#4289: Cross-Cultural Music

Hear an hour of new collaborative music that mixes sound from different cultures, including pieces by Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra together with Brooklyn Raga Massive, Swedish-South Indian group Nordic Raga, and the Soundwalk Collective with Philip Glass.

From the Soundwalk Collective, a rotating cast of New York-based musicians, hear Sufi chants and prayers of the Sufi Group of Sheikh Ibrahim, recorded in the holy city of Harar, Ethiopia. Coupled with these hypnotic chants, hear Philip Glass at the piano and Mulatu Astatke. It's from Mummer Love, a record on which Patti Smith also features, reciting the late poetry of Arthur Rimbaud on most other tracks.

Hear percussionist Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra in collaboration with Brooklyn Raga Massive. It’s a meeting of classical Indian music and Moroccan Gnawa music, with underpinnings of both spiritual jazz and trance ritual music. From a triple LP, Ragmala - A Garland of Ragas, hear work featuring creative legends Hamid Drake and Gnawa master musician Hassan Hakmoun. 

Then, listen to a collaboration between multimedia artist and violinist Laurie Anderson, the Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal, and the pianist and composer Jesse Paris Smith (daughter of Patti Smith.) The record is called Songs From The Bardo, and on it, Anderson guides a spiritual journey through the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Also, from a different collaboration by New York-based composer and electric violist Martha Mooke, singer Tenzin Choegyal and Jesse Paris Smith on glass bowls, hear “Meditation from Prajnaparamita - Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom” by Martha Mooke, a setting of the text from the “Diamond Sutra.”

Hear “Balkan Waltz” from the Swedish-South Indian group Nordic Raga, who are Bangalore-born violinist Jyotsna Srikanth, Swedish folk fiddler Mats Edén, along with percussion from Dan Svensson, percussion, and bass lines provided by saxophonist Pär Moberg. Plus, listen to new music by composer, trumpeter, and singer Jamie Branch.   - Caryn Havlik

Program #4289: Cross-Cultural Music (First aired 10/18/2019)

ARTIST: Patti Smith, Soundwalk Collective, Mulatu Astatke, Philip Glass, The Sufi Group of Sheikh Ibrahim
WORK: Bad Blood [1:00]
RECORDING: Mummer Love
SOURCE: Bella Union
INFO: bellaunion.ochre.store

ARTIST: Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra, Brooklyn Raga Massive 
WORK: Mousa Azure [6:54]
RECORDING: Ragmala - A Garland of Ragas
SOURCE/INFO: brooklynragamassive.org/brm-adamrudolph

ARTIST: Jamie Branch 
WORK: simple silver surfer [5:40]
RECORDING: FLY or DIE II: bird dogs of paradise
SOURCE: International Anthem
INFO: intlanthem.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Patti Smith, Soundwalk Collective, Mulatu Astatke, Philip Glass, The Sufi Group of Sheikh Ibrahim
WORK: Bad Blood [7:54]
RECORDING: Mummer Love
SOURCE: Bella Union
INFO: bellaunion.ochre.store

ARTIST: Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal, Jesse Paris Smith
WORK: Heart Sutra Song - Gone Beyond [7:32]
RECORDING: Songs from the Bardo
SOURCE: Smithsonian Folkways
INFO: folkways.si.edu/songs-from-the-bardo

ARTIST:Martha Mooke, electric viola; Tenzin Choegyal, vocals; Jesse Paris Smith, glass bowls
WORK: Martha Mooke: Meditation from Prajnaparamita - the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom [11:25]
RECORDING: Meditations on Gate, Gate
SOURCE: store.cdbaby.com/cd/marthamooke2 
INFO: marthamooke.com

ARTIST: Nordic Raga
WORK: Dan Svensson: Balkan Waltz [5:55]
RECORDING: Nordic Raga
SOURCE:  Riverboat Records  TUGCD1108
INFO: worldmusic.net