FEATURE WORLDBEAT ALBUMS 

HOT NEW GLOBAL MUSIC RELEASES

AUGUST 2007

Matisyahu – No Place To Be (Epic) Mathew Millar grew up a typically uninspired kid in White Plains, New York. He dropped out of school, and adopted a ‘dead-head’ lifestyle, wandering around the States, following the jam band, Phish as they toured. Then, while camping in the splendor of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, he had a religious epiphany and he turned to Judaism to find peace, and to reggae music to express it. After being named Billboard’s Reggae Artist of the Year in 2006, Mathew, now known as Matisyahu took his band to Israel to perform and connect with his religious roots. Although Matisyahu may seem like an anomaly in global music as a converted Hasidic Jew chanting reggae music, there are many commonalities between Rastafarianism and Judaism. Both, for instance would acknowledge his unkempt beard as a symbol of righteous observance.  On his latest CD/DVD, ‘No Place To Be’, Matisyahu talks candidly about living life in both worlds. The DVD footage also captures the vibe of one of his live performances in Israel during a pilgrimage to the ancient city of Jerusalem. The CD itself takes a bit of a backseat in this package, containing only seven tracks with three of those being remixes, but then again, reggae has never been bashful about milking a riddim.

 Key Tracks: Jerusalem, Dispatch The Troops, King without A Crown 

 

CéU – CéU (Six Degrees)  As one reviewer put it, “Samba has an old soul and a new voice.” Seldom has the global music media been so unified in their praise as they have been for the debut album by CéU Sow (like a female pig). Her name can mean either ‘sky’ or ‘heaven’ in Brazilian Portuguese. Both words aptly describe the ‘floating on air’ textures she’s created for her new samba sounds. 

Equally impressive is how fresh and timeless the album continues to be despite the fact that it first received limited exposure back in 2005. This year it was re-released internationally by the ground breaking Six Degrees label and its momentum continues to build. CéU avoids the electro-bossa rhythms that have become all the rage in Brazil and the staple of her label-mate, Bebel Gilberto. Instead her compositions lean toward dub and sampled interpretations of the music she grew up on. As she muses in one song, “samba sticks to the soles of my feet." There’s good reason why CeU’s music sounds so mature on her first recording. Her father is a composer and musicologist in Sao Paulo who gave her a deep appreciation for Brazilian music at an early age.

 Key Tracks:  Malemolencia, Roda, Ave Cruz, Samba Na Sola

 

No Luck Club – Prosperity (Igloo Cartel Recordings) The trinity has a special meaning in Chinese mythology … three spirits representing fortune, wealth and long life. The trio of Matt and Trevor Chan, along with DJ Paul Belen, are creating a trilogy of albums based on the three Chinese deities. With ‘Happiness’ already under their belts, they’ve recently recorded the second chapter called ‘Prosperity’. No Luck Club is a Vancity trio who are at the leading edge of a new and exciting urban music subculture … instrumental hip hop. Their recordings are threaded together by cultural themes based on Chinese mythology. Instead of the albums being a collection of lyrical stories, No Luck Club has arranged their instrumentals in suites, much like the way western classical composers did. The result says a lot about the band and where they come from without really saying a word. 

 Key Tracks:  Turntables On The Bayou, Dosa Hut Chase

 

Zap Mama – Super Moon (Heads Up)  Vocal magician, Marie Daulne has completed the sixth album for her Afro-European project called Zap Mama. In a world consumed with celebrity, the new disc celebrates the real deal; that genuine spark within us all. Honesty and integrity are never far from the art that Marie Daulne has been creating from fifteen years now. Reflecting on the shallowness of today’s celebrity culture, her sixth album hinges on a word she’s coined to describe a person who is unique to the core … not a super star but a ‘Supermoon’. The new disc continues to explore Afropean possibilities with generous helpings of funk, soul and jazz. At this point, she can scarcely do much wrong. She is definitely one of the voices of our times. 

.Key Track:  Toma Taboo, Gati, Supermoon

 

 

JULY 2007

Signia - SIGNIAtures (Music Waves)  A signature is as individual as a finger print. Signia have just released the second album of what they refer to as, “West Coast Canadian Neo-bhangra” and it’s called SIGNIAtures. The core duo of San-J and LV are trail blazing a new west coast expression of South Asian-inspired urban … a style that has set them apart and got them noticed. The title, ‘SIGNIAtures’ is a nod to their distinctive approach. San-J and LV are letting the music flow from within, without design or premeditation. They never set out to force eastern and western elements together or become the next big Indian thing. Their sound is a reflection of who they are; young talents with diverse tastes in music, and where they live; in the cultural diversity of Vancity.  It’s a method that seems to be working as Signia evolve into the city’s biggest bhangra band. That's literally. The new album also marks a huge growth spurt for Signia who have expanded from a duo to nine members! 

 

Key Tracks: Karlo Ashiaan, Wind With Me feat. Ray Mitchel, Dil Nachde feat. Dehli 2 Dublin 

 

Cesaria Evora – Rogamar (Sony BMG)  The ocean is integral to island life. It’s what separates islanders from the rest of the world and it’s the common bond that joins them with each other. The most famous resident of the Cape Verde chain of islands, Cesaria Evora returned home to record her tenth album called Rogamar or ‘Pray to the Sea’ and water is a theme that flows through every track. The ocean’s ebb and flow reflect the life in her songs about love, loss and humankind. But, one aspect of the recording was imported from overseas. Brazilian composer, Caetano Veloso’s arranger, Jacques Morelenbaum added the strings in Rio de Janeiro. And though five hundred miles separate Cape Verde from the African mainland, the barefoot diva joins with her brothers and sisters across the water in wishing peace and progress for that part of the world. The album’s first single,  Africa Nossa is a tribute to Africa with Senegalese singer, Ismael Lo. BTW, The strings on Rogamar aren’t the only connection between the Cape Verdean island of Santiago where she was born and Brazil. Her hometown of Mindelo is renowned locally for its Carnival celebrations which have earned it the nickname, ‘Little Brazil’.

 

Key Tracks: Africa Nossa, Rogamar

 

Jesse Cook – Frontiers (EMI)  One of the world’s favorite Nuevo-flamenco guitarists happens to be a Canadian. The Spanish influence started in the crib for Jesse Cook, when his family moved briefly to Barcelona and a local nanny would sing him to sleep. His new album, ‘Frontiers’ continues to push the creative possibilities for acoustic guitar. He’s also released a DVD recorded at Montreal’s historic Metropolis Theatre which showcases the intensity and agility of his live performances. Jesse almost dismissed a career as a performer. He was convinced his contribution to the music industry lay in composition for film and other off-stage pursuits. That is … until the strength of his guitar playing made it impossible for him to hide his light behind the scenes. A young Jesse Cook met the Gipsy Kings in the early eighties. He explains, ‘That was when I hooked on that percussive approach to playing guitar.” Frontiers is brimming with that percussive style and with his accomplished band and guests like Egyptian-Canadian vocalist, Maryem Tollar, he expands the music's traditional boundaries south around the Mediterranean and touching on the Indian subcontinent.

 

Key Tracks:  Matisse The Cat, Vamos, Havana

 

Bjork – Volta (Warner)  For someone who has so fearlessly marched forward into the unknown, it’s amazing to think of how few missteps Bjork has made in her music career. Since she started her first all-girl punk band called Spit And Snot when she was fourteen  until this year’s release of Volta, her sixth solo album, this Icelandic innovator has enchanted and beguiled us with her boundless imagination. For the ‘Bjork-curious’, the new release may just be the perfect introduction to her weird and wonderful world. Volta strikes a balance between her frequent flights of fancy and her poppier moments. Leading edge production by Timbaland keeps the disc grounded and the beats fat. The first single and album opener marches in to the buzz of electrified thumb pianos from the Congo’s ‘Konono Number One’. Bjork is not a stage name or affectation. It’s common for Icelanders to be referred to by their first name only. Bjork literally means ‘birch tree’.

 

Key Track:  Earth Intruders

 

Xavier Rudd – White Moth (Universal)  Political personas like Al Gore, film stars like Leonardo diCaprio and scientists like David Suzuki are all using the clout of their celebrity to sound the alarm about the world’s environment. Their message is resonating with many of us, and music, in its role as ‘the voice of the people’ is right there, promoting environmental activism. Xavier Rudd is one voice who stands out in the chorus. While some critics have dismissed the bare foot solo artist as merely an Australian hippie, there is no denying his passion for nature and the people who live in harmony with it. It’s also hard to question his natural gifts as a musician. He’s a ‘one man orchestra’, playing Hawaiian lap guitar, hand drums, didgeridoo and other instruments, often at the same time! On his fourth album called ‘White Moth’ he spreads his wings and spreads his message still further. He’s opening up to more collaboration as well. Better People, the first single from the new disc features Vancouver keyboardist, Panos Grames. When he’s not touring, Xavier Rudd splits his time between Australia’s Gold Coast and Canada’s West Coast. His Vancouver ties are evident in his choice of producer for White Moth; acclaimed local sound smith, David Ogilvie.

 

Key Tracks: Better People, Stargaze, Footprint

 

Bonde do Role – With Lasers (Domino)  When asked to describe her band’s music, MC Marina Vella says Bonde Do Role Bon-gee dough ho-lay “is the ultimate stupid party.” One listen to this Brazilian trio’s debut album, “With Lasers”, which squeezes twelve tunes into a half hour of mayhem, and you’re likely to agree with her. It’s kind of stupid but a lot of fun. At the core of their mash-up is a style of music particular to Rio called, Baile Funk … party music that’s more yelling than singing, especially popular in the favelas, the shanty towns of Rio. The lyrics are sung in a sub-dialect of Portuguese called Pajuba, used by the gay community but not widely understood anywhere else. Add in elements of heavy metal and cheesy discotronics and you have what CSS call their favorite Brazilian band. Influential global DJ Diplo, who’s also worked with MIA, helped shape Bonde do Role’s sound. He describes it as being like, “digging through the garbage in Brazil, using the pieces to make a club mess and then turning the volume up to Ten."

 

Key Tracks: Solta O Frango, Office Boy

 

Mihirangi – Kulcha Nation (Black Market Music)  Mihirangi Mee-hee-rung-ee is a beautiful performer who is putting her own spin on the singer, songwriter tradition. Born and raised in New Zealand with an abiding respect for her Maori heritage, her themes are indigenous while her methods are ingenious. Like her ancestors, she shares a profound spiritual connection with both the environment and her womanhood; topics which reoccur in her music. But, through the clever use of live sampling, she’s discovered a way to turn her lone voice into a chorus of ascent. In the spiritual beliefs of the Maori people of Polynesia, all living things are descended from the many gods who are embodied in the forests, rivers, mountains and oceans. And, as Mihirangi learned as a child, everyone has an opportunity to express themselves as these deities through the course of their lives. By using loop pedals for live vocal sampling, she has in effect found a way to express herself in many different voices at the same time. Her astonishing technique and impassioned sincerity have made her a festival favorite around the world and an eloquent ambassador of Maori culture.

 

Key Tracks: Wash Away The Day, Deeper, Slave

 

Rumba Calzada – Album 4 (Warner)  One could assume that for Rumba Calzada, an album title is not as important as acknowledging this particular point in the journey. The previous three albums from these Vancouver stalwarts on the Latin music scene have also received simple, numerical designations. It makes more sense when you consider that the band is continuing a legacy of Latin rhythms that goes back three generations to percussionist/leader Raphael Geronimo's grandfather. The extensive breeding is very evident in the new disc which continues to explore the pulse of bomba, porro, mambo and of course rumba. But while a seven piece (relatively compact by Cuban band standards for instance) may tend to leave a little roughness around the edges, Rumba Calzada overlay the beats with a sheen of sophisticated and silky melody. We are very fortunate in Vancouver to have a Cuban-style pianist of the caliber and sensitively of Lou Mastroianni who expertly balances the tricky rhythmic aspects of his craft with jazz refinement. He plays against the vibes of Nick Apivor, creating a smooth counter-point that floats on every track. Number Four is another four star effort from one of our city's finest.

 

Key tracks: El Porro, Rapid Mambo, Noticias, Afro Spirit

 

 

GLOBAL GROOVES ON DVD

 

Femi Kuti & Positive Force – 'Live At The Shrine' (a DVD film by Raphael Frydman) (Palm)

 

Fela Kuti was a hero to Nigerians. In defiance of the country’s corrupt and brutal regime during the seventies, he formed the Kalakuta Republic and declared it independent of the State. It included a commune with a recording studio where afrobeat was born. Later he would open a notorious night club on the outskirts of Lagos called ‘The Shrine’. Today, Fela’s son, Femi Kuti has built a new Shrine and continues to move his father’s musical legacy forward. On a new DVD, the heir of afrobeat reflects on the symbolic significance of The Shrine in the bonus interview feature and dodges drinking bottles and chairs without blinking as he and his band power through a set before his hometown fans in the ample performance footage, conveying both the power and joy of afrobeat.. To see Femi Kuti and Postive Force LIVE is to witness a controlled explosion. The stage almost appears to ripple with waves of energy. That’s the power of afrobeat, and Femi Kuti should know how to play it. His father invented the rhythm along with his drummer, Tony Allen. The Shrine was afrobeat’s home, a seat of protest where music was the weapon. The club and others after it which shared its name were closed down and demolished by authorities but Femi Kuti has created the new Shrine in his father’s honor and as an enduring gift to his people. The facility serves as a community centre during the day and performance space in the evening. For Femi Kuti, afrobeat continues to be a family affair. His teenage son often performs with him on alto sax and his youngest brother, Seun Kuti is touring North America with their father’s old band, Egypt 80.

 

JUNE 2007