Tag Archives: world music

african, World

The Lidaju Sisters – Mother Africa

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The Lidaju Sisters transmit beauty of spirit, and quiet euphoria with this album. I couldn’t believe how cool Mother Africa was on first listen. The sound of the traditional African percussion is quite unique and grabbed me immediately. Laid over the top of this are some beautiful slow and tuneful African harmonies. I had only heard the first and last album by the sisters before this so expected something more up-tempo.

I like albums where I don’t understand the words, it helps me not get sucked in to listening to them. The Lidaju sisters sing from the heart, there is one track about their mother, story-telling, the moon, pleas for peace and understanding in the other tracks. One song is about the ‘two-faced people’ who had criticised Taiwo Lidaju for having had a relationship with a white man – otherwise known as Ginger Baker of fame from supergroup Cream.

The context of this album is a thriving male-dominated Nigerian music scene, where civil war in Biafra 1967-70 was still fresh. Usually over-shadowed by their cousin Fela Kuti, the sisters could hold their own and are experiencing a latter day renaissance amongst music fans. Have a listen, it won’t take more than ten seconds to tell if they’re your jam.

Released
1977, rereleased by Knitting Factory records in 2011

Lyrics
Yes but not abrasive so quite calming. Unless you are going to learn Yorubu it’s not going to be too distracting.

Mood
Very chilled out and soulful with lots of African traditional percussion.

Good to work to
A big thumbs up from me, a good one when you need to get back down to earth.

Like
They are most often talked of in light of their second cousin Fela Kuti and the other male artists of the seventies Nigerian heyday, but I would say they have their own thing going on.

They are different to the other African artist I feature on this site Ladysmith Black Mombazo. However there are some similarities as both albums are rooted in great vocals and earthiness, but they are still quite distinct. They might be worth giving a try though if you like this one..

The Artist/s
Kehinidi and Taiwo Lidaju are and were living in northern Nigeria when they recorded this album. They performed with many of the stars of their era in Nigeria including a touring Ginger Baker. After their seventies hey day they moved. In the eighties they moved to the United States where Kehinde fell down a set of stairs and suffered spinal injuries. The injuries took the wind out of their sails and I don’t know of any later releases from the sisters.

Kehinidi and Taiwo Lidaju – vocals
Biddy Wright – (arranger) guitars, talking drums, and shekere

Other works
The Lidaju Sisters recorded only four albums at this time, and I think they all have their own unique sound. Danger from 1976, Mother Africa in 1977, Sunshine in 1978, and Horizon Unlimited from 1979.

I only have Sunshine and Mother Africa and they are very different in style. Sunshine is more experimental, but not as good an album and definitely not one for everyone to work to. I have heard some tracks from Horizon Unlimited and Danger, but haven’t heard enough to say whether they are good to work to, but the tracks I heard sounded great.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You can get this on iTunes but for some reason I had to search for Mother Africa, instead of by the Lidaju Sisters to find it when I searched in iTunes, I assume it won’t take them long to fix this. This was re-released on vinyl in 2011 by Knitting Factory Records and you should be able to track it down on the web.

The Verdict
Yes, yes, yes. I think this album will work for most people as a work album. I love it.

Folk, World

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul

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Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul

There is a depth and gentleness to this album that will put you into a good place to write. But, unless you are one of the handul of people who can speak Yolgnu or one of the other aboriginal languages the lyrics aren’t going to distract you.

There is a deep beauty and emotion put into the delivery of the lyrics and songs on this album that goes beyond words. You can get lost this set of songs, gentle lullabies with depth.

Released
2008

Lyrics
Yes but in a mixture of languages spoken by very few people that will not distract you.

Mood
Calming and perfect for meditative works.

Good to work to
Great to work when you need to be calmed.

Like
I can’t imagine what I could compare this to aside from indigenous lullabies.

If you like the idea of exploring Australian Indigenous music I can point you in a few directions. There is in my favourite aboriginal band, a black and white collaboration called the Warumpi Band from the early eighties, although it’s definitely not music to write to.

If you like that but want something less raw Christine Anu did a beautiful cover of one of their most famous songs my Island home.

MIA is a Sri Lankan Tamil Englishwoman, and she collaborated with some aboriginal kids in this great track “Mango Pickle Down River” from her earliest album

The Artist/s
Geoffrey “Gurrumul” Yunupingu a blind Yolgnu guy who plays a right hand strung guitar left handed, didgeridoo, drums and organ. He is a very shy bloke who can’t read braille, and speaks little English. He sings in Galpu, Gumatj, or Djanbarrpuyna languages. He was born and grew up in Arnhem land, and a remote area aborigin’d knocked around in bands such as Yothu Yindi. Despite the success of his youth he was plucked from obscurity in the remote Northern Territory of Australia, to release a breakout album in a mixture of English, Yolgnu, and other aboriginal dialects.

Other works
Gurrumul has released later albums but this is my favourite so far.

Before his breakout album Gurrumul, Geoffrey “Gurrumul” Yunupingu had already had a career in one of the biggest Australian aboriginal rock bands Yothu Yindi many years before. Yothu Yindi was the first band Gurrumul was in and a hugely successful one of the nineties with their song treaty, after the hoped for treaty between the aboriginal nations of Australia and the Australian government. This treaty has still not eventuated.

In Latter days Gurrumul has been a member of the Saltwater band.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
It has been re-released on vinyl as well. An absolute cracker of an album, and of course on itunes

The Verdict
Yes get it as soon as possible. It is calming, and will work for you.

Classical, magical, Music to write to, Native American, World

Moondog in Europe

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Moondog  In Europe
Moondog had lived and performed on the streets of New York for years before he was taken to Europe, lauded and given the freedom to make albums such as this one. It’s not his most eclectic album, but he has fairly high standards of eclecticism. If a modern day DJ mixed native american beats, classical arrangements and jazz they would be lauded. When Moondog mixed these styles sixty years ago, he was considered a talented Kook.

Moondog a.k.a Louis Hardin grew up and lived in the west of America. It is said that the seminal moment in his life was when his father took him to a Sun Dace of the Arapaho tribe. He is said to have sat on the lap of Chief Yellow Calf and played a tom tom during the ceremony. Moondog can truly be seen as a product of times that will never come again. He was an unwitting pioneer of world music, influenced by jazz, and the classical music training available to him by chance after he was blinded in his youth.

I am quite verbose on many topics, but the music of Moondog speaks for itself. He has inspired countless people and thinkers. The first thing you don’t necessarily need to know but adds a little spice to the listen is, that it was all done by a giant blind man dressed as a viking who lived on the streets of New York. This might not be all you need to know, but hopefully it is enough to interest you. Moondog is in his own genre.

Released
       1978

Lyrics
                Not a one

Mood

The album is fairly eclectic, with the first half a bit of everything before moving into the second half which focuses on Church organ. I guess the first half is more eclectic and contains many of the standard Moondog sounds such as glockenspiel, native american drumming, as well as Church organ.

Good to work to

Absolutely fantastic to work to. Meets all the requirements, it takes you beyond and has few associations with anything of my brain to cling to and divert me with. While I learnt to love Moondog because of his diversity, this album has more steady motifs than most and is excellent for focus. I always like working to Moondog’s music, but I find the first half is great for shaking things up and removing my head from the day to day. The second half with it’s slower Church organ music that really gets me going and in the mood for writing.

Like

I can think of nothing like this album and artist. Don’t let it discourage you though. Moondog mixes classical, church, native american, and be-bop.

Other artists on this site he is similar to from the point of view of being consider a minimalist are Philip Glass and Steve Reich. Moondog is definitely on the experimental side of the coin though.
He also gets compared a lot to a guy called Harry Partch who was also a virtuoso who made his own instruments, but I think their musical sensibilities are not of the same ilk.

The Artist/s

Louis Hardin who later took the name of Moondog had a fascinating life. Brought up by his father near to an indian reservation. He was sent completely blind when he was sixteen. A blasting cap he was holding in his hands exploded. He was sent to blind school and received a musical education he said he could have afforded otherwise. Perhaps because of the loss of his sight, he became quite the amazing musician.
I lose track of the story when he moved to New York and decided to live on the streets dressed as a Viking. He had some amazing encounters with potential collaborators like Stravinsky, Bernstein, and Charlie Parker that all seemed to go wrong at one stage or another. After many years on the streets, with sporadic recording contracts, he eventually moved to Germany. The Germans recognised his genius and took him under their wing and allowed him to record a number of eclectic albums  such as this one, using Sax, Church organ, and many other instruments. Oh yeah, and he also invent various musical instruments.

Other works

Moondog had a long and eclectic recording career, from the New York, to latter day German eclectic renaissance. Other albums such as The Viking of Sixth Avenue, Moondog, Moondog2, Elpmas, H’art songs,  Moondogin Europe, Sax Pax for a Sax, and various other lesser known albums released from a random mix of countries in Europe and America. I would get everything if I was you, but maybe check whether you like this album first.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats

This is not always the easiest album to find in any format other than electronic, but thanks to iTunes it’s a pretty easy one to find these days.

The Verdict

Get out there and buy it as soon as you can.

african, World

Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Shaka Zulu

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Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Shaka Zulu
Shaka Zulu is an acapella aural sensation. I find it unlike anything else in my collection. There are a lot of percussive sounds in the acapella arrangements that give it a palpable depth. It could just be that I don’t understand a word of the vocals, as most of them aren’t in english, but I  find this album just floats along below the surface while I write. The steady rhythms and percussive nature of the different tracks, despite the lack of drums, that keeps me moving along.

There is something about the harmony between the many voices which is essential so the whole thing doesn’t fall apart that gives me energy to keep on going as I write. I don’t want to give the impression that I just blank out the music when I’m listening to this album, because in those moments where I need some respite from tapping, but I generally find this album enjoyable whether I need to write or not.

I have written about this in the past but one of the things about world music that works for me is that it is not in the familiar musical patterns of songs that I’m used to. I need something different that I can’t immediately grasp onto to set me free and immerse myself in my thoughts. The sounds are sweet and harmonious, so despite the cultural differences for a westerner like me I don’t find the sounds distracting in any way. On the contrary I find this to be an album that helps me set patterns that I integrate in my keystroke pattern. This sounds pretty good when I wrote it, but I don’t know whether Zulu QWERTY is a style of writing, but it is now.

Released
1987

Lyrics
Yes in multiple languages, some in english some in Zulu.

Mood
This album has a calm feeling. The deep resonance of the vocals is definitely calming. The songs which are all acapella have percussion inserted.

Good to work to
I find this is a relaxing album to work to. It creates a different atmosphere which creates space for you to zero in on whatever you are writing. The soulful deep basses and harmonies touch me, but let me keep working.

Like
It is soulful but I don’t find it to be specifically like anything else I can think of. If you were going to give it a label I’d say world music.

The Artist/s
Formed by Joseph Shabalala, Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African acapella group. They gained fame as a result of their earlier work with Paul Simon on the Graceland Album but were active in different incarnations since the mid 50s and as Ladysmith Black Mambazo from the mid sixties playing weddings etc. They did not record their first album until the 1973.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo came to prominence when Paul Simon came to South Africa in 1986 to record his Graceland album. This move was extremely controversial as there were sanctions against western artists performing in South Africa due to the apartheid policies of the white South African government. The collaboration was however highly successful. Graceland sold over 16 million copies but tarnished the populations of Simon. Ladysmith Black Mambazo benefited greatly from the exposure as did a suite of other African acts.

After Graceland Simon produced Shaka Zulu as Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s first American release album. The only shared track between the two albums is homeless a co-write between Simon and Shabalala. It was hugely successful and heralded a run of others and collaborations with other major US acts such as George Clinton. They have one multiple awards and Grammys over the length of their career.

Other works
Ladysmith Black Mambazo have released many albums, but I have not listened to enough of their other albums.

I know it has been overplayed but if you like this album I would recommend Graceland, but only as an enjoyment album not as a writing album.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You will be able to get copies of this I any format, although chances are it will be second hand.

The Verdict
This album is a good one. Great for working to and great for changing the mood of what you are doing. Not many other albums have this level of resonance and you need to make the decision whether this will be more distracting or helpful for you. For me I find this to be a meditative album. That and the fact that I feel like singing along even though I usually don’t know the words makes it a winner for me.

Classical, latin american, Native American, World

Philip Glass – Powaqqaatsi

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Powaqqaatsi is a Hopi Indian word that means life in transition. Powaqqaatsi is a classical/world music soundtrack to second film in the Qatsi trilogy of films. It was designed to follow the transitions from natural to industrial world, which makes perfect sense when you listen to it.

The format of the movie means that it is designed to tell a story. I can only compare it to other movies that of a similar vintage in a style that was popular that tell the same kind of thematic story without story or traditional storytelling. My old favourite was Baraka. I’ve never even seen the movie and it works on me.

There are some really great sound effects used throughout this album, from pan pipes, deep voices, full orchestra including Brass, whistles, percussion, and acapella choir. The different sounds and sound effects make it a very effective collage to paint the background to your working while you work.

This album rolls over you smoothly like a wave. The peaks drive you along, and the troughs always give you a chance to regather your thoughts and consolidate what you’ve written. The whole album has an organic feel which is at times infectious and driving. The reason why I like it so much is that it drives me. I personally like repetition and recurring motifs, something Glass is also a fan of.  I don’t want to have to concentrate on something all of the time. With that said there is also a lot of variety on this album, as the director takes the movie in different directions. This is an album that worked for me on first listen. It is not an overly intellectual album you have to listen to several times before you get it in any way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0k0aOtLe70

Released
1988, with the film of the same name Powaqqaatsi.

Lyrics
No lyrics, or not enough to really distract you.

Mood
Meditative uplifting, speedy.

Good to work to
Fantastic, makes you feel positively triumphant. I also like the emotional palate of this album. It is at times contemplative, and at others upbeat and happy sweeping you along. This may just be my particular internal rhythm, but I don’t move all at the same pace. I move by fits and starts.

It is the kind of music I would especially recommend if you only have a set amount of time to write to. It will push you along and by the end of the emotional journey you will feel like you’ve got somewhere.

Like
I can’t really describe anything this album is like. It has orchestral flourishes, percussive fiesta moments, middle eastern sounds, south american pan pipes and other things, spooky mystical moments.

The Artist/s
Philip Glass born in 1937 and still going strong. Some call him a minimalist, he prefers some other term which also means nothing to me. He is a contemporary of other musicians like Stepen Reich who went through the famous Juilliard musical store. He was also a well connected Fullbright scholar. He has experimented with other cultures and collaborated with people like Ravi Shankar, and exposed himself to other cultures most notably the Tibetans such as the Dalai Lama.

I have only seen Philip Glass once a few years ago in 2011, at the Sydney festival where he lead a quartet who provided the score onstage while an antique silent movie version of Dracula played to chuckles from the audience. At first it was hard not to keep staring at the quartet especially it contained the famous Philip Glass. After a while I along with most of the audience were engrossed with the movie only occasionally glancing at the quartet under the screen onstage as there music fitted seamlessly with the music.

Other works
A massive back catalogue of music. Philip Glass is a renowned soundtrack artist and composer. To be honest I haven’t explored his catalogue enough to be able to recommend anything else. I did buy his first album in this trilogy Koyaanisqatsi, but to my shame I have not given it enough a listen to have a firm opion.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
It’s old but you’ll be able to get it digitally, you may be pushing it to get it on vinyl.

The Verdict
Yes, oh Yes. Run out and get it straight away. I find this is a great energising album that definitely sweeps me away.

Classical, Jazz, Native American

Moondog – The Viking of Sixth Avenue

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This album is a stone cold classic, albeit a ‘best of’.  If a contemporary DJ mixed Native American beats, classical arrangements, and jazz they would be lauded as The Next Big Thing. When Moondog mixed these styles sixty years ago he was considered a talented kook. After hearing this hopefully you’ll be scouring the internet for his other releases. The Viking of Sixth Avenue is a beautiful, eclectic album.

I am verbose on many topics, but the music of Moondog speaks for itself. He has inspired countless people and thinkers. The Viking of Sixth Avenue is a compilation of his life’s music and career. The first thing you need to know is that Moodog was a tall blind man who dressed as a viking, and lived on the streets of New York. This might not be all you need to know, but hopefully it is enough to interest you. Moondog fits his own genre.

Moondog, a.k.a Louis Hardin, grew up and lived in the west of America. It is said that the seminal moment in his life was when his father took him to watch a Sun Dance of the local Arapaho tribe. He is said to have sat on the lap of Chief Yellow Calf and played a tom-tom during the ceremony. Moondog can truly be seen as a product of a past era. He was an unwitting pioneer of world music, influenced by jazz and classical music training made available to him by chance, after he was blinded in his youth.

Released
2005
This album was compiled and released by Damon Alban, champion of world music and lead singer of hugely popular seminal Brit pop band Blur. The music was originally recorded from the 1950s through to the 1990s.

Lyrics
Generally not. Where there are words, they are mainly samples with the occasional spoken word aspect.

Mood
Slow to fast, jazzy to classical, to world.

Good to work to
Ideal to work to. Meets all my requirements. It takes you beyond the distractions of the everyday, and has few associations for a busy mind to cling to or to be diverted by. This particular compilation flits between genres from be-bop, street sounds, and Native American-inspired classical. Your brain does not have enough time to get used to any one particular vibe, but the differences in music are not jarring, and this makes it excellent focus music. However, it is not erratic.

Like
I can think of nothing like this album and artist. Don’t let it discourage you though. Moondog is, or rather was, like classical/Native American, and be-bop.

The Artist(s)
Louis Hardin, who later took the name of Moondog, had a fascinating life.

Brought up by his father near an indian reservation. He became completely blind when a blasting cap he was holding in his hands exploded, at the age of sixteen. He was sent to a school for the blind and received a musical education he said he could not have afforded otherwise. Perhaps because of the loss of his sight, his aural sense was heightened.

I am not sure why he moved to New York to live on the streets. He said that he dressed as a viking to gain more attention as a street performer. He had some memorable encounters with potential collaborators like Stravinsky, Bernstein, and Charlie Parker that all seemed to go awry at one stage or another. He eventually moved to Germany in the Seventies after many years on the streets and sporadic recording contracts. The Germans recognised his genius and took him under their wing, enabling him to record a number of eclectic albums using sax, church organ, among many other instruments.

Oh yeah… and he also invented various musical instruments.

Other works
Moondog had a long recording career, from his early days in New York to his latter-day eclectic renaissance in Germany. His other albums include Moondog, Moondog2, Elpmas, H’art Songs,  Moondog in Europe, Sax Pax for a Sax. Lesser-known albums were released from a random mix of countries in Europe and America. I would hunt them all down if I was you, but check to see whether you like this album first.

Where can I buy it, and in what formats?
You can get this particular album almost anywhere and in any format. While the rest of his collection might be hard to find, this album is not, and it is guaranteed to pique your interest.

The Verdict
Get out there and buy it as soon as you can.

Jazz, World

Alice Coltrane – Journey in Satchidananda

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Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchidananda has a feel unlike any other album I know. Deep bass jazz grooves are infused with world music-flavoured harp and percussion.  A touch of India  is combined with the smell of jazz cigarettes in clubs across Europe and the US.

Alice Coltrane spent years studying mysticism, and it’s a fair bet that this was influenced her choice to make this album. The title track inspiration was the name of her guru, Swami Satchidananda. The different tracks tell stories about Coltrane’s life and spiritual journey.

Whether it is the diverse cultural references this music triggers, or something else entirely, this album is other-worldly. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t think this is completely different from anything they’ve ever heard before. I saw this album years before I made the choice to buy it. The album with the crazy-looking name was a hard sell but, once I bought it, I never regretted it.

No-one knows where your mind goes when you’re tapping on a keyboard, the rare occasions when you can suspend endless thoughts about the past and the future; the worries of work, study, and your love life. This is an album that can send you to that other place, one you won’t want to miss.

Released    
1970

Lyrics
No lyrics to distract you. Not a word. This is a full body immersive experience record.

Mood
The same mix of sounds that makes this album unique is what makes it so immersive and effective to work to. Alice Coltrane has created a sonic world that takes me somewhere other than the present and my workaday worries, and is excellent for study. Depending on the day I’ve had, it can be hard to switch off. Music like this is like an instant drug that allows me to focus.

You will find that this record is an effective tool to create mood. My mood changes just seeing the front cover of this album showcasing Alice with her frizzy hair and kaftan. You need this album if you’re a writer – whether it’s to work through an essay or other academic projects, fiction, technical, or non-fiction.

Good to work to 
Anything demanding deep focus is a fantastic record to work to.  This is great when you need to think, but not necessarily the best thing for speed work.

Like
It has the jazz vibe, with classic sax and bass grooves, but the harp and percussive style give it a world music ethereal style that is unlike most other music (that I know of).  Despite these differences in style it contains enough familiar parts to be accessible, and within a short time the eclectic mix feels familiar.

The Artist(s)
Alice Coltrane’s music haunts the space between the mystical and the eclectic in a way unknown to any other works. She was the great-aunt of electronic musician, Flying Lotus, and second wife of jazz legend, John Coltrane.

Alice Coltrane studied classical music and jazz, soon becoming a professional. She eventually had children to, and married John Coltrane and played in his acclaimed groups. The list of musicians she played with before and after Coltrane died, shows you the esteem she was held in. This album is always one of the top albums in jazz and world music retailers’ lists.

 Featuring
Alice Coltrane on harp and piano
Phaoroah Sanders on soprano saxophone and percussion
Vishnu Wook on oud
Charlie Haden on bass
Cecil McBee on bass
Tulsi on tambura
Rashied Ali on drums
Majid Shabazz on bells and tambourine

Other works
I have dabbled in her back catalogue of albums and there are some gems, but don’t expect to find another journey exactly like this one. There are contemplative albums featuring different instruments, but I can’t tell you which one you’ll like. A few good ones you might want to try are Astral Meditations and Transcendence. Needless to say there are ones I loved and ones I didn’t, but Journey in Satchidananda is the only one I would say is a stone cold classic.

Where can I buy it, and in what formats?
This album is always in print, whether in vinyl, CD or MP3. If you’re looking for this album you’ll find it under jazz, although you could equally find it in the world music section. It’s always in print because it’s a classic.

The Verdict
Buy it now. If you can, get it on vinyl, so you can fully appreciate the crazy cover art.