#3235: "Glory to Women"

For this New Sounds, listen to several groundbreaking female musicians from around the world.  There's music from Malian kora player, Madina N'Diaye, who has opened the way to a new phenomenon in Mali: women’s access to musical instruments traditionally reserved for men. In her song, “Moussow,” the lyrics translate as: “They think that women are incapable of doing all the things they do.  But I, Madina, play the Kora...Glory to women, glory to the women of Mali.”  We'll hear another tune from her album, "Bimogow."

Also, we'll hear throat singing by Sainkho Namtchylak, who hails from Tuva, where it is traditionally the men who do the local overtone singing; in fact, females were actively discouraged from learning it.  Then there's a tune from multi-instrumentalist (kemencheh & dumbek) Raquy Danziger, who has had her own share of proving herself in Middle Eastern drum battles.  We'll sample something from Zimbabwe's Queen of Mbira, Stella Chiweshe, who learned her craft in the mid-late 1960's when it was forbidden for a woman to play the instrument.  Also, hear works from Chinese pipa player Wu Man, and music from Malian guitarist and singer Rokia Traore. Plus, listen to music from the sitarist Dr. Krishna Chakravarty, whose guru was Ravi Shankar.  Sadly, we couldn't dredge up a female digeridoo player.  Although there have been documented instances of women playing that instrument and not being left barren...

PROGRAM #3235 Pioneering Women in World Music (First aired on 8/19/11)