From the valley of the Saracens
Tendachënt
La Valle dei Saraceni (Folkclub Ethnosuoini)
Tendachent returns in 2005 to continue their exploration of the Mediterranean traditions that have comingled with their Piemonte culture. Founded by Maurizio Martinotti (also the founder of the seminal Italian ensemble, La Ciapa Rusa), Tendachent is one of the foremost modern folk ensembles in Italy today, and with this recording, the legend grows. If you like folk-rock and roots-folk in all its stripes, this one is highly recommended.
Listen to a complete song (Real Player)
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Who's world music is it, anyway?
I do not normally present 'press promos' as part of this blog, but my long time compadre-in-music Ken Braun of Stern's Music in NY sent out this promo sheet with his current releases, and I just had to share it with you all...
Cliff Furnald, ed.
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Dear friends and colleagues,
The first people that ever lived in North America walked across the iced-over Bering Strait from Siberia to Alaska about 10,000 years ago. They carried no documents and were not authorized to enter this country. Border bears spotted them and gave chase, and such encounters resulted in casualties on both sides. Law enforcement was obviously inadequate. Some of the "frozenbacks" were deported to their country of origin, but many (no one knows exactly how many) slipped into America. It’s been happening like that ever since, and not only on the northern border but also along every other frontier. See what happens without strict immigration controls? The country fills up entirely with people from somewhere else...
Read the rest of Ken's piece in
RootsWorld
True world music with Italian brass
Banda della Scuola Popolare di Musica di Testaccio
Azzurro Mediterraneo
An indescribable experience: this large ensemble of brass musicians, with percussion, accordions and much more added to the mix, presents a truly Italian banda experience, which means, they are all over the map, musicially and geographically, presenting political protest, Israeli dance tunes, Sicilian devotional music and global pop (try "Bhangra Tripper!"), all rendered completely personal and unusual by the power of their arrangements and musicianship. 40 members, from 15 to 75 years old, mostly students and amateurs but also some professionals present a musical program that will amaze you.
hear some music and buy the CD
April 2006 - World Music Charts Europe
Here is the April edition of World Music Charts Europe, a chart compiled by DJ from across Europe based on radio airplay.
- KAL Kal, Serbia (Asphalt Tango)
- KINAVANA Kekele, D.R. Congo (Stern's)
- DESCARGA ORIENTAL/THE NEW YORK SESSIONS Maurice El Medioni meets Roberto Rodriguez, Algeria/Cuba (Piranha)
- TECHARI Ojos de Brujo, Spain (Diquela / Pias Recordings)
- PART TWO Kora Jazz Trio, Senegal (Rue Stendhal Diffusion)
- BOULEVARD DE L'INDEPENDANCE Toumani Diabate & Symmetric Orchestra, Mali (World Circuit)
- REMIXED Amsterdam Klezmer Band, NL/Russia/Germany (Essay Recordings)
- LA VIDA TE DA Amparanoia, Spain (Wrasse)
- LAMP FALL Cheikh Lo, Senegal (World Circuit)
- LA CANTINA Lila Downs, USA (Peregrina/Narada)
- M'BEMBA Salif Keita, Mali (Emarcy Records/Universal)
- BELLOW POETRY Maria Kalaniemi, Finland (Aito)
More charts
A new world, music from Palestine - Wissam Murad
Vocalist, percussionist, oud player (and member of the Palestinian ensemble Sabreen),
Wissam Murad steps forward with a rich recording of modern songs rooted in tradition, accompanied by an excellent ensemble of ud, bass, percussion, violin, kanoun and cello. The new CD is titled
Min Ba'dBuy the CD
Pauliina LercheMalanja 
The Finnish multi-instrumentalist (vocals, accordion, kantele, violin and deltar) creates original music, from the tradition, and combines her strong roots with a more modern, global approach on thios 2006 release. Besides accordions and acoustic guitars, instruments featured on the record include the vibraphone, kaval, low whistle, Estonian bagpipes, dobro, Carnatic violin and the recording debut of the deltar, a harp-like instrument designed by an Iraqi-born acoustics professor.
Malanja is a strong follow-up to her wonderful
Katrilli CD of 2004 and a fine companion to her ensemble work with
Kriya.
Listen:
Jo mie viikonBuy the CDMore recordings by
Pauliina Lerche
HAZMAT Modine
Bahamut (Geckophone)
On my list of quirkly originals, this crew just moved towards the top. Duel harmonicas, guitar, trumpet and a drum/tuba rhythm section back vocals of real originality, guests add Romanian cimbalom, electric banjitar, contrabass sax, claviola and bass marimba, while a gang of genuine Tuvan throat singers round it all out. Totally unique, highly recommended.
Buy the CD
