by Madanmohan Rao; Editor & DJ; World music & Jazz

http://twitter.com/MadanRao Email: madan@ techsparks.com

Singapore’s jazz and world music circuit for 2012 kicked off in fine style with two performances at The Arts House by French-Caribbean singer Andayoma. She was accompanied by Tan Bon Gee on drums, Mario Serio on piano, and Tony Makarome Yue on bass. Andayoma released an album in 2011 called “Palette of Colours” (featuring a dozen accompanying musicians), and included some of the tracks in her Arts House performance. The setting in the Living Room was cozy and comfortable, and Andayoma was as much a charming hostess as entertaining performer. “You are late, darling” she said to a concert goer who walked in after the first song. She sang a birthday song for two friends in the audience, and she even singled me out and sang two Caribbean songs since she knew I was a fan of zouk! One song was also dedicated to “all the men whom I am not supposed to love but love anyway!”

(For full article, see http://jazzuality.com/interview/exclusive-interview-with-andayoma/)

 by Madanmohan Rao, World Music Editor & DJ http://twitter.com/MadanRao 

Sarangi maestro, Ustad Sultan Khan of soulful baritone dead http://bit.ly/tJXmMZ  http://bit.ly/vpk2ET  http://bit.ly/tQz4mK

The UrbanFolk Project, Bangalore: The alternative path in music http://bit.ly/uPLP58

New York-based jazz ensemble Paul Beaudry & Pathways: `Indian rhythms, American jazz coming together` http://bit.ly/rRYZwL

World music: Profile of Lebanese superstar Nancy Ajram http://bit.ly/udVfgQ

Red Baraat’s Sonny Singh: Indian activist drums support for Occupy Wall Street http://bit.ly/u8B3Kx

Fusion music at Chennai November Fest http://bit.ly/rNHNPs

My album review: Sergio Mendes Colour Collection http://bit.ly/vbt9LP

Michigan Festival of Sacred Music celebrates world’s soul music http://bit.ly/sa0STe

My album review: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Michael Brook Remixed http://bit.ly/uK35vn

Saregama Presents Kailasa World Tour: 2012 http://bit.ly/vQHDug

Grooves from around the globe: World music mini-festivals in Taipei http://bit.ly/vgWQ6j

Megan Romer: How To Get Kids Thinking About World Music http://bit.ly/vSnk9l

The San Francisco World Music Festival 2011 http://exm.nr/uu3c8n  http://doordog.org

Sweet and savoury: Vancouver’s Delhi 2 Dublin fuse without force http://bit.ly/sOXwdE

Budapest: Ethno Music Days, Festival Theatre, 18 November http://bit.ly/vAWtQo

In pictures: World music festival MusicPort (BBC) http://bbc.in/tqqGeP

Profile of Turkish musician Mercan Dede http://bit.ly/tOgyDF http://bit.ly/t5qFL3

“The Revolution Will Be Amplified” – the connection between musical innovation and revolutionary fervour http://bit.ly/v9j0sC

fRoots Magazine Announces Critics Poll Albums Of The Year nominees in Folk, Roots & World Music http://bit.ly/ryJOHC

There Is No “World Music”: A Conversation with the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart http://bit.ly/vmNSDs

Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu talks music http://bit.ly/uapkqa

Profile of Indian folk-rock musician Raghu Dixit http://bit.ly/uTmDV0

South Africa: Durban music picks http://bit.ly/rtABfJ

Profile of Canadian-Indian world music artiste Kiran Ahluwalia http://b.globe.com/vfmlWO

Phuket Ears Tune In to First World Musiq Festival http://bit.ly/slvDbV

Proverbs + Music: West African palm wine music http://bit.ly/uqGd9K

Kolkata International Music Festival http://kimf.org  http://bit.ly/sYGhEA

Egyptian singer Ramy Essam Receives 2011 Freemuse Award at Gala in Stockholm http://bit.ly/uBJlBp

ARC’s Brazilian World Music Day, A Project Celebrating The Beauty And Culture Of Brazilian Music http://bit.ly/rw8kR1

Six Acts Nominated for Austrian World Music Award 2011 http://bit.ly/v031d7

Convergence: World music and the London Jazz Festival http://ind.pn/vEZwUP

Coverage of Australasian World Music Expo http://bit.ly/v3WIz9 http://t.co/BKD9D014 http://bit.ly/sLOgCe

Senegal’s Youssou N’dour to stop singing, enter politics http://reut.rs/teCIyk

Mundial Montreal: Successful Debut for Canada’s First Annual World Music Conference http://bit.ly/vLvtJa

Profile of world music artiste Mayra Andrade http://bit.ly/rAxA6T

@futuresagency New Book by @KelliRichards: Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – Social Media for the Music Industry. Amazon Kindle http://ow.ly/7q6us Retweeted by @MadanRao

RT @macformusicians: @gleonhard and The future of Music. http://ow.ly/7mzYR  Thanks for posting!! (videos) Retweeted by MadanRao 

And now Google Music! Artist Hub, one free download a day, payment via bills http://lat.ms/tkj3Gf  http://reut.rs/sUHBqo

@TheSocialBrain Dr. SunWolf  

Start your day with music. Listening to music coordinates more divergent parts of our brains than any act, except actually playing music. Retweeted by @MadanRao

Tilburg’s 15th Gipsy Festival: A World of Musical Journeys

by Madanmohan Rao (http://twitter.com/MadanRao)
Editor & DJ; World music & Jazz, Bangalore
 

One of the best musical discoveries for me this year has been Tilburg’s Gipsy Festival (http://www.gipsyfestival.nl) in Holland, May 28-29. The festival has been running since 1997 and celebrated its 15th anniversary this year.
 

17 bands played over two days in a grassy park in the centre of town. The bands switched between two stages seamlessly, providing non-stop musical delight for eight hours each day on Saturday and Sunday. Other musicians also played in the lawns at the back of the park.

See the full article at:

http://worldmusiccentral.org/2011/06/02/tilburg’s-15th-gipsy-festival-a-world-of-musical-journeys/

by Madanmohan Rao

Editor & DJ; World music & Jazz

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

March is a great time to be in Singapore for music fans, especially at the annual Mosaic Music Festival (www.MosaicMusicFestival.com).

The eclectic lineup this year includes musicians from each continent, and I was able to interview a diverse group of artistes ranging from Raul Midon (US) and Angelique Kidjo (Benin) to Christian Prommer (Germany) and P’ez (Japan).

Other featured artistes at Mosaic 2011 include Gotan Project, Manhattan Transfer and New York Voices, along with bands from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia (Adhitia Sofyan) and Malaysia (Tokyo Blue).

Tokyo Blue trio is headed by bassist Hiroaki Maekawa, and includes Indonesian pianist Ywenna Carollin. Hiroaki explored new frontiers by playing the six string bass guitar both as a rhythm and lead instrument, and drew loud applause for dedicating a song to the victims of the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan (which would also cause a couple of acts to cancel their appearance at Mosaic).

The festival this year showcases over 400 artistes from 17 countries, up from 380 artistes from 16 countries last year (and over 100,000 music fans in attendance). I had the honour this year of interviewing Angelique Kidjo, Raul Midon and Christian Prommer. (See the full article at http://jazzuality.com/jazz-event-report/mosaic-music-festival-2011-singapore/)

Interview snippets 

Angelique Kidjo, singer/songwriter www.AngeliqueKidjo.com

Country: Benin

Languages: French, Yoruba, English

Albums: Logozo, Ayé, Fifa, Trilogy, Oremi, Black Ivory Soul, Oyaya!, Djin Djin, Oyo

On her gift of music:

“If you have a gift, share it! You get more by sharing it than keeping it.”

Her message for the audience:

“I want my audience to feel happy, and feel empowered. They must stop living in fear. Fear keeps you in the gutter, joy brings you into light.”

Her message to the leaders and people of Africa:

“True leaders don’t act like cowards and hide behind their military.”

On musical collaboration:

“I like to collaborate with musicians from other countries, but it must be based on understanding, and not just a jam.”

On what songs she plays at performances:

“I have so many songs that it is heartbreaking to do just a few during a live performance!”

Her travel schedule:

“I do on average 250 concerts per year. I did 300 concerts in 2007 to promote my Djin Djin album.”

Her political stance:

“I left Benin when the government threatened freedom of speech. Musicians and citizens should not be living in fear. Music of courage gives people confidence and strength. No bomb can stop the people if we get over our fear.”

On spirituality:

“Organised religion should not become brainwashing. Let people experience spirituality for themselves. God is not a product to sell. Those who preach violence and take other people’s lives forget that in every human being there is God.”

Christian Prommer, drummer/DJ www.ChristianPrommer.com

Country: Germany

Albums: Alex and the Grizzly; Drumlesson; Liquid Angel; A Closer Look; Teufelswerk; Jet Set Jazz; Minx; Confusion; DJ Kicks; Aquarius

On the music scene in Germany:

“Berlin is the capital of European electro-music; Munich is also a good place for DJs.”

About the club scene:

“US clubs are more segmented, European clubs more open; Asia has a great vibe!”

About emerging jazz spots in Europe:

“Italy has a good jazz scene, with festivals like Umbria. Barcelona is also good for jazz. Vienna is the base for labels and electro-artistes like Kruder&Dorfmeister.”

On Indian percussion:

“I would like to get into Indian percussion; when I first heard it, I thought it was hippie music! Later I saw Trilok Gurtu playing with John MacLaughlin.”

On the power of the Internet as a music resource:

“Thanks to the Internet, students can pick up in days what I took 20 years to learn! Music fans and students can just soak it in online.”

On his new trio:

“Our combination of a trio – drums with bass and piano – is unusual.”

What he likes about Singapore:

“The good club scene, food and lovely women!”

His message to the audience:

“Everybody is equal! Jazz is the spirit.”

Raul Midon, singer/songwriter/guitarist, New York www.RaulMidon.com

Albums: “A World Within A World,” “Synthesis.”

On music genres:

“I like fusion music. Music does not have borders. There is good and bad in the electronic music scene.

On the Asian music scene:

“Asia has vitality, thee is an openness and appreciation for all kinds of music. Asia is perhaps less jaded than the West. I like Indian percussion; I played at the Blue Frog in Mumbai with guitarist Dhruv.

On composing music:

“I do my heavy composition at home, but also compose while travelling, especially since I am on the road almost half the time.”

On blindness:

 “Being blind makes me focus wholly on my music. I have the blessing of being blind – it is easier for me to get over jet lag – I can’t tell the difference between day and night!”

by Madanmohan Rao

Editor & DJ; World music & Jazz

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

You can sip jazz one drop at a time, or drink it from a firehose.

The annual JavaJazz Festival in Jakarta offers you both options. You can pick in advance a few choice bands to sample, or immerse yourself in 135 performances across 17 stages in a packed three-day weekend (www.javajazzfestival.com)!

Highlights for me were catching legends Santana and George Benson live in concert and interviewing them. Other favourites I caught were Acoustic Alchemy, Zap Mama and George Duke.

JavaJazz also offers music fans a chance to discover emerging bands and local talent (such as Dwiki Dharmawan, Syaharani, Anklung Ensemble, Mian Tiara, Semak Dialog, Maliq and D’Essentials).

I was delighted with the performances of Roy Hargrove, Danjil, Juan de Marcos, Eric Darius, Steve Smith, Hendrick Muerkens, Maurice Brown, David Garfield, Tony de Francisco Trio, Rasmus Faber, Jose James, New York Voices and FourPlay. A pleasant surprise was hearing Latin jazz played by the Indian band Los Amigos from Calcutta!

Another treat was the workshop on Arabic-jazz fusion music by Kamal Musallam and his band, with musicians from Syria, Jordan, Mexico, Emirates and the US. Jazz truly cuts across cultural and religious boundaries, and this lineup was a testament to the unifying power of music. Other workshops I caught were by pianist Bob James and guitarist Vinny Valentino.

It was a special treat to hear Mexican bassist Abraham Laboriel showcasing his magical skills, and thanking him with a copy of my Indian Proverbs book – I sure hope he comes to play in India some day soon!

Roberta Gambarini’s vocal set was simply mind-blowing, especially the tracks where she mimicked a trumpet. And though I was disappointed that drummer Steve Gadd did not play (as originally listed in the programme), it was terrific to catch another great drummer live: Walfredo Reyes Junior.

It was humbling and inspiring to interview Santana and George Benson. “Music and God are about love. Those who think God endorses brutality are not worshipping God but Godzilla,” said Santana. “Look at what’s happening in Egypt and Libya: people are saying enough is enough. That is why I go everywhere and play, and spread the message of my music,” said Santana.

He also urged broadcast media around the world to not just air Western music but Latin and African sound also, and celebrate the creativity of all countries. Santana has been rightly nicknamed “Devadip” (lamp of God), and I was honoured to be able to present this spiritual giant of a musician with a copy of my Indian Proverbs book (http://IndianProverbs.in).

George Benson was the true charming entertainer, and thanked all the influences in his career (especially Nat King Cole) and shared some of his pride as well in inspiring singers like Whitney Houston.

And as if the all-evening shows were not enough, I was also delighted when festival organiser Peter Gontha invited me to check out the all-night all-star jam sessions at the Hotel Borobudur, where most of the musicians were staying – they jammed after the festival till almost 6 am each night! (I also put my bargaining skills to good use when I caught the late night “bajaj” tuktuks/rickshaws.)

Between all the acts and interviews, I did manage to dig into lots of delicious local cuisine (you really have to be fighting fit and well fed to be on your feet for 12 hours a day!). Some of the Expo halls had excellent artwork (I saw a poster of a guitar morphed into the shape of a dollar sign!), and numerous musical instrument stores featured local bands live on small stages. There were cutouts and posters of the major stars, and thousands of fans took photos alongside, which are sure to pop up in social media and fan sites all over the Net.

Outside the Expo venue were scores of local entrepreneurs peddling their own versions of festival T-shirts and even Santana hats. Posters of the festival were plastered all over town, and I was delighted to catch up with many of my Indonesian colleagues and friends at the festival, as well as “fellow paparazzi” from Malaysia.

I have been for previous festivals like JakJazz and JavaJazz (in its earlier downtown venue), and I can vouch for Jakarta as the jazz capital of Asia! JavaJazz is now regarded as one of the top ten jazz festivals in the world by many artistes, and certainly the best in Asia (though I would like to see more bands from Africa and India, and more jam sessions and collaborations between the different bands!).

It is not just the programming and sponsorship that stand out, but the dedication of the music fans and the orderliness of the crowds at the venue. The press team was superb; the media room had lots of water, T-shirts and WiFi; and access for media to all the performances and the musicians was smooth.

Many of the musicians I met said they would love to play in India (what a pity the international music festival scene in India is not as systematic as in other countries like Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia). I made lots of good friends again in the music and media community here, and look forward to the next version of JavaJazz in 2012 already. I also picked up a nice stack of CDs for review, which should keep me busy for a few weeks!

Surfboard:

Santana www.santana.com

George Benson www.georgebenson.com

Roberta Gambarini www.robertagambarini.com

Jeff Lorber www.lorber.com

Vinny Valentino www.vinny.com

Bob James www.bobjames.com

Zap Mama www.zapmama.be

Danjil www.danjil.eu

Acoustic Alchemy www.acoustic-alchemy.net

Hendrik Meurkens www.hendrikmeurkens.com

New York Voices www.newyorkvoices.com

Kamal Musallam www.kamalmusallam.com

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor, DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

November 25 was not just the date for the launch of the album “Svara Semesta” (Voice of the Universe) in Jakarta – it was also the birthday of the singer-composer-performer, Ayu Lakshmi of Bali!

I first attended her mesmerising performances at the Bali Spirit Festival, and was delighted to be invited for the launch of her debut album in Jakarta. The CD is superbly crafted (in an era which seems to have abandoned the fine concepts of album design!) and is structured in two parts: the human spirit and technology. The ten tracks make for a superb blend of Balinese and Western traditions of music, over an hour of acoustic delight.

Ayu Lakshmi is the consummate performer, and even had the media members at the Jakarta press conference participate in chanting during one of her songs! This was followed by a superb live two-hour performance with over a dozen musicians and dancers on stage. Percussionists included Malaysian-Indian Vigneswaren Rajaendran on tabla, as well as guest performances by Shangahi’s Wang Ying on pipa, electric guitarist Wayan “Magic Fingers” Balawan, and acoustic guitarist Riwin (I also picked up a review copy of his debut album intriguingly called “My Sexy Life!”)

Ayu sang in Sanskrit, Kawi, Balinese, Bahasa Indonesia and English, with powerful messages of unity, hope and peace. The stage was superbly decorated with flowers and burning incense, and trademark Balinese chequered designs in the fabrics and costumes. The presence of masked dancers add a unique theatrical feel to the performance, guaranteeing crowded turnouts for the troupe’s live gigs.

Ayu Lakshmi has also organised and participated in a number of concerts to appease the forces of nature which seem to wreak havoc in Indonesia through a series of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. I left her spectacular performance wondering where knowledge and skills end, and where destiny and faith begin…

Jakarta has an amazing music scene, within just three nights I caught a live salsa band (with Latin American and Indonesian musicians) and the two acoustic jazz-funk bands Trias Acoustica and Ginda – as well as the 33rd annual Jazz Goes to Campus festival (www.JazzGoesToCampus.net) where established and emerging jazz bands play all day on the campus of the University of Indonesia in front of 15,000+ students for a ticket fee of a mere $4. No wonder Jakarta is called the Jazz Capital of Asia!

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

What an honour to sign on as research director for the first ever Indian Music Experience Museum !!! http://bit.ly/bVMlrL  Coming in 2012 !!!

Dear Twitterverse, please welcome Malaysia-based ace photographer/photocrafter Suchen SK to Twitter! @suchens www.suchens.com 

22nd Dhrupad Samaroh, Dhrupad Society, India International Centre: film on tanpura, + recitals http://bit.ly/9sxO0j 

Concert review: Aashish Khan, Alam Khan, Swapan Chaudhuri at Chicago Cultural Centre http://bit.ly/bcPMCl 

Sultan of String: interview with Indian santoor maestro Rahul Sharma http://bit.ly/csQsAl 

Australian devotee of Indian classical music finds a way for the twain to meet http://bit.ly/9GhDYw  (Harry Manx, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt)

Indian classical music, fusion concerts in New Zealand, Canada http://bit.ly/b0K8Bo  http://bit.ly/9niETi 

Birth centenary celebrations: Reliving the music and memories of Indian classical music maestro Mallikarjun Mansur http://bit.ly/cfa1OK 

Salil Bhatt: first Indian musician to win Canada’s Juno award www.indianexpress.com/news/fusion-fare/689816/ 

On music and sound engineers: profile of Delhi band Faridkot http://bit.ly/cHujc3 

Profile of Indian classical vocalist T V Gopalakrishnan; views on fusion http://bit.ly/d3sart 

Chicago World Music Festival features Zakir Hussain, Niladri Kumar http://bit.ly/9seHoK 

Toronto’s world-music stages: Globetrotting, from Indian master Pandit Jasraj to Brazilian newcomer Luisa Maita http://bit.ly/bmZvBz 

World music in St Petersburg: Ethno Mechanics Festival 2010 http://bit.ly/ceHkb6 

Classic world music debate: Every local music is local to the people that live there and worldly to those who don’t. http://bit.ly/caLSN5 

Soul searching in Africa: Where is the Botswana Music Industry? http://bit.ly/a6IYZq 

Manu Chao on new music tour http://bit.ly/bgImwv 

Charles Campbell on the global spread of reggae music http://bit.ly/brEZZc 

WOMAD New Zealand: March 18-20 www.womad.co.nz  http://bit.ly/cPDd2s 

Accra Jazz And World Music Festival 2010 http://bit.ly/9y3tP5 

www.alliancefrancaiseghana.com/events.html 

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Awesome dance festival in Singapore, Oct 8-17: www.dansfestival.com !!!

My blogpost: Autumn in Singapore: Esplanade Asian/Brasilian Music, Drum Festival http://music.techsparks.com/?p=203

My concept note for the World Music Cafes network http://music.techsparks.com/?p=153  Come join me!

Coming soon: the first ever Indian Music Experience Museum, in Bangalore! http://bit.ly/bVMlrL 

Dear Twitterverse, please welcome Balinese musician extraordinaire Ayu Lakshmi to Twitter! @ayu_laksmi: @MadanRao Namaste…Here I am…”

Off to see Brasil’s carnival superstars Beija Flor Escola de Samba perform tonight! http://bit.ly/beIJy7 

Great, I look forward to Ayu Lakshmi’s new album! @wenawahyudi The Album will launch this month..

World music and jazz: terrific lineup of Latin, Thai, Philippine, Arab performances in Singapore this fortnight! www.esplanade.com 

From India to Spain: History of the Gypsies leads to cultural dance fusion http://bit.ly/cnOKb8 

Growing popularity of fusion Electronic Dance Music (EDM) in India http://bit.ly/bb0xbT  From MIDIval Punditz to Jalabee Cartel

Interview: Karsh Kale, Indian fusion singer/composer http://bit.ly/c1PUl5 

Profile of British Tamil fusion singer Susheela Raman http://bit.ly/cYima3 

Indian + Arab artistes at third International “Samaa” Festival for Religious Music in Egypt http://bit.ly/bEy5cN 

U. Shrinivas, U. Rajesh: Fusion of South Indian + Western music on mandolin http://bit.ly/cBKJD0 

India + South Africa: Fourth Shared History Festival of music, dance www.sharedhistory.co.in  http://bit.ly/bnNzul  Aug-Oct

Bangalore’s folk -rock band, Swarathma collaborates with Australian folk singer Old Man River http://bit.ly/db78TW  http://bit.ly/cC8UBq 

‘Darbuka’ Siva and his new Indian fusion band Yodhakaa http://bit.ly/bzkAPv 

Santoor maestro Rahul Sharma: on fusion, and his new album “Rainchanted” http://bit.ly/bzUTvC 

Off to see violin+swarveena fusion concert this evening! http://bit.ly/9JM88Q  http://bit.ly/cY59Cv  CN Chandrasheskar, Prakash Sontakke

Indian classical music and dance will be in focus at this year’s Chicago Music Festival http://bit.ly/bxNBcT 

Musical Conversation, Kolkata to Chennai: Hindustani+Carnatic fusion (flautist Shashank, sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee) http://bit.ly/bNj4zB 

Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s death anniversary goes unnoticed http://bit.ly/aaqdNv 

Monsoons and Indian classical music celebration: Malhar Utsav, New Delhi http://bit.ly/bnMcwF 

Sitar performances in Hyderabad, Calcutta, Kuala Lumpur http://bit.ly/9CTVKL  http://bit.ly/8YOQdS  http://bit.ly/dm776I  

While my sitar gently weeps – the Beatles and India revisited http://bit.ly/adPpL6

Fusion between Western and Indian classical music: a one-way street? http://bit.ly/cTnUoC 

L. Subramaniam – violin concert for free cancer treatment for poor at new hospital in Bangalore http://bit.ly/9ARt7s 

RT @thibautR “The $3B contest Save the music industry enter in the MidemnetLab competition!” http://ow.ly/19cSp5 

Prague: Strings of Autumn festival 2010 www.strunypodzimu.cz  http://nyti.ms/cfBLkv  http://bit.ly/bfYHAO 

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

September was a good month for world music fans in Singapore, especially for percussion aficionados! The Esplanade (www.esplanade.com) hosted a range of performances featuring Caribbean steelpans (by Singapore-based JuzSteel), Thai vocals (in Morlam style by Absolutely Thai), a Gamelan workshop, Arabic music (by Singapore-based Malay band Al-Jawharah, featuring Azrin Abdullah on oud), Armenian classical violin (with Ani Umedyan) and European jazz (with Bulgarian vocalist Maya Nova). A taste of Filipino traditional kulintang music was also provided by the aptly name group Sari-Sari.

An outstanding performance at the Esplanade was by Beija-Flor Escola de Samba, whose 10 percussionists, lead vocalist Louis Antonio, and three sensuous female dancers brought a taste of Brasil’s Rio carnival right to the heart of Singapore (though the costumes could have been more lavish)! The presence of a local samba group in the audience spread the energy and carnival fever throughout the hall, with many audience members jumping into stage to join the troupe during the finale and encore. It almost felt as if the Esplanade Concert Hall had become Rio’s legendary Sambodromo! Beija-Flor (hummingbird or literally “flower kisser”) is regarded as one of the best samba schools, with five Champion titles in the last decade.

The Mid-Autumn River Festival (http://bit.ly/cmU1Ei, http://bit.ly/boHLO3) provided a colourful backdrop to the Lion City for a whole fortnight, with a lantern procession in Clarke Quay, illuminated dragons and lanterns, huge boards for Chinese chess, displays of traditional Chinese musical instruments, yummy treats, and a spectacular fireworks display right on the river on September 18!

Another percussive highlight, after the samba show in the Esplanade, was the inaugural Celebration of Drums Festival in the Dhobi Ghaut Green Amphitheatre (http://bit.ly/bZZojd). The Zingo Drum Festival Group kicked off the evening in fine style, showcasing big Chinese drums, and the Singapore Dhol Foundation got the entire audience on their feet with rousing bhangra tracks. A dozen percussionists from Lila Drums (www.liladrums.com), lead by the charismatic Kelvin Kew, highlighted West African drumming on the djembe.

The climax of the evening was African djembe grandmaster Mamady Keita, who arranged a phenomenal 30-minute percussion set with 40 djembe drummers from across Asia and Australia! Mamady Keita (www.mamadykeita.com) also held a “Mini Guinea” workshop in Singapore for the first ever time.

The ever-escalating tempo, rhythmic breaks, flying dreadlocks of the performers, rainbow-hued costumes, and over a dozen djembe solos on top of the thunderous ocean of rhythm was hypnotic. The troupe drew a standing ovation, which was the perfect segue to the grand finale with all four percussion groups jamming together! We look forward to the next annual Drums Festival already, thanks to the support of the Singapore Community Drumming Network and National Arts Council …  

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Violin+swarveena concert, Bangalore, Sep 4 http://bit.ly/9JM88Q  http://bit.ly/cY59Cv  CN Chandrasheskar, Prakash Sontakke

Behind the Blogs: Digital Music Trends http://bit.ly/cm7aIH 

Festivals commemorate 100th birth anniversary of gypsy-jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt http://bit.ly/ca6lIi 

Estonia hosts world’s first digital song festival http://bit.ly/9ey3pr 

Review: The Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival, August 14 http://exm.nr/aoBmLP 

Gwangju World Music Festival, Aug 27-29, Korea http://bit.ly/cNfMAj http://bit.ly/d6g0KB 

20 patriotic Bollywood songs for India’s Independence Day! http://bit.ly/axbROi 

Pics/vids of International Salsa Congress, Bangalore, Aug 2010! http://bit.ly/ba5VhJ  http://bit.ly/daZwqX  www.indiasalsa.com 

Proud to launch Phase 1 of the Indian Proverbs project today, Aug 15, India’s Independence Day! @IndianProverbs: a proverb tweeted each day!

Coffee Valley Music Festival, Brasil http://huff.to/b9nPBb

www.festivalvaledocafe.com http://thebraziliansound.blogspot.com/ 

Rhythm Tree World Music Festival, UK http://bit.ly/bWCXQh  http://bit.ly/dc4cHi 

Coverage of Indonesia-based Sufi group Debu at Rainforest World Music Festival http://bit.ly/cgK1I7 

Three-day music festival in Bangalore Aug 13-15: Freedom Jam www.freedomjam.in 

A crumbling market: mobile ringtone companies try to reinvent themselves in the age of smartphones http://bit.ly/bdiXSc 

5 Cool iPad Music Creation Apps http://bit.ly/bildd5 (PC World)

Music for the Americas: Festival Miami, Oct 2010 http://bit.ly/dzvetX www.festivalmiami.com 

10th anniversary of the Kitchener Blues Festival http://bit.ly/9zH0on 

Mumbai’s National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) music lineup for August http://bit.ly/ca26DJ 

Sivamani and Asia Electrik to perform in Bangalore on Sep 15 http://bit.ly/aJK08v 

Moscow welcomes “Music in Exile” – celebration of Russian diaspora music http://bit.ly/bI2cZ9 

New Jersey International Reggae Festival http://bit.ly/cqnRhT  http://bit.ly/doBtDH (Aug 15)

Popkomm 2010 music expo and festival in Berlin to be opened by an Indian artist! http://bit.ly/cqnRhT 

My concept note for the World Music Cafes network http://music.techsparks.com/?p=153  Come join me!

Never-ending debate about the limits of the term “world music!” http://bit.ly/ay6j6G  (The Guardian)

Tanglewood Jazz Festival 2010 lineup http://bit.ly/csovVQ  (Sep; MA)

CNN and Songlines magazine to compile list of 50 music icons of the world http://bit.ly/atQI1R  http://bit.ly/axOzq6 

When the Beatles turned to India (Zee News) http://bit.ly/dpdECO 

“It is the mobile that has turned music on its head” – PWC report on Indian media industry http://bit.ly/bT0rnC  http://bit.ly/9zVN4J 

24th annual Nuits d’Afrique festival, Montreal http://bit.ly/9o5bw1

www.festivalnuitsdafrique.com 

11th Annual ‘Festival Bana Ya’Afrique’ Toronto http://bit.ly/a9qV2Q 

Zouk Mikael Festival, Lebanon www.zoukmikaelfestival.org 

Healing power of reggae: Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars http://bit.ly/9oig2y 

Caribana tunes in Toronto http://bit.ly/c4WFFm 

Currybana: Chutney music in the Caribbean http://bit.ly/dgH118 

Oujda Rai Festival links Maghreb countries http://bit.ly/9gucUE  (July 2010)

Khaled: The King Of Rai http://n.pr/bzk09E  (NPR)

Salsa: music of the streets, summer and stars http://bit.ly/cB6JvC

http://bit.ly/d59o88  http://bit.ly/a0gMmN  http://bit.ly/bMs3d6 

Flamenco around the world http://bit.ly/as9MCC  http://bit.ly/anVZAv  http://bit.ly/aZWH4N  http://bit.ly/dAgthg 

Sting may head to India next year http://bit.ly/al7Ox3  Fan of classical music + jazz + pop

Wanderlust Music + Yoga festival, California www.wanderlustfestival.com/music  http://bit.ly/9Q9rUC 

Indian Music Forum 2010: Sep 1-2, Mumbai www.musicconnectsindia.com 

From the Spice Girls team: Project Lotus, a movement to find, form and launch an international Pan-Asian girl band http://bit.ly/cR7YJK 

V. Sankaranarayanan: carnatic vocalist + Singaporean banker! http://bit.ly/aeYbTI 

Bangalore’s folk rock band Swarathma uses mobile apps on smartphones to connect with audiences http://bit.ly/aEr68z 

Mobile music in India: Enter Universal + Reliance http://bit.ly/cxep9u Singapore partner: SingTel

Blues festivals: Long live the Blues! http://bit.ly/dnfsIb  http://bit.ly/bY1Egh http://bit.ly/c9MD0p  http://bit.ly/cJyDtu 

Globalisation: Top Colombian salsa band “La 33″ eyes Bollywood! http://bit.ly/bHFrle