#4393, New Music, Old Rhythms
Traditional rhythms meet modern sounds in contemporary production, drawing on music from Haiti, Croatia, Southern Italy, Tunisia, Chad, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and an Israeli-Indian collaboration.
Sample music from Canada’s Pierre Kwenders, a Congolese-Québécois musician who combines Congolese soukous and rumba, futuristic soundscapes, and horn lines. There’s also an exploration of traditional Chadian music with an electronic twist from a group of talented artists from Cameroon, Chad, Congo and Togo and DJ Buosis & Nickodemus. This collaboration culminated in Desert To Douala, all originally written and recorded in N’Djamena - the "NDJ" in the collective’s chosen name of Pulo NDJ.
Hear music from Junun (which means “the madness of love”), the tri-part collaboration between Israel/India-based composer/musician Shye Ben Tzur, Indian qawwali musicians The Rajasthan Express, who also bring the brass band party, and Radiohead guitarist/keyboardist Jonny Greenwood adds guitars and electronics. Then there’s music from Tunisia – traditional Banga music (where Banga means "huge volume) with brutalist electronics from Ifriqiyya Electrique. Listen to a tune by the band out of Croatia, Kries, (whose name means “bonfire”) who re-work old folk songs and lyrics with contemporary arrangements.
Then, hear 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. Listen to field recordings of Nyabinghi Afro- Jamaican drumming featured in K. Leimer’s soundtrack Land of Look Behind, a film about Jamaica and Bob Marley. Plus, the Bugandan drumming tradition of Uganda hits the contemporary dance floor in music by darkest electro-percussion group Nihiloxica. - Caryn Haviik
Program #4393, New Music, Old Rhythms (First aired 7/27/2020)
ARTIST: Junun: Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood, & Rajasthan Express
WORK: Junun [1:30]
RECORDING: Junun
SOURCE: Nonesuch 552641
INFO: nonesuch.com
ARTIST: Pierre Kwenders
WORK: Welele [5:05]
RECORDING: MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time
SOURCE: Bonsound
INFO: therealpierrekwenders.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Pulo NDJ
WORK: Cera Cera [3:23]
RECORDING: Desert to Douala
SOURCE: Wonderwheel Recordings
INFO: wonderwheelrecordings.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Ifriqiyya Electrique
WORK: Moola Nefta [5:50]
RECORDING: Laylet el Booree
SOURCE: Glitterbeat Records
INFO: ifriqiyya-electrique.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Junun: Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood, & Rajasthan Express
WORK: Junun [5:54]
RECORDING: Junun
SOURCE: Nonesuch 552641
INFO: nonesuch.com
ARTIST: Oreka Tx
WORK: Herrenka [3:10]
RECORDING: Koklea
SOURCE: Txalapart Produkzioak
INFO: Available at Amazon.com, AppleMusic, Spotify
ARTIST: Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino
WORK: Taranta [3:07]
RECORDING: Quaranta
SOURCE: Ponderosa/Discovery
INFO: canzonieregrecanicosalentino.net
ARTIST: Kries
WORK: Ivo Se Sece [3:30]
RECORDING: Selo Na Okuke / Village Tracks
SOURCE: Riverboat Records 1107
INFO: worldmusic.net
ARTIST: Chouk Bwa & The Ångstromers
WORK: Fidelite [3:29]
RECORDING: Vodou Alé
SOURCE: Bongo Joe
INFO: choukbwa.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: K. Leimer
WORK: Cockpit [6:33]
RECORDING: Land of Look Behind
SOURCE: Palace of Lights
INFO: palaceoflights.com
ARTIST: Nihiloxica
WORK: Tewali Sukali [3:56]
RECORDING: Kaloli
SOURCE: Crammed Discs
INFO: nihiloxica.bandcamp.com
