Songlines Magazine (Jan/Feb 2016, #114) by Songlines Magazine

WELCOME

Mark Allen Group St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Rd, London, SE24 0PB, UK +44 (0)20 7738 5454 info@songlines.co.uk www.songlines.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS

UK: 0800 137 201 Overseas: +44 (0)1722 716997 subscriptions@markallengroup.com ADVERTISING

+44 (0)20 7501 6683 Editor-in-chief Simon Broughton Publisher Paul Geoghegan Editor Jo Frost Deputy Editor Alexandra Petropoulos Art Director Calvin McKenzie Content & Marketing Executive, News Editor Edward Craggs Advertisement Manager James Anderson-Hanney Online Content Editor James McCarthy Reviews Editor Matthew Milton Listings Editor Tatiana Rucinska

The search for something new

reat to see that Huun-Huur-Tu, the extraordinary throat singing band from Tuva, have recently been on tour in the UK. I saw them recently in Konya, Turkey and I had forgotten just how breathtaking their performances are. The four of them began with a communal, atavistic growl and then broke into a chant that sounded like something out of The Exorcist. I don’t want to be tabloid, but Tuvan throat singing is THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING YOU’VE EVER HEARD. You can’t believe these four human beings are producing sounds like this – sometimes growly like an earthquake, sometimes ethereal like dancing fireflies. I first heard Huun-Huur-Tu in London, probably 25 years ago. Their set probably wasn’t very different from what it is now. Maybe not the same songs, but the same ingredients – the rhythms of horses hooves, the swooping cry of the horse-head fiddle and then the incredible throat-singing, or more correctly overtone singing, where you can’t really tell who is doing what. The Turkish audience sat open-mouthed, amazed at what the human throat can do. And while world music professionals might tick them off their list because they’ve been around for so long, there are still millions of people who have never heard anything like this before. Of course we’re all looking for something new, but let’s not forget that everything in this magazine – traditional or contemporary – is going to be new to someone. The important thing is for people to hear it.

World Cinema Editor Yoram Allon

Simon Broughton, editor-in-chief

Cover image Joe del Tufo, Moonloop Photography

PS Don’t forget, Songlines makes a great Christmas gift, see p44

Contributing Editors Jane Cornwell, Mark Ellingham & Nigel Williamson

Everything in this magazine – traditional or contemporary – is going to be new to someone

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE INCLUDE

Intern Jamie Kyei Manteaw Subscriptions Director Sally Boettcher Publishing Director Sian Harrington Managing Director Jon Benson CEO Ben Allen Chairman Mark Allen Published by MA Business & Leisure Ltd

© MA Business & Leisure Ltd, 2015. All rights reserved. ISSN 1464-8113. MA Business & Leisure Ltd is part of the Mark Allen Group www.markallengroup.com Printing Pensord Press Ltd Record trade distribution WWMD Ltd 0121 788 3112 Newstrade distribution COMAG 01895 433600 The paper used within this publication has been sourced from Chain-of-Custody certified manufacturers, operating within international environmental standards, to ensure sustainable sourcing of the raw materials, sustainable production and to minimise our carbon footprint.

Jean Berry A French writer and photographer, Jean has written about world music, as well as jazz and hip-hop, for several magazines over the past decade. This issue he talks to the French band, Zoufris Maracas on p16.

Catriona Price A fiddle player and composer from the Orkney Islands. She is a member of the Orkney fiddle band Fara and half of the fiddle and harp duo Twelfth Day, who recently returned from Mongolia, see p79.

Jamie Kyei Manteaw An English student at Coventry University, Jamie is carrying out a year-long work placement at Songlines. He recently spoke to Tiken Jah Fakoly about the inspiration behind his new album, see p19.

Songlines was launched in 1999 and is the definitive magazine for world music – music that has its roots in all parts of the globe, from Mali to Mexico, India to Iraq. Whether this music is defined as traditional, contemporary, folk or fusion, Songlines is the only magazine to truly represent and embrace it. However, Songlines is not just about music, but about how the music fits into the landscape: it’s about politics, history and identity. Delivered in both print and digital formats, Songlines, through its extensive articles and reviews, is your essential and independent guide to a world of music and culture, whether you are starting on your journey of discovery or are already a seasoned fan.

@SonglinesMag

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google.com/+songlines ISSUE 114

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› SONGLINES

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contents

80 Marko & Boban Marković

Marko Stajic

Upfront

features

Reviews

Regulars

06 Top of the World CD 09 What’s New & Obit 15 Letters 16 Introducing...

20 Best Albums of 2015

46 Africa 48 Americas 52 Europe 59 Asia 61 Middle East 63 Pacific 64 Fusion 69 Books 70 World Cinema 72 Live Reviews

76 My World:

Zoufris Maracas & The Rheingans Sisters 18 Songlines Music Travel 19 Spotlight: Tiken Jah Fakoly

Vieux Farka Touré, see p22

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22 Vieux Farka Touré

The Malian singer talks about his new album

28 Akram Khan

The choreographer and dancer’s new show, Until the Lions

32 Aon Teanga

Connecting the Gaelic songs of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man

36 Junun

Shye Ben Tzur and Jonny Greenwood join forces with The Rajasthan Express

Natalie Merchant 79 Postcard from Mongolia 80 Beginner’s Guide: Boban and Marko Marković 82 Festival Pass: Rio Loco, Toulouse Dispatch from 85 Moravia 87 Quickfire 89 Gig Guide 96 Subscribe 97 Soapbox 98 Essential Ten: Balkan albums

Richard Haughton

“I tried to show what was beautiful in my country that’s been splintered now, maybe forever”

We select our favourite albums of the year

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16/11/2015 11:20

top of the world

01 Kandia Kouyaté ‘Kassi Doundo’ 02 Bareto ‘La Voz del Sinchi’ 03 The Gurdjieff Ensemble ‘Zulo’ 04 The Rheingans Sisters ‘Bourées’ 05 Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express ‘Junun’ 06 George Telek ‘Midel’ 07 Bayarbaatar Davaasuren ‘Minii Eej (My Mother)’ 08 Dexter Story & Alsarah ‘Without an Address’ 09 Stelios Petrakis ‘Chaniotika Syrta’ 10 Dizu Plaatjies & Friends ‘Traffic iJemile’

Free tracks

THE BEST NEW RELEASES

NATALIE MERCHANT’S PLAYLIST

top

of the world

TOP

OF THE WORLD

ISSUE 114 114 PLUS 5 tracks chosen by Natalie Merchant

On your free CD – the editor’s selection of the top ten new releases reviewed in this issue

11 Mayte Martín ‘Por la Mar Chica del Puerto’ 12 Fatoumata Diawara ‘Kanou’ 13 Rhiannon Giddens ‘Shake Sugaree’ 14 Dolores Keane & John Faulkner ‘Thuas Ag Gort An Chornáin’ 15 Olivia Chaney ‘There’s Not a Swain’ BONUS TRACK 16 Alison Brown (feat Keb’ Mo’) ‘What’s Going On’

Featuring Fatoumata Diawara, Stelios Petrakis, Kandia Kouyaté, Bareto, The Gurdjieff Ensemble, Rhiannon Giddens, Shye Ben Tzur and more...

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STWCD90 This compilation & © 2015 MA Business & Leisure Ltd info@songlines.co.uk, www.songlines.co.uk Executive producer Paul Geoghegan. Compiled and sequenced by Simon Broughton. Design by Calvin McKenzie. 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. The Song of the Banjo (Compass Records) & © 2015 Compass Records. Courtesy of Compass Records

05 Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express ‘Junun’ (5:57)

04 The Rheingans Sisters ‘Bourées’ (3:42)

10 Dizu Plaatjies & Friends ‘Traffic iJemile’ (4:24)

09 Stelios Petrakis ‘Chaniotika Syrta’ (3:54)

14 Dolores Keane & John Faulkner ‘Thuas Ag Gort An Chornáin’ (2:57)

06 George Telek ‘Midel’

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12 Fatoumata Diawara ‘Kanou’ (3:56)

01 Kandia Kouyaté ‘Kassi Doundo’ (5:11)

TOP OF THE WORLD SELECTION

06 George Telek ‘Midel’ (4:15)

11 Mayte Martín ‘Por la Mar Chica del Puerto’ (2:58)

NATALIE MERCHANT’S PLAYLIST

10 tracks from this issue’s best new albums + 6 bonus tracks exclusively with the Jan/Feb 2016 issue of Songlines

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07 Bayarbaatar Davaasuren ‘Minii Eej (My Mother)’ (4:43)

06 s o n g l i n e s

Impredecible (World Village) & © La Calor SAC/Bareto under exclusive licence to World Village UK. Courtesy of Harmonia Mundi

02 Bareto ‘La Voz del Sinchi’ (4:09)

13 Rhiannon Giddens ‘Shake Sugaree’ (4:27)

From Renascence on Sterns

From Celebration of a Legend on Wantok Musik

After a long wait due to various

This 19-track compilation aims to

unfortunate circumstances, Malian

reinforce George Telek’s reputation as

superstar Kandia Kouyaté defiantly

one of Papua New Guinea’s greatest

returns with the third solo album of her

musicians, with a broad selection of old

long-spanning career. See p46

and newer material on show. See p63

02 Bareto ‘La Voz del Sinchi’

07 Bayarbaatar Davaasuren

Peruvian group Bareto have found their

From The Art of Mongolian Khöömii on ARC Music

groove. Fusing their country’s musical

Davaasuren demonstrates originality

origins with contemporary production,

and innovation on six compositions that

they’ve released one of the best albums of

showcase the unique music of Mongolian

its kind this year. See p48

throat singing (khöömei). See p59

03 The Gurdjieff Ensemble ‘Zulo’

08 Dexter Story & Alsarah

The folk melodies collected by Komitas

Dexter Story’s latest work takes influences

are rearranged by Armenian composer

from the music of Ethiopia, blending

Levon Eskenian, resulting in an album of

them with modern production styles to

beautifully textured songs. See p61

create an endearing album. See p67

04 The Rheingans Sisters ‘Bourées’

09 Stelios Petrakis

The fiddle-playing sister duo from the

Composer and musician Stelios Petrakis

Peak District display strong and slick

produces a highly rhythmical album,

performances on their second album,

featuring sensitive lyra playing that pays

drawing from French musical influences

homage to the composers and teachers

with brilliant results. See p55

who played before him. See p54

05 Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express ‘Junun’

10 Dizu Plaatjies & Friends

From Impredecible on World Village

From Komitas on ECM Records

08 Dexter Story & Alsarah ‘Without an Address’ (4:11)

01 Kandia Kouyaté ‘Kassi Doundo’

03 The Gurdjieff Ensemble ‘Zulo’ (3:01)

From Already Home on RootBeat Records

‘Minii Eej (My Mother)’

‘Without an Address’ From Wondem on Soundway Records

‘Chaniotika Syrta’ From The Art of the Lyra on Ocora Radio France

‘Traffic iJemile’

From Ubuntu: The Common String on Mountain Records

From Junun on Nonesuch Records

An African music veteran since the late

A bold and ambitious collaboration,

1970s, Dizu Plaatjies releases an enjoyable

Junun exhibits a magnificent fusion of

album that embraces a mixture of genres

qawwali and Western music. See p64

with a South African twist. See p47

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+ NATALIE MERCHANT’s playlist 11

11 Mayte Martín ‘Por la Mar Chica del Puerto’ From Al Cantar a Manuel on World Village

“I love the whole stylistic approach of flamenco singing,” says Merchant. Her favourite singer is Mayte Martín, who is “less histrionic than others.”

12 Fatoumata Diawara ‘Kanou’ From Fatou on World Circuit

“I was really drawn to her persona and singing style... she’s also a wicked guitar player. There’s something really moving to me about someone who can sing and

13 Rhiannon Giddens ‘Shake Sugaree’ From Tomorrow is My Turn on Nonesuch Records

“I love Rhiannon and really enjoyed her version of ‘Shake Sugaree,’” says Merchant about this song, originally by the African American blues and folk musician Elizabeth Cotten.

14 Dolores Keane & John Faulkner ‘Thuas Ag Gort An Chornáin’

John Huba

accompany themselves with guitar.”

“I find that I’m able to take what I know about how music moves and motivates people, and apply that to these campaigns and appeal to people’s minds but more deeply appeal to their hearts”

Turn to p76 for the full interview with Natalie Merchant

From Sail Óg Rua on Gael Linn

Merchant has been listening to Keane since she was a teenager: “I have always loved her interpretation of Irish music.”

15 Olivia Chaney ‘There’s Not a Swain’ From The Longest River on Nonesuch Records

Olivia Chaney first came to Merchant’s attention after singing with her and

NEXT ISSUE: Carrie Gracie’s Playlist The BBC journalist and China editor Carrie Gracie chooses her favourite tracks to be featured on the covermount CD of the March 2016 issue (#115).

Rhiannon Giddens at Nonesuch Records’ 40th anniversary last year. “She got such a gorgeous voice.”

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INTRODUCING...

Zoufris Maracas

Hélène Bozzi

Lead singer, Vincent Sanchez, pictured far left

Jean Berry discusses chanson, disobedience and busking in Paris with the group’s lead singer, Vincent Sanchez

or several years now Zoufris Maracas have been infusing their particular chanson française with Afro-Caribbean rhythms, African rumba and Gypsy guitar styles. “We thought we’d bring in elements that inspire us from around the world and sing in French,” says Vincent Sanchez the day before a gig at Le Casino de Paris. The band is named after the zoufris (the slang term for Algerian migrant workers in France in the 50s) and the Central-American Indian percussion instrument. As a result, their passionate yet celebratory protest and love songs, plugged by local Parisian radio stations, have been reaching large audiences since the release of ‘Et Ta Mère’ in 2011, a desperate break-up single that paved the way for their first album, Prison Dorée. Following in the footsteps of Manu Chao and Tryo, Zoufris Maracas are injecting a fresh energy into the generally dreary chanson française scene with their taste for métissage, their

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cheeky popular slang and southern accents from Sète, the city where Sanchez grew up as a teenager. It was also the home city of songwriter Georges Brassens, who undoubtedly inspired Sanchez’s taste for police-bashing and anti-establishment lyrics. “We started in the Parisian métro, where undercover cops would sometimes come and try to intimidate us,” he notes. “That’s where we learned the hard way as we struggled to make a living and develop our music. Sometimes the whole carriage would end up dancing and clapping.” The band have now moved on from busking, and their new-found recognition has led to extensive tours, including a recent WOMEX showcase in Budapest and a forthcoming UK date. “We don’t rehearse for concerts and refuse to build up stage characters, so that we remain ourselves – fresh and honest to the audience. That’s the way we like to perform. Our worst nightmare would be to get onstage in automatic mode,” continues the singer.

The two leaders (Sanchez and Vincent Allard) previously worked as humanitarians in West Africa with a travelling cinema, and as street fundraisers for Greenpeace. Inspired by this work, Chienne de Vie, their second album released earlier this year, was partly written in Mexico, and develops themes like confinement, citizen control and disobedience, capitalism, consumerism, love and relationships in a quirky and humorous way. Zoufris Maracas performed in an old music hall in Paris on November 12 – the day before the terrorist attacks – in front of a crowd of 1,500 people, who sang along to their choruses. Not bad for a band who have made idleness their motto: ‘Travailler moins pour créer plus d’espaces de liberté’ – ‘Work less, to create more spaces of freedom’.

+ DATES Zoufris Maracas play at +

Celtic Connections on January 28 Album Chienne de Vie will be reviewed in the next issue

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The Rheingans Sisters

Kevin Bourke chats to the fiddle-playing sisters from the Peak District, who explore transient ideas of ‘home’ on their new CD

ometimes something special can happen when siblings play together, and that’s certainly the case with The Rheingans Sisters, Rowan and Anna. A pair of fiddler-singers who hail from Sheffield and were raised in the Peak District, the sisters released their debut, Glad Gold Hearts, in 2014. Their new collection Already Home is thrilling, not simply because of the particular connection that arises from their shared early lives immersed in folk music – significantly, almost all the instruments that Rowan and Anna play have been hand-crafted for them in Grindleford, Derbyshire by their luthier dad, Helmut.

Elly Lucas

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As they now spend most of their time living far apart immersed in different musical worlds, it is as much about their separate musical journeys since their debut. Their reconnection for this recording is a hugely significant factor in an album that is engagingly playful, inventive and musically open-hearted, yet nuanced and thoughtful. Rowan (pictured below right) is well-known as part of BBC Folk Award nominated trio Lady Maisery as well as for her work with Nancy Kerr & The Sweet Visitor Band and also with the Songs of Separation super-group alongside Eliza Carthy, Karine Polwart and other notables. She believes “it’s

an honest, intimate album, which I think reflects the last few years of our musical lives. We’ve both dug deeper into our musical landscapes and made composition a more central part of what we do. I think we are clearer about the kind of atmosphere we want our music to create and we’ve taken more risks to try and get there. Dylan Fowler, who recorded the album with us over five days in the remote forest studio, Stiwdio Felin Fach, in midWales, had a big influence on the music too. He created the right conditions for me and Anna to really connect with each other, so we could play freely and have lots of space for improvisation, which is where the magic happens.” Anna now lives in Toulouse in southern France, where she is a much sought-after fiddle player, playing in three separate bands of her own there, as well as teaching traditional French music, having just gained a first-class diploma from the Centre Occitan des Musiques et Danses Traditionnelles. The title Already Home, Anna says, “refers to the transient and changing ideas of ‘home’ in both a practical sense and otherwise. As full-time musicians, sometimes it’s hard to really know where ‘home’ is when we spend so much of the time between places, as lots of people do for all kinds of reasons. Then there’s the deep and intrinsic connection of folk music to place and to people’s strong feelings of home, whether you play the music of the country you are from or, like me, the one you’ve adopted! But of course, folk tunes and songs are at once ‘from somewhere’ and also ‘from everywhere.’ These things are always moving around, a bit like the two of us and like all of us.”

+ ALBUM Already Home is a Top of the World this issue, see p55

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Best albums of 2015

the best albums of Editors Jo Frost and Simon Broughton have selected ten releases reviewed this year that have warranted repeated listening and left a lasting impression

Tarek Abdallah & Adel Shams El-Din Wasla

Lila Downs Balas y Chocolate

Seckou Keita 22 Strings

Year of Mexico in the UK,

Tigran Hamasyan & the Yerevan State Chamber Choir Luys i Luso

(ARC Music) Reviewed in #109

Sam Lee & Friends The Fade in Time

(Buda) Reviewed in #107

This is one of two kora

(Nest Collective Records) Reviewed in #107

albums picked this year –

This is a remarkable record,

we’ve seen a sprinkling

There’s been no shortage

(ECM) Reviewed in #113

and like Ballaké Sissoko,

but I’ve also picked it

of terrific British and Irish

of Mexican performers in

Armenian pianist Tigran

Seckou has featured on

folk releases this year,

because I’ve twice seen how

town – masked wrestlers

Hamasyan is well-known in

our Best Of lists before (in

but Sam Lee’s second

well they perform live. The

Luche Libre and the Ballet

the jazz world, but having

2013), for his duo with the

album is for me, the most

ingredients are simple:

Folklorico de Mexico –

relocated from the US to

Welsh harpist Catrin Finch.

original. With its intriguing

Tarek Abdallah is one of the

although, sadly, not the

Armenia, this album really

But this is an extremely

instrumentation (trumpet,

best Egyptian oud players

remarkable Lila Downs.

goes into his roots. Rather

personal piece of work,

Jew’s harp, cello, shruti

and Adel Shams El-Din,

From her groundbreaking

like Jan Garbarek with

named after the 22-stringed

box, dulcimer and various

who has played with many

Tree of Life, through her

the Hilliard Ensemble, he

kora that still exists in

percussion) through to

great masters and is genius

contributions to the Oscar-

improvises over sacred

Seckou’s home region of

the snippets of archival

on the riqq (tambourine),

winning Frida soundtrack,

Armenian hymns and

Casamance, in southern

recordings, Lee’s sensitive

which gives the music its

to this celebration of the

chants. The Yerevan State

Senegal. The gorgeous and

and expressive voice brings

backbone. This album is

tragedy and joy of Mexico

Chamber Choir sing

elegant sound he creates

to life the songs he has

a statement of faith in the

with its Day of the Dead

pieces ranging from fifth-

belies the fact that it’s just

collected from travellers

contemporary power of

artwork, Downs has been

century Mesrop Mashtots

him – at times it sounds

across England, Scotland

traditional Arabic music

one of the most arresting

to 20th-century Komitas,

like he’s got several koras

and Ireland. A hugely

– creating large suites, or

artists from Latin America.

with Hamasyan adding

backing him. Seckou also

engaging performer, Lee

wasla, around particular

The title translates as ‘Bullets

sometimes minimal piano

shows off his vocal skills on

is a man on a mission to

maqams (Eastern modes).

and Chocolate’ with musical

touches and sometimes

a couple of tracks, including

dispel the stuffy image of

As Abdallah says, “classical

nods to mariachi, corrido

impassioned outbursts. But

the delightfully serene

the song collector and share

Arabic music is about

and a guest appearance from

he always lets the choral

‘Mandé’, a praise song to his

the fascinating tales he’s

innovation.” SB

superstar Juanes. SB

music speak. SB

Keita ancestors. JF

unearthed on his travels. JF

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(Sony Music) Reviewed in #112 As 2015 has been the

02/12/2015 09:23

2015 best albums of 2015

Mariza Mundo (Warner Music Portugal) Reviewed in #113

Titi Robin & Mehdi Nassouli Taziri

Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal Musique de Nuit

Mahsa Vahdat Traces of an Old Vineyard

As reported in the last issue

(World Village) Reviewed in #109

(No Format!) Reviewed in #111

(KKV) Reviewed in #107

Various Artists Africa Express Presents… Terry Riley’s In C Mali

(#113), Portugal’s leading

The lithe, supple and catchy

Ballaké Sissoko is one of

There’s an intensity to

(Transgressive Records) Reviewed in #107

lady of fado is in a very

‘De Mashreq à Maghreb’

Mali’s great kora players

Vahdat’s voice that really

There’s been plenty

happy place right now –

has been a favourite track

and Vincent Segal is a

compels you to listen. She

of interpretations of

good news for anyone who

this year. Its name takes us

French cellist and producer

sings songs about wine, love,

Terry Riley’s minimalist

has previously given fado a

from the east to the west

of remarkable refinement.

beauty, hope and freedom,

masterpiece ‘In C’ but this

wide berth due its tendency

of the Arab world and this

Their debut, Chamber Music,

by the Persian poets Hafez,

one, from the Africa Express

to be plaintive and frankly

whole album – entitled

was one of Jo Frost’s picks of

Rumi and Khayyam, still

team, led by conductor and

miserable. Several classic

after a Berber girl’s name

2010 and this is just as good

revered in Iran today where

violinist André de Ridder,

fados do feature on this

meaning ‘Moonlight’ – is

– perhaps better as the duo

Vahdat lives, despite all

is surely the most original.

album, but there are also

a delight. The music is

have performed together so

the difficulties that brings

Recorded in Bamako and

some extremely catchy

composed by Titi Robin for

much they seem to respond

as a female musician who

performed in the Turbine

power ballads like ‘Saudade

this collaboration with the

to each other instinctively.

isn’t allowed to perform in

Hall of Tate Modern to

Solta’, written by the

Moroccan Mehdi Nassouli

The contrast of plucked and

public. “If you ban someone

celebrate the piece’s 50th

Deolinda brothers Pedro da

on vocals (in Arabic) and

bowed strings is much of

from singing, it’s like telling

anniversary, it grabs you

Silva and Luís José Martins.

gimbri (Gnawa bass lute).

the magic, although Segal is

them not to smile or cry,”

from the outset, with

Mariza has teamed up again

But don’t think this is Titi

frequently playing pizzicato

Vahdat said earlier this year

resonating balafons that

with the Spanish producer

Robin goes Gnawa, the

or creating percussive or

(in #107). Credit must also

underpin the whole piece.

Javier Limón, and they

inspiration ranges much

flute-like sounds on his cello.

be given to her Norwegian

The layers build as kalimba,

clearly have an affinity as

wider and it includes Zé Luis

The title comes from the fact

label KKV who have

kora, calabash and other

this is a bold and beautiful

Nascimento on percussion

that much of the album was

supported both Mahsa and

instruments join, until you’re

album proving Mariza is

and Francis Varis on

atmospherically recorded

her sister Marjan, enabling

completely hypnotised by

still one of the ultimate

accordion alongside Robin’s

at nighttime on Sissoko’s

us to hear this deeply

this superb showcase of West

performers around. JF

delicate guitar and buzuq. SB

rooftop in Bamako. SB

soulful music. JF

African music. JF

+ Spotify Visit our Spotify page to listen to music from these albums, www.bit.ly/songlinesspotify

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V I E U X FA R K A TO U R E

Zeb Goodell

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02/12/2015 12:19

V I E U X FA R K A TO U R E

Building Bridges On his latest album, Vieux Farka Touré shifts his sights from the instability of Mali to more global concerns. Daniel Brown talks to Vieux about the heavy topics of Touristes, from war and racism to honouring his female ancestry

‘T

he mole cannot be the porcupine.’ So begins an old Bamana proverb, which outlines the confinement of Malian women to minor roles in the village. However, in the classic feature film Finzan (1989), directed by Malian Cheick Oumar Sissoko, the heroine Nanyuma refutes this traditional position and leads a female rebellion that has the village chief openly wondering: “Have we become the mole and you the porcupine?” In many ways, Vieux Farka Touré’s latest album Touristes trumpets a similar changing of the guards by offering a central role to the women in his life. The Malian singer-guitarist attempts to rectify a family wrong towards the maternal side of his family, notably to his paternal grandmother. The work also ushers in Vieux’s first musical collaboration with a female vocalist – “finally,” as he puts it. Its most compelling songs feature Julia Easterlin at the fore, subtly enveloped by the guitarist’s trademark desert licks and his craftily engineered Peul rhythms. “My father’s mother’s side was forgotten by everyone, even my dad [the legendary Ali Farka Touré],” he confides, as tactfully as he can. “But all parents are equal in our culture. I had to pay homage to the strength my grandmother gave us all.” Speaking down a crackly line from his home in the Bamako

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02/12/2015 12:19

UNTIL THE LIONS

Epic Dance

Choreographer and dancer Akram Khan is soon to premiere his new work based on the Mahabharata epic, Until the Lions, at London’s Roundhouse. Jahnavi Harrison talks to him and some of the musicians involved about the creative process

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a little boy, and the story was being narrated back to me – as a flashback. ‘Do you know who you are?’ Vyasa asks, and I said ‘No.’ Vyasa says, ‘Let me tell you, you are a descendant…’ So he began to narrate to me the story of the Mahabharata. I was the receiver of the story. At a certain point I got quite tired of hearing the same bloody story!” Nevertheless it sparked a fascination for him, and many of his past works based on kathak, the Indian classical dance form – Gnosis (2009), Third Catalogue (2005) and Ronin (2003) – have explored individual stories from the epic, albeit from a less traditional perspective. What captivates him about the text? “It’s very much about people, it’s about relationships, about family. It’s there not to preach, it’s not Biblical. It’s something to say look at families, look at relationships – to use as an example and learn from. It’s not defining right and wrong, they exist almost in the same place. I was always interested in the understated characters, Gandhari, Kunti, Amba. Peter Brook’s one is very male, and because of that I was really interested in the females.”

Richard Haughton; David Ryle

kram Khan is a man in perpetual motion. His work over the last few years has garnered high critical acclaim, including an Olivier award for DESH in 2012. Currently he is creating a brand new work, as well as rehearsing and touring several other productions. We meet at Sadler’s Wells during his lunch in the middle of a busy rehearsal day, and he has not one, but three interviews. “How do you feel?” I ask. “It’s all a bit of a blur,” he sighs. “I used to be singular before. I’m naturally singular. I’ve obviously agreed to it, but now I’m multi-layered. Deep down I don’t like it. I think it’s not healthy for anyone, but it is the modern age.” I am here to speak about his upcoming new production, a partial adaptation from Karthika Naïr’s book Until the Lions, a retelling in verse of the Mahabharata. This is not the first time Akram has taken inspiration from the ancient Hindu epic. His first stage encounter with it was at the tender age of 13, in Peter Brook’s nine-hour long theatrical production. “It had a huge impact subconsciously. I saw it performed every day over two years. I was playing a made-up character,

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UNTIL THE LIONS

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issue 114

â&#x20AC;ş songlines

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The beguiling sound of birdsong is featured on Synaesthesia, by The Nightjar Orchestra, p53

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› SONGLINES

02/12/2015 14:02

Africa REVIEWS Aka Pygmies Hunting, Love and Mockery Songs Ocora Radio France (64 mins)

★★★★★

Mesmerising mantras from Central Africa’s Bayaka

singer is submerged in melancholy in a song dwelling on fruitless pining for a loved one. A path to explore in Combo’s future works, perhaps? DANIEL BROWN

TRACK TO TRY Ewande

Tiken Jah Fakoly Racines Wrasse Records (41 mins)

★★★★★

Jamaica’s top rhythm section meets Africa’s reggae royalty The Ivory Coast reggae singer Tiken Jah Fakoly continues his penchant for melding Jamaican and West African styles, going a step further by recording at Tuff Gong

studios in Kingston, that renowned home of The Wailers. His massive cast of players includes a reggae core of Sly & Robbie (drums and bass), plus their frequent cohort Mikey Chung on guitar. Then there’s a prodigious assemblage of mostly Malian players, seamlessly grafting traditional stringed and percussion instruments such as kora, ngoni, balafon and tama to create a mélange that preserves the characteristics of both musical styles. The opening three songs feature guest appearances from three of reggae’s most revered singers: Max Romeo, U-Roy and Ken Boothe. Romeo sings on his own ‘One Step Forward’, U-Roy tackles ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ (by The Wailers) and Boothe opts for Syl Johnson’s ‘Is it Because I’m Black?’, transforming

TOP

OF THE WORLD

MARTIN SINNOCK

TRACK TO TRY Yangisa Yanga Tae

Mario Combo Dimbambe: Identité Bright Moon Production (47 mins)

★★★★★

Blick Bassy’s buddy is one smooth operator Affable yet determined, velvet-smooth yet troubled. Such colourful, perhaps contradictory epithets could describe the Cameroonian Mario Combo and his fourth album, which marks 20 years of professional music-making. On Dimbambe the crooner embarks on a quest for self-identity following two decades exploring styles as varied as highlife, North American soul,

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Binetou Sylla

Since the late 1950s Radio France’s Ocora imprint has been releasing well-recorded and brilliantly annotated field recordings of ethnic music from around the world. Music from the Pygmy hunter-gatherer communities of Central Africa, Cameroon and northern Congo – known as the Aka and Baka, and collectively as Bayaka – has been assumed to be primarily vocal. This particular CD release gives a tremendous insight into the instrumental accompaniment to what is now a familiar style of singing. For the most part it is stringed instruments used in the accompaniment – single or double-stringed musical bows, zither and harp. The instrumentation is mostly very gentle and rarely intrudes on the vocal performance. It is notable that this recording has less of a massed polyphonic chorus than is often heard on Bayaka recordings. There is more of an intimacy – almost like lullabies – and the music is frequently quite hypnotic. There are, however, several tracks that include a complete range of head vocals and chest vocals with the characteristic yodels and counterpoint for which Pygmy singing is famous. A beautiful and fascinating example of a remarkable musical culture.

Congolese rumba and salsa. Some might mistake his style as Cape Verdean or Angolan, given the ubiquitous acoustic guitar playing and Combo’s lilting intonations. That would be to forget the influence of one of his country’s greats, the muchregretted Eboa Lotin, as well as talented successors such as Donny Elwood and Blick Bassy. It’s Bassy who is, in fact, the backbone of this album: artistic director, composer of all 12 songs, and purveyor of the album’s slick guitar licks. Combo delivers his texts in Douala and Bassa languages, singing about hope, love, sincerity and betrayal in a pleasant, if homogenous, set. Yet it is the more urgent and textured song ‘Ewande’ (Fiancé) that stands out: the mask drops as the

Kandia Kouyaté Renascence

TRACK 1

Sterns (61 mins)

★★★★★

Against all odds: a comeback record from Malian superstar Given her status as the queen of the Mande griots, it comes as a shock to realise that this is only Kandia’s third proper solo album in a career dating back 40 years. A superstar in Mali, whose forte was always the live recital, for years her only recordings were semiauthorised local cassette releases. Producer Ibrahima Sylla finally coaxed her into a professional studio for the first time in 1999 to record Kita Kan. It was followed by 2002’s Biriko but in 2004 she suffered a stroke and for seven years was barely able to speak, let alone sing. Eventually in 2011 Sylla persuaded her it was time to return. But in 2013, halfway through the recording of

her comeback album, the producer died, leaving his daughter Binetou to complete the project. Despite these adversities, Renascence is a magnificently defiant return that fully justifies the boldness of its title. Kandia literally had to re-learn how to sing but the majestic contralto voice is still potent – deeper and somewhat darker than before – on a set of songs predominantly in the traditional Mande praise style. Traditional percussion and stringed instruments – balafon, ngoni, djembé and kora – are tastefully augmented by electric guitar and the subtle, synthesised string orchestrations of François Bréant. NIGEL WILLIAMSON

TRACK TO TRY Mali Ba

GET THIS ALBUM FREE Readers can get Renascence when subscribing or renewing with Direct Debit. See CD flyer

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02/12/2015 15:50

Africa reviews soul into reggae. Given this array of players, the overall sonic spread is often surprisingly sparse, the band reining in their parts out of respect for the overall minimalist sound. The main signature might be classic reggae, but then a soku (one-stringed fiddle) solo rears up, or a tama (drum) skitters across the stereo field; shadings of kora or ngoni flit across the rolling lines of dub. Numbers by Burning Spear and Peter Tosh are well-chosen, but there are also more obvious selections by Bob Marley, Junior Murvin and Buju Banton. The concept might initially seem an unnecessary one, but steady listening uncovers a subtle dynamic between styles. Martin Longley

TRACK TO TRY One Step Forward

Le Sahel La Légende de Dakar Celluloid (54 mins)

HHHHH

Senegal supergroup show all and sundry how it’s done One thing that can never be faked or replicated is the easy, yet supertight swing of a band that has a history of working together that goes back decades. This 13-piece supergroup, consisting of the best Dakar musicians of their day, made only one album – Bamba – in 1975. Its most noteworthy element was the title-track, which was apparently the first ever mbalax song. However, after this memorable debut, the band’s star players including founder members, vocalist and percussionist Idrissa Diop, organist and guitarist Cheikh Tidiane Tall and saxophonist Thierno Koite went their separate ways. But now here they are reunited and sounding absolutely magnificent. If anyone’s been waiting for a potential new Buena Vista Social Club-style global phenomenon then these are your guys. Diop’s vocals are the star ingredient, thanks to a compelling combination of a smoothness and natural gravel. The man has also done an excellent production job too; catching a vibrant live vibe without recourse to any distracting studio embellishments. But actually there’s not a step, or beat, or note misplaced by anyone here. Let’s hope that this long-overdue renaissance for Senegal’s finest is sustained for years to come. Howard Male

TRACK TO TRY Myster Tier

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Sea Slugs Women, They Cause Fear Sea Slugs (54 mins)

HHHHH

UK Afrobeaters slugging it out The Sea Slugs are an 11-piece Afrobeat ensemble from Southampton. This is their second release, which has its targets firmly set against a UK government that they believe is imposing a unilateral regime of intolerance and mistrust. There is no doubt that there are good intentions behind this. However, the slightly tired rhetoric fails to carry the indignation and relevance of their all-too-evident predecessor Fela Kuti in his scathing criticism of the state of play in post-civil war Nigeria. Fela Kuti’s influence is clear throughout, but it is too overarching and apparent. The guitar line from the title-track is indistinguishable from Fela & Africa 70’s ‘Shakara’, while the song structures hint at Kuti’s lengthier work without reaching his level of groove or intrigue. It must be said that the soprano saxophone work on ‘Party Benightedness’ is marvellous, however there needs to be more forward momentum in the accompaniment. Unfortunately this record is far too conscious of a legacy that it’s trying to invoke, and the general antiestablishment narrative just doesn’t quite carry the same punch. Alex De Lacey

TRACK TO TRY Party Benightedness

VARIOUS ARTISTS Senegal 70 Analog Africa (65 mins)

HHHHH

Unearthing new old classics This trip back in time – some 40 years – is all courtesy of Analog Africa’s crate-digger extraordinaire, Samy Ben Redjeb. The dozen tracks here have never been heard on CD before and capture an exciting moment in Dakar. An extraordinary burst of musical creativity, in part inspired by the visits of artists such as James Brown, the Jackson Five and Celia Cruz, injected a new diversity and experimentalism into Senegalese music. We hear the first classic Afro-Cuban recordings by Orchestra Bawobab (sic) and Amara Touré et le

top

of the world

Dizu Plaatjies & Friends Ubuntu: The Common String

track 10

Mountain Records (58 mins)

HHHHH

Musical bow-man takes a bow In 1979 Dizu Plaatjies created the South African percussion ensemble Amampondo in Cape Town. Initially they were a street-busking group and eventually they toured internationally, climaxing at the 1988 Mandela birthday celebration at Wembley. For many years, Plaatjies has been working with different fusions of African and Western music – always with an emphasis on percussion and the presence of his Xhosa roots. He currently leads a cultural group called Ibuyambo Ensemble and here they are joined by several friends from different musical disciplines.

Star Band de Dakar in similar vein, but the rest of the names here will be less familiar to listeners. Fangool play a dub-heavy reggae with a muezzin-style vocal. Orchestra Groupement Mobil d’Intervention offer an early Senegalese take on a kind of psychedup Afrobeat. King N’gom et Les Perles Noires play Cuban son with a Dave Brubeck ‘Take Five’-style beat. Orchestre Laye Thiam’s three tracks sound gloriously out of this world,

Plaatjies is a specialist of the musical bow and this instrument combines discretely with guitars, percussion and horn section on six of the 11 tracks. Ubuntu: The Common String is a very varied and enjoyable mixture of styles encompassing traditional, pop, rock, reggae and jazz – all with a South African flavour. Included are excellent tributes to Nelson Mandela and Stephen Biko, and a rocked-up remake of ‘Inkomo’, an old Amampondo song. As a bonus there is an exceptional and beautifully arranged version of Miriam Makeba’s Swahili classic ‘Malaika’ sung by Ibuyambo lead dancer Thabisa Dinga. Martin Sinnock

TRACK TO TRY Izalwa Algiers

fusing African rhythms, garage rock, James Brown funk and mariachi trumpets in futuristic fashion. A meticulous 44-page booklet recounts in loving detail the life stories of the bands and producers and includes a fantastic selection of evocative period photos to round out what may be the best archive release of the year. Nigel Williamson

TRACK TO TRY Massani Cisse by Orchestre Laye Thiam

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DecEMBER 2015-February 2016

Gig Guide

Songlines picks... Dele Sosimi (South, December 12) The UK’s leading Afrobeat player brings his funky rhythms to Cornwall. A Convent Christmas (Wales & West, December 18) The Gloucestershire venue gets festive with folk, including Cara Dillon, Paul Brady, Mike McGoldrick and Irish four-piece, Lynched. Cheikh Lô (London & North, January 28, 29 & 30) The Senegalese star returns for three UK dates, including one at Celtic Connections. Jyotsna Srikanth (pictured) (North, January 30) Showcasing South India’s Karnatic violin style. Mulatu Astatke (London, February 1) The father of Ethio-jazz performs an intimate gig as part of the Roundhouse’s In the Round series.

London 12 Dec Aadhunik: Contemporary Asian Music Night Rich Mix 020 7613 7498; Rory McLeod Cellar Upstairs Folk Club, Calthorpe Arms 020 7281 7700; Grupo Lokito Jamboree 020 7791 5659; 13 Dec Grand Union Youth Orchestra Winter Celebration Rich Mix 020 7613 7498; Marina Alam & Dhiren Raichura Rich Mix 020 7613 7498; Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou Ambika P3 Gallery billetto.co.uk;

15 Dec The Coach House Company Christmas Concert Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel wegottickets.com; 16 Dec Marina Alam & Dhiren Raichura Karamel 020 8829 8962; 17 Dec Rosie Hood & Friends Cecil Sharp House 020 7485 2206; 17 Dec, 14 & 28 Jan Uxbridge Folk Club Hillingdon tinyurl.com/uxfolk; 18 Dec Valkania + Papayera Foyer Spaces at RFH FREE 0844 875 0073; Olcay Bayir Rich Mix 020 7613 7498; The Nest Collective’s Yuletide Shindig Kings Place kingsplace.co.uk; 20 Dec Festive Gathering Cecil

Sharp House cecilsharphouse.org; 23 Dec Dunajska Kapelye’s Gypsy Christmas Party Vortex 020 7254 4097; 27 Dec Snowboy & the Latin Section Jazz Cafe 0207 485 6834; Hans Raj Hans indigo at The O2 0844 856 0202; 31 Dec New Year’s Eve Mambista Especial porticogallery.org.uk; Tropicalista NYE Party Rich Mix richmix.org.uk; New Year’s Eve Ceilidh Cecil Sharp House cecilsharphouse.org; Tropical New Year’s Party: Quantic, Gilles Peterson + others Village Underground 0871 220 0260; 1 Jan

Ceilidh Liberation Front The Clore Ballroom at RFH FREE 0844 875 0073; 2 Jan The Nest Collective Takeover The Clore Ballroom at RFH FREE southbankcentre.co.uk; 8 & 21 Jan, 5 Feb SOAS Concert Series Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre FREE soas.ac.uk/music/events/concerts; 9-24 Jan Akram Khan Company: Until the Lions Roundhouse 020 7863 8000; 10 Jan Iness Mezel Vortex 020 7254 4097; 13 Jan The Duhks Cecil Sharp House 020 7485 2206; 15 Jan The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra Jazz Cafe 0207 485 6834; 20 Jan

www.songlines.co.uk/gigs All information correct at time of going to press. Email listings for print and online consideration to listings@songlines.co.uk w w w . s o n g l i n e s . c o. u k

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essential

Balkan Albums

As we examine the careers of the father and son trumpet-playing champions of Balkan brass, Boban & Marko Marković (p80), Garth Cartwright comes up with another ten classic albums from the region

01 Amira

Rosa

(Snail Records, 2004) Bosnian sevdah music – a traditional ballad form – was introduced to the world stage by Rosa, Amira’s magnificent debut. Produced by Dragi Šestić, Rosa finds Amira backed by Mostar Sevdah Reunion. She sings exquisitely, her voice mournful then raging, while they play with grace and virtuosity. Amira has since gone on to win wide popularity across former Yugoslavia and beyond. A Top of the World in #30.

02 Šaban

Bajramović A Gypsy Legend

(World Connection, 2001)

Bajramović was an iconic figure in Yugoslav Gypsy music; a singer whose talent was only matched by his wild and erratic behaviour. He vanished for years until Bosnian producer Dragi Šestić found him living quietly in southern Serbia and took him into the studio with Bosnia’s Mostar Sevdah Reunion. Here his exquisite voice and superb songs are matched with beautifully felt arrangements.

03 Ekrem &

Gypsy Groovs Rivers of Happiness

(Enja, 2002)

This largely unknown album slipped out in 2002 yet it is among the most beautiful of Balkan albums. Ekrem leads a brass band from southern Serbia and here they are paired with the distinguished Serb jazz trumpeter Duško Gojković and the percussionist Ramesh Shotham. The resulting album is extremely subtle, melodic and lyrical.

04 Fanfare Ciocărlia

Gili Garabdi

(Asphalt Tango, 2005)

The Romanian village brass band have won an 98 s o n g l i n e s

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international following for their speed and wit. Every Fanfare Ciocărlia album is worth owning – the early ones on Piranha have a wild rush of speed while the latter albums on Asphalt Tango are a little slower and more varied – with this one best capturing their party spirit as they reinvent the James Bond theme and Duke Ellington’s ‘Caravan’. Reviewed in #30.

05 Toni Iordache

Sounds from a Bygone Age Vol 4

(Asphalt Tango, 2007)

The late Toni Iordache was the foremost cimbalom player of the Communist era. This 14-track album demonstrates just what a virtuoso he was. Iordache plays with great speed and finesse, generating beautiful waves of sound. On several tracks here he is joined by the two greatest Romanian Gypsy female singers, Romica Puceanu and Gabi Luncă. Reviewed in #45.

06 Kočani Orkestar

L’Orient est Rouge

(Crammed Discs, 1997)

Macedonian brass band Kočani Orkestar made this superb debut then split in half, never since matching the intense, droning, very Eastern sound here – the zurna (primitive oboe) blasts away. The tunes often start slowly then build in speed until you sense the band galloping across Balkan vistas in horse-drawn caravans.

07 Ivo Papasov

Dance of the Falcon

(World Village, 2008)

Papasov is literally a giant of Bulgarian music, his huge bulk and sound on the clarinet create a furiously dizzying music that is rooted in tradition yet informed by jazz. Papasov was the first Balkan musician to win an international audience when Joe Boyd produced two of his albums in the late 1980s,

but it is this, his 2008 comeback, that captures best his ability to play with great intensity over complex rhythms. Reviewed in #54.

08 Taraf de

Haidouks Dumbala Dumba

(Crammed Discs, 1998)

The dozen-strong Romanian string band – led by violin, cimbalom and accordion – made three striking albums across the 90s where they captured exceptional interpretations of Gypsy and Romanian folk songs, all performed with great vigour and imagination. This, their third album, is near perfect. A younger Taraf continue to tour today but it is their first three albums you want.

09 Esma Redžepova

Queen of the Gypsies

(World Connection 2000)

Macedonia’s Redžepova began performing professionally in the late 50s when she was only in her early teens. Her skills as a singer matched with accordionist Stevo Teodosievski and his ensemble made her one of Yugoslavia’s foremost entertainers. These 60s-era recordings capture the singer and band at their most inventive and fun, and include the original recording of ‘Čhaje Šhukarije’.

10 Various

Sulukule: Rom Music of Istanbul

(Traditional Crossroads, 1998)

This gathers ten recordings from the once historic, now destroyed, Gypsy neighbourhood in Istanbul, Sulukule. The band here is led by violinist Kemani Cemal Cinarli, and the music is razor sharp, honed through generations of entertaining at Sulukule’s clubs. Here are the roots of so much Gypsy music.

+ LET US KNOW Have any other suggestions? Write and let us know letters@songlines.co.uk

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