Rockin’ the sanshin ina rubadub stylee
Well this is a pleasant surprise.. Despite an unsettling history of occupation from outside forces, the Okinawa Islands (formerly the Ryukyu Kingdom) in the deep south of Japan are home to an amazing array of tropical musical flavours! Not only a singular style of folk music (lovin’ that sanshin), but reggae and cumbia and oh my 神!! Much more!
Also on this week’s program – Arab electro, Nigerian disco, Aussie soul, Incan prog, and who knows what else..
The recent history of the Kashmir region is both complex and tragic, yet the music is truly beautiful. This hour of music draws on the many cultures in the region, including the Hindustani classical music of the Kashmir Valley and neighboring Jammu, upbeat Pahari beats from Pakistani-controlled Azad Kashmir, and Tibetan Buddhist spiritual pop of Leh, among other amazing sounds.
Young renegade hip hop freedom fighter MC Kash is also featured – hear his story in this short doc:
In all styles, in all places, there are strong women who craft songs just as well as the fellas. In celebration of International Women’s Day 2016, we present a playlist of great female composers and performers – from the big band era to the present – who breached the status quo to share their art, and in the process have divined a more equal world:
Tashi Delek! Welcome to the last Shangri-La, the magical moutain kingdom of Bhutan. Yes, they still have a king – and he is on Facebook. Wedged in the Himalayas between the two most populous nations on Earth, the land of thunder dragons somehow manages to keep a very low profile and a well-preserved cultural identity. Miraculously, television wasn’t legalized in Bhutan until 1999, so they were essentially the last country to leave the real world and be hypnotized by the warm electric glow. Tragic, but inevitable.
Bhutan is so special because it represents the preservation of ancient Tibetan Buddhist culture, now that Tibet has been wiped out by China. Bhutan was united as a nation in the 17th century by runaway Tibetan lama Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, and has since evolved in isolation. Perched safely in cliff-side dzongs, the Bhutanese are one of the very few societies to have successfully resisted occupation from outside powers for their entire history.
Taktsang Palphug Monastery, with ample parking for up to 6 thunder dragons
Until the last few decades, only traditional (really just another word for ‘local’) music existed in Bhutan. All traditional music can be divided into Boedra (Tibetan style) or Zhungdra (developed in Bhutan). This stuff is sacred. And then there’s rock n roll..
Sure, it’s pretty positive stuff. So is everything on the young Thimphu-based record label M-Studio. But where will they be in another 20 years? Death metal thrash dub-step polka? For now, Bhutan teeters the line between ancient depth and innocent modernity. May they retain their uniqueness, and dragons; forever.
Hear the soundscape of Bhutan {{HERE}}
Downtown Atlanta: this is not
Orient your cochleas towards the Caucasus, here drifts a wave of sublime sounds from Georgia. Not the southern American state, but rather the magical country on the far east of Europe – or if you prefer, the western fringe of Asia (continents are surprisingly nebulous entities). The rugged Georgia-Russia border is only a few dozen kilometres from the current Sochi Winter Olympic Games taking place in the deep south of Russia, but Georgia is still light years removed from the global cultural spotlight. And so we dive…
Sonically speaking, Georgians are best known for their age-old mastery of polyphonic vocal harmonies. This is a technique that has spread to all corners of the planet, yet Georgians have been doing it for so long that they still seem to do it better; this effortless layering of voices has found its way into non-traditional genres as well.. like throw-back choral swing!:
Stream the Georgian broadcast [[HERE]], featuring some of the world’s most potent vocalists, with sides of prog, folk, hip hop, and mystery beats.
WANDERING RHYTHMS RADIO 