World In Stereo

Rikki Ililonga

World in Stereo: Rikki Ililonga & Musi-O-Tunya’s Dark Sunrise

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Rikki Ililonga: Dark SunriseRikki Ililonga & Music-O-Tunya: Dark Sunrise (Now-Again, 11/23/10)

Musi-O-Tunya: “Dark Sunrise”

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Gritty garage-rock grooves from mid-’70s Zambia comprise Now-Again Records’ latest release, Dark Sunrise, the double-disc (or three-LP box set), 31-track chronicle of Zambian “Zam Rock” godfather Rizketo Makyua “Rikki” Ililonga and his groundbreaking band Musi-O-Tunya.

The anthology fits Now-Again’s current obsession with Zambia’s 1970s music scene, whose landmark bands WITCH and Amanaz have seen record reissues from the specialized global funk label. But after one listen to the killer rock grooves from Dark Sunrise, with its furious fusion of US/UK/African rhythmic dynamics, fuzzed-out electric guitars, and hypnotic brass sections, audiences will come to understand why the obsession is exceptionally reasonable, if not completely necessary.

Christopher Cavaliere

World in Stereo: Christopher Cavaliere’s Monrovia Suite

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Christopher Cavaliere: “Étude 7 (Brazilian March)” (Monrovia Suite, self-released, 8/13/10)

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With his self-released album Monrovia Suite, multi-instrumentalist Christopher Cavaliere presents a tightly wound collection of worldly instrumental tracks.  Accessible yet avant garde, the album exudes a patience and grace towards composition that may be best demonstrated by those schooled in jazz and classical music.

The young virtuoso, hailing from Bridgeport, Connecticut, has a knack for turning his solo routine into a swelling symphonic experience. In the same style as Frédéric Chopin and other great composers, Cavaliere has titled his songs as études. It’s a compelling choice warranted by the album’s dynamic lushness, timeless guitar intercessions, and rhythmic complexity. The songs can be heard as studies in the sense of composition, arrangement, and tone. For listeners, it’s a helpful way to frame the album, imagining the songs more like movements or motifs in the traditional classical sense.

World in Stereo: Angola Soundtrack: The Unique Sound of Luanda, 1965-1976

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Angola Soundtrack: The Unique Sound of Luanda, 1965-1976Various artists: Angola Soundtrack: The Unique Sound of Luanda, 1965-1976 (Analog Africa, 11/22/2010)

Ngoma Jazz: “Mi Cantando Para Ti”

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For its ninth catalog release, Frankfurt-based record label Analog Africa digs deep into the soul of Angola, the former Portuguese colony in south central Africa.  The compilation gives yet another exciting perspective into the remarkable number of African music styles that have bore into the global sound stage.  Angola Soundtrack: The Unique Sound of Luanda, 1965-1976, with its 44-page accompanying booklet, is one of the most complete Angolan music exhibitions released to date, bringing to light one of Africa’s most underestimated music scenes.

The Sound of Siam

World in Stereo: The Sound of Siam: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz & Molam in Thailand 1964-1975

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

The Sound of SiamVarious artists: The Sound of Siam: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz & Molam in Thailand 1964-1975 (Soundway, 11/29/2010)

Chaweewan Dumnern: “Sao Lam Plearn”

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In characteristic Soundway Records fashion, the crate-digging UK label’s newest compilation documents a flourishing music scene that few people even knew existed.  Over the years, Soundway has released a number of afro-centric compilations filled with rare gems and obscure grooves, but its newest is an unexplored taste of Asia with The Sound of Siam: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz & Molam in Thailand 1964-1975.

The 19-track set is a fascinating exploration that spans North and South Thailand (known as Siam until 1939).  It’s a retrospective that reveals one of the most experimental time periods in Thailand’s music history.  Scouring the old and forgotten vinyls of Bangkok and unearthing the genres of luk thung, molam, funk, and spaced-out jazz, The Sound of Siam will surprise listeners with moving vocal performances, groovy rhythm sections, and surf-rock guitar riffs while being entirely Thai and Western chic at the same time.

World in Stereo: Copal’s Into the Shadow Garden

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Copal: Into the Shadow Garden Copal: Into the Shadow Garden (self-released, 11/4/2010)

Copal: “Roots”
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A profound understanding of past worlds and global traditions are required to make music like Copal does.  The New York City-based music collective specializes in old-world sounds with careful modern flourishes, drawing influences from a wide variety of ancient societies.  Copal’s debut album, Into the Shadow Garden, has a meditative sophistication; it’s a string- and percussion-driven album that recalls a time when these instruments alone were used to express a musical ambiance and atmosphere.

AfroCubism

World in Stereo: AfroCubism

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

AfroCubismAfroCubism: s/t (World Circuit / Nonesuch, 11/2/2010)

AfroCubism: “Jarabi”

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It was 1996 when British producer Nick Gold and American guitarist Ry Cooder arrived in Havana, intending to make a certain record that placed Malian and Cuban musicians together to explore the roots of Afro-Cuban music.  But as passport and visa problems stranded the West African musicians in Paris, Gold and Cooder made the decision to move on and revamp the project because the studio in Havana was already booked.

Huun Huur Tu

World in Stereo: Huun Huur Tu’s Ancestors Call

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Huun Huur Tu: Ancestors CallHuun Huur Tu: Ancestors Call (World Village, 10/12/2010)

Huun Huur Tu: “Chyraa-Khoor (Yellow Pacer)”
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Obtaining music from a tiny, remote place like the Republic of Tuva is similar to possessing some sort of mysterious artifact.  For Huun Huur Tu’s latest offering, Ancestors Call, the sentiment holds true as the four folk traditionalists have reintroduced to the world an art form from one of the least-known regions in Siberia.  Collecting the group’s most-admired songs, the quartet has redefined the music that it pioneered more than 15 years ago, reworking these original pieces with a 20th Century approach to composition and rhythm.

Rahim AlHaj

World in Stereo: Rahim AlHaj’s Little Earth

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Rahim AlHaj: Little EarthRahim AlHaj: Little Earth (UR Music, 9/28/10)

Rahim AlHaj: “Morning in Hyattsville”
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If you’ve ever dabbled in Arabic music, whether realizing or not, you have probably come across the short-necked Arabian lute known formerly as the oud.  If you’ve never explored the musical styling, however, the recordings of Rahim AlHaj may be the place to start.  Hailed as one of Iraq’s most paramount composers and an esteemed oud musician, AlHaj studied under Munir Bashir, perhaps one of the most quintessential innovators and players of the oud, at the Institute of Music in Baghdad.

World in Stereo: TriBeCaStan: 5 Star Cave

TriBeCaStan travels across the musical landscape of the entire world with dizzying speed: one second you’re grooving to a banjo-led southern folk-funk jamboree, and the next you’re boogieing to a Caribbean jazz breakdown relocated to a Grecian island.