Top of the World

Pimasz cuts a distinctive voice for the Kerekes Band: an irresistible groove of tumbling bass-lines, driving drums and wildly spiraling flute riffs. The cover dubs the music ëEthno Funkí (they themselves call it ëMagyar Funkí) and shows a cartoon picture of a man in a John Travolta Saturday Night Fever pose with flared trousers and Hungarian traditional dress. Need I say more?
Well, the band was formed in 1995 and have paid their homage and their dues to their countryís musical roots. From the opening track, ëCs·ngÛ Boogieí, they take their traditional instruments ñ the koboz (lute), a viola (with a flattened bridge to allow three strings to be played at once) and the flute (played by virtuoso player and band leader Zsombor Feher) ñ on a fantastic musical voyage that skirts punk, funk and dance, with traditional Hungarian music and some fine drumming and production underpinning it. The band must absolutely rock live.
With its swirling pipes the music reminds one a little of Afro Celt Sound System, but it has a rougher edge and can also tone it down to a gentleness, as shown in ëSearchingí and the quasi-dubby ëKet Pasztorí, both of which find it impossible not to build up the sound in their second halves. Although fused with energy and dynamism, the CD is a slightly relentless listening experience if taken in one sitting, but itís a shot in the arm in short bursts. This band is certainly one to catch.
Mark Espiner

ëMusic without make-upí is how Pedro LuÌs Ferrer describes his raw and rustic Cuban sound, one full of catchy rhythms, witty wordplay and piquant humour. Natural follows in the footsteps of Ferrerís stunning 2005 disc, Rustico, and is powered by the irresistible twang of his tres guitar and the clarity of his sonorous voice, which is often paired by that of his daughter Lena. She also keeps the maracas shaking, which is no mean feat given the way they are played in Cuba, with set patterns that are devilish to learn.
Ferrer is something of a mythical figure in his country, renowned for his individuality and for not toeing any musical or revolutionary line. Although only recently having come to world attention, this genial man is an inveterate composer of over 30 years standing. He remains characteristically inventive, re-minting chang¸i styles from around Guantanamo (as on ëChang¸isa del picadorí). Hailing from near Sancti Spiritus, heís also a modern master of old Spanish troubadour verse poetry, a form utilising witty syllabic rhymes, as ëDÈcimas del cucalambÈ shows. Ferrerís lyrics (well translated in the booklet) pick up on the craziness of everyday life, from marijuana parties to the gibberish notion of ëword soupí(!). Lerlys Morales, who also sings while playing guitar, and Basilio PerodÌn, who plays various percussion instruments, make up Ferrerís group ñ or rather his bunga (an old country word he gives his band , emphasizing its ad-hoc versatility). They favour tight arrangements, and every song is memorable, in particular ëAnana OyÈí, influenced by the macuta ritual.
Jan Fairley

Singer Mari Boine has been an international voice of Norwegian S·mi music since the release of Gula Gula on Real World in 1989. She is a hugely charismatic, warm performer inspiring both audience and band and drawing us all in to her world.
Her new album Idjagiedas seems to be a real return to a focus on S·mi culture, with some powerful and moving songs performed by a truly outstanding band. Their sensitive playing and use of instrumental colour is complemented by the albumís fine production. Boine is in exceptionally fine voice here ñ strong and insistent, yet relaxed and gentle as well. She performs mostly in the S·mi language, using her own words or those of S·mi writers, with music written either by herself or her band members ñ Georg Buljo and Svein Schultz being of particular note.†
Itís a celebration and a cry for peace and justice. The opening track ëVuoi Vuoi Muí is one of those songs you feel youíve known forever, growing in intensity while painting pictures of birds and frosts, salty tears and hot summer days. ëReindeer of Diamondsí is an outcry against machines taking over the land ñ ëbig roaring beasts, skeletons of steelí ñ and we are treated to a superb guest performance by the veteran Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal on ëGeasuhaí. This is an album to relish now and to keep forever.
Fiona Talkington

At long last comes an Indian Ocean sampler that opens a musical treasure chest of contemporary artists from Madagascar, La RÈunion, Comoros, Mayotte and Mauritius. The selection from Madagascar is excellent. There are two tracks from guitar master DíGary: ëAthaora Fabibyí, which features the Vezo singer Rataza, and ëMbo Habita Avaoí from his earlier album DíGary and JihÈ. There is the powerful ëIndosiko Anaoí, from the king of salegy, Jaojoby, and the dreamy, hypnotic ëLilindrazaí, from Antandroy group Nainako. The late Rakotofrah & Feo-Gasy brought a tear to my eye with their beautiful ëArabe Vita Godroí. There are also strong tracks by Jean Emilien, Rajery, RÈgis Gizavo, and a trio performance from Dama, Jaojoby and Fifafi.
The island of La RÈunion is represented by top Maloya artists who show off their different approaches to music that came from the days of slavery. Natalie NatiembÈís song ëCilaosí has a tropical French quality that contrasts strongly with Christine Salemís ëAseí which features the traditional approach of just voice and percussion. Daniel Waroís Maloya is also purely percussion-based, as proud and defiant as we would expect from one of La RÈunionís best known artists. The amazing RenÈ Lacaille appears with his rich and moody track ëDomin Ki KonÈí. No Indian Ocean compilation could be complete without one of Granmoun LÈlÈís spirited performances, and the late, great witchdoctorís music lives on in the featured recording of ëMassalÈí. Overall, this is a great disc; you need it in your collection.
Paddy Bush

The Turkish-born, Montreal-based music master who put a UV-lit whirling dervish on stage and wowed the crowd with a fantastic dance set at Londonís Forum last year has produced a beautiful, contemplative and very listenable album in Breath. This is the third instalment of a four-part series, following Nar (fire) Su (water) and, I guess, anticipating an Earth to come.
The opening track ëHiningaí, with its mix of hurdy-gurdy, programmed drums, strings, bells and percussion is a wonder. The hypnotic beats and Sufi spirituality for which Dede has become known are peppered throughout, and, in addition to his own debut vocal foray, reed flute and electronic contributions, there is a eulogy to the visionary Kani Karaca, a musician blind from the age of two who committed the Koran to memory. His death, a couple of years ago, doesnít hinder his appearance on ëZefirí, which features a sample from an archive recording of ëOde to the Nightingaleí. Besides his mystical voice, there is the Iranian vocalist Asam Ali, and also the fine Kurdish singer Aynur Do?an, who lifts ëBehiní into a plaintive, keening, emotional place. Hypnotic, intelligent, mystical and musical, this record is a beguiling triumph.
Mark Espiner

Zoba Casimir, known as Zao, was a schoolteacher and successful satirical singer in Congo Brazzaville before the commencement of civil war in 1993. He released a series of enjoyable albums that included 1984ís hugely popular Ancien Combatant (Veteran Soldier) but unfortunately, with the proliferation of internal hostilities, the one-time idol of Francophone intellectual circles became ostracised, his property looted and his family terrorised in a tragic political conflict. Zao has returned to recording and performing in recent years and the emotional impact of his terrible experiences shows in his vocal intensity and beautiful articulation of the French language. The albumís title means ëthe needleí, and he sings about trying to repair the rift in his country and stitching together the remnants of his musical career. The musical backing includes acoustic guitar, flute, balafon (xylophone) and a striking trumpet that perfectly complements the stunning vocal on the title-track. Other songs are light and bouncy, typical of the Brazzaville style which, whilst heavily based on Congolese rumba, borrows from other Central African styles like makossa, and from zouk and comp·s from the French Caribbean, as well as Latin American rhythms. Zao tackles some conventional modern Congolese music and does a fine job, and he also has a go at some blues on ëElle a Deux Diablesí in which he humorously sings of womanís two devils ñ one in front and one behind.
Itís real mixture of styles, never less than entertaining, with superb musicianship and some great female backing. The compositions are thought-provoking and likely to bring a smile to your face ñ hopefully this very impressive album will help Zao fully resurrect his career.
Martin Sinnock

We published a ëPostcard from Arunachal Pradeshí in Songlines #35, written by Rolf Killius while he was gathering recordings for this CD. Itís an extremely vivid and exciting collection of music from village musicians in eastern India. The available recordings of Indian folk music concentrate heavily on Rajasthan and, to a lesser extent, on Kerala and the Baul musicians of west Bengal. So this disc breaks new ground. The 13 tracks range from Andhra Pradesh, up north through Orissa and west Bengal, and up to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in the Himalayas, with its Tibetan and Bhutanese Buddhist population.
The most extraordinary track is ëShesirekaís Weddingí, because of the remarkable drum and cotton-thread instruments called jankili konda used by the Maasti minstrels, which make an incredible percussive bass for the vocals. Also outstanding is the 70-year-old bhajan singer Parashumari, who sings for the evening prayer in Puriís famous Jagannath temple and, also in Puri, the gentle-voiced Chandra Mani Lenka, who sings a love song about Krishna and Radha against lively drumbeats. Two tracks from the family of Bankashan Das Baul are as good as one would expect from Baul musicians who play some of the most dynamic and inspirational music in India.
Itís rare that a CD of field recordings gets picked as a Top of the World album, because raw, local music can be hard on ears accustomed to ëproducedí sounds. But these performances are genuine, powerful and deserve to be heard. It would be nice to say it was testament to a strong living tradition. But unfortunately, according to Killius, as India rapidly develops this music is getting harder and harder to hear.
Simon Broughton

When that celebrated producer Ibrahima Sylla released the first Mandekalou album two years ago, he announced that his aim was ëto record the great griot songs for the benefit of future generationsí. Now comes the second volume, which once again features many of the finest hereditary musicians from across West Africa, including the guitarist Djelimady Tounkara, along with an array of great singers ñ from the veterans through to younger divas.
Once again, there are only six tracks, with different singers swapping the lead vocals between them on each lengthy song, and the entire cast coming together for the magnificent finale, the gently sturdy ëDjandjoní. The album is described as an ëode to the Mali empire, which stretched from Mauritania to the Ivory Coast in the thirteenth centuryí, and to the empireís founder, Soundiata Keita. The songs are backed by an intricate, sturdy acoustic band featuring balafon (xylophone), ngoni (lute), drums and guitars. These are epic stories given an epic treatment ñ even when the mood is intimate, thereís an urgency. The album starts with a sturdy, rousing collaboration featuring the Guinean singers Sekouba ëBambinoí DiabatÈ and Kerfala KantÈ alongside Maliís Kandia KouyatÈ, and it simply builds from there. On the magnificent ëNassiran Madií, Bako Dagnon joins in for some rousing ensemble singing and inspired solos, matched by impressive balafon work, while on ëKanimbaí there is more powerful singing from Kassy Mady, matched by some driving guitar work. If anything, this album is even more confident and powerful than that first Mandekalou release. Itís another West African classic.
Robin Denselow

When JPP play live they take you over, body and soul, twirling you around the dance floor in an endless helter-skelter of gavottes, schottisches and polskas, while turning your mind upside-down with the sheer pleasure of their harmonic and rhythmic twists and turns. Artology has the same effect. JPP fans have waited a long time for this (itís been an astonishing eight years since the wonderful String Tease) but itís well worth the wait.
How can four fiddles, a harmonium and a double bass do this to you? Partly itís in the phrasing: immaculate ensemble-playing-as-one combined with a brand of delicious folky craziness that blends lyrical genius with harmonic wildness. The addition of a few Finnish traditional rhythms, some of the devilís own dance steps, and Timo Alakotilaís pumping, pulsing harmonium finishes the job.
The compositions on Artology come from the pen of one of the bandís founder fiddlers, Arto J‰rvel‰, and feature some of the tunes theyíve been playing at their live gigs over the last couple of years. The intriguing ëMurheí is inspired by a TV documentary about two friends who live five kilometres apart, but ñ with one being from Israel and the other from Palestine ñ they couldnít meet. J‰rvel‰ turns this into a tune with an infectious mixture of joy and sorrow. Also of note is the explosive ëSutelí, dedicated to American fiddler Pete Sutherland. With some Finnish tango thrown in, and one track, ëStuffologieí, recorded last year at JPPís home, the Kaustinen festival, this could well be one of the must-have CDs of the year.
Fiona Talkington

The name Lata Mangeshkar is the first ñ and last ñ in film music. There are many gems here ñ too many to mention individually ñ but among them is the song ëAayega Aanewaalaí. Taken from the film Mahal, a spooky psychological thriller released in 1949, the song is thought to have launched Lataís sparkling career. For those who grew up on Indian cinema (I refuse to use the derogatory term ëBollywoodí), itís impossible to disentangle the hazy childhood memories of powerful silvery visuals of a moodily back-lit female ñ tresses of long hair flying due to the wind machine ñ miming to Lataís voice ñ however brilliant the song may be.
Lata could tackle classical and quasi-classical melodies with an ease that forced even the haughtiest, most arrogant of purist classical maestros to sit up and take notice. (One distinguished khayal singer once admitted to remaining glued to the radio listening to Lata, waiting for her to produce a false note.) These pure classicists could not even have dreamed of aping Lataís impeccable lyrical diction. Singing for Indian films is tough. Not only do you need perfect voice control, to the same degree as a pure classical singer, but you also need some voice-acting talent. On top of which, a flawless Urdu/Hindi accent, with every word standing out as clear as though it were being spoken rather than sung, is a must. Add to that some heavy duty Urdu poetry alongside some of the most difficult taans (melodic passages) of pure classical raga, and youíve got your work cut out for you. Check out ëPiya Tohse Naina Laage Reí (Lover, my Eyes are Locked with Yours), to hear a gloriously difficult rhythm arranged for four kinds of dance styles ñ composed by S D Burman, father of the famous R D Burman.
This is an absolutely lovely reminder of Lataís zenith. From the 40s down to the present day ñ although we donít hear too much from her now ñ Lata Mangeshkar has defined what it means to be the best.
Jameela Siddiqi