Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Omar Souleyman "Salamat Galbi Bidek" - 2013 Nobel Peace Prize Concert



This is too easy, picking something interesting from Syria, but Omar's irresistible, and Syria's so screwed up. Enjoy...

Monday, September 12, 2016

Banda do Mar - Mais Ninguém



Foreigners who go to Brazil expecting samba and bossa nova might be surprised to find that the country has an indie rock scene as good as any. Not that there's anything wrong with Bebel Gilberto, but maybe something not so girl-from-Ipanemish would be nice. The lightness, the airiness, the breeziness, and the beachiness is still there...

Monday, August 29, 2016

丁丁與西西 - Beautiful



Taiwan is largely lost in the shuffle of China's latter-day dominance, but they're still there, and not going anywhere soon, I'd bet. As if it's not impressive enough that they and the mainland both even have a genre of indie music, it's even more interesting to note how different the two genres are, the mainland's harsh and punkish, Taiwan's softer and reflective. Music is the window to a nation's soul...

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

spoon guitar



Botswana never ceases to amaze. First there were Culture Spears, then Guitar Ronnie, and now the Spoonman (no, not Artis of Seattle fame). Is this where slide guitar originated? Who knows? Enjoy...

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Нозияи Кароматулло - Чурачон | Noziya Karomatullo - Jurajon



Tajikistan may seem like some insignificant tiny country out in the remote Central Asian region, with their most famous historical cities of Samarkand and Bukhara in modern Uzbekistan, but here are the origins of Persian culture, so don't judge all by the modern politics of expediency and survival. This is one of the most interesting cultures and histories in the world...

Monday, August 01, 2016

Kad procvatu behari- Ilahija-Bosnian soul music



Bosnia is Europe's mixed bag: Serbo-Croatian language and Muslim religion. Of course, the countryside is still ravaged from the predations of the Bosnians Serbs, who effectively split the country in two. Bosnians persevere. I don't know about 'soul music', but this is a sweet song, no translation necessary.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

TANZANIA MUSIC - BUSHOKE -DUNIA NJIA




Tanzania has some pretty good music, once you get past the gratuitous twerking and fuzz vocals that seem to plague Africa's music scene all over. Persevere...

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Rantés - Cara de Pasa




Bolivia is not known for its Indie rock, at least not outside the region, better known for those aguayo-draped ch'ullo-capped sun-parched faces honking down on the bizniz end of a siku or quena, or strumming a charango or cuatro, all while hopping and dancing around the stage, seems rather quaint now, and hard to believe that this was once at the forefront of 'world music'. But alas and alack, they never changed nor advanced, nor forged new directions at the risk of failing. Even the Andean street musicians in Europe add electronics or mimic Carlos Nakai now, not Sukay or Inti Illimani. You gotta keep it fresh, and the best of Rock Boliviano does that, asi lo hacen...   

Thursday, July 07, 2016

พิณร็อคเขย่าโลกลายลำแคนเหยียบแมงซอน YouTube



Okay--disclaimer time. Thailand is my second home, so I could go on and on about the music there--here--all night, and you might care, or not. SO: I'm going to tie into a current trend in the US and Europe in which Khun Narin's Electric Phin Band is one of the hottest things going in world and indie circles. BUT: they're not the first 'phin' band, nor the only, nor necessarily the best. This music is from Isaan, a world away from Bangkok, Samui or Chiang Mai. This is what they do. These guys call themselves 'PinRock', and that's pronounced 'pin', not 'fin'. You heard it here first.

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Osayomore Joseph - Awanuro



Benin is that other tiny West African nation, which, along with Togo, Ghana and Nigeria, defines the old 'Slave Coast'...and some of Africa's best music. This artist is an old school icon, usually just known as 'the ambassador'... enjoy...

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