Category: Worldsongs

Worldsongs

Ecuador, Bali, and Brazil

by sharonstjoanLeave a Comment on Ecuador, Bali, and Brazil

By Elizabeth Doyle

Alpacas in the Andes, on a Peruvian hillside

Ecuador Andes – I think Ecuador must be a little bit magical. Some of the oldest (and most artistically advanced and peaceful) cultures in all of the Americas began there, though many are now extinct. And later, it was part of the Incan empire. The Andes Mountains, of course, are partly in Ecuador, and in my opinion, some of the richest and most soothing music is coming from those mountains – like that of this lovely group, which has named itself simply Ecuador Andes. Of course, Ecuador has also had its fair share of craziness. A terrible Spanish rule went on for hundreds of years. Then after that was over, the country descended into wars with neighbors and internal political upheavals, and nothing was coming together. So the last few centuries have been rougher than their golden age, but it sounds like things may be looking up, and there’s always something so special about it. For example, it’s home to a huge number of spectacular species of animals, and I hear they’re the first country in the world to declare that nature has the inalienable legal right to exist, and not be destroyed (Ecuador actually wrote this into their new constitution in 2008.) Also, some of Ecuador’s cities are thought to be the most well-planned and beautifully preserved in the world. I think there’s still magic! And I think you’ll think so too when you hear this: Click here.

Pura Taman Ayun Temple, Bali

Cudamani – The gamelan music of Bali is part of religious life there. “Gamelan” is sort of like a word for “orchestra.” But interestingly, the word usually doesn’t refer to the people playing in the orchestra. It refers to the instruments they’re playing! In other words, while in most orchestras, you might go get a new trumpet if yours is worn out, in Bali, the instrument is considered an irreplaceable part of the orchestra. The instruments are designed and tuned to play with one another, always. They have a relationship with one another, and they can’t be mixed and matched. They are the orchestra. Isn’t that an interesting idea? Gamelan music is an important part of religious ritual in Bali. But surprisingly, these gamelan have existed long before Hinduism arrived in Bali. It’s a highly percussive and highly awakening form of music that really calls you to “snap out of it” and be alert to something very real and very nearby ….

This is a gamelan called Cudamani (Pronounced Soo-damani). I love the “intensity of the present moment” that the dancer expresses in both her movements and face: Click here.

The Amazon rainforest, Brazil

Chico Buarque – You can’t really talk about the music of the world without touching on Brazil. Brazil is known worldwide for its sounds. Some of their most famous music like samba is extremely celebratory, often alluring, and tends to inspire sensual dancing between couples. Yet, samba grew out of the ghettos (shanty towns) of Brazil – and if you’ve even seen a photograph of the ghettos of Brazil – it seems like it would take a lot of determination to decide you were going to dance and celebrate if you lived there. (Google “shanty town Brazil” and look at the pictures. It’s just astonishing.) But as far as I know, no nation has created more widely-respected celebratory and dance music than the music that’s come out of Brazil’s shanty towns. It started with samba, and then took a more complex twist with the advent of Bossa nova. Master instrumentalists in that genre received worldwide acclaim. But then some artists walked the line between the two, like Chico Buarque, whose Bossa nova/samba crossover music has survived decade after decade, a few government bannings in the 60s, and yet he’s still going – and still smiling – and still making everyone remember to keep celebrating.  (I understand he’s also an extremely highly-regarded literary author.) Click here.

 

Top photo: Marturius / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Wikimedia Commons / Alpacas on a Peruvian hillside in the Andes

Second photo: chensiyan / GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version. Wikimwdia commons / Pura Taman Ayun Temple

Third photo: Jorge.kike.medina  / GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 Wikimedia Commons / Amazon Rainforest

China, Worldsongs

Russia, China, and Japan — from the Red Army choir to the shamisen

by sharonstjoanLeave a Comment on Russia, China, and Japan — from the Red Army choir to the shamisen
A fortress in Suzdali, Russia

By Elizabeth Doyle

Aleksandrov Red Army Choir: This is the official choir of the Russian armed forces, and possibly the most successful military choir in the world. Russia considers this group to be a national treasure, and I agree. They formed during Stalin’s rule, as sort of a fusion between traditional Russian music and an attempt to express the passion of the Red Army of that age, which seemed nearly undefeatable during World War II (in large part because of its sheer size!) When the Iron Curtain fell, some might have thought that would be the end of the Red Army Choir. But it seems that music is bigger than politics, because they did nothing but continue to thrive as the years went on. People continue to come out in droves to watch their shows, and you don’t have to be Russian to enjoy them anymore. You can buy their albums from anywhere in the world. Many young Russians dream of growing up and joining this famous choir: Click here.

A Buddhist Temple in Chengdu, China

Xiu Yue (composer) – There’s a religion in China called Falun Gong (Sometimes called Falun dafa) which combines Taoism, Buddhism and traditional Chinese qigong. As far as I can tell, it’s a peaceful religion which emphasizes soft, gentle living, tolerance, and a series of spiritually-based movements (like yoga, but more about moving chi around the body.) Apparently, tens of millions of people joined Falun Gong in China in the early 1990s. And then apparently, in 1999, it was declared a crime to practice it… I’ve seen photographs that were thrust at me during a visit to Taiwan … photos of what is being done to people who are caught practicing this wide-spread religion. And I won’t describe them. But I will say that my heart goes out to all of those imprisoned, and I hope and pray for them that this law goes away. This is a song written by a member of Falun Gong named Xiu Yue. I don’t know anything about her except that she wrote the song. But it’s just a beautiful, and a wonderful thing to listen to, while sending out hope that anyone being mistreated will be sent home soon: Click here.

On the same topic, this is an opera singer, Jiansheng Yang singing “Song from a prison cell” for those who practice Falun Dafa in China: Click here.

Two other men, not the Yoshida Brothers, one playing the shamisen and one singing

Yoshida Brothers – The shamisen is an old Japanese instrument (a three-stringed instrument, held like a guitar.) But for anyone who thinks that Japanese music must be tranquil, the Yoshida Brothers are here to demonstrate that a musical tradition which has expressed subtle emotion for centuries can just as easily express the more urgent emotions that are popular in music today. In fact, the shamisen, which has been evolving into its modern form since the 16th century began being played with speed and fancy finger work during first half of the 20th century, making it one of the instruments of choice for Japanese musicians who want to play both traditional and modern music simultaneously. And the Yoshida Brothers have taken that power-playing to a whole new level. The word on the street is that the Yoshida Brothers have been shocked by their musical success. But I’m not shocked! And I don’t think you will be either when you watch them play: Click here.

Top photo: © Konstantin Milenin / Dreamstime.com

Second photo: Sharon St Joan /A Buddhist Temple in Chengdu, China

Third photo: Dan Smith / Wikimedia Commons / This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license. 

Africa, Worldsongs

Botswana, Afghanistan, and New Zealand

by sharonstjoan1 Comment on Botswana, Afghanistan, and New Zealand

By Elizabeth Doyle

a zebra in Botswana

Dikakapa – There really are few countries in the world more musical than Botswana.  It’s said that every school there features musical education and the learning of old songs as a critical component in its children’s curriculum. Traditionally, music there relies solely on voice and clapping.  Of course, instruments have gradually been added to the folk music. But voice and complex clapping is still the staple.  It’s natural that rap became very popular there very quickly, because that’s a natural extension of a lyrics-first musical ascetic.  South Africa and Europe have both brought musical ideas that Botswana has integrated into its music.  But Botswana has, in turn, founded musical styles like Kwaito Kwasa that have gone out and re-influenced the influencers. I like the rap, and the rock, and the Kwaito Kwasa that comes out of Botswana, but my favorite is still the folk music, like Dikakapa’s, addressing family issues, love, and sometimes just the rain: Click here.

handwoven Afghan rugs

Ahmad Wali –  Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, he was a very popular singer in his country from a very young age. He sang beautiful love songs and poems, and in the days when he was performing internationally, like at the famous Shiraz Arts Festival in Iran, all must have seemed to be going so well.  And then 1978 came.  He was placed under house arrest for having performed for the Afghan King. (I imagine it would have been hard to say no!) And it wasn’t long before he was simply forced to flee, using a fake passport.  In retrospect, one could say he actually made it out just in time!  That military coup turned out to be just the first of a very long line of tragic events in Afghanistan.  Ahmad Wali lived in Germany after his exile, and gave concerts to raise money for other Afghan refugees. His soothing voice and lovely music serves as a reminder of an older, happier Afghanistan.  This is apparently typical of what you would have heard on the radio back then.  Here he is at that concert in Iran – so long ago!  Click here.

Maori wood carving

 

Maisey Rika — New Zealand is one of those countries, I’m embarrassed to say, if I don’t think about it, I sort of think of as having been empty before the Europeans arrived. I have the feeling I’m not the only one. But of course, that’s not the case at all. The Maori have lived there for at least 500 years longer than the Europeans, and they still do.  Their legends tell of how they all arrived on boats from a mythical Polynesian island called Hawaiki.  (Of course, how do we know for sure that it’s mythical?  Maybe they really did.)  Centuries of island isolation gave the Maori a distinctive warrior culture, and traditions that are absolutely unique to them.  Historically, they were known to be pretty fierce (and even fearsome) hunters and warriors, but performance art and music has always been an important part of their community, too. In modern times, they’ve had an astounding number of international musical sensations from the famous operatic soprano Marie Te Hapuku to the 1950s and 60s crooner, Prince Tui Teka.   It’s really unprecedented for such a small group of people to have had so much musical stardom.  And if you happen to be my age, you’re going to appreciate this next one most of all:  You know Flight of the Conchords? In real life, Jemaine is half Maori.  For real!  But this is my favorite singer of Maori descent.  She isn’t very famous yet, but I don’t know why. Here she is singing in both Maori and English: Click here.

Top photo:  © John Loader / Dreamstime.com

Second photo: © Catherine Ortega / Dreamstime.com

Third photo: © Nikolai & Olga Vakhroushev  / Dreamstime.com


Old Europe, Worldsongs

Music from old Europe, Colombia, Belgium

by sharonstjoanLeave a Comment on Music from old Europe, Colombia, Belgium
Swinside Stone Circle, Lake District, England

By Elizabeth Doyle

Lady Isadora — Before Christianity swept across Europe, Europeans had a different religion.  It varied tremendously from region to region, and even village to village, but generally, it was polytheistic, involved seasonal celebrations, and magical practices. Christianity was a new, beautiful and light-filled religion, but its followers didn’t behave well during the sweep across Europe. People who wanted to hold onto their current religion were put to death. Under the Inquisition, even people who were suspected of remaining loyal to the old religions were put to death. But the old religions were subtly absorbed and remembered in both Europe and in countries where Europeans later moved (Australia, United States, Canada etc.) The Irish Goddess Brigid became the Christian Saint Brigid. The Winter Solstice holiday became Christmas.  Samhain became Halloween.  Beltaine became Easter.  And gradually, as religious tolerance has become an important value of western culture (Not fully realized, but definitely idealized) a small number of people out there returned to Europe’s older religious roots. This return shows up in music, as well. This is Lady Isadora, a pioneer in the genre of early European religious music. I’m sorry I can’t find a video of her performing live. This one has just a stationary photo with her song:  Click here.

Street in Bogota

Claudia Gomez – This singer always makes me feel like I’m in Colombia. And it’s a country I’ve never been to!  But it’s just the atmosphere of her music.  I can smell it, I can taste it; I’m sure I’m there, growing up with her in urban Medellin. She does sophisticated, original arrangements, based on the traditional sounds and folklore of her nation. Listening to her on the radio just transports you to a rainy street, full of children and the smells of cooking.  Her music has such a smooth sound, that it’s easy to underestimate the creativity that goes into it.  But the sounds are very complex. Apparently, she grew up in a very musical family because here she is singing with her mother; click here.

Jacques Brel

Jacques Brel – He was a Belgian who lived in both Belgium and France. He smoked four packs a day, rarely slept, and had something of an addiction to meeting new women.  (Sadly, he died very young from that lifestyle.)  But what I really like about him is that his songs (which he writes himself) have a common theme of being so very disappointed about life. There’s almost an anger in him when he sings, an unbearable frustration that life and the world are just not what he had hoped they were going to be.  Not what he believed they could be. As though he just can’t wait to get out of here.  I see him as an awkward man, not as handsome as he may wish, uncomfortable in front of crowds, yet he has something he wants to say to them.  Stories he wants to tell.  He really is an acquired taste, because the French music scene at the time (1950s and early 1960s) had a real cabaret feel that looks outdated to us now. But his songs can stand up to a very close listening, and the more you hear, the more you may appreciate this quirky artist. Click here.

Top photo: Swinside Stone Circle / Wikimedia Commons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Swinside_(p4160146).jpg

Second photo: william.neuheisel   /  Wikimedia Commons  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Street_in_Bogota.jpg  / Street in historic District of Bogota

Third photo: Wikmedia Commons /   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jacques_Brel_1955.jpg

Africa, Worldsongs

“Hidden Sky,” Mali, and the Chukchi people

by sharonstjoanLeave a Comment on “Hidden Sky,” Mali, and the Chukchi people

By Elizabeth Doyle

Elephants of Samburu, Kenya

Jami Sieber – I just bought this album.  It’s called “Hidden Sky” and it’s inspired by elephants. Yes, elephants!  Apparently, according to the album notes, a visit with the elephants in Thailand just about changed this musician’s life. Changed how she sees herself, and all those around her.  And changed how she plays music.  This is definitely the most haunting music she’s ever made. If I didn’t know it was about elephants, I would never have guessed.  But now that I know, I think I can feel their ancient gentleness in every note.  A portion of the proceeds of the album go to help elephants, so I can feel good about that.  And there is something absolutely mystical about what those giants have done to this music …..  I do believe that their presence is behind it. Click here.

A Dogon granery, Mali

Salif Keita – This guy’s really interesting. He’s literally descended from kings in Mali.  But he was born albino (lack of pigment in the skin), and for that reason, was cast out by his family.  If it hadn’t been for that, being in the caste he was in, he might never have become a singer, but as it was …. he went on to become a musical star! One theme in his music, naturally enough, is trying to teach that “different” does not mean “bad.” (Apparently, albinos can face some terrible persecutions in some parts of Africa – including human sacrifice.)  In addition, in interviews he’s spoken about some religious pressure from some mosques back in Mali that don’t like music.  But he seems to have no trouble uniting his love of his spiritual faith with his love of sound, and seems to be doing a lot of good in the process:  Click here.

 

 

Ergyron— I’ve always admired people who used to live in the Arctic … before we had indoor switches that turn on the heat.  I can’t imagine falling asleep in subzero temperatures every night and awakening every morning to …. More subzero temperatures.  I feel like I’d have a permanent case of the flu.  But of course, snow is

A Chukchi woman

also magical, mystical and romantic… when you don’t feel its bite.  And I think you can see both sides of Arctic life in traditional Arctic song and dance.  I feel like you can see the harshness of life – and also the wonder of snow glistening pink in the morning sunrise.  Ergyron comes from the Arctic of Russia (the Chukchi people). The group calls themselves Chukchi-Eskimo: Click here.

  

 

  

  

  

  

Top photo:  Sharon St Joan / elephants in Kenya

Second photo: Michelealfieri / Dreamstime.com / A granery in a Dogon village, Mali

Third photo: Konstantin Shevtsov / Dreamstime.com / a Chukchi woman

Worldsongs

Sufi music from Egypt, and music from Chile and Croatia

by sharonstjoanLeave a Comment on Sufi music from Egypt, and music from Chile and Croatia

By Elizabeth Doyle

Another Sufi dancer in Cairo

Mohamed el-Sayed – Music has been a part of Egypt for about as long as there’s been an Egypt – and probably even before that!  Instruments have been found in Egypt that are older than the pharaohs. (Interestingly, flutes and lyres seem to have been there long before drums.) Of course, new elements have been added over the centuries. In particular, there’s been a strong Arabic influence by now.  Some folks are actually working fulltime to try to recreate ancient Egyptian instruments and revive what music must have sounded like back in the days of the Pyramids and before. They’re really making progress! But in the meantime, most folks seem to agree that the oldest living Egyptian music that you can still see today is the traditional folk music including the Sufi Dhikr.  So here is a little bit of that, as performed by Mohamed el-Sayed.  He was born in Cairo, later studied in Spain, and then back to Egypt again. (In addition to playing percussion instruments, he does many “whirling dervish” dances.) But that’s about all I know about him! Not much. If someone else knows more about this very interesting performer, I would welcome comments! Click here.

Victor Jara

Victor Jara – His is a hard story, but I think it’s important to remember his music.  Victor was a Chilean guitar player and singer – as gentle a soul as you can imagine.  He also directed plays, and did a lot to develop Chilean theater. He was born into a very poor family, and had to work in the fields just as soon as he was big enough to be able.  But when his father left the family, his mother decided that education was really better for the children than working, and Victor began his studies, including music. He studied to work as an accountant, then he joined the army for a while, and then he became a guitar player. He was a political activist as well, and often sang about better conditions for people who work.  Because of the political nature of some of his songs, in 1973, he was arrested …. and what was done to him, I won’t describe.  But his gentleness as an artist contrasted with the manner of his death became a symbol and rallying point against human rights abuse throughout the South American countries. And he probably would be glad to know that:  Click here.

The old walls of Dubrovnik

Tamara Obrovac – What do they listen to in the Balkans?  This!  Tamara Obrovac is a Croatian, and a very popular singer in the Balkans right now.  She’s fun!  Quirky, cute, and outrageously creative.  But she’s much more interesting than that, because she writes her music and sings in something called the Istriotic dialect, which is an ancient language, no longer spoken anywhere in the world.  Her music is not ancient. It’s a sort of upbeat jazz infusion that’s very modern. But she does it all in this old Croatian dialect, which may be the only thing that’s going to keep it alive. She’s still working on becoming known outside of the Balkan region; that’s where most of her success has been.  But she was nominated for some BBC radio awards, and that’s a step!  Click here.

Top photo: Attila Jandi / Dreamstime.com / A Sufi dancer in Cairo, not Mohamed el-Sayed

Second photo: Wikimedia Commons / public domain / Victor Jara

Third photo: Roman Bonnefoy (Romanceor) / Wikimedia / GNU Free Documentation License /Walls of Dubrovnik, with the Minčeta Tower

Worldsongs

Vietnam, Guinea, and Sesame Street

by sharonstjoanLeave a Comment on Vietnam, Guinea, and Sesame Street
The Thap Poshaknu Cham Towers in Viet Nam.

By Elizabeth Doyle

Nguyen Thanh Thuy – The Dan Tranh is a very old and very traditional instrument of Vietnam. In ancient courts, women would play it for royalty. It’s plucked like a harp, and physically, it’s similar to the Chinese Guzheng. Most people think it probably came from that. But it’s the style of playing that makes the Dan Tranh so specifically Vietnamese. There’s always a specific emotion to each piece, there’s sometimes some improvisation, and the instrument itself is smaller, more versatile and more easily portable than the Guzheng. Sometimes, people recite poems while playing, but often, the instrument speaks for itself.  There is definitely a liquid emotional elegance to its sound. Here is a performance by Nguyen Thanh Thuy, an instructor at the Hanoi National Institute of Music that I particularly liked: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNhgCUk0LEA

Djembe drum

Bolokada Conde – He’s from Guinea in West Africa, and he’s considered a master of the djembe. The djembe is one of many traditional west African drums, and while some drums in the world have served a strong purpose in warfare, the djembe has just the opposite reputation. Its very name means something like, “gather round in peace.”  There’s a traditional belief among many Mandinka people that these drums have a strong spiritual quality, and that a lot of life force runs through them.  They can make an unusually wide range of sounds depending on exactly how you hit them and how you’re holding your hand when you do it. In this video, Bolokada Conde is the drummer in front: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoJvTk6tUTU&feature=related

Muppets at Museum of American History

Sesame Street

This one is for my daughter! She’s two years old, and she also has favorite music.  So I decided I was being unfair — why shouldn’t her favorite songs also be included in music from around the world? Two year-olds are in the world!

Of course, children’s music is a little bit different. The melody needs to be circular, because toddlers will lose interest if the tune doesn’t repeat itself.  If there are words, they need to be annunciated very clearly, because toddlers are still learning their own languages.  And positive messages are important because toddlers directly and immediately imitate absolutely everything they see.

So these songs (not to mention the puppets) might be a little young for some of us, but I promise, if you hold a two year-old up to your computer screen while clicking on the links below, you’ll see with your own eyes how very, very important this music is to them!

Here’s my little girl’s favorite music video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrqF7yD10Bo

Top photo: L-Bit / Wikimedia Commons / public doman 

Second photo: Arnoldmm at en.wikipedia / GNU Free Documentation License

Third photo: Shiny Things / Wikimedia Commons /Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Worldsongs

Musical Treasures: Mongolia, India, and China

by sharonstjoanLeave a Comment on Musical Treasures: Mongolia, India, and China
"Deer stones" in Mongolia

By Elizabeth Doyle

Enkh Jargal

I think Mongolian throat singing is absolutely incredible. For one thing, the sound makes you very glad you’re not on the wrong side of a mob of angry or determined Mongolians many centuries ago.  I think hearing a group of them singing like this in their nearby camps, the night before they planned to raid my land would be enough to make me pack my things and go. But there’s much more to it than that. It really is a powerful sound whose fearsomeness is almost mystical.  And indeed, its origin is exactly that. The nearly inhuman vibrating sound that’s created in the throat is intended to mimic the sounds of nature, and stems from a belief that nature is the ultimate source of power, and a power that can be summoned through sound.  Enkh Jardal was born and raised in a very small village in Ulaanbastar, Mongolia, and studied under the most famous horsefiddler in the country: Click here.

Zakir Hussain

Zakir Hussain

Here’s somebody who may be well on his way toward becoming a legend. He’s an Indian tabla player, he’s from Mumbai, and he’s been blowing a lot of people away with his talent for a pretty long time.  In fact, some people would say that he’s the greatest tabla player in the world.  (Though I’m sure there’s some competition for that title!) He’s very funny and likeable in interviews, and the speed at which he moves his hands is just incredible.  I know that every time I hear him play his instrument, I think, “That seems impossible.”  Of course, it seems somewhat impossible whenever almost anyone plays the tabla – it’s a very difficult-looking instrument. It’s a type of drum, but you have to use all sorts of complicated finger and wrist movements to make it sing. It’s played incredibly fast. But to play it as well as Zakir does seems especially impossible. Here, take a look:

Temple incense burner in China

Min Xiao-Fen

The pipa or Chinese lute has been played in China for more than 2,000 years! It has a distinctive sound that we all instantly associate with the music of China.  It takes tremendous skill to play it well; even the movements of the musician as he or she plays are considered critical to the overall aesthetic.  Min Xiao-Fen is one of the best pipa-players out there.  She was taught by her father, who instructed students at Nanjing University.  And she was such an outstanding pupil that the Nanjing Traditional Music Orchestra invited her to be a soloist when she was just 17 years old.  She played with them for more than ten years. And since then, she has worked hard to introduce this once nearly-strictly-Chinese instrument to the whole world. She astounded an audience at Lincoln Center in New York City by being the first traditional Chinese musician ever to play jazz for them.  She played the music of Thelonious Monk on her pipa!  Here she is playing something much more traditional: Click here.


Top photo: “GAMMA” Agency / Wikimedia Commons / Deer stones, Mount Uushig, in  Mongolia, from around 1200-400 BC.

Second photo: Sven.petersen /  Wikimedia Commons /  Public Domain

Third photo: Sharon St Joan / Temple incense burner, Chengdu, China

Worldsongs

Musical Treasures: Georgia, Japan, Argentina

by sharonstjoan2 Comments on Musical Treasures: Georgia, Japan, Argentina

By Elizabeth Doyle

Caucasus Mountains, near Mestia village, upper Svaneti

Mdzlevar – Georgia is a really interesting country.  It’s not physically in Europe, and yet, many people consider it to be the place “where Europe began.”  It was one of the first Christian countries in the world.  Many of the important European legends started there. For example, most European images of chivalry and knights in shining armor etc, probably didn’t come from the countries we imagine they came from.  Most likely, they came from here.  Georgia had its Renaissance far earlier than Europe did, and ideas of romance, True Love, and gallantry were a huge part of its Golden Age. Georgians have a distinct language, alphabet, architecture, clothing, and musical tradition.  And it if weren’t for all of the trouble they’ve had with their neighbors over the centuries, (Everybody likes to conquer them), it’s mind-boggling to think where they might have been today.

Really, it’s amazing that they’ve kept so much of their culture through all of the hostile take-overs. But they have. Even if it seems like their culture rarely leaves their borders anymore!  For example, this choir called Mdzlevar sings the most beautiful ancient Georgian music. Yet, from what I know, they rarely get invited to sing it in foreign lands!  Well, let’s see if we can garner them some fans.  Here they are, singing music you just won’t hear anywhere else, from a tiny country in the Caucasian Mountains that’s been there nearly forever, and influenced so much of the world, but sometimes seems forgotten!  Click here.

Performance near Nagoya Castle by other drummers, not Kodo

Kodo –  Taiko, a traditional Japanese drum, is a really exciting instrument. At least, when these guys play it, it is!  Taiko come in different sizes, but generally speaking, they’re large drums, sometimes huge, and it actually takes some athleticism to play them well.  Traditionally, the drumming starts off slowly and then builds up to an “emergency.”  The legend is that these drums were invented by a goddess who banged on them with her feet to cause the sun to rise again during a time of darkness. They were definitely used in wars during feudal Japan to signal soldiers what to do next. But today, taiko are being put to very good use by groups like Kodo, who are giving stirring performances like these:

Mercedes Sosa

Mercedes Sosa – The music world lost a real legend a couple of years ago. Mercedes was known as the “voice of the voiceless” because she sang many songs written by people who would otherwise have likely remained anonymous songwriters in South America.  She herself was born and raised in Argentina.  Blessed with a rich voice that everyone loved, she was practically a singing star already by the time she grew to be an adult! She sang both Argentine folk music, and South American Nueva cancion.  That’s music that’s committed to delivering messages about important social causes.  Although she always called Argentina her home, her career took her all across the globe. She sang at the Roman Coliseum, Carnegie Hall, and even the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.  She’ll be very missed: Click here.

Top photo: Ilia Torlin / Dreamstime.com / Caucasus Mountains, near Mestia village, upper Svaneti

Second photo: Wikimedia Commons / Chris 73 / Taiko performance near Nagoya Castle/ creative commons cc-by-sa 3.0

Third photo: Wikimedia Commons / public domain / Mercedes Sosa

Worldsongs

Musical Treasures: Gospel and more

by sharonstjoanLeave a Comment on Musical Treasures: Gospel and more

By Elizabeth Doyle

Mahalia Jackson —

My mother used to say, “Other Gospel singers sing to an audience. Mahalia Jackson sings to God. It makes all the difference.”  My grandmother was a Mahalia fan as well. She used to talk about watching her perform, and how badly Mahalia Jackson would need a glass of water afterward, because she was so passionate in her song that she would break into powerful sweats. I always vaguely imagined that everyone grew up with Mahalia singing through the stereo in their homes. Yet, now that I’m grown up, I’ve discovered that not everybody even knows who Mahalia Jackson is! In fact, I would say that the vast majority of my neighbors, friends and colleagues don’t have the faintest idea. She died quite a while ago. Is it possible that her legacy hasn’t been well-preserved?  Well, anyway, here she is – possibly the greatest American Christian Gospel singer of all time: Click here.

(Turn your volume way up – it’s an old, scratchy recording – but the more closely you listen, the more you’ll be able to feel.)

It’s also worth watching this video of her interrupting Martin Luther King, Jr. by breaking into song: Click here.

Yungchen Llamo –

Yungchen was given her name by a lama when she was just a baby. It means “Goddess of Melody and Song.” Born in a Tibetan labor camp, Yungchen was put to work in a carpet-weaving factory at the age of five. Tibetan singing was illegal, yet her grandmother taught her some devotional songs on the sly, careful that they weren’t overheard.  Later, the family made a 1,000 mile escape from Tibet over the Himalayans, entirely on foot.  They landed in India, where they were welcomed into a Tibetan refugee camp.  Of course, they had no possessions. But Yungchen was free to sing.  One day, His Holiness the Dalai Lama heard her sing!  And it’s said that it was he who first suggested that she should share the beauty of her classical Tibetan singing with the rest of the world. Since then, Yungchen has become an international sensation. She sings a capella (rarely any instruments in the background), and she sings very traditionally.  She’s a huge success. She’s put out many albums, she’s a well-known activist for a free Tibet, she’s given concerts all across the world, and sung with superstars like Sheryl Crow and Annie Lennox. I bet her grandmother’s glad she taught her those devotional songs! Click here.


Ofra Haza –

She was Israel’s first pop star. And interestingly, she had a huge fan base throughout the Middle East (still does, although she’s now passed away), and that has surprised a lot of analysts who might have thought an Israeli singer would not fare well in the charts of neighboring countries. Although she’s considered a pop star, her music was very traditional, even when she took it up-tempo for young people.  Her songs were based in the Jewish tradition of Yemen, where her family lived before there was an Israel.  In them, she celebrates her Jewish religion and heritage, as well as her heartfelt connection to the musical traditions of Yemen.  She grew up the youngest of nine children in a very poor Tel Aviv neighborhood. But she died a celebrity, thanks to a beautiful voice and the celebrative nature of her songs, which made so many people happy and proud. Click here.

Top photo: Wikipedia / Public Domain / Carl Van Vechten / Mahalia Jackson

Second photo: Sharon St Joan / western Sichuan province, an ethnically-Tibetan part of China / prayer flags

Third photo: Jack Malipan / Dreamstime.com / Sanaa Old Town, Yemen