No End of Summer Doldrums Allowed
With every change of season or move toward a big event, such as school starting, there always seems to be a lull that precedes such a pending cross-over. Now that lull--if we're strictly talking about school starting--seems to come from one faction (namely the kids going) as opposed to the europhia from the other faction (namely, the parents). But a change in season can bring about the same results. It's with this conundrum that I base this week's World Music Show (8/25) around.
I want both factions to be on the same side. That's right, I don't want any sadness or lull to occur when you're listening to this week's show. My hope is that europhia will ensue, which means I've got a big job ahead of me. But I think after you read what's ahead, you'll come to the conclusion that, indeed, this week's show will be lull-less, if there is such a word.
To get the ball rolling, we'll hear another new cut from the British/Ugandan musician Michael Kiwanuka. His new CD "Home Again," is filled with moving guitar-inspired tracks that puts him in the same league as say Robert Cray or Otis Redding. In this same set, I'll feature a couple of tunes from South Africa. Namely, you'll hear from a guy named Nibs van der Spuy, whose influences range from British folk to Celtic to Classical guitar playing--think Nick Drake or Richard Thompson. Also from South Africa, will be a track from the singer Phinda, who often gets compared to South African legend Miram Makeba. To round out this set will be a couple of tracks from the band of Tuerag-Berber musicians from the Malian dessert, Tinariwen. They play some really bluesy-guitar-driven music.
Ok, so maybe that first chunk of music isn't really a good example of music that can drive away any doldrums--I mean, they all have some mellow, sort of quality to them. Not that anything is wrong with that. However, in the next set of music, the tempo-needle will move upward, becuase the rhythms will have some spice to them. We'll hear some Latin music from Andrea Echeverri, who is the lead singer of the Columbian band Aterciopelados, but whose song "A Eme O" is from her first solo effort. Plus, I think you'll get a kick out the cover of the Eurhytmics song "Sweet Dreams," done by a man who goes by the moniker Senor Coconut. Senor Coconut could basically define World Music in that he's a German citizen who lives in Chile doing electronic covers of 80's alternative music. To round out this chunk of music will be a track from a bunch of Ex-Brazilians who now live in New York and go by the name of Forro in the Dark. Wedged inside this set will also be more Latin tunes, one from the Spanish singer Bebe and another from the Italian/Argentinian band Alacran.
These are just highlights, mind you, from just the first hour--of course, there will be more tunes mixed in to take your mind off any seasonal or cultural changes going on. In hour two, some of the call-outs you want to pay attention to, will be tunes from: Cornershop, who have a new CD called "Urban Turban" out, which is filled with fun tracks, including one called "What did the Hippie have in his bag;" And, I'll also feature a couple of tunes from a 2-disc CD done by David Byrne and producer/DJ Fatboy Slim about the life of Imelda Marcos.
Mind you, those are just tid-bits to wet your appetite to stay through the entire hour--nay, the entire show. Yes, I just figured out a way to use "Nay" in a sentence. In any event, after you tune into this week's World Music Show, (Saturday night at 10:00 p.m.), any doldrums that you may have had or have even anticipated, will cease to exist. The World Music show can be heard on 88.9FM on WCVE Public Radio or online via this website. If you have the mind to, you can follow my updates on Twitter. Just look me up: @wcveworldmusic.
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