It’s the most wonderful time of the month on New Sounds – the new releases show! On tap is a supergroup/collective of great women musicians from Benin, Gabon, Mali, and Nigeria, calling themselves Les Amazones d’Afrique. Among them are Angélique Kidjo, Kandia Kouyaté, Mamani Keita, Mariam Doumbia, and kora player Madina N'Diaye. So far, the proceeds of the first single from the compilation record will go to The Panzi Foundation, an organization which has provided healing support to survivors of sexual violence. Listen to a track called “Anisokoma” which features traded vocal lines by Rokia Koné and Kandia Kouyaté, over guitars, n’goni, and percussion, produced by Laim Farrell, who has worked with both Afro-pop drummer & legend Tony Allen and the electrified Mbongwana Star.
Also, hear new music from Mali's Niger River Delta by Mamadou Kelly and his group BanKaiNa. His latest record, Politiki, includes a storied cast of supporting musicians like Susie Ibarra, steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar, bassist Jake Silver, and guitarist Dan Littleton. Listen to the acoustic-leaning title track from Mamadou Kelly. Then, hear music from the Norwegian composer and tuba player, Daniel Herskedal. His latest, The Roc, was inspired by his trips to Syria, Lebanon and Palestine - and a strong Arabic influence runs throughout this folk-jazz-classical record.
There’s music by Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurðsson, using electronically altered layers of orchestral instruments to capture the extremity of ecstatic joy and deep sorrow from his forthcoming release, "Dissonance." Then, hear new music from Sierra Leone-born Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang. Bubu is a hypnotic music played collectively on percussive instruments and bamboo horns, which Nabay has updated with electronics for a futuristic sound.
Hear Tuareg rock 'n' roll - a cry of suffering and the yell of rebellion and resistance- from the southwestern edge of the Sahara by the group Tamikrest, off of their latest record, Kidal, named for their hometown. Plus, listen to filmic music from Montreal-based Frenchman Olivier Alary along with glacial music from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Luther Adams, as performed by the ensemble ACME. -And that’s what we could fit into the hour.
PROGRAM #3967, New Releases, March 2017 edition (First Aired: 3/31/2017)
ARTIST: Daniel Herskedal
WORK: Hijaz Train Station, excerpt [1:00]
RECORDING: The Roc
SOURCE: Edition Records
INFO: danielherskedal.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Les Amazones d’Afrique
WORK: Anisokoma [5:27]
RECORDING: Republique Amazone
SOURCE: Real World Records CDRW217
INFO: realworldrecords.com, Due out April 28, 2017
ARTIST: Mamadou Kelly
WORK: Politiki [8:17]
RECORDING: Politiki
SOURCE: Clermont Records CLE016
INFO: forcedexposure.com
ARTIST: Tamikrest
WORK: Erres Hin Atouan [3:35]
RECORDING: Kidal
SOURCE: Glitterbeat Records GBCD 043
INFO: tamikrest.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang
WORK: Santa Monica [4:54]
RECORDING: Build Music
SOURCE: Luaka Bop 6 80899 0086-2-4
INFO: luakabop.com
ARTIST: Valgeir Sigurðsson
WORK: No Nights Dark Enough IV. fear and grief and pain [3:15]
RECORDING: Dissonance
SOURCE: Bedroom Community Records
INFO: valgeir.net, Due out April 21, 2017
ARTIST: Olivier Alary
WORK: Khaltoum [2:09]
RECORDING: Fiction / Non-Fiction
SOURCE: FatCat / 130701 LP13-24 / CD13-24 / DA13-24
INFO: 130701.com
ARTIST: Daniel Herskedal
WORK: Hijaz Train Station [3:20]
RECORDING: The Roc
SOURCE: Edition Records
INFO: danielherskedal.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: ACME
WORK: John Luther Adams: In a Treeless Place, Only Snow, excerpt [15:19]
RECORDING: Thrive on Routine
SOURCE: Sono Luminus DSL-92211
INFO: sonoluminus.com