February 2010 Tweets: World Music in Review

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Picked up some amazing gypsy music on my Barcelona/Paris trip: Thierry Robin, Djamel Allam, Mano Solo, Perpignan Gypsies. Thanks Tatjana!

June 17-19: Sonar Festival Barcelona http://www.sonarbarcelona.com  http://bit.ly/ZJXHs  Europe’s premier electronica fest - I must come back!

Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain’s homage festival to guru and father Alla Rakha http://bit.ly/c0N6C9  Billy Cobham; Taksim Trio (Istanbul)

2010 Rock in India festival http://rockinindia.com/  Feb 20 Delhi, Feb 21 Bangalore http://bit.ly/a4Gd8w 

10th Annual New York #Flamenco Festival!! http://www.worldmusicinstitute.org/flamenco/  Feb 11-21

“Made in India” - Bangalore-born pop icon Biddu’s autobiography http://bit.ly/ceWERp  http://bit.ly/9yezvl  http://bit.ly/difa4j 

Peter Gabriel at 60: Genesis, world music and - a Nobel Prize?! http://bit.ly/b0WBEt 

A pleasant side of globalisation: 1st ever #Bachata Festival in Mumbai; Feb 13-14 http://bit.ly/a167Se  Three cheers for Kaytee Namgyal!!!

Singing Skylarks: music for the cause of a better humanity www.singingskylarks.co.cc 

Melange: world music jam in 5 Indian cities http://bit.ly/924FwJ  http://bit.ly/bXiDSg 

Review of performances at Globalfest world music concert, New York http://bit.ly/59U2YQ  http://bit.ly/bcBSo2 

Grammy’s: AR Rahman has “done India proud” http://bit.ly/d34eLy  http://bit.ly/9bo26k  http://bit.ly/dfO64Z 

Grammy Awards: Winner + nominees for best World Music album http://bit.ly/9LVcfe  Bela Fleck, Femi Kuti, Omar Sosa

World music: guitarist Al Di Meola and World Sinfoni ensemble http://bit.ly/cCTcJz 

Profile of Ugandan musician Joel Sebunjo http://bit.ly/9J1QyC 

A new way for celebrities to issue public apologies: via Twitter! http://bit.ly/bPDT83 

Twitter is the “new acceptance speech” at Grammy’s! http://bit.ly/9Xh7TB 

Grammy Ratings Surge; Did #SocialMedia Play a Role? http://bit.ly/c13rt4  “Twitter as the new water cooler”

January 2010 Tweets: World Music in Review

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

World music: Kenya’s search for authentic tune http://bit.ly/6vFvlb  “Besides Benga, Kenyan music lacks a signature sound”

What a combination: blues harmonica, carnatic fusion! Terrific violin by L. Subramaniam, sizzling riff by Corky Siegel! http://bit.ly/7L5pZT 

Lineup announced for Singapore Timbre Music Festival, March 26-27 www.rockandroots.com.sg  Blues, world music

Superb media/citizen initiative for India-Pakistan peace: http://bit.ly/4SIWiT  Aman ki Asha: Trade, music, collaboration, dialogue

Integrating Social Media with live music/events http://ow.ly/W28u  via @grahamdbrown

AMIC’s RadioAsia 2010 conference www.radioasia.org  Delhi Feb 22-24 “Journey to the Digital Land: Diverse Audiences and Markets”

Community Radio for Sustainable development and Good Governance: AMARC Asia-Pacific conference http://bit.ly/11TJdM  Bangalore Feb 20-23

NetGeneration, iGeneration: Tech change is leading to “mini-generation gaps” among youth http://bit.ly/6mg1U0  via @SamGregory @smartMeme

World music debate: Is Ethno-techno exploiting world music? http://bit.ly/5cSxqF  Tony Naylor, The Guardian

Lineup for Globalfest world music shows http://bit.ly/5OEhQ9  New York city

Audio Network Names Pete Lockett Composer of the Month http://bit.ly/4qClvt  I featured 4 of his Indian fusion albums on my radio programme

World music: global fusion concerts by L Subramaniam (violin), Corky Siegel (harmonica), Ernie Watts (sax) http://bit.ly/7UUsWw 

Internet blues: “I Can’t Get No Connection” sung to tune of Rolling Stones’ “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” http://bit.ly/17L70n  Gilberto Gil!

Great way to popularise the #Internet: Gilberto Gil’s classic 1997 song Pela Internet http://bit.ly/17L70n  http://bit.ly/8lbea9  Viva Brasil!

Top African biz/cult trends to watch in 2010 http://bit.ly/7FB8zb  via @Richard_Florida (3. Rise of the African creative class)

Worldspace India switches off; what is the future of digital satellite radio in developing nations? http://bit.ly/6rEokk 

San Jose Mercury News: best jazz CDs of 2009, fests of 2010 http://bit.ly/5e6p2N  http://bit.ly/7Vwq2k 

Official European Capitals of Culture through 2010: Essen, Pecs, Istanbul http://bit.ly/6BWerN 

Bollywood + Hollywood: productions for 2010 http://bit.ly/6HZr7Z 

World Music: 2009 Afro-Latin picks of the year by Public Radio International http://bit.ly/5dVgEs 

December 2009 Tweets: World Music in Review

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

A sad feeling: hearing dead air on Worldspace radio, which is now off the air in India. Can it be resurrected? http://bit.ly/5co1me 

Looking back at 2009: my fav music fests: JavaJazz, Bali Spirit Festival, Miri JazzFest, Sarawak Rainforest World Music Fest, GuitarGurus

Perspectives on the future of music: digital tech, cloud servers, education http://bit.ly/6z7tb2  http://bit.ly/8Whz01  http://bit.ly/6H8Gql 

Overview of the digital decade in consumer life http://bit.ly/6Rfp9r  (Denver Post)

Sawai Gandharva classical music fest, Pune: Jan 7-10, 2010 http://bit.ly/2ewojf  A superb 57-year-old tradition!

Evolution of Indian classical music http://bit.ly/7smiZg  “Technique and purity have to bow down to creativity and immediate appeal”

IIT Bombay in December: education, music and alumni reunion! www.moodi.org  http://bit.ly/583rW0  http://bit.ly/5O7QyM  http://bit.ly/5oOTEo 

My blogpost: overview of winter music festivals in India http://music.techsparks.com 

My last world music programme on Worldspace satellite radio this Sunday Dec 27; the company shuts down on Dec 31 www.worldspace.com 

Interview with Indian jazz-fusion guitarist Amit Heri http://bit.ly/5o99FV  (his album Jhoola was featured on my Worldspace radio programme)

New book on Indian classical music: “50 Maestros, 50 Recordings” http://bit.ly/5v86AG  by Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan

The Decade in Jazz http://bit.ly/4IBLjp  Chicago Tribune (Indian influences: Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa)

The Raghu Dixit Project: performance at Opus Bangalore Dec 23 8 pm via @Raghu_Dixit

Am at awesome Indian+German electronica fest! http://GlobalGroove.in/  Rajasthani folk instruments, Indian classical vocals, German DJs!

“I don’t want to stop learning because I feel that no matter what I’ve done, I’m really just beginning again.” - guitarist John McLaughlin

Saw a superb play: “Out of Bounds” about Indians in apartheid-era South Africa http://bit.ly/8fsxxk  http://bit.ly/4HA3VZ  Bravo Rajesh Gopie!

World Music: my weekly programme today on WorldSpace Radio: Kimi Djabata, Sarazino, Miriam Aida, Sofia Hellborg

Bangalore jazzfest wrapped up tonight! Gerard Machado, Moon Arra, Global Unity, Maarten Visser, Interplay, Dana Gillespie&London Blues Band

My blogpost: Spotlight on Turkish music http://music.techsparks.com/  (based on my recent visit to Istanbul)

“Jazz Around The World” - must-have compilation by Putumayo! http://bit.ly/555VOf  http://bit.ly/ZRRdy  http://bit.ly/4Au9rX 

Amjad Ali Khan, Zakir Hussain, AR Rahman nominated for Grammy Awards Jan 2010 http://bit.ly/59ZXpR  http://bit.ly/75534J  http://bit.ly/4RX7hl 

John Storm Roberts, World-Music Scholar, Dies at 73 http://bit.ly/7caZYZ  New York Times article

15 outstanding world music albums/artistes of 2009 http://bit.ly/7l1tJA  by Deanne Sole & Nils Jacobson (PopMatters)

Ghana’s fusion band Osibisa Celebrates 40th Anniversary http://bit.ly/8EYpLr  I remember seeing them live in Bombay in my college days!

Weekend music in Singapore: Zookout Outdoor Dance www.zoukout.com  Sundown Korean Music Festival www.sundownfestival.sg 

World music: WOMADelaide fest announces full lineup www.womadelaide.com.au  Adelaide Mar 5-8; 500 artists, 27 countries!

Bengaluru Habba: 10 day festival of music, theatre, arts, films! http://bengaluruhabba.co.in/2009 

Saw the stunning rehearsal in Victoria Harbour for East Asian Games opening ceremony in Hong Kong http://www.2009eastasiangames.hk/en 

Winter Music Fests in India: Classical, electronica, fusion, rock, jazz!

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & RJ

December 24, 2009

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

December is a good month to immerse in a wide range of music festivals in India. Though many Indian cities tend to be in the grip of a “moral police” mentality which shuts down music performances by the ridiculously early hour of 11 pm, there is a still a lot of music for eager fans.

Bangalore had good Indian classical music and jazz in its annual festival (http://bengaluruhabba.co.in/2009/events). I caught all the evening jazz acts: Gerard Machado, Moon Arra, Global Unity, Maarten Visser, Interplay, and Dana Gillespie with the London Blues Band. Moon Arra’s Arab-Indian-jazz fusion pieces, the soaring vocals of Sonia Saigal in her jazzy rendition of “Roxanne,” Sanjay Divecha’s intricate guitar work, and Dana Gillespie’s gutsy lyrics backed by sizzling keyboards, guitar and harmonica really stood out.

I was in Delhi the weekend after that for India’s first international electronica festival, Global Groove (http://globalgroove.in). Delhi was also the host earlier in the month for the South Asian Bands Festival (www.sehernow.in).

The first day of Global Groove was unfortunately a washout with police shutting down the outdoor performance. There were some outstanding acts indoors the next day, such as Hamza (with Rajasthani folk instruments and a DJ), ModeSelektor (DJ duo from Berlin), Jalebee Cartel (percussion, bassist, 2 DJs), Kalyug (rap + DJ + Indian classical vocals) and Shaair & Funk (funk/punk rock)!

Back again in Bangalore I caught the last energetic act of the year by the Raghu Dixit Project (http://raghudixit.com), a talented band blending Kannada, Hindi and English lyrics in a rock and Sufi format. A colourful on-stage entertainer, Raghu Dixit is a microbiologist and dancer!

And a great way to end the year of course is at the Sunburn Festival in Goa, December 26-27 (www.sunburn-festival.com), with two dozen DJs from around the world – hope I can make it to that event as well!

All the best to my readers and listeners for the rest of 2009, and catch you all in 2010!!

November 2009 Tweets: World Music in Review

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Caught the last part of the Kala Utsavam festival in Singapore www.kalaautsavam.com Indian fusion bands: Akasha (Malaysia), Advaita (Delhi)

Jazz Utsav: 3-city jazzfest in India http://bit.ly/4uMw1H http://bit.ly/5rafTO http://bit.ly/08rvfsX

Chutney: Indo-African-Caribbean fusion music in Trinidad&Tobago! http://bit.ly/90gndI

South by Southwest Music Conferences & Festivals begins international band nominations http://sxsw.com/music/shows/bands Austin, March 17-21

How NOT to do customer service: Jakarta Jazz Festival organisers tell me the 3-day mega-fest has been canceled - the day before the fest!

Selda Salman, BaykusMusic: Turkish guitarist Cenk Erdogan will be jamming with ace Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu next month in Istanbul!

Selda Salman, Baykus Music: “Istanbul is one of the most vibrant places on earth for music” - I agree!

Picked up a nice stack of CDs from the label Baykus Music in Istanbul: Kirika, Cenk Erdogan Trio www.BaykusMusic.com 

Fourth annual Contemporary Istanbul Art Expo, December 3-6, Turkey www.contemporaryistanbul.com 

VoiceMania! 12th International A Cappella Festival, Vienna www.voicemania.at 

CloudsOfMusic: enrichment of music archives with cultural metadata

http://cloudsofmusic.researchstudio.at Tag clouds, similarity spirals etc

Other contestants: www.Ronimo-Games.com www.Cordless-Show.com Clavilux Music visualisation www.jonasheuer.de #EuroPrix

Akustisch (acoustic table): mapping finger movements on a table into DJ sound effects http://akustisch.digitalaspekte.ch #EuroPrix

Vuvox: translating musical notes into numbers, patterns and animation http://vuvoxproject.com #EuroPrix

Ferscha: Odenplan station, Stockholm: stairs painted as piano keys, sounds activated by pedestrians -> more people climbed stairs! #EuroPrix

Ferscha: Buildings as living organisms and expressive frames: Linz opera house (”see through” teasers), installations in Hamburg #EuroPrix

Alois Ferscha, Director, Pervasive Computing Studio: Check out the world’s biggest “if” at www.GPSdrawing.com! #EuroPrix

Music in Salzburg: Mozart and more! www.salzburgerjazzherbst.at www.republic-cafe.at www.mozarteum.at www.salzburgerfestspiele.at

Tharoor: India’s soft power: TV serials in Afghanistan, Bollywood movies in Senegal, Indian restaurants in Britain, IT professionals abroad

“In today’s world, it’s not the size of the army that wins. It’s the country that tells a better story” Shashi Tharoor http://bit.ly/38FL9F

My Sunday world music show: WorldSpace radio http://bit.ly/1YOOYj Gerardo Núñez (Spain) Damien Marley (Jamaica) Talvin Singh (UK/India)

Sidi Goma: African Sufis in Gujarat, a 700-year musical heritage! http://bit.ly/uC5DM http://bit.ly/4GeCZn http://bit.ly/ed9Uk 

More treats: Australasian World Music Expo: Melbourne 19-22 Nov www.awme.com.au Oslo World Music Festival Nov 3-8 http://bit.ly/DfkqO

Another beautiful Indo-Arab collaboration CD: Amjad Ali Khan (India: sarod), Rahim AlHaj (Iraq: oud) “Ancient Sounds” http://bit.ly/2wzZzO

Must attend World Music Expo (WOMEX) next year in Copenhagen www.womex.com Last year in Sevilla was unforgettable!

Just interviewed French Chapman stick player Guy Mauffait www.StickAndDrums.com He will record an Indian fusion album next year. Bravo!

Bangalore music fest: http://www.twitpic.com/nw8ll http://www.twitpic.com/nw8tf http://www.twitpic.com/nw9l4 http://www.twitpic.com/nw90i

Teen Prahar: soul-boggling all-day Indian classical music fest (Carnatic + Hindustani) in Bangalore! http://bit.ly/ypfht

My weekly world music show: 7 pm today, Worldspace India (Moksha) http://bit.ly/1YOOYj AfroCelt Sound, Richard Bona, Hevia, Rajasthan Groove

World Music: Spotlight on Turkey

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

Istanbul: Nov 21, 09

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Along with India and Brasil, Turkey ranks right up there as a superpower when it comes to world music, thanks to its rich tradition, diversity and fusion with multiple genres of music. I have been following music from Turkey for a number of years now, through albums, concerts and most recently a visit to Istanbul, one of the most mind-boggling cities I have ever visited. Turkey’s music genres include classical (imperial), traditional, mystic (Sufi), Arabesque, and fusion with pop, jazz, rock and lounge.

Last month I picked up a nice stack of CDs from the label Baykus Music in Istanbul, including the groups Kirika and Cenk Erdogan Trio (www.BaykusMusic.com). I caught a number of performances of traditional Turkish, dervish and modern rock music on my visit. High-profile Turkish labels include Double Moon (www.doublemoon.com.tr). Turkish musicians have jammed with artistes around the world, and I was even told that Turkish guitarist Cenk Erdogan would soon be jamming with ace Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu in Istanbul!

Turkish music was profiled in a week of performances at PopKomm in Berlin, one of the largest music industry events in the world. Berlin is home to the largest Turkish community outside Turkey. I watched performances by the Turkish punk-ska combo Athena, rock band Mogullar (widely regarded as founders of “Anadolu Rock,” spearheaded by guitarist Cahit Berkay), MFÖ (representing Turkey at EuroVision), Deniz Seki (stunning crooner!), Sabahat Akkiraz (folk), Taksim Trio (acoustic instrumental), and the fusion bands Gevende and Norrda. The members of Gevende have even travelled by bus from Iran to Pakistan, India and Nepal in search of musical instruments and jamming partners!

My kind Turkish friends Nesrin and Ahmet introduced me to the breathtaking music of Sezen Aksu, Candan Ercetin, Mercan Dede, Sibel Can, Burhan Ocal, Cengiz Teoman, Kara Deniz, Hakan Peker, Manco Loji, Kazim Koyuncu, Nazan Oncel, Feridun Duzagac, Yalin, Tarkan, Orient Expressions and Sultan Tunc. An outstanding Turkish percussion group is Harem, who have released popular CDs in India as well. A very good documentary about Turkish music is “Crossing the Bridge” (http://bit.ly/6vAcke, www.crossingthebridge.de).

“Istanbul is one of the most vibrant places on earth for music,” says Selda Salman, marketing manager for Baykus Music. I agree!

September 2009 Tweets: World Music in Review

by Madanmohan Rao

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Some of my recent album reviews: jazz, reggae, Latin http://bit.ly/ctt3N http://bit.ly/Rsai2 http://bit.ly/vkxSS

Off now to see the International Jazz Festival Rotterdam! www.jazzinternational.nl Featured artistes: Trilok Gurtu band, Anton Goudsmit, etc

Happy to hear Itay reinforce the fact that world music can inspire and connect people! Now a Turkish instrumentalist is on stage #PICNIC09

Video of Indian and French percussion jam (konokol rules!) #PICNIC09

“You can get good ideas for creativity, leadership, management from composers and resonance in music” Composer Itay Talgam #PICNIC09

Picked up cool world music/jazz CDs from Pether Lindgren, Ajabu label www.ajabu.com Good work, Pether, I will hook you up with Indian bands!

Globalisation: Indian DJ (me!) with Bollywood+African music at birthday party of Brasilian colleague of my Bosnian friend living in Denmark!

“One Drum 2009″ - global drum jam on Sep 19 in UK, US, India, South Africa, etc http://bit.ly/HPclB http://bit.ly/fgeMQ

Just missing concert this Saturday by Maltese world music band Tribali, who also use sitar and didgeridoo http://tribalimusic.com Next time!

India arrived? Hollywood+Bollywood: co-productions, lawsuits, cooperation in special-effects http://tiny.cc/ozn3h http://tiny.cc/txFCD

Missed MaltaJazzFest www.maltajazzfestival.org but can catch Rockestra, Sunset Sundays this weekend! www.rockestra.org http://tiny.cc/xJZT1

Superb lineup! 7th London African Music Festival (Sep 11-13) - wish I could be there, someone clone me or beam me up! http://tiny.cc/hCfcN

Got a flight to catch - so I miss the Raghu Dixit concert tonight (www.raghudixit.com), ARGH! Such is life, can’t have it all…

Interviewed Andrew MacKay, Bombay Dub Orchestra: album “Three Cities” is a mix of Western+Indian symphony+electronica! www.bombaydub.com

Interviewed santoorist Rahul Sharma www.rahulsantoor.com - after Indo-Arab fusion he thinks IndoAfrican/IndoIrish fusion would be cool too!

Bangalore Ganesha Festival music programmes conclude; I saw a lovely concert by flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia www.bgu.co.in/schedule.htm

Landmark Arab-Indian fusion album: facilitated by Internet collaboration http://tiny.cc/OgmYH (Rahul Sharma, Georges Kazazian)

Interviewed two superb artistes for my radio show: Amit Heri (guitar), Lourd Vijay (dance) http://amitheri.com/ http://tiny.cc/NfAnK

International Jazz Festival Rotterdam: European showcase + Indian fusion!

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & RJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

One of the highlights of my Europe trip this past September was catching the International Jazz Festival Rotterdam (IJFR www.jazzinternational.nl)! Though overshadowed by the giant North Sea Jazz Festival, IJFR packed a dozen bands over the September 26-27 weekend.

Ace Dutch guitarist Anton Goudsmit performed at the festival and was also its artistic director. Well established in the “cool” movement, he is also regarded as the “funniest” guitarist of the Netherlands. I caught up with him for a chat before his set; he said he had performed in dozens of countries around the world (including at the BlueFrog in Mumbai!). He also gave me a copy of his recent Ploctones album.

In addition to Dutch/Belgian bands like Flat Earth Society and Fugimundi, Portuguese bassist Carlos Bica’s band Azul and German/French duo Knalpot were featured. For a percussion lover like myself, the drummers of Joris Roelofs Quartet and Azul really stood out, displaying a range of pyrotechnics including using a violin bow on the edge of the hi-hat!

The festival ended in fine style with ace Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu (www.trilokgurtu.net), who was accompanied by musicians from Japan, Reunion Island and Italy. I managed to grab an interview with him before his sound-check; he joked that he found his assorted band members through the yellow pages! “People can call my music whatever they want,” he said, impatient with attempts to categorise his brand of fusion music.

In July 2008, Trilok played a spellbinding concert at the Etnosur festival in Alcala la Real, Spain, which lasted almost four hours. He was accompanied by Jan Garbarek, Ali Keita from Africa and La Monita, a flamenco dancer. Trilok said he also enjoyed the WOMAD Percussion Festival in Colombo in 2005, where he directed dozens of percussionists in a one-day jam session.

At the Rotterdam JazzFest, Trilok played tracks from his recent outstanding album Massical, and the pieces Bridges and Kuruksetra drew rousing applause. At one point in a solo, with his left hand on a djembe and his right hand on the tabla and his right foot on the hi-hat pedal, he seemed to straddle three continents of sound! He ended with a combination of cajon and bol (percussion scatting) in a Bollywood-esque piece. Jai ho!

Ajabu in Malmo: Label to watch for jazz and world music!

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & RJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

I spent the summers of 2006 and 2007 in Malmo, southern Sweden, on a research exchange programme with Bangalore. Highlights outside of work included exploring the Swedish countryside on bicycle, and checking out music like ReggaeFestivalen in Malmo and the concerts at Tivoli Gardens in nearby Copenhagen. I also met Pether Lindgren, CEO/founder of music label Ajabu (www.ajabu.com).

I caught up with Pether again this past September on a visit to Malmo, and picked up a juicy stack of a dozen CDs for review (to be aired next month on my world music programme, “GlobeTrotter,” Sundays 7-9 pm, Moksha/Worldspace).

Ajabu’s three-part compilation Jazzcollectivo is a superb mix of electro-Brasil and Afrobeat. The debut album by Swedish vocalist/composer Ingela is also inspired by local and Brasilian acoustic music.

Remix lovers would be delighted by Cecilia Stalín’s Afro Blue; she has also collaborated with nu-jazz duo Koop in their song “Waltz for Koop”. Another good Ajabu remix features Sofi Helborg’s recent Afrobeat album Drumming is Calling; Helborg has recorded with Tony Allen, legendary drummer with the late great Fela Kuti of Nigeria.

I also like the super acoustic album by Maher & Sousou Cissoko called Adouna, a kora duo blending traditional and contemporary sound. Ajabu has another fine release with Roman Andrén’s jazz-funk-bossa album Juanita & Beyond, and Miriam Aida’s two smooth Brasilian-tinged albums Come on Home and Meu Brasil.

In addition to CD releases, Pether is also part of the artistic team at the annual Malmofestivalen (www.malmofestivalen.se), a week-long celebration of music and dance every August. He told me he is always looking for new talent to invite to the festival and his studio, and I have promised to put him in touch with bands from India. Looking forward to my next visit to Malmo already. . . . . .      

August 09 Tweets: World Music in Review

by Madanmohan Rao

August 2009

http://twitter.com/MadanRao 

Some of my recent reviews of world music albums: Fado, Indian fusion, Arabic http://tiny.cc/8qAIJ  http://tiny.cc/qjQtQ  http://tiny.cc/iNfTs

Was at a magnificent Afro-Jazz show by Cameroonian bassist Etienne Mbappe! Long live Manu Dibango, viva Richard Bona! http://tiny.cc/NMZ2W

New music frontiers in Indian + Western fusion http://tiny.cc/TQ1RP  http://tiny.cc/D7ABM  http://tiny.cc/kQ3aj

A pleasant side of globalisation: fusion between Indian and Latin dance! http://tiny.cc/Muz6v

Music innovation: Indian artiste got idea to fuse ragas with aromatherapy at airport! http://tiny.cc/OHciO

Exhibition of George Harrison memorabilia, including his sitar http://tiny.cc/GSsTX

Check out Amazon’s list of 100 Greatest World Music Albums of All Time http://bit.ly/f6fJ4

Interesting debate on world music charts (and what is world music?!) http://tiny.cc/TKJ33

Indonesia’s evolving dangdut music http://tiny.cc/JrlNB http://tiny.cc/Z6j1k  http://tiny.cc/oYP72  http://tiny.cc/GpU74

Long live Afrobeat! Seun Kuti on the music, the movement, the message http://tiny.cc/DML2Y

Awesome lineup for World Music Institute’s 25th season: http://tiny.cc/UhO6F

Good book review: global Bollywood http://www.ejumpcut.org/currentissue/BollywoodBook/index.html

Another jazz fest in Asia this weekend - must figure out how to clone myself so i can attend all these events: http://tiny.cc/q9irw

I must check out this world music festival in Svirzh (Ukraine) next year! http://bit.ly/1a8wAK