Ready for this week’s trip to the great unknown? This will get you MODERATELY PUMPED UP!!:
That’s right, they had keytars in Tajikistan waaay back in the 80s. (Also, wireless electricity in the desert) But more importantly, Tajiks share ancestry and musical history with the people of Iran, so we can safely assume that they have been jamming on guitar-fathers (i.e. the tar and dutar) for centuries..
Hear here: Global Mix
Hear here: Tajikistan
As a tribute to Black History Month, we bring you a sampling of sounds from the unique and vibrant Caribbean nation of Haiti. The first independent black republic, Haiti is an incredible site of cultural mixing alongside deep respect for traditions. Music holds the roots in place even while deforestation erodes mountainsides. Kompa, mini-djaz, vodoun drumming, mizik rasin, french folk, and the sweet melodies of musical liberation…
This week we visit the Sultanate of Oman, a rocky coastal nation with a keen interest in seafaring exploration. Friends of many, enemies of few, sneaking just below the international tabloids… for simplicity’s sake let’s call it Switzerland of the Middle East. Heck, they even manage the feat of having positive relations with both Iran and the United States. They don’t choose sides. Omanis are easygoing like that. They have a Sultan after all.
As for the music, there is a vast and complex history of intermingling to draw upon. Many Swahili rhythms have seeped into the Omani soundscape, as the Omani empire once stretched down the East African coast as far as Madagascar. There is also the potent influence of Arabic neighbors to the north, as well as the instruments of the Baloch people of Pakistan. Music is a part of everyday public life in Oman, not often recorded for posterity, and thus many of the sublime sounds from the ground are not readily available to our far-off ears. We can imagine.. And extrapolate from the few recordings that we have at our disposal: some gritty hip hop, vocal acrobatics, drums of thunder, and ambient oud sketches..
A universe in itself: The modern muzik of Slovakia. Quality 1960s bigbeat swonk, sophisticated artrock, ancient hip hop, 80s synth pop, and fujara flutescapes… Enjoy the rhythmic odyssey to the Tetra peaks of Eastern Europe.
The Rap Steady Crew from Bratislava, with classic ’93 old-school swagger:
Oh, and for the trivialists out there, the Dobro guitar was invented and manufactured by the Slovakian Dopyera brothers (the Do-Bros!) in 1928. On behalf of the Country/Jazz/Bluegrass communities, thanks gents!
We have grown familiar with the sensation of biting into unexpected musical delicacies. Even so, this trip caught us off guard. The richness of musical experiments being cooked up in Angola throughout the 60s and 70s, as the south-western African country was wriggling its way towards independence, was a bittersweet beauty to behold. With hundreds of years of Portuguese influence, and groovin’ musical neighbors like Zaire (now the D.R. Congo) setting powerful precedents, Angolan musicians were ripe to develop their own hotpot of dance styles. Though very few Angolan musicians achieved recognition outside the country, the local scene thrived and supported its own artists.
Our feature on Angolan music is slanted heavily towards this time period, when garage rock, semba (a cousin of Brazilian samba), kizomba (upbeat marimba big band), and a myriad of other styles were helping to articulate the struggle for freedom, and create a sense of hope for the people. The years between 1975-2002 were plagued by civil war, and the music industry suffered as many artists were killed or forced to leave the country. But Angola is now home to one of Africa’s most dynamic hip hop scenes, as well as a style of frenetic electronic music known as kuduro that has taken the lusophone world by tropical storm.
Also on the show: Evan Catalano, a blue-haired punk rocker from Nelson-based band Thus Far, who discusses and debuts songs from the band’s new EP… recorded last week!
WANDERING RHYTHMS RADIO 