet2Timbuk2 - Tenzin Choegyal Mira Que Bonita Eres - Andrew Veivers - Andrew Veivers Trish's Wish - Dan Cosgrove - Dan Cosgrove Punk/Metal Veil of Dolour - bloodredskies - Hayden Mitten Dearly Beloved - Torn Asunder - Torn Asunder Home Now - New Rocky Cowboy - Cummins/ Kirkbride/ Tighe/ McPherson Mower - Butcher Birds - S. Coleman/J. Walker/J. Nilson/S. Tronc Country Perfect - Katrina Burgoyne - Katrina Burgoyne Broken Wing - Chris Pickering - Chris Pickering Dusty Boots - Shari Williams - Shari Williams Maybe We've Met Before - Steve Grady - Steve Grady Folk Ballad Old Ceylon Road - Asa Broomhall - Asa Broomhall That's the Reason - Dan Parsons - Dan Parsons You, Me and The Sea - The Gin Club - Ben Salter Armistice Day - Noel Gardner Alex Bridge - Noel Gardner Hip Hop Orphan's Voices - Mantist - Mantist Keep An Eye Out - Pure Product - J.Zonday/D.McEintosh Common Ground - Common Ground - Contact Crew Don't Bring Me Down - Surecut Kids - Sensai and Surecut Kids Regional Till You Come Home - James Grehan - (Carrara ) Mira Que Bonita Eres - Andrew Vievers - (Coolum Beach) The McMenamins - The McMenamins - (Cairns) Fear the Fury of a Patient Man - PJ Weston (Mt Tamborine) Electronic New Music Watching it Unfold - Lawrence English - Lawrence English All She left - Christopher Robin - C. McGarry/B.McLauchlan Little Beat - Dizzygotheca - H.Middleton/ A. Smith Retro 80’s Video Game Theme - Oxford Parker - John Parker The Courier- Mail People’s Choice Awards Honey - Chris Pickering - Chris Pickering Strawberry Wine - The John Steel Singers - Scott Bromiley / Tim Morrissey Orange Red - Emma Dean - Emma Dean Small Town - Dana Hassall - Dana Hassall Til You Come Home - James Grehan - James Grehan Ten Paces Away - The Gin Club - Ben Salter Jaqueline - Brianna Carpenter - Brianna Carpenter Too, Somebody - Jackie Marshall - Jackie Marshall Please Note the nominees in the following Categories will be announced shortly: Song of the Year Published Song of the Year The Grant McLennan Lifetime Achievement Award To see the full list of finalists and listen to their songs, head to www.qmusic.com.au/qsong ALL MEDIA INQUIRIES TO: jim@qmusic.com.au Phone : ( 07) 3257 0013

Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music

Wow, I just found an amazing map of all electronic music styles: Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music.
And there I was thinking it was all techno...
For each of 7 broad divisions (House, Trance, Techno, Breakbeat, Jungle, Hardcore, Downtempo), there is a map of the evolution of various sub-genres, with description, history and samples of each.
Everything from Musique Concrete in the 50s (ancestor of Ambient, Glitch and Nu Jazz) to Oldskool Rave Hardcore, Buttrock Goa and J-Pop.

CD: Rough Guide to the Music of Japan

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music

San Francisco (California), UK - Japan is no longer perceived as home to the worst excesses of idol pop or inaccessible traditional music. In truth, Japanese musicians have for years been skilful at blending the traditional with the pop and coming up with some of the world's craziest concoctions. The Rough Guide to the Music of Japan (RGNET1211CD)encompasses sounds from ancient gagaku to today’s hottest roots acts, mixed with quintessential enka and post-war boogie-woogie – a compilation to blow away any lingering preconceptions.

Contemporary Japanese musicians excel in creating new combinations by mixing traditional sounds and instruments ...

FULL ARTICLE HERE

CD: Mali Rough Guide

Malian Musical Brilliance

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music

Various Artists

The Rough Guide to the Music of Mali (World Music Network, 2008)

Lately Malian musicians have cut a powerful swath through the music scene. With artists like Bassekou Kouyate, with his recent BBC World Music Award win, or Amadou and Mariam's hit album Dimanche à Bamako or the following the late Ali Farka Toure built on his sh...

FULL STORY HERE

Cultures at the far edge of the world

I really recommend the talk by Wade Davis mentioned in this post from TED.

Unbelievable photo of one of the world's last uncontacted tribes

from TED | TEDBlog

If you've seen Wade Davis's unforgettable 2004 TED Talk -- where he evokes the magic of the world's cultural diversity, and speaks so eloquently about the alarming rate with which cultures and languages are dying -- then you might find this photo as heart-stopping as I did.

It's so surreal, I thought at first it must be a hoax. But Reuters just picked the story up, and I'm going to assume they did my fact-checking for me. The photo shows members of one of the world’s last uncontacted tribes, who were spotted and photographed from the air in a remote corner of the Amazon rainforest near the Brazil-Peru border.

Survival International, an advocacy group for tribal people, released the photos on their website and quotes Jose Carlos dos Reis Meirelles Junior, who works for the Brazilian government’s Indian affairs department: "We did the overflight to show their houses, to show they are there, to show they exist ...This is very important because there are some who doubt their existence."

"What is happening in this region is a monumental crime against the natural world, the tribes, the fauna and is further testimony to the complete irrationality with which we, the 'civilized' ones, treat the world," Meirelles said.

Apparently, more than 100 uncontacted tribes remain worldwide, with half living in Brazil or Peru. Extraordinary.

Tribute to Pt Kishan Maharaj

Pandit Kishan Maharaj -
The end of an Era

Kavita Chhibber shares Part I of her tribute to Tabla Maestro Pandit Kishan Maharaj on her webcast

‘When legends like these leave, their presence, their fragrance leaves with them”
- Ustad Amjad Ali Khan on the passing away of Pandit Kishan Maharaj

Majestic, royal, incomparable, romantic, a hard task master, brilliant, innovative - words tumble out like a flow of his resonant bols, from the lips of all those who have known him or played with him. Pandit Kishan Maharaj, who passed away this month truly was the last the of tabla legends of an era that is slowly coming to an end with the passing away of the golden greats of Hindustani classical music. And no matter what the current music maestros of the modern era may say, the royal elegance, the integrity and dedication with which these stalwarts of India’s rich cultural heritage took to the stage, cannot be replicated....

FULL ARTICLE HERE

News from Indo-Japanese Music Exchange Association

from T M Hoffman / Indo-Japanese Music Exchange Association

Dear Friends of India and Japan

Please visit our newly constructed website www.ijmea.com for reports and photos etc of recent projects undertaken in both India and Japan with the support of Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan Foundation, Japan Airlines, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, India Center, Air India, American Institute of Indian Studies and others, and with the kind cooperation of Embassies and Consulates of both nations.

We are pleased to report successful completion of our India-Japan Friendship Year tour of South India with four artists from Japan in four co-operative concerts with four exemplary artists of Carnatic music in the four cities of Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi and Thrissur.
Sample media reports:

Tampura meets shakuhachi! New India Press full-page story17 Mar 08

Best of both the worlds - Deccan Herald report 11 Mar 08 Bangalore

and from a recent two-month all-India tour --
charity concert w/eight Carnatic musicians in Visakhapatnam 31 Jan 08
(flyer & news) (review/photo)

Grateful to God, Guru & Gharwalli, I continue to be on the move musically with neither fanfare nor apology, including my Asian music course again this semester at Keio University, also Nada Yoga sessions.

Please note that I will giving programs - performance, lecture-demonstration, lecture, workshop - throughout India again in summer, in USA and Europe in autumn, in Philippines and again India next winter. Please contact me if you are interested.

None of this is off-the-wall haphazard fusion experimentation. Our efforts are recognized by commentary such as 'very significant contribution to tradition in the contemporary world' (pls see the National Network of Education, India interview, in our website).

Best wishes!

Sincerely,
Tim Hoffman
Sangeet Acharya (awarded 12 Feb 08)

T. M. Hoffman, performing artist and ethnomusicologist
BA (USA & Japan), MA (USA), Visharad & Sangeet Acharya (India)
Senior Performing and Creative Artist Fellow - 2006-2008
American Institute of Indian Studies AIIS (USA & India)
Lecturer in Musicology and Linguistics
Keio University & Musashino Academia Musicae (Japan)
Director, Indo-Japanese Music Exchange Association (estab. 1989)
e-mail: tmhoffmus21@yahoo.com
ijmusath@po.wind.ne.jp
www.ijmea.com/ (new complete website, in Japanese & English)

---------(Japanese version)---------

演奏家・教育家・日印音楽交流会代表T M Hoffmanです。アメリカとアジア各国の先生方に深く感謝をしながらアジア音楽の演奏・教育・国際交流活動に努めて忙しくしております。 http://www.ijmea.com/

「日印音楽交流会」（1989年創立）の本客的なwebsite http://www.ijmea.com/ 開設のお知らせです。最近の活動については、そのなかで、インドにての「筝によるインド音楽奏法開発企画」（2006年7月－2008年1月、米国インド学会との協同長期企画）の第三期（200７年12月－2008年2月）および日本より4人の演奏家による3月08日－22日間の「日印交流年」南インド公演旅行（日本外務省と AOTS海外技術者研修協会の後援企画）の写真などもご覧になれます。南インドの神父さんhttp://www.thesingingpriest.com/ との共演などありました。


＜「日印交流年」南インド公演旅行からの新聞記事の例＞
＊“Tampura meets shakuhachi!”
New India Press full-page story on 17 Mar 08 Cochin concert 　
＊“Best of both the worlds” - Deccan Herald 11 Mar 08 Bangalore


＜他の２００８年上旬インドでの新聞記事の例＞
（米国インド学会支援「箏＋ラーガ演奏芸術開発協同企画」第三期の期間中）
日本ケアフィット協会インド支部共催公演
インド最大の知的障害者施設Lebenshilfe Indiaの支援日印協同公演
＊charity concert Visakhapatnam, AP (India) 31 Jan 08
(flyer & news) (review/photo)

そして、2008年2月12日に、インド現地にて全国芸術連盟より敬称Sangeet Acharya「音楽聖人」を豪華な儀式のなかにて授かりました。より忠実に「音道」Nada Yogaに努められる意志になる気掛けともなりました。

何よりも、お元気でのご活躍を願っております。

Sincerely,

T. M. Hoffman　　演奏家（北インド古典声楽、天竺尺八、筝）
http://www.ijmea.com/（企画情報・写真・動画・音楽）

CD: Shastriya Syndicate (Purbayan Chatterjee)

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music

Shastriya Syndicate

Syndicated (Sense World Music, 2008)

Shastriya Syndicate is Purbayan Chatterjee's project. On the outstanding CD Syndicated (Sense World Music) he has brought together a group of young Indian masters, who are bringing new blood to Indian classical music. The virtuoso musicians fuse the music of North India (HIndistani) and South Inda (Carnatic).

While many Indian artists follow the traditional format of ...

FULL ARTICLE HERE

CD: The Teak Project (Indo-Jazz)

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music

The Teak Project (First Hand, 2008)

Second generation Indo-Jazz sitar player Jonathan Mayer is the son of Indo-Jazz pioneer John Maye, which maintains the tradition nicely. The devilish complexity of the music does nothing to detract from its sweetness and serenity.

Justin Quinn is a fleet-fingered guitarist worthy to fill John McLaughlin's sandals.

Tabla-player Neil Craig provides the impetus, and transforms the gentle acoustic music with the serpentine-like beats of the raga.

In short, The Teak Project offers a near-perfect realization of Indo-Jazz, yet hints at further expansion: the floating impressionism of Outnumbered By One recalls the work of Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine. Lovely stuff.

Full story here...

Namgyal Lhamo's Free Tibet tattoo

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music

As the struggle for a Free Tibet continues, Netherlands based Tibetan singer Namgyal Lhamo has pushed the cause to the forefront of the artistic community with a music video from her upcoming album 'Highland Supernova' which be released in less than a month from now. A week after Namgyal Lhamo hit the headlines with a cover photo that screamed Free Tibet in the Bangkok Post's magazine "Guru,” the team that was filming the title song "Aalayeah-Highland Supernova" for the new album came up with a concept that has already raised eyebrows across Asia.

The use of a tattoo to convey a global message engraved on Lhamo's back is the cause of the stir. The tattoo, designed by award-winning Tibetan/Bu...

FULL STORY HERE

Mbira

from MetaFilter by flapjax at midnite

Ever since I first heard mbira from Zimbabwe almost 30 years ago (via this record), I've been a lover of that enchanting, delicate and intricate music. It's only recently, however, that many of us who aren't actually players of the mbira could see just how the instrument is played: Holding the mbira, and scales - Lesson One - Two - Three - Four, and more and more. And here are some recommended mbira players and groups with MySpace Music pages worth checking out: Spirit Talk Mbira - Mbira Oracle - Kunzawa Mbira Group - Joel Laviolette.
Special honors to Thomas Mapfumo, who, many years back, took the mbira style and spirit and adapted it to electric guitars, in an inspired and joyous fusion of the ancient and the modern.

This page from All About Jazz reviews the Nonesuch label's releases of Shona mbira music.

This YouTube clip features a tune from another of the Nonesuch releases, The Soul of Mbira, a collection of recordings made by ethnomusicologist and author Paul Berliner. Recommended.

There'll no doubt be plenty of mbira music to be heard at Zimfest 2008, this coming July in Tacoma, Washington.

Finally, here's Dangurangu. For your ears only.

CD: Toumani Diabate - Mande Variations

from World Music Central - Links: Indian Music

Toumani Diabate

The Mande Variations (Nonesuch, 2008)

Son of Sidiki Diabate, one the most celebrated kora players , Toumani Diabate has blazed a career worthy of the Diabate name and legacy of this family of Mande griot musicians from Mali. After twenty years since his first solo and debut recording Kaira and countless collaborations with stellar artists ...

[Full article click here]