Songlines Magazine Sample Edition #86 by Songlines Magazine

36 40

FEATURES

Happy Birthday WOMAD

The story behind this momentous festival as it celebrates 30 years.

Sam Lee

Tim Cumming takes to the road with the young song collector, folk singer and former burlesque dancer.

West Bengal

Simon Broughton journeys through West Bengal’s rural communities to report on the regeneration taking place amongst musicians.

Anda Union

A look at the Inner Mongolian band who are preparing to take Edinburgh by storm at this year’s Fringe festival.

The Alaev Family

It’s a family affair: the Central Asian Jewish band about to make their UK debut at this year’s WOMAD.

www.songlines.co.uk

46 29 Songlines 3

www.songlines.co.uk

87 87 Books

The Americas

Africa

Middle East Europe

Fusion

REVIEWS

Hossam Ramzy 28/06/2012 09:35 SLTOTWCD-86-sleeve.indd 1

Yirga & Steve Roud

Compiled by Garth Cartwright; Executive Producer Paul Geoghegan; Art Director Jenni Doggett; cover illustration by Chad Gowey. Exclusively distributed with the August/September 2012 issue of Songlines magazine (#86), www.songlines.co.uk This compilation is © Songlines Publishing Limited, issued under licence. SLL1. The producers of this CD have paid the composers and publishers for the use of their music

CD 86 10 tracks from this issue’s 10 best new albums, plus 5 bonus tracks. Exclusively with the Aug/Sept 2012 issue of Songlines 1 Mokoomba ‘Njoka’ (3:46)

From the album Rising Tide on IglooMondo P

9 Warsaw Village Band ‘Hola Byski Hola’ (4:43) From the album Nord on Jaro P

10 The Very Best ‘Yoshua Alikuti’ (4:16)

2 Criolo ‘Bogotá’ (4:42)

From the album Nó Na Orelha on Sterns

3 Ondatrópica ‘Suena’ (5:05)

4 Lokkhi Terra ‘Shokhi Kunjo Shajao’ (6:08)

5 Samuel Yirga ‘The Blues of Wollo’ (4:40) From the album Guzo on Real World

6 Sam Lee ‘Goodbye My Darling’ (4:36)

7 Mahsa & Majjan Vahdat ‘Garden of Visions’ (3:45)

8 Bard ‘Late Afternoon’ (5:27)

From the album The Springtime Fool on Woodburner Records

Jimmy Little & Doc Watson

From the album MTMTMK on Moshi Moshi Records

PLUS 5 tracks chosen by Chris Blackwell 11 Oumou Sangaré ‘Yala’ (4:08)

From the album Oumou on World Circuit P

12 Baaba Maal ‘Tindo Quando’ (7:05) From the album Television on Palm Pictures P

13 Angélique Kidjo ‘Agolo’

(4:51)

From the album Ayé on Mango Records P

LouisianaCD.indd 1

Songlines 5

78 Cinema

88 World 7 Win WOMAD 2013 tickets 14 Win Jamaican reggae box set 15 W in Darbar Festival tickets 24 W in a Songlines goody bag 87 Win Penguin Folk Songs book

COMPETITIONS

AUG/SEPT12 56 Festival Profile: Fest’Napuan 58 S ounding Out Shetland 61 P ostcard from Windsor Castle 63 S ubscribe +GET A FREE CD 91 G ig Guide & TV/Radio Listings 96 You Should Have Been There 98 B ackpage from... Fes 54 Beginner’s Guide to

REGULARS

23 Cerys Matthews 23 World Music Chart 24 Letters 27 Songlines Music Travel 21 Obituary: Jan Fairley 22 G rooves: Emily Miller; Samuel

14 Salif Keita ‘Mandjou' (excerpt 5:02)

From the album The Mansa of Mali… A Retrospective on Mango Records P

15 Ali Farka Touré ‘Timbarma’ (5:10)

From the album Ali Farka Touré on World Circuit P

Total disc time 73:58

STWCD62 This compilation P & © 2012 Songlines Publishing Ltd. Email: info@songlines.co.uk, www.songlines.co.uk Executive producer Paul Geoghegan. Compiled and sequenced by Sophie Marie Atkinson. Design by Jenni Doggett. Mastering by Good Imprint. CD pressing by Software Logistics Ltd. The producers of this CD have paid the composers and publishers for the use of their music.

* Ackjshakjh * Ackjshakjh * Ackjshakjh * Ackjshakjh by islanD reCorDs’ * Ackjshakjh * Ackjshakjh * Ackjshakjh * Ackjshakjh

27/06/2012 11:13

7 Welcome 9 Top of the World CD 10 M y World: Chris Blackwell 13 BONUS CD Louisiana Legends 14 News 18 Fado on film: a new exhibition 20 H omegrown: Awalé/Obits

UPFRONT

98 10 °I SSU E

8 6°

UPFRONT

Songlines Publishing Ltd PO Box 54209, London, W14 0WU, UK www.songlines.co.uk General Enquiries +44 (0)20 7371 2777 info@songlines.co.uk Subscriptions +44 (0)20 7371 2777 subs@songlines.co.uk Advertising +44 (0)20 7371 2834 james@songlines.co.uk Fax +44 (0)20 7371 2220 Reviews We only review full-length world music albums (not singles or EPs) with UK distribution. Please send a copy marked ‘FOR REVIEW’ to the address above.

Next issue on sale August 31

See p63 to subscribe or www.songlines.co.uk/subs

THE TEAM

Editor-in-chief Simon Broughton Publisher Paul Geoghegan Editor Jo Frost Assistant Editor Sophie Marie Atkinson Art Director Jenni Doggett Advertisement Manager James Anderson-Hanney Subscriptions Manager and Social Media Editor Alexandra Petropoulos Podcast Producer Nasim Masoud Reviews Editor Matthew Milton News Editor Nathaniel Handy Listings Tatiana Rucinska listings@songlines.co.uk World Cinema Editor Ed Stocker ed@edstocker.com Production Consultant Dermot Jones Financial Controller Iwona Perucka Commercial Consultant Chris Walsh Editorial Director Lyn Hughes Contributing Editors Jane Cornwell, Mark Ellingham, Sue Steward & Nigel Williamson Intern Rukshana Parkhouse Assisted this issue by Nathaniel Handy & Olivia Haughton (editorial), Alex Harvey-Brown (design) Cover photography Jenni Doggett

COMPETITIONS Send entries, marked clearly with the competition name, your name, address, email and telephone number to the address above or email to comps@songlines.co.uk. Winners will be chosen at random. Only one entry per household. No cash alternatives. Please note, if you would prefer not to be sent details of other Songlines products and services, or products from other carefully selected companies, please state clearly on your entry.

PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION

Printing Polestar Colchester Ltd, Severalls Industrial Estate, Colchester, Essex CO4 4HT. Record trade distribution Worldwide Magazine Distributors. Tel: 0121 788 3112 UK newsstand & overseas newstrade distribution COMAG Specialist Division. Tel: 01895 433800 All rights are reserved. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or in part, is strictly forbidden without the prior written consent of the publishers. No responsibility for incorrect information can be accepted. The views expressed in the articles are those of the author, and not necessarily of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of statements in Songlines, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or printer’s errors, or for advertisers not completing their contracts. Songlines is also available in audio format from the Talking Newspaper Association, tel: 01435 866102, www.tnauk.org.uk Songlines USPS 4638 is published Jan/Feb, March, April/May, June, July, Aug/Sept, Oct, Nov/Dec by Songlines Publishing Limited. The US annual subscription price is $44 airfreight and mailing in the USA is by agent Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc, 156-15, 146th Ave, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Published by Songlines Publishing Ltd, PO Box 54209, London, W14 0WU. ISSN 1464-8113 © 2009 Songlines Publishing Ltd Songlines logo trade mark, registered under No. 2427714. Directors: Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham, Paul Geoghegan, Lyn Hughes and Chris Pollard

“It's amazing that the WOMAD formula has changed remarkably little”

Welcome

years of WOMAD. An achievement worth celebrating. The name has become so synonymous with world music, although many may forget that it’s a rather awkward acronym for World of Music, Arts and Dance and assume it’s simply the name of a festival of great artists from around the world. Things have changed so much since 1982, when this music was a rarity, it’s amazing that the WOMAD formula has changed remarkably little. They’ve consistently presented music of quality, regardless of musical genre or geographical area. What has evolved is a family-friendly festival where people expect to hear great music that they might never have encountered before and are excited and not intimidated by it. “World music is so much more available now, it does make it more of a challenge,” admits artistic director Paula Henderson. “When we started, everything we did was new. The big discovery in 1982 was the Drummers of Burundi, but it would be very hard to keep a group like that a secret for long these days.” But this year they were keen to present something unique for their 30th anniversary. And that is the Manganiyar Seduction, which plays Friday and Sunday evenings. This extravaganza was created by Indian theatre director Roysten Abel and features 40 Rajasthani folk musicians, each in a little box with red curtains and lights – a structure influenced by the cubicles of Amsterdam’s red-light district and Jaipur’s famous Palace of the Winds. The Manganiyars are a caste of musicians in the desert state of Rajasthan, singing Sufi songs, wedding songs and love songs in a colourful celebration of life. “What seduced me was the rawness that comes from zero pretention and from a very deep source that even the singer doesn’t know because it’s been passed on from generation to generation which connects with life in a jiffy,” explains Abel. “There’s no plot, but there’s an unseen narrative, which starts with a single instrument in a low emotional space and then spirals up until your emotions are thrown about somewhere where gravity doesn’t exist.” If you are escaping the Olympics at WOMAD this year, be sure to see the Manganiyar Seduction and be sure to come and see us at the Songlines stand. We like to meet our readers. And please see below for details about our Reader Survey – tell us what you want more of and what you want less of, so we can continue to be the magazine you can’t do without. And, as an incentive you could win tickets for WOMAD 2013.

STOP PRESS: News just in... We’re delighted to announce our Songlines Music Awards 2012 Winners' Concert at the Barbican on Friday November 23, featuring Anoushka Shankar and Tinariwen. Tickets now on sale from the Barbican box office, tel: 0844 848 5218 or barbican.org.uk

WIN TICKETS FOR WOMAD CHARLTON PARK 2013 Songlines 2012 Reader Survey at www.songlines.co.uk/survey2012

Help us get to know you a little better and make Songlines more of the magazine you’d like it to be. By completing our reader survey you can help us to ensure that we give you more of what you want, and less of what you don’t. As a thank you, we’ll enter you into a prize draw to win one of three pairs of tickets for WOMAD Charlton Park 2013 as well as ten runners-up prizes of a one-year subscription or renewal to Songlines Digital. Go online now at www.songlines.co.uk/survey2012. Deadline August 31 2012

SONGLINES DIGITAL Songlines B&W stereo www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk/sos Super high-quality downloads curated by Real World Studios

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SONGLINES DIGITAL Look out for this symbol throughout the issue to see which free tracks are available for subscribers. For a free trial see www.songlines.co.uk/digital Songlines 7

9 Songlines

August/September 2012

Sam Lee ‘Goodbye my Darling’

Powerfully beautiful Iranian sister act accompanied by three ney flutes. See p83 From Twinklings of Hope on Kirkelig Kulturverksted

Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat ‘Garden of Visions’

Timeless, brooding and elegant English folk gives way to a carefree vagabond spirit. See p76 From The Springtime Fool on Woodburner

Bard ‘Late Afternoon’

album for free!

From Nord on Jaro The Polish folk collective have released a tour de force, with new collaborators brought into the mix to celebrate all things northern. See p81

Warsaw Village Band ‘Hola Byski Hola’

† FUSIONLAND

We’re giving away a choice of Criolo, Sam Lee or Samuel Yirga’s new albums (to new subscribers only). See the flyer inside your covermount CD for details, visit www.songlines.co.uk/cd86 or call +44 (0)20 7371 2777.

New to Songlines? Subscribe now and get a From the album Ground of its Own on The Nest Collective A poignant set of traditional Romany folk songs are given a modern twist by this beguiling song collector. See p77

From MTMTMK on Moshi Moshi Records A life-affirming mash-up of African voices, dance beats, samples and electronic trickery from the MalawiLondon-based duo. See p69

The Very Best ‘Yoshua Alikuti’

TURN OVER TO SEE WHAT’S ON CHRIS BLACKWELL’S PLAYLIST »

1 10

5 4

†

9 Lokkhi Terra ‘Shokhi Kunjo Shajao’

From Che Guava’s Rickshaw Diaries on Funkiwala Bangladeshi folk song goes global on the collective’s second album. See p84

Ethio-pop is given a fresh burst of energy on this debut album from quietly confident newcomer pianist, Yirga. See p68 From Guzo on Real World e.indd 1

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Samuel Yirga ‘The Blues of Wollo’ 10 tracks from this issue’s

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2 Criolo ‘Bogotá’ (4:42)

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4 Lokkhi Terra ‘Shokhi

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From Ondatrópica on Soundway Old-meets-new on this Colombian album, masterminded by Quantic with infectious Latin rhythms. See p73

From the album Twinklings

Criolo ‘Bogotá’

fuse Afro-beat, samba and dub. See p70 From Nó Na Orelha on Sterns Criolo, the new star of Brazilian rap, comes from one of São Paulo’s infamous favelas. His collaborations

Mokoomba ‘Njoka’

Woodburner Records. Courtesy

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On your free CD – the editor’s selection of the top ten albums reviewed in this issue STWCD62 This compilation P & © 2012 Songlines Publishing Executive producer Paul Ltd. Email: info@songlin Geoghegan. Compiled and es.co.uk, www.songlines.co.uk sequenced by Sophie Marie Design by Jenni Doggett. Atkinson. Mastering by Good Imprint. CD pressing by Software The producers of this CD Logistics Ltd. have paid the composers and publishers for the use of their music.

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27/06/2012

From Oumou on World Circuit The Wassoulou singer is also a well-known business woman and owns a hotel in Bamako. Her duet with Jimmy Buffett is a fond memory of Blackwell’s visit to the Malian capital.

Baaba Maal ‘Tindo Quando’

from Television on Palm Pictures Blackwell signed several West African musicians to Island Records, including Senegalese singer and guitarist Baaba Maal.

Angélique Kidjo ‘Agolo’

from Ayé on Island/Mango This track from the Grammy Award-winning Beninoise singer-songwriter and activist is from one of the albums that Kidjo recorded for Island Records in the early 90s.

Salif Keita ‘Mandjou’

from The Mansa of Mali… A Retrospective on Island/Mango Blackwell heard the Malian albino singer-songwriter perform live and describes his voice as “beyond belief.”

Ali Farka Touré ‘Timbarma’

from Ali Farka Touré on World Circuit Having travelled extensively across Africa, an artist who left a lasting impression on Blackwell was blues singer and guitarist, Ali Farka Touré, who went on to become one of the continent’s best-known musical exports. 10 Songlines

DAVID YELLEN

11:13

hris Blackwell is a very busy man, so much so that I’m starting to feel as if I’m stalking his every move. Over the last six months, every time I schedule a chat with the founder of Island Records, I’m frustrated at the last minute. His executive assistant is forever apologetic as she tells me that he’s either had to leave the island on urgent business or that his arrival back has been delayed. Eventually, on the eve of the release of Marley, the film he co-produced about the reggae legend, I’m invited up to his exclusive hotel overlooking Kingston, Strawberry Hill; the walls of the bar in the former plantation house full of candid photos of the iconic acts he signed. This is actually the second time we’ve met at this location, the first was when Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Jamaica in 2008. I was more than a little bemused as he greeted his royal guests barefoot; but that is very much Blackwell’s style. He’s a man who makes his own rules. Born into a wealthy Jamaican family, he started Island Records in Kingston in 1958, a pivotal time in the development of the island’s popular music. Post-war labour shortages in the UK saw a wave of immigration from the West Indies and a new market for the 22-year-old label boss. “When I was growing up the music was mento and calypso, the sounds of Jamaica were very folk orientated. When we attempted to make US style R&B music it came out sounding totally different, the beat was upside-down. At the beginning most musicians couldn’t attempt to play it. They couldn’t figure it out because it went against all the rules.

It started with ska, then became rocksteady which evolved into reggae and here we are, 50 years later, and Jamaican music is still really important.” Island Records went on to be one of the most successful independent record labels in the world, signing not only Jamaican artists like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Sly & Robbie and Grace Jones but also international acts as diverse as Cat Stevens and Roxy Music, through to U2, Jethro Tull and Nick Drake. But it was Robert Palmer who introduced him to African music back in the 70s. “The person who he turned me onto was Chief Ebenezer Obey. Then I saw King Sunny Ade: he was great and I signed him to Island Records; it was so exciting. It was a new approach to music because Africans will play music for five-six hours without getting off stage, they’ll play and play and the people in the clubs will just dance so much that it becomes almost trance-like. Later on I heard Salif Keita [one of his playlist picks] who was beyond belief, especially his voice.” But his connection to West Africa started with his first international hit back in 1962. Millie Small’s ‘My Boy Lollipop’ became a ska anthem for the diaspora in the UK and an easy introduction to the modern sounds of Jamaica to the world; but it was its success in Nigeria that cemented the island’s music on the continent’s consciousness. “I met Fela first in 1965 with Millie; her record ‘My Boy Lollipop’ had been number one in Nigeria for six months! We were invited down to do a show and it all fell apart. So I, like an idiot, decided to promote the show in Lagos. I looked around for a backing band and someone told me about this guy who’d just come back from the US. So Fela opened for Millie and they were also her band. I nearly signed him later on, but Fela was a difficult guy and he had these 27 wives and he always wanted to tour with them all so the cost and practicality was too hard. World music is about touring and it would’ve been impossible.” In the end he did sign a number of African and international artists under the Mango Records imprint including Baaba Maal, Angélique Kidjo (who also features on playlist selection), King Sunny Ade, Cheba Zahouania and Margareth Menezes. But not all his acts were a success. “The regrets came when there was someone you signed and they didn’t get success. I approached the record business as a fan and they say that’s the worst way to be. I think that when you’re a fan there’s something else you bring and you love August/September 2012

NATHALIE DELON/ISLAND TRADING ARCHIVE

Chris Blackwell with (l-r) Junior Marvin, Bob Marley & Jacob Miller

‘‘ I still miss Bob. I worked with him a lot... wherever you are in the world you’ll hear him”

Above: Chris Blackwell with Junior Marvin, Bob Marley and Jacob Miller www.songlines.co.uk

what they can be. I never went into it for money; I was more like a groupie, I wanted to be close to the music.” Blackwell has travelled extensively across Africa, including Mali, and one artist who left a lasting impression on him is Ali Farka Touré, also on his playlist. He’s visited the country to listen some of the nation’s other great musicians. A duet between Jimmy Buffett and Oumou Sangaré at her hotel in Bamako is a fond memory and just one of the reasons why Mali’s greatest female singer is on his list. He sold his stake in Island in the late 80s and now owns the Island Outpost chain of luxurious hotels in the Caribbean and US. He says he now, “plans to spend the rest of his life promoting his home, Jamaica, so people get to know how amazing it is.” Blackwell’s playlist selection for Songlines is made up entirely of records from West Africa, but I push him to give me some of his favourite artists from Jamaica. “I love Black Uhuru, Third World, Burning

Spear. I love Bob’s music and Wailers and also some Peter Tosh. But Ijahman made one of my favourite albums that we put out called Haile I Hymn; it’s a classic.” But with the release earlier this year of Marley, Kevin Macdonald’s documentary on Bob Marley’s life, I ask him about his relationship with the singer. “I still miss Bob. I worked with him a lot. I mixed all the records for Island apart from Survival. I still hear them everywhere; wherever you are in the world you’ll hear him. Most artists have two or three big hits but you hear so many of Bob’s tracks, his music is everywhere. It’s a joy to hear his music but it’s sad he is not around to see it. But he knew he’d make it big; he said it in his songs: ‘You a go tired fi see mi face. Can’t get me out of the race.’” PODCAST Hear a track from Ijahman’s album Haile I Hymn, another of Chris Blackwell’s Playlist choices , on this issue’s podcast TRAVEL See p27 for information about the brand new Songlines Music Travel trip to Jamaica in January 2013 Songlines 11

2,000 ARTISTS 27 COUNTRIES 7,590 FLAGS 30 YEARS OF WOMAD Since 1982, WOMAD has been the premiere festival of great music from around the world. From Peter Gabriel to Rod & Gab, from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to Robert Plant, here's its story with memorable moments from some dedicated followers

Songlines 29

BEGINNER’S GUIDE

A young Hossam Ramzy pictured in the early 90s

BEGINNER’S GUIDE

HOSSAM RAMZY

One of the world’s leading and most prolific percussionists was recently nominated in the Songlines Music Awards. Bill Badley examines his back catalogue

hen did you first hear world music? If you are one of those blessed souls whose early years resembled something out of My Childhood in Africa, you might have fallen asleep each night with the sound of a kora drifting through your bedroom window. However, for most of us the story is rather more prosaic and, unless the school music teacher had an unusually interesting record collection or Uncle Albert was an ethnomusicologist, your ears probably first pricked up to different sounds and rhythms on a film soundtrack or when a rock band tired of their telecasters and drafted in some foreign talent to add exotic spice to old grooves. If this was your experience and the music was even

54 Songlines

slightly Middle Eastern, chances are that it was Hossam Ramzy who turned you on. This Egyptian percussionist and musical polymath is, in every sense, a larger-thanlife character: he has appeared on a vast array of recordings, collaborated with countless musicians and his name is well-known to fellow performers all over the world. Although he’d been based in London since the mid-70s, his first major breakthrough came in 1988 when he contributed to Peter Gabriel’s soundtrack for Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Temptation of Christ: Passion. His playing of a variety of Oriental percussion instruments – including tabla (the Egyptian name for the Middle Eastern goblet drum, not the Indian instrument), daf (single-headed frame drum) and finger

cymbals – is one of the defining elements on tracks like ‘The Feeling Begins’. He came to global prominence in 1994 when he led the Arab musicians in Page and Plant’s Unledded project. However, Ramzy has been a hugely energetic musical force both before and since those high-profile sessions. Though he has been based in England for many years, Ramzy was born and raised in Cairo. Like many musicians in Egypt, he received his first music lessons from his family and his mother encouraged him by giving him his first drum soon after he was able to walk. His father’s relocation to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia – a city not generally known for its thriving music scene – might have signalled the end of any musical aspirations as public performance

August/September 2012

From the list of soundtrack credits, you can safely assume that if a 90s film had a sand dune in shot, Ramzy was probably playing

DISCOGRAPHY

Ramzy’s recordings are legion and if you look closely at the liner notes of your CD collection, you’ll probably find you already have something with him playing on it. However, these ones stand out:

BEST COLLABORATION is tightly controlled. However, it actually offered the teenage Ramzy unexpected opportunities to deepen his understanding of Oriental music as the annual hajj (pilgrimage) brought musicians from all around the Muslim world to his doorstep. It was also the first time that he came to fully appreciate the Bedouin dance and rhythms that he learned from local tribes. It wasn’t long before the young Egyptian’s gifts were recognised by the local media and somewhere in the archives of Saudi national TV is footage of him playing with the National Guard Orchestra. Nevertheless, Ramzy’s dreams lay beyond Arabia and in 1975 he arrived at Heathrow to make his fortune as… a jazz-rock drummer in Uxbridge. He was soon playing kit drums with such rising luminaries as Andy Sheppard, but it was a chance visit to an Arab nightclub in London during the 80s that led to his musical epiphany. Hearing the music he had grown up with being played in London inspired him to return to his roots and he laid down his sticks and took up the instruments of his childhood. Ramzy says that the sound which drew him back was ‘finger on fish skin,’ which probably needs a little explanation… While modern darbukas are generally made of compressed aluminium with a plastic head, the instrument was originally fashioned from baked clay with fish skin dried tightly over the top to give it the distinctive ringing tone. These pot and skin drums are notoriously tricky to keep in playing condition, especially when moved to damp northern European climates, but despite having developed his own very swish Hossam Ramzy Signature Series tabla, he still prefers to play the traditional instrument in the controlled conditions of the recording studio. The list of artists that Ramzy has worked with is extraordinary. To visit his website discography you must first negotiate the list of seven categories (‘Arranger, Producer, Musical Director, Performer’ etc…) and your eyebrows raise higher as you scroll through each one: a bit of pop with Boy George, Shakira and Jay-Z, jazz with Barbara Thompson, crossover with Donal Lunny and The Gipsy Kings, lashings of

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bellydance compilations and a healthy serving of major world music stars like Khaled and Rachid Taha. From the list of soundtrack credits you can safely assume that if a 90s film had a sand dune in shot, Ramzy was probably playing. When asked about this massive canon of work, Ramzy simply replies that he considers himself blessed to have had so many opportunities to work with such a variety of talent. However, this belies two significant factors that have contributed to his success. The first is his canny ability to cater to the needs of Western musicians and create immediately recognisable Arabesque rhythms that sit happily in a rock mix. There are plenty of talented percussionists around the Middle East – several of whom openly wonder why they didn’t get the Led Zep call – but they don’t necessarily have what Peter Gabriel describes as Ramzy’s “instinctive understanding of music, regardless of its use and history.” Ramzy’s other great strength is that he’s a legendarily tireless operator and this has served him well in recent years. The musical landscape has changed considerably over the last decade and, when once his was the only number to call for a bit of exotic groove, there is now more choice and vast sample libraries to pillage. In response to this, he has morphed into a one-man industry that encompasses everything Eastern, wiggly and rhythmic. You want belly dancers? The Ramzy Dance Company is ready for action (fully attired with his own line of dance wear). Someone to fix authentic Arab sounds for your ancient Egypt documentary? He’s got the contacts. Online percussion workshops? The Drumzy School will provide. Not that Ramzy is actually playing any less these days. Last year, he brought together the stellar line-up of Billy Cobham, AR Rahman, Manu Katché and Omar Faruk Tekbilek to record Rock the Tabla, a celebration of music and rhythms from around the globe that won him a nomination for Best Artist in the Songlines Music Awards. PODCAST Hear Bill Badley’s report and music from Hossam Ramzy on the podcast

Rock the Tabla (ARC Records, 2011) With this array of talent – Billy Cobham, AR Rahman, Manu Katché and Omar Faruk Tekbilek – it was bound to be good. While not every track is a winner, it is never less than entertaining. A track with the Japanese composer and percussionist Joji Hirota features on the Songlines Music Awards 2012 album.

BEST SESSION APPEARANCE

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, No Quarter (Atlantic, 1994) If you’re going to feature on a 1970s Arabesk rock anthem mash-up, you might as well do it with the really big boys.

BEST DANCE ALBUM

Bedouin Tribal Dance (ARC Records, 2007) Ramzy has released dozens of bellydance CDs and they are some of the most polished available. This bestseller, which features Bedouin musicians as well as Ramzy, takes us back to the roots of raqs sharki.

BEST AVOIDED

Hossam Ramzy Presents: Mohamed Naiem – Master of the Arabian Flute (ARC Records, 2004) Ramzy is a great drummer and Mohamed Naiem an excellent nay (Arabian flute) player but this is a frightfully misguided, hooting album.

IF YOU LIKE HOSSAM RAMZY, THEN TRY…

YOUSSEF HBEISCH Ahmad Al Khatib & Youssef Hbeisch, Sabîl (Institut du Monde Arabe, 2012) Whilst Hbeisch ploughs a very different furrow to Ramzy, he is one of the most interesting Arab percussionists around. His solo on ‘Li Alix’ is wondrous. A Top of the World in #83.

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58 Songlines

he waterfront in Lerwick, capital of the Shetland Islands, is populated by fishing boats, ferries and ships servicing the North Sea oil industry – a scene of busyness in complete contrast to the surrounding windswept, treeless countryside. The town itself is compact, with some grand public buildings and attractive stone-built houses. Come festival times, the town’s capacity for live music mushrooms, with all manner of public and private spaces given over to ‘sessions’ – informal musical gatherings that are at the heart of life across the islands. Rightly famous for their hospitality and friendliness, Shetlanders love a good party. Live music is the traditional way this community comes together through the long, dark winter nights. Shetland’s folk music punches well above its weight internationally. Just 22,000 people live on the islands, but this beautiful windswept archipelago is home to half a dozen renowned festivals and an unusually high proportion of successful traditional musicians and bands, led, of course, by its fiddle players. There are further historical reasons for Shetland’s distinguished musical prowess. The islands are undeniably remote – flights north from Scotland are expensive and the ferry from the mainland involves a 12-hour overnight crossing – but they have also been a stop on northern trade routes for centuries. Shetlanders went away on ships and brought back music and ideas, producing a cosmopolitan culture. The islands’ mixed Celtic and Scandinavian heritage has, over the centuries, produced a musical culture distinct from either Norway or Scotland, the two countries

the islands lie equidistantly between. The local style of fiddle playing, as championed by artists like the late Tom Anderson and Aly Bain, of Transatlantic Sessions fame, dominates Shetland’s musical scene but not exclusively so. The accordion and guitar are also central to the distinctive local sound. Excellent music education and competitions like the Young Fiddler of Year keep music at the centre of life here, producing a technically accomplished generation of young artists who aren’t afraid to build on the roots of Shetland music.

August/September 2012

PHOTO CREDIT

SHETLAND SOUNDING OUT f PHATSHEEP PHOTOGRAPHY, LIEVE BOUSSAUW, BILLY FOX

Tim Woodall sails into the North Sea to discover why this archipelago produces such great music

Mareel, the UK’s most northerly, not-yetopened arts centre, stands out among Shetland’s traditional stone buildings

S OU NDI NG

OUT

VENUES

FESTIVALS

Mareel

Up Helly Aa

Fiddle Frenzy

Shetland’s most famous cultural rite, dating back to the 1880s, Up Helly Aa (pictured) is Europe’s largest fire festival, when Shetlanders dress up as Vikings, march through the streets and throw burning torches into a longboat. Music plays a vital role in ceremonial aspects of the event and the festival includes its own day of traditional music at the Garrison Theatre called the ‘Fiery Sessions.’ Last Tuesday of every January, www.uphellyaa.org

Organised by Shetland Arts, this week of fiddling gives new and young fiddlers the chance to play alongside the islands’ finest. August 5-12 2012, +44 (0)1595 743843, www.shetlandfiddlefrenzy.com

Due to open this summer, the quayside-based Mareel (left) will be Shetland’s first modern arts centre. The new venue combines a 350-seat concert hall, two cinema screens and audio space. Its construction has been dogged with controversy, with local opposition questioning its cost and value. But Mareel (the word means ‘phosphorescence on the ocean’), with its harbour-facing café, represents a smart alternative for live traditional music. Gutters Gaet, Lerwick, www.shetlandarts.org

Islesburgh Community Centre At the centre of musical life in Lerwick, the Islesburgh hosts groups like the Shetland Fiddlers’ Society, formed by the traditional musician Tom Anderson 50 years ago. With an intimate hall perfect for concerts and dancing, and a central atrium for the more freewheeling, late-night sessions, the venue is the main hub during many of Shetland’s music festivals.

Shetland Folk Festival The Folk Festival is Shetland’s version of Celtic Connections. Attracting international artists and bands, and with a diverse range of music on the bill, the festival is squeezed into one manic long weekend in May. It’s notable both for being run by dedicated volunteers and for arranging gigs in Shetland’s remotest areas. May 2-5 2013, +44 (0)1595 694757, www.shetlandfolkfestival.com For details on the Songlines Music Travel 2013 trip to the Shetland Folk Festival, call +44 (0)20 8505 2582

Guitar Festival The Guitar Festival is dedicated to legendary Shetlander ‘Peerie’ Willie Johnson. Influenced by jazz, Johnson developed a languid style of guitar accompaniment still prevalent today. October 26-28 2012, +44 (0)1595 743843, www.shetlandarts.org

Accordion & Fiddle Festival With a focus on traditional dance music, this festival hosts sessions all over Shetland, with playing and dancing until the early hours each night. It culminates with massive dance evenings at the Clickimin Centre in Lerwick. October 11-15 2012, +44 (0)1595 693162, www.shetlandaccordionandfiddle.com

King Harald Street, ZE1 0EQ, +44 (0)1595 745100, www.shetland.gov.uk/islesburgh

Town Hall Lerwick’s Town Hall is ‘probably the best venue for acoustic gigs in Shetland,’ according to one local musician. The upstairs hall in this imposing 19th-century building has a favourable acoustic and prominent stained glass window. Upper Hillhead, ZE1 0HB, +44 (0)1595 693535, www.shetland.gov.uk

Douglas Arms Several Lerwick pubs host traditional music sessions during festivals and the long, light summers. The Douglas Arms – known locally as The Marlex – is one of the town’s regular music spots. Anyone is welcome to join in traditional music sessions on Tuesday nights throughout the summer. 67 Commercial Road, ZE1 0NL, +44 (0)1595 693787

Lounge Bar The most famous of Lerwick’s session pubs hosts traditional music sessions throughout the year. Apparently the late, great guitarist ‘Peerie’ Willie Johnson, a Lounge Bar regular, used to refer to the pub as his ‘office’. 4 Mounthooly Street, ZE1 0BJ, +44 (0)1595 692231

Pierhead There is plenty of live music to be found outside Lerwick. Pierhead, a bar and restaurant in Voe (a small settlement in the north of the mainland that looks out to a beautiful stretch of sea) hosts sessions in a cosy backroom space, and is well-known for its relaxed atmosphere. Voe, ZE2 9PX, +44 (0)1806 588332 www.songlines.co.uk

RECORD SHOP

High Level Music, a first floor shop in the heart of Lerwick, is packed to the rafters with instruments, accessories and recorded music, with a special focus on CDs by local traditional musicians and poets. 1 Gardie Court, ZE1 0GG, +44 (0)1595 692 618

LISTINGS

The daily Shetland Times (www.shetlandtimes. co.uk) is a must-read for music listings, plus the paper carries listings on its website at the beginning of each month. Also online, the website of Shetland Arts (www.shetlandarts.org) has information on local cultural life and www. shetland-music.com is another useful resource. Songlines 59

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Say Africa An album of ringing guitar and a smooth voice from the South African singer. Reviewed in #85

Spirit Rising: Live from Guest Street The singer from Benin invites guests for her first live album. Reviewed in #85

Recanto Costa teams up with Caetano Veloso for a contemporary take on Brazilian music. Reviewed in #85

Essencia Melancholic melodies and folk tinged fado from the reformed Portuguese group. Reviewed in #86

A Retrospective A compilation of the 12-piece miniorchestra’s greatest hits over 17 years. Reviewed in #81

Walk With Me The remaining members stay true to the skank-driven formula of the 60s. Reviewed in #86

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#85 July 2012

Music from Louisiana, BT River of Music, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Korean pansori... Top of the World #85 CD feat Roger Lloyd Pack’s playlist

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#84 June 2012

#83 April/May 2012

#82 March 2012

Amadou & Mariam, Global Festival Guide, Songlines Music Awards 2012 winners... Top of the World #84 CD feat Simon Russell Beale’s playlist + Back2Black CD

Seth Lakeman, Youssou N’Dour, Narasirato, Juan de Marcos, Madagascar All Stars... Top of the World #83 CD feat Huey Morgan’s playlist + Sounds of South Asia CD

Music & Social Change; Rodrigo & Gabriela; Martyn Bennett; Carolina Chocolate Drops... Top of the World #82 CD feat Mike Harding’s playlist + Brazil New Series CD

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#81 Jan/Feb 2012

The New Latin Wave; Best of 2011; Yo-Yo Ma; Baloji; Mercedes Sosa... Top of the World #81 CD feat Jonathan Dimbleby’s playlist + Music From Norway CD

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