Review by Mighty Jamma The first time I saw Despers, I was with my brother Norman in 1981. They were performing at the Birmingham Odeon, (as part of their UK tour). The whole audience was transfixed, we were amazed with the standard and sound of the music. Robert Greenidge gave a great performance with Taj Mahal. This was the first time I had seen a steelpan soloist in action. This perform...
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Samite will be appearing at 7:30 p.m., April 24 at McIntyre Hall, (Skagit Valley Community College campus), Mount Vernon, Washington. For more information on this concert go to http://www.mcintyrehall.org Other journalists besides me have felt the soothing lullabies of Ugandan multi-instrumentalist Samite Mulondo. The storyteller-musician-humanitarian takes his audiences on journeys to the...
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Nigeria 70 - The Definitive Story of 1970s Funky Lagos (Strut Records STRUTO35CD/LP, 2009)Strut Records is one of those labels that have a knack for tracking down and putting out collections of great music from bygone days. This one- originally appearing in 2001 and now returning in re-mastered form -was a good example, setting the bar high for many similar compilations that followed. And ...
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Occidental Brothers Dance Band InternationalOdo Sanbra (Occidental Brothers, 2008)The term "short but sweet" seems to have been tailor-made to describe Occidental Brothers Dance Band International's debut CD from a couple of years ago. Only 30 minutes in length, the disc was a gem of classic African styles re-created by a group of American guys based in Chicago and equipped with only guitar,...
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Various Artists African Reggae (Putumayo PUT 287-2, 2009) Africa has always been celebrated as the spiritual home of roots reggae, so it's no surprise that the continent's homegrown reggae scene has been going strong since Africans tuned in to both the consciousness and sheer joy of Jamaican greats like Desmond Dekker, Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley.Compilations of African reggae being nothing n...
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Toubab Krewe's spring tour in support of their new album, Live at the Orange Peel, includes a performance at Sullivan Hall in New York City, New York on April 4, 2009. The band blends American and West African influences into a sound all its own. Since forming in 2005, the magnetic instrumental quintet has won a diverse and devoted following, performing everywhere from Bonnaroo to the lege...
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Renowned salsa musician Manny Oquendo died March 25, 2009 at a New York hospital. Oquendo was a veteran of the days when Latin bands crowded into a studio to polish off a recording in an all-night session. "The first recording (singer) Tito Rodriguez did, we took the 7th Avenue train to record for SMC label," Oquendo recalled. "Tito Puente did the arrangements. You recorded on monaural, w...
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The compilation Joe Gibbs: Scorchers From The Early Years 1967-73, will be available in North America on April 14, 2009. It is an amazing collection of Rocksteady & Reggae hits from the late 60's and early 70's, that helped break reggae internationally. This essential jam packed 2 CD anthology, produced mainly by Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Niney The Observer for Joe Gibbs, features the genre's...
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The Tuvan throat-singing ensemble Alash returns to the United States in March for a spring tour. They will begin in Texas, where they will participate in the popular South by Southwest (SXSW) 2009 Music Festival. They will then swing up through New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and Pennsylvania, and wrap up their tour in Wisconsin. Two years ago, Alash caught the ear of Béla Fleck, who inv..
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British guitarist and singer-songwriter John Martyn died on January 29, 2009. Best known an innovator in the folk scene with a career that lasted for more than four decades, Mr. Martyn succumbed to double pneumonia and passed away at a hospital in Ireland. He was 60. Born in New Malden, Surrey, England, Mr. Martyn began his professional music career at the age of 17 in the 1960s London fo...
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Maria Jonsson, Ian Carr and Mikael MarinTimber! (Nordic Traditions, 2007)Fiddlers Maria Jonsson and Mikael Marin met guitarist Ian Carr in 1997 at Musikmuseet in Stockholm. The chemistry was there and the three musicians decided to jam and collaborate on a new project. The three musicians are active members of well known touring bands and didn't find the time until ten years later. In 2007,...
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Mama Africa 2009 will offer an all too rare opportunity to enjoy world class UK based African female artists in full flow individually and together on March 20th, 2009 at the Inn on the Green. A sonorous and joyful evening ramjammed with excellent music with kora virtuoso Maya Sona Jobarteh (Gambia/UK) who enjoys a distinguished heritage - Toumani Diabate's cousin; Vanya Reid & Delphina Ja...
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Cuban musician and composer Juan de Marcos Gonzalez deserves more credit than he gets. Not only did he put together the renowned Afro-Cuban All Stars, but he was also an essential figure in the development of the popular Buena Vista Social Club. But his talent goes even further. Juan de Marcos Gonzalez composes his own material. Although his ensembles play many Cuban classics, Juan de Marco...
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Coinciding with its 2009 North American tour, World Music Central's TJ Nelson interviewed Blue King Brown's frontwoman Natalie Pa'apa'a. Hailing from Australia, Blue King Brow has shared the stage with Damian Marley, Julian Marley, Santana, Michael Franti & John Butler, and has performed at International events such as Al Gore's historic Live Earth concert, Fuji Rock, Summer Sonic and Shambal...
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Blue King Brown is touring North America y as part of their Moment of Truth Tour. This is Blue King Brown's third tour of North America over the last 16 months and they are simply one of the best groups to come out of Australia in a long time. Touring extensively in Japan, Australia, Canada, and the USA; this 8 piece urban roots band is proven to be breaking ground in the urban roots and ...
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The grand finale of the annual week-long Francophone celebration brings to Toronto two highly regarded world music acts. One of Africa's most exciting virtuoso performers, Habib Koité is a modern griot - playing music that reflects the diverse traditions of his Malian homeland while connecting to the cosmopolitan life experience. A number of critically acclaimed albums, a duet with Bonnie Raitt..
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Renowned banjoist Alison Brown, will release a new CD and bonus DVD titled The Company You Keep on April 7, 2009. Included with the first 5000 copies of the album shipping to retail is a free full length concert DVD taped live at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee). The DVD, which was filmed in HD and recorded in high res audio, features the Alison Brown Quartet with Joe Craven on...
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In a press release, musician Ross Daly announced the closing of the reputable Musical Workshop Labyrinth series of Greek and global musical instrument workshops. "We regret to inform you that, due to the absence of even the slightest interest and support from the local and national government agencies and services concerned with cultural activities, the Musical Workshop Labyrinth has no cho...
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The latest additions to the Heineken TransAtlantic Festival include renowned Malian Tuareg band Tinariwen. Laura Quinlan (Rhythm Foundation) calls the addition of Tinariwen "Really exciting!" and feels that adding popular Miami DJ's and artists will further the quest for this Fest to be a true fusion of international and Miami flavors. Tinariwen are nomadic Tuareg guitar-poets from Mali's...
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After half a decade, Juan de Marcos & Afro-Cuban All-Stars will bring the best of Cuban music to over forty cities in the United States, including Berkeley, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, New York, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington, among dozens in between. The man behind the Buena Vista Social Club , Cuban bandleader, producer, and extraordinary impresario Jua...
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