Listen to new music from South Africa for this New Sounds program, featuring work by Ireland-based Kevin Volans, who may be the best-known composer from South Africa, along with music by the extraordinary choir, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Listen to two arrangements of Kevin Volans' work, White Man Sleeps, as played by both Dublin Guitar Quartet and Kronos Quartet. Also, hear music from duo pianists Kathleen Tagg, a classical player, and Andre Petersen, a jazzer, as they present works by some of the giants of South African jazz together with original compositions involving prepared piano.
Then, listen to music from the choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo, ordinarily an all-male affair, from their 2014 record, Always With Us, which features female voices in the main role. Hear the virtuoso guitarist Derek Gripper, who has arranged a work from Mali for the six strings. There’s also music from a chamber music cycle for the Afro-Brazilian berimbau from a work written to accompany a short film entitled, “Chip,” by director Nancy Kiang. The film is an intriguing retelling of Anton Chekov’s short story, “The Father,” and includes gorgeous footage shot in South Africa. Plus, music from another virtuoso South African guitarist, Guy Buttery.
PROGRAM #4064 Music from South Africa (First Aired: 1/4/2017)
ARTIST: Kronos Quartet
WORK: Kevin Volans: White Man Sleeps #1 [4:32]
RECORDING: White Man Sleeps
SOURCE: Nonesuch 79163
INFO: nonesuch.com
ARTIST: Kathleen Tagg & Andre Petersen
WORK: Moses Molelekwa: Rapela [4:41]
RECORDING: Where Worlds Collide
SOURCE: Table Pounding Records
INFO: taggpetersenduo.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Dublin Guitar Quartet
WORK: Kevin Volans: White Man Sleeps #4 [3:53]
RECORDING: Deleted Pieces
SOURCE/INFO: dublinguitarquartet.com
ARTIST: Jozi
WORK: Phumani Endlini [3:38]
RECORDING: Various – Thunder Before Dawn; The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto Volume Two
SOURCE: Earthworks – EWV 1
INFO: Also available on the In the Blood Sndtrrk
ARTIST: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
WORK: Izembe Mfana [3:06]
RECORDING: Always With Us
SOURCE: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
INFO: store.cdbaby.com
ARTIST: Kathleen Tagg & Andre Petersen
WORK: African Dawn/ Cape Doctor [5:55]
RECORDING: Where Worlds Collide
SOURCE: Table Pounding Records
INFO: taggpetersenduo.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Derek Gripper
WORK: Miniyamba [5:16]
RECORDING: Libraries on Fire
SOURCE: New Cape
INFO: newcape.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Arcomusical
WORK: Gregory Beyer: Berimbau Quartet no 1, "Chip" [5:18]
RECORDING: MeiaMeia: New Music for Berimbau
SOURCE: Innova 922
INFO: www.innova.mu
ARTIST: Kathleen Tagg & Andre Petersen
WORK: As the Flowers Bloom/Ntyilo Ntyilo [4:43]
RECORDING: Where Worlds Collide
SOURCE: Table Pounding Records
INFO: taggpetersenduo.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Guy Buttery
WORK: Umtamvuna [5:09]
RECORDING: Fox Hill Lane
SOURCE: Guy Buttery
INFO: guybuttery.bandcamp.com