#4323: Marimbas and Xylophones Around the World
Hear music for xylophone and marimba by Mexican garage-cumbia-marimba-punk band Son Rompe Pera, Basque band Oreka Tx, UK’s Vula Viel, Vienna-based Mamadou Diabate & Percussion Mania, and music recorded in a train tunnel under Finland, because as John Schaefer says, “we can’t play anything normal on New Sounds.”
Formed in 2017, the band Son Rompe Pera is centered around the marimba duo of brothers Jesús Ángel and Allan Gama (Kacho and Mongo), who carry on the tradition of their father, Batuco. They have taken their own punk, rockabilly and ska band experience, some cumbia, forgotten folk music, and a little bit of the barrio to make something new and super-fun.
Then, listen to music from the Basque musical group Oreka Tx who play the txalaparta, which looks like pairs of wooden planks. It's a member of the xylophone family that can be made of wood, stone, or ice and is struck with mallets. There’s also music from Vienna-based Mamadou Diabate (not the kora player) who composes, sings and plays the balafon as well as various percussion instruments. Listen to Mamadou Diabate and Percussion Mania from their record Masaba Kan.
Hear music by London-based band Vula Viel, who make music centered around the Ghanaian xylophone, the Gyil which might sound something like Steve Reichian jazz or post-punkish minimalism. (Note: Vula Viel’s new record, What's Not Enough About That featuring a guest turn by Peter Zummo, comes out on Feb. 7.) There’s also music for wooden mallet percussion instruments from Bali and from Mozambique, hear music for timbila, wooden xylophones made from the highly resonant wood of the mwenje (sneezewort) tree. Plus, listen to the Finnish duo of Tapani Rinne and Teho Majamäki - clarinets and marimba augmented by electronics from an album, Under the Ground recorded in a train tunnel – an extension of a subway line outside of Helsinki, Finland.
Program #4323: Marimbas and Xylophones Around the World (First aired 1/30/2020)
ARTIST: Tapani Rinne & Teho Majamäki
WORK: Air [1:00]
RECORDING: Under the Ground
SOURCE: Aani Records
INFO: rinnemajamaki.com
ARTIST: Son Rompe Pera featuring Chico Trujillo
WORK: Cumbia Algarrobera [4:50]
RECORDING: Batuco
SOURCE: ZZK Records / AYA Records | Due out Feb. 28, 2020
INFO: sonrompepera.lnk.to/batuco
ARTIST: Oreka TX
WORK: Okabe & Landarbaso [3:05]
RECORDING: Quercus Endorphina
SOURCE: Elkarlanean
INFO: Available at Amazon.com, Apple Music, or Spotify
ARTIST: Oreka TX
WORK: Saapmi [3:39]
RECORDING: Nomadak tx
SOURCE: World Village 468085 / Txalapart Diskak
INFO: Available at Amazon.com, or forcedexposure.com
ARTIST: Mamadou Diabate & Percussion Mania
WORK: Djeli Luba [5:14]
RECORDING: Masaba Kan
SOURCE: Jazzhaus Records
INFO:Available at Amazon.com, Apple Music, or Spotify
ARTIST: Vula Viel
WORK: Gandayina [7:24]
RECORDING: Good Is Good
SOURCE: Vula Viel
INFO:https://vulaviel.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Various Artists
WORK: Joged Bumbung [7:15]
RECORDING: Music in Bali
SOURCE: World Music Library/Seven Seas/King Record Co
INFO: Available at Amazon.com
ARTIST: Ngodo of Mavila (Timbila Orchestra)
WORK: Msitso [7:56]
RECORDING: Sound of Africa Series 198: Mozambique (Chopi)
SOURCE: ILAM
INFO: available at Amazon.com
ARTIST: Tapani Rinne & Teho Majamäki
WORK: Air [8:49]
RECORDING: Under the Ground
SOURCE: Aani Records
INFO: rinnemajamaki.com
