Around the World - Preview
10 May 2024
This week on Around the World
Music from: Anatolian Kurdistan, Australia, Brazil, Catalonia, Czechia, England, France, Greece, India, Jamaica, Japan, Maghreb, Poland, Russia, Senegal, Sevilla, Skye, Somaliland, South Africa, Tibet, Wales, and an Imagined Village.
Music by: Aywa, Aziza Brahim, Bára Zmeková, Benjamin Zephaniah, Cerys Hafana, Chiyomi Yamada & baobab, Frank Cosmo, Kiran Ahluwalia, Kyab Yul-Sa, Lass, Lia Sampai, Natascha Rogers, Niteworks, Otava Yo, Pilani Bubu & Marthe, Radical Son, Raphael Gimenes, Raúl Rodríguez, Sahra Halgan, Sam Lee, Sutari, Till Yawuh, and Voodoo Drummer.
This week’s Featured Album - Hiddo Dhawr by Sahra Halgan
Sahra Halgan - SHARAF (Official Music Vidéo)
'“Sahra Halgan is an iconic artist from Somaliland, a country in the Horn of Africa that has been independent since 1991 but is unrecognised by the international community. During the 1980s, when she is involved in the terrible war against the dictatorship, she earns the nickname "Halgan", the fighter, and her songs win the hearts of an entire people forever. Exiled to France, she starts her group in Lyon with Aymeric Krol, Maël Salètes and Régis Monte. Her third album is the fruit of a sincere search for authenticity and innovation, an unprecedented alliance between Somali song and original rock, thus enriching the most unexpected landscapes of the world music scene with her inspiration. It's called ‘Hiddo Dhawr’ (‘Preserve Culture’), which is also the name of the cultural centre that Sahra founded in 2013 in Hargeisa.
“SHARAF” is a hymn to the pride and dignity of the human being. «Show your beauty and the honor that God has given you» In these days filled with daily bad news and war on the screen, misery has no place for Sahra Halgan who decides through this first single to prioritize the beauty of human dignity. As she usually says, “We must be able to love each other in order to open ourselves to the world and love the other. Self-esteem is not a fault of pride and on the contrary, knowing its value highlights the beauty of a soul".” [1]
You can find the album Hiddo Dawar on Danaya Records. It’s currently No 15 in the World Music Chart Europe and number 7 in Transglobal Music Chart.
Other highlights …
Bára Zmeková - Přestalo pršet (official video)
Last week a bunch of ne CDs arrived in the post and I was working my way through them early in the morning. There was a lot of good new music, but one album stood out – and I let it play from the beginning right through to the end. This is a very very rare occurrence.
It was by Bára Zmeková. She is a singer-songwriter and pianist from Prague. Her music is a blend of folk, jazz and classical … and touched with a bit of electronic.
The album is Jediný na světě (The Only One in the World). I’ll be playing the title song - and a lot more in weeks to come.
Voodoo Drummer WEIRDOFON Bacchae / Moondog / Rebetiko
The Voodoo Drummer, Christos Koutsogiannis, explains Weirdofon
The WEIRDOFON tracks: “Bacchae” (Voodoo Drummer) “Elf Dance” (Moondog) “Giftopoula sto Hamam / Boufetzis” (Giorgos Batis)
Adding this unique “Weirdofon”, an one octave - needs to be tuned! – metal Balafon as the third instrument, the experimental duo has enriched their sound and presents a part of their upcoming first album!
The WEIRDOFON tracks: The video opens with “Bacchae”, a piece written by Christos Koutsogiannis, about the female followers of Dionysus, during his sojourn in Hades, the Underworld! It is followed by the “Elf Dance,” a lovely waltz by Moondog (Louis Thomas Hardin). "The Viking of Sixth Avenue" was a true original, whose compositions and drum pieces in odd times are a huge influence!
The video closes with a bold cover of “Giftopoula sto Hamam” and “Boufetzis,” by Rebetiko legend Giorgos Batis, who formed the first Rebetiko group in 1934 with the great Markos Vamvakaris and recorded few songs only in the 30s!
The VOODOO DRUMMER
Duo: Stavros Parginos: CELLO & Claps
Christos Koutsogiannis: DRUMS, WEIRDOFON, Claps & Oddities!
Video created by Jean Paul Harter Recorded and mixed by Kostas Tsiolis NOTICE: We could say that "Synchronization limits the ultimate expression!" but the truth is that, at the time of the video shooting, not all audio files were available and we are unable to play a piece the same way twice!
The title of our album will be "HELLaS SPELLS" for a reason! Thanks to: Magda “Taxideutoula” Georgiou, Dimitris Grigoriadis, Nick Roussos and Nikos Koutsogiannis. The VOODOO DRUMMER duo: drummervoodoo@gmail.com
Tam Lyn (retold)
There’s an old folk song from the Scottish Borders called Tam Lin (also Tamlane, Tamlin, Tambling, Tomlin, Tam Lien, Tam-a-Line, Tam Lyn, or Tam Lane). It goes back around 400 years. In the last century, early field recordings were made in both Scotland and Northern Ireland.
It wasn’t until 1969 when Fairport Convention recorded it on Liege and Leif that it became popular among younger people and audiences beyond traditional folk music.
Last week Anna Mašátová from Czech Republic reminded me of the great version by Benjamin Zephaniah, recorded in 2007 under the name The Imagined Village – along with Simon Emerson, and Eliza Carthy and produced by Peter Gabriel.
I was reminded of it in a very timely manner --- it was the 1st of May.
Andrew Gurruwiwi Band - Yaa Djamarrkuḻi (TEASER)
More later …
Where and when to listen.
Friday:
Akaroa World Radio 2:00 pm local New Zealand Time (3:00 am GMT 4:00 am CET)
NAR-GROUP Germany – 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m (CET)
Mosel Radio – 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m (CET)
NAR-Alf – 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m (CET)
Saturday:
RCFM (Radio City FM) Duisburg, Germany 3:00 – 5:00 pm CET
World FM 10:00 pm local New Zealand Time (11:00 am GMT, 12:00 noon CET)
Essential Radio Midnight to 2:00 am GMT (1:00 am CET)
Sunday:
West Coast FM Namibia 10:00 pm to 12:00 noon Central Africa Time (2:00 to 4:00 GMT)
NFRS Osaka Japan: 12:00 noon local time (3:00 am UK time 4:00 am CET)
973FM in Singapore and 11:00 pm local time (3:00 pm/15:00 hours UTC – Universal Time).
Bangor FM 107.9 7:00 pm local time (8:00 pm CET)
Slice Audio 10:00 pm local time (11:00 pm CET)
Ferry FM 10:00 pm local time (11:00 pm CET)
Radio Larne 10:00 pm local time (11:00 pm CET)
Armagh City Radio 10:00 pm local time (11:00 pm CET)
Monday:
SparkFlame Radio: 00:00 am GMT (01:00 CET)
Waterwaves Radio: 8:00 pm GMT (21:00 CET)
KNC Radio St Lucia 6:00 am local time (10:00 am GMT 11:00 am CET)
BR2 Pure Gold Radio – Costa Blanca, Spain 10:00 pm local time (CET)
Akaroa World Radio 10:00 pm local New Zealand Time (11:00 am GMT, 12:00 noon CET)
World FM 10:00 pm local New Zealand Time (11:00 am GMT, 12:00 noon CET)
Tuesday:
Lisburn’s 98FM – 7:00 pm local time GMT (8:00 pm CET)
FM105 Down Community Radio – 7:00 pm local time GMT (8:00 pm CET)
Wednesday:
World FM 4:00 am local New Zealand Time (5:00 pm Tuesday GMT, 6:00 pm CET)
Slice Audio 4:00 am local time GMT (5:00 am CET)
Radio Skye (Radio Garden) 10:00 pm GMT (11:00 pm CET)
Stirling Community Radio 10:00 pm GMT (11:00 pm CET)
Thursday:
Radio Larne 10:00 pm local time (11:00 pm CET)