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

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

World Cup anthem singer: a fan of Bollywood! http://bit.ly/9zw2vI  Bollywood video visuals next!

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

New label for global Indian music: Universal + Desi Hits http://nyti.ms/dyMDyP  http://bit.ly/beuY6f  (Forbes, New York Times)

Bollywood wants our originality: Indian Ocean http://bit.ly/c4dzYR  (free downloads soon!)

Star to launch Global Indian Music Awards (GIMA) http://sify.com/movies/fullstory.php?id=14951371 

International Society of Music Education (ISME) World Conference 2010 www.isme.org/2010/  Beijing, August

World Gamelan Festival http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=516115  But no festival Web site?!

In pictures: Rhythms of the World 2010 festival (BBC) http://bit.ly/bYp4ny  www.rotw.org.uk

WOMAD 2010 pics http://bit.ly/al8mn9 

Coverage of WOMAD UK 2010 world music festival: http://bit.ly/bAfaNP  http://bit.ly/arl1Yk  http://bit.ly/buoVs9 

At press conference of Korean + Japanese music festival in Singapore www.sundownfestival.sg  Next year: full-blown Asian Music Festival?

Billboard magazine “innovators showcase” program at Mobile Entertainment live!, the Music App Summit http://bit.ly/9U0VeQ 

International music conference, expo, festival: Popkomm 2010, Berlin Sep 8-10 http://popkomm.com/ 

Coming soon: Reliance-Indian Music Academy Awards http://bit.ly/cLcs9V 

Filipino musicians go global http://bit.ly/dCxwmt 

Music festival: Rhythms of the World http://bit.ly/dw8GcI  www.rotw.org.uk  UK, July 24-25

BBC Radio 3 is making its archive of world music programmes available for online listening for the first time http://bit.ly/cGlFNl  Awesome!

K-Pop and J-Rock in Singapore: Sundown Festival, July 31 www.sundownfestival.sg 

Calgary Reggae Festival: Aug 21 www.calgaryreggaefestival.com  Be a “rastagarian” (Calgary Rastafarian!)

Chart Attack: Reggae’s Jimmy Cliff still jumping after 40 years http://bit.ly/a7xF8a  http://bit.ly/bsNYas 

‘Music is a spiritual quest’ - interview with sitar player Shubendra Rao http://bit.ly/c1CdGM 

Review: Indian classical music festival Kalautsav 2010 http://bit.ly/a1Xn0X 

Asha Bhosle-Shujaat Khan: revisiting traditional sounds in the age of electronica http://bit.ly/cP8t39 

RIP: David Fanshawe, musicologist and world music explorer http://bit.ly/aOCkjw 

Review of Sierra Nevada World Music Festival http://bit.ly/bHH4SZ 

Bob Marley’s 65 birth anniversary: Putumayo releases tribute CD

http://bit.ly/cckmQL 

Review of Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, Morocco http://bit.ly/9ULfik 

World music: profile of Syriana’s mix of Arabic and western music http://bit.ly/9sr56J 

How Yankton JazzFest Took Advantage Of Social Media http://bit.ly/9lDwU7 

Rainforest World Music Festival - Sarawak http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=49474

My blogposts: 13th annual Rainforest World Music Festival! http://music.techsparks.com/  #RWMF (Sarawak, Malaysia)

Randy Raine-Reusch, artistic dir: At a time of increasing global conflicts, bringing musicians from around the world to jam is magic #RWMF

In Malaysia now for one of my annual favourites: the 13th Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival! www.RainForestMusic-Borneo.com 

51st Ljubljana Jazz Festival http://en.ljubljanajazz.si/  June-July 2010

“African and Afro-Caribbean music are edging their way into the American consciousness” http://bit.ly/9u87qs 

Concert review: Santana whips up a world of rhythms http://bit.ly/8XSoIX 

Album Review: Gabor Sabo’s Jazz Raga http://bit.ly/d3WMph 

World music: lineup for WOMAD 2010 http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/womad/2010/lineup.shtml 

Digital music: Prince only the latest rock star to confess Internet cluelessness http://bit.ly/99xlZf  (Washington Post)

Bangalore, Bollywood new brand icons of India: French economist Guy Sorman http://bit.ly/bAA1pX 

Indian musicians give e-learning a serious shot http://bit.ly/aeIWMF 

RIP: Indian Tabla maestro Pandit Kamat http://bit.ly/9Bl6uo 

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Day Three of the 13th Rainforest World Music Festival was probably one of the wettest ever, with rain pouring throughout the evening performances and lighting and thunder providing a continuous backdrop. But the afternoon workshops were magnificent, as was the trademark finale with all 20 bands sharing  the stage for the last jam!

At the final press briefing, the bands shared some of their views on cultural preservation, fusion, and audience reactions at the festival. “Fusion should not become confusion,” some joked. “Even if some of the young festival-goers seem more interested in drinking and chatting among themselves than listening to the artistes, at least the music subconsciously permeates through their ears,” others joked!

Hameed Kawa, founder of the Musafir Gypsies of Rajasthan, also urged that societies not forget their traditional roots, and that youth be taught culture and music every day in school in additional to the usual subjects.

Some of the musicians also discussed what were surprises for them at the festival, in terms of unusual instruments or styles or differences and even similarities in musical traditions. For instance, some observed that the diversity of bagpipes around the world was remarkable.

In addition to the afternoon jams, some bands such as Layatharanga said opportunities were discussed for cross-collaboration in future albums. The band is a good example of the increasing amount of global influences in music beyond the usual rock and jazz: some Asian music is now picking up traits of Caribbean, Latin and African music.

The afternoon workshops kicked off in fine style with jams between guitarists in one session and percussionists in Indian carnatic and gypsy styles in another (an unusual mix!).

The blues jam anchored by Oscar Jimenez of Watussi was fabulous, and their rendition of the Cuban song Chan Chan with Jerry Kamit on Sarawak sape, Hendri Lamiri of Debu on violin, Anastasia Karaseva of Reelroad’b on harp, Fatoumata Dembele of Farafina on vocals, and especially Etsuro Ono of Kimura-Ono Duo on Japanese shamisen turned out to be a world-class track and could easily be the anthem of the Festival!

There were also two magnificent percussion jams; one was anchored by Daood Abdullah of Debu, and featured scorching solos and a group jam. Madou Kote and Kalifa Hema from Farafina delivered thundering rolls on the djembe (the group makes its own instruments), and Alexandre Meirinhos and Manuel Meirinhos of Portuguese band Galandum Galundaina showcased a range of percussion instruments made from wheat shakers, wooden spoons, shells and old vodka bottles! Sadiq Khan from Musafir Gypsies of Rajasthan and Juan Medrano Cotito of Novalima also rounded off the lineup in fine style.

The best-run workshop was coordinated by Johari Morshidi of Malaysian group Bakih, who walked up and down the row of percussionists kicking off call-and-response interchanges and raising the pitch to crescendo levels. The lineup included Giridhar Udupa and Pramath Kiran of Layatharanga and the youthful Naghib Shanbehzadeh from Iran.

The heavens then opened up after the workshops, and thunder and heavy rains accompanied most of the evening performances. Still, the show went on (also despite electric glitches from excessive rainwater) with Pingasan’k, a Sarawak group specialising in an extremely rare large multi-stringed bamboo tube zither made from a section of bamboo found almost exclusively in the Upper Padawan Mountains.

One of the most outstanding bands of the evening was Yerboli, from Xinjiang Uygur in eastern China. Earthy vocals, wild dombra solos and a blend of rock wowed the audience. The trio De Temps Antan then delivered a stomping mix of fiddle, accordion, harmonica, and guitar from Quebec.

The Musafir Gypsies of Rajasthan showcased a blend of gypsy, Hindu and Muslim influences in their mix of whirling dance and percussive chanting music. Musafir have also featured in the classic film on gypsies, Latcho Drom.

The band Galandum Galundaina from northeast Portugal picked up the tempo with a humorous mix of traditional and modern renditions of their folklore, though staying away from more commonly known forms like fado.

The evening lineup ended on a perfect note with Peru’s Novalima and a terrific set of ambient and Latin house-influenced tracks. With a fresh and innovative Afro-Peruvian texture, the band kept the audience moving their feet and hips.

The trademark grand finale featured all the 20 bands on stage, each performing about a minute of their music and then jamming together! Memories of the three-day world music extravaganza blurred and bonded together, and the audience was determined to be back again for the next Rainforest World Music Festival on July 8-10, 2011!

I picked up a nice stack of CDs for review, and am already in love with Kazakh Spirit (Yerboli), Coba Coba (NovaLima) and Tute Vas (Watussi). Looking forward to reviewing I Get Around (Reelroad), Debu Live in Concert, and Musica Tradicional Mirandesa (Galandum Galundaina) as well!

This was not the last chance for me to blow my vuvuzela, however – that would continue later on in the night during the football World Cup finals!

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Day Two of the 13th Rainforest World Music Festival was blessed with magnificent clear weather, perfect for a terrific lineup of bands for evening performances and afternoon workshops.

At the morning press briefing, the bands shared their experiences at the festival in the course of the week; all appreciated the fantastic venue (cultural village in the midst of hill + forest + lake + sea), and the chance to stay in the same hotel as all the other musicians: perfect for jams throughout the night! Some were not happy with having travelled for hours/days to get to the festival and then play for only 45-minute sets, but it seems they will have to live with the format of the festival.

Some of the bands also shared the controversial experiences they went through around the world because of their music: the Indonesia-based Sufi music band Debu had their concerts in Iran cancelled, and Portuguese band Galandum Galundaina said they sometimes got into trouble for some of their songs which poke fun at Catholic priests!

The evening performances were outstanding, and the magic again was in the afternoon jam sessions. With three workshops in parallel in three time slots, it is always tough to choose just one to attend! I was delighted again with my choice: Electro Groove, Frame Drums, and Male Voices.

Ramón Perez Prieto and Grimaldo del Solar showcased a fine electro-DJ set with live cajon jams, joined by guitarists from Leila Negrau, Bakih and Watussi. Percussionists from Bangalore’s Layatharanga, led by Giridhar Udupa, wowed the audience in the frame drum workshop, demonstrating the incredible range of sound capable from the humble kanjira.

The Russian dance workshop was a huge hit, with the audience forming concentric circles for group and couple dancing, led by Reelroad’b. Pascal Seixas of France’s Minuit Guibolles anchored a superb vocal jam, featuring stunning songs by Ahemaitihan Yeerboli (a Kazakh minority in China), and members of the Musafir Gypsies of Rajasthan.

The Shanbehzadeh Trio opened the evening segment with a terrific showcase of south Iranian celebratory wedding music on bagpipes, animal horns and a range of percussion instruments. The charismatic leader Saeid and his 17-year old son Naghib drew several rounds of applause for their artistry and adrenaline.

The Kimura-Ono Duo from northern Japan, featuring Shunsuke Kimura and Etsuro Ono, rendered a range of traditional Japanese folk melodies. The energy then ramped up with the French band Minit Guibolles, who mixed bagpipes, steel drums, saxophone, accordion and scorching electric and acoustic bass.

The texture changed again with the all-woman Czech quartet Bragaas, on vocals, bagpipe, and darbuka. Their sound blended flavours of Balkan, Roma, Andalucian, Sephardic, Galician, Scandinavian, and Medieval songs.

The most outstanding band of the evening was led by Leilah Negrau from the French Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Her soaring vocals, energetic dances and powerful drumming, backed by a tight bass-drums-guitar lineup, enthralled the audience with a range of African rhythms and melodies.

Newcastle-based Monster Ceilidh kept the vibes going with quirky arrangements of folk music, and the evening ended on a percussive climactic note with Farafina from Burkino Faso. Their music interweaved complex high-energy rhythms with the melodic lines of balafons.

I was delighted to find one more member of the audience with a vuvuzela, and we cheered on each band energetically! Day Three has a terrific lineup as well, stay tuned for my next blogpost!

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Day One of the annual Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak, Malaysia – now in its 13th edition – kicked off in magnificent style today. In terms of lineup and ambience, few world music festivals come even close to this one (www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com)!

Members of the bands briefed the press in the morning about their musical traditions, upcoming music projects, and heatedly discussed the validity of the term “world music” to describe their music!

The evening performances were terrific, and the magic as usual was in the afternoon jam sessions. With three workshops in parallel in three time slots, it is always tough to choose just one to attend! Still, I was delighted with my choice: Flutes of the World, Happy Feet, and Stomping Percussion.

Remi Decker regaled the audience with a flute piece called “Drunken Priest on a Wobbly Bike on a Bumpy Road,” and Ravichandra Kulur blew them away with renditions of Hindustani and Carnatic solos on different flutes. Saeid Shanbehzadeh from Iran showcased their regional panpipes along with a sizzling wedding dance. Leila Negrau from Reunion and Asha Sapera from Rajasthan wowed the audience with Afro and gypsy dances.

Constantino Alvarez from Peru showed how much percussive variety the humble cajon was capable of delivering, and Eric Beaudry from Quebec dazzled the audience with deft footwork and tapping while seated, using a wooden floorboard. In each workshop, the solos were followed by superb spontaneous jam sessions with musicians from around the world, some of whom did not even speak each others’ languages or English!

The heavens then opened up with a thunderous rainstorm – but after all, what is a rainforest music festival without some rain? The show went on, with three superb Asian bands opening the event.

Debu began with a mixed American-Indonesian lineup, drawing on everything from Arabic and Turkish to Indonesian and Western influences in their devotional music. The trio Bakih from Sarawak rendered traditional tunes on electronic versions of the sape string instrument, accompanied by superb percussion.

The percussive mix moved up explosively with the next band from Bangalore, Layatharanga, with sizzling ghatam, mridangam, drums and congas, and scorching konakol (South Indian percussion language) – and Western fusion!

Two bands dipped into the rich folkloric traditions of Europe: the Bisserov Sisters from Bulgaria, and I Beddi from Sicily. Reelroad’b from St Petersburg cranked the energy up with an astonish mix of ska and reggae on Russian instruments!

Nothing comes close to Latin or African music when it is party time, and the closing band Watussi, with musicians from Colombia and Australia, had the audience on their feet dancing and jumping on the grass (well, it was grass, but became mud puree thanks to the rains!).

The band’s name comes from Cuban slang for “The most handsome man at the party,” and they were a huge hit among the women in the audience as well. The bassist Pat Harris really stood out, with some superb swaying grooves and a funky solo.

The audience cheered heartily at the end of the show, and by then I had a reasonable hang of blowing my vuvuzela in appreciation! Day Two has a stellar lineup as well, stay tuned for my next blogpost!

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

July music festivals: Montreux jazz, Rock Werchter, Salzburg! http://bit.ly/aOu9AN 

Asia-Pacific Song Contest: Mumbai, November! http://www.oursound.asia/ 

28th San Francisco Jazz Festival Lineup Announced http://bit.ly/92twpV www.sfjazz.org 

World music: reviews of African releases by Dobet Gnahoré, Pops Mohamed, Konono http://bit.ly/bvqkQy 

World Music Day (June 21) in Turkey, Bangladesh, Morocco http://bit.ly/cxy5Cz  http://bit.ly/d0RNDr  http://bit.ly/d1hp1J  http://bit.ly/b3FnHJ 

World music and fair trade: Sixth annual Keystone music festival http://bit.ly/aRSoyn 

Herbie Hancock Goes Global for “The Imagine Project” http://bit.ly/aRSoyn  Duets sung in seven different countries on five continents

KEXP World Music Festival features Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen http://bit.ly/aOJoMX 

Shillong: “Rock capital of the northeast’ in India http://bit.ly/d51QDv 

Los Angeles World Music Festival, June 20 http://bit.ly/biWT5w  Baaba Maal, Tinariwen

Luanda Jazz Festival, July-Aug http://bit.ly/b2bg2k  www.LuandaJazzFest.com 

Globalisation: African music in Australia http://bit.ly/9s8XEA 

New Sri Lankan percussion CDs on my review list: Elephant Foot (Rainforest) and Bahu Ranga (Ravibandhu)

Mrigya: raga-based fusion http://bit.ly/aeucGV 

More Indo-jazz fusion, and a free online album: The Brown Indian Band www.brownindianband.com  http://bit.ly/d8fcsP 

Music Tech conference: #Mobile fueling growth and complexity of music business http://bit.ly/9oB3dg  http://bit.ly/b1KpcP 

Interview with Indian violinist brothers Ganesh and Kumaresh http://bit.ly/d3g62u 

Review of “Spirit And Spice” - Indo-jazz fusion album by George Brooks http://bit.ly/d3g62u 

Burmese harp: profile of an instrument http://bit.ly/9wxUC0 (Bangkok Post)

World Music 2010 awards from Songlines magazine http://www.songlines.co.uk/music-awards/ 

Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, June 18-20 http://bit.ly/dAplyK 

World music stars get the World Cup off to a rocking start in Soweto http://bit.ly/ad0W9Z  http://bit.ly/8ZC5Y2 

Profile of Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen, rhythmic innovator behind the music of Fela Kuti http://bit.ly/cLC1cT 

World music: Putumayo label presents South Africa http://bit.ly/9r72AC 

Festival Afro-Flamenco 2010: Flamenco + South African Music in Soweto http://bit.ly/cFX9qN  June 6

Ranking of countries in terms of downloaded mobile Bollywood tracks! http://bit.ly/dd9c9G  UK, Singapore, Finland, Germany, Australia

Indian vocalist Shankar Mahadevan: Creating Means Taking Risks in ‘Untapped Territory’ http://bit.ly/cDkPrc 

Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: ‘Technology and Tradition Have to Be Friends’ http://bit.ly/cJ9vTe 

World music: Angelique Kidjo and Sarazino together in concert! http://www.sterngrove.org/june20_10.html http://bit.ly/cmhySZ 

My concept note for “The World Music Cafes” http://music.techsparks.com/?p=153 Join me…

New release: The Rough Guide To The Music Of India (Second Edition) http://bit.ly/anCoxx  http://amzn.to/d5mGhP 

Montreal International Jazz Festival, June 25 - July 6 !!! www.montrealjazzfest.com  http://bit.ly/dugvlx 

Summer time, reggae time! Three cool festivals: www.uprisingmusicfestival.com www.jazzreggaefest.com  www.reggaeontheriver.com

by Madanmohan Rao

Word Music Editor and DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Email: madan @ techsparks .com

May 22, 2010

Correct me if I am wrong – or join me if I am right – but the time is ripe for a worldwide chain of World Music Cafes. Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood have built on rock and Hollywood themes — the World Music Cafes will do much more in the domain of world music.

Each World Music Café will display musical instruments from around the world, exhibit and sell books and CDs/DVDs from leading and emerging world music labels, play an international mix of audio/video tracks, promote local and international music festivals and conferences, provide information on music classes and instructors, host live bands and lectures, provide a gathering spot for world music fans and musicians, and serve an international mix of food and drinks. Each World Music Café will also have an online social media component, and facilitate meetups for musicians from abroad who wish to jam with local artistes and meet local labels.

In cities around the world, there is growing appetite not just for local music and mainstream Western rock/pop, but also more exotic tunes, authentic music and fusion experiments. Globalisation is going hand in hand with cultural localisation and cross-border music flows thanks to budget airtravel and the Internet. The World Music Cafes will play an important cultural and business role in this new ecosystem.

Phase I may begin with World Music Cafes in three cities: say Bangalore, Bali and Berlin. Phase II will expand to 30 cities (in all five continents), and Phase III will cover 300 cities.

OK, maybe that is getting ahead of the story a little bit! But if you are interested as an investor, partner, advisor, manager, exhibitor, sponsor, label, festival organiser, talent scout, cultural ministry, music college, ethnomusicologist, music journalist/photographer, musician or music fan – drop me a line!

by Madanmohan Rao

World/Jazz Music Editor & DJ

Tweets: http://twitter.com/MadanRao

With a superb mix of stellar artistes and emerging talent, the Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF) should now be a notable fixture on the jazz map of Asia. While other regional festivals like JakJazz and JavaJazz will blow you away with a huge galaxy of artistes, MIJF is a more cozy and boutique experience (www.MiriJazzFestival.com).

The mix of artistes and sequencing of acts on each day by festival artistic director Randy Raine Reusch was superb, and his orchestration of the grand finale with representatives of each of the eight bands was absolutely brilliant – but that is getting ahead of the story a bit!

The opening band, Thailand’s Mellow Motif, set the stage with contemporary arrangements of jazz classics. Vocalist Natasha Patamapong was joined by Singapore pianist Eugene Ang, and the youthful singer delivered an endearing performance, especially when she converted a cough into a laugh and then a new note.

Guitarist Jeremy Tordjman played with a trio and created evocative and danceable sonic landscapes covering funk, jazz and blues. The beautiful ballad, “Nostalgia for the Future,” really stood out.

Nobert Susemihl’s New Orleans All Stars brought back to life some of the hallowed traditions and festivities of Louisiana jazz, with six handpicked musicians from five European countries. From swing to dixie, the band regaled the audience with tales and tricks.

The highlight of the first night was the performance by Woodstock veteran Michael Shrieve, drummer for legendary guitarist Carlos Santana. Currently based in Seattle, Shrieve and his aptly-named band, Spellbinder, delighted the audience with a range of ambient and rock-jazz compositions. The emerging star of the night was Farko Dosumov from Uzbekistan, one of the finest bassists I have seen and heard. The compositions included two takes of tracks from the Santana album Caravanserai.

Between jazz sets, Australia’s DJ Sister Bebe spun dancefloor tracks in the indoor hall, which was the venue of the jazzfest in 2009 (moving the festival outdoors was a great idea, despite the heavy rains — but perhaps the beach area could be used better next time).

Day Two opened with Indonesia’s simakDialog, who did Asia proud by blending Indonesian instruments with jazz arrangements. Keyboardist Riza Arshad and guitarist Tohpati have been together for 17 years, and their tight collaboration shone through.

Amina Figarova, originally from Azerbaijan and now based in Amsterdam, showcased her range of piano and vocal skills along with an equally diverse group of musicians; Chris “Buckshot” Strik enthralled the audience with some superb drum solos.

Violinist, composer and arranger Ricardo Herz played a wide range of instrumental Brazilian melodies: choro, samba, xotes and waltzes. He played with musicians from Paris and Brasil. His solo piece with a range of cumulative loops was marvellous in its texture.

The highlight of the festival, almost like a lifetime achievement honour, was blues harmonica legend James Cotton. I first heard him live in the US in 1986 when he was already a star, and his genius shines on through the decades. Born in 1935, Grammy-winner Cotton is regarded as the best of the modern Chicago blues stylists. He has played with the who’s who of the blues pantheon, and this time he was backed on vocals and lead guitar in superb style by Harrison “Slam” Allen. The heavy rains cleared in time for this set and the grand finale.

Staying at the same hotel as the musicians meant we got to meet them not only at daily morning press conferences, but also over breakfast, lunch, dinner, and at the hotel pool! I now have a huge stack of CDs from the artistes to go through, and the Mike Shrieve Spellbinder Live CD is already one of my favourites! Other CD delights are Sketches (Amina Figarova), Mister Fuzz (Jeremy Tordjman), Brasil em 3 por 4 (Ricardo Herz), Trance Mission (simakDialog), Maribo 2007 (Norbert Susemihl), and Mellow Motif.

Each morning began with two-hour press briefings, covering everything from definitions of jazz (no one agreed on one single definition!) and the career of jazz musicians to future artiste projects and the need for more Asian cooperation in festival organisation. A minute of silence was also held in remembrance of Angelina George, Malaysian journalist who had covered MIJF and RWMF for years; she passed away unfortunately earlier this year.

Organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), the festival thus celebrated its fifth anniversary with a blend of blues, fusion, world, New Orleans and Latino beat. STB plans to organise an additional four events next year, and we eagerly await the announcements of themes and lineups for 2011. See you all next year at MIJF 2011!

[Surfboard: www.jeremytordjman.com www.susemihl-all-stars.eu www.myspace.com/simakdialog http://michaelshrievesspellbinder.com http://mellowmotif.weebly.com www.ricardoherz.com.br www.jamescottonsuperharp.com ] 

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

Universal Music Group reaches out to Spanish-speaking music fans

with #mobile http://bit.ly/aBWeIo 

Festival International de Louisiane www.festivalinternational.com 

http://bit.ly/9ceHwF  Francophone music, Louisiana

A fabulous resource: world music interviews on NPR Web site http://n.pr/cyrFzF 

Profile of tabla player Fazal Qureshi http://bit.ly/d2fjP3  World music

band: Mynta

Wellness and World Music - a great combination! http://wellnessandworldmusicfestival.com  Oct 9-10, Desert Hot Springs, California

Bollywood + Qawwali: profile of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on tour http://bit.ly/by5VdT 

Dynamics of digital, #mobile music in UK, Africa http://bit.ly/ckqeYE 

http://bit.ly/bk6egq 

`Cloud’ music plans no longer just pie in the sky http://bit.ly/c1Xvd8 

RT @BaliSpiritFest Coverage of BaliSpirit Festival 2010 in “The

Australian” newspaper http://bit.ly/aRHZMH 

World music extravaganza: WOMAD Abu Dhabi, April 22-24 http://bit.ly/aXE5SU 

Reggae on the River festival, California. July 17-18! www.reggaeontheriver.com/festival/2010/lineup 

“2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is a landmark project in the

evolution of world music and its African heritage” http://bit.ly/a4UbGN 

Review of Gypsy Kings on world concert tour http://bit.ly/9qn2Q3 

Nitin Sawhney and others at Singapore Arts Festival

www.singaporeartsfest.com/events  May-June

Singapore International Film Festival, April www.filmfest.org.sg 

Singapore Street Festival, June www.singaporestreetfestival.com 

Pattaya International Music Festival www.pattayamusicfest.com 

“Longest beach music festival in Asia” http://bit.ly/dtwNf6 

Hilarious and interesting read: The Four Weirdest Festivals In Asia

http://bit.ly/c09wfz 

India, Southeast Asian artistes share folk dance traditions http://bit.ly/dqvdZn  

WOMAD Abu Dhabi April 22-24 www.womad.org/festivals/womad-abu-dhabi  

Awesome world music lineup for WOMAD UK 2010 http://womad.org/festivals/charlton-park/lineup/  July 23-25

Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, June 4-13 www.discoverjazz.com 

Arturo Sandoval, Luciana Souza, Sonny Rollins and more!

Darbar Festival, London: Indian Classical Music www.darbar.org.uk 

Four days, forty artistes

International artists confirmed for 2010 FIFA World Cup soundtrack

http://bit.ly/9KNaRj 

Music and Multimedia Festival: A Tapestry of Sacred Music http://bit.ly/dstu98  Singapore, April 23-25, Esplanade www.esplanade.com 

Indo-Portuguese cultural festival, Bangalore http://bit.ly/dh4zZo 

Lineup up of Rainforest World Music Festival: Kuching, Sarawak,

July 9-11 www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com 

12th Annual Afro Roots World Music Festival, Miami http://bit.ly/d0BZTi 

Les FrancoFolies de Montréal, the world’s largest celebration of

francophone music http://bit.ly/9xRxCV  www.francofolies.com 

Fela the Musical to come to London - when will it come to Asia?

http://bit.ly/9uv4O6 

Will be at Miri International Jazz Festival next month: Miri, Malaysia,

May 14-15 www.mirijazzfestival.com 

Chicago: Summer lineup of jazz, world music at Millennium Park

http://bit.ly/d5tZqg www.millenniumpark.org 

East meets West: fusion music concert in Bangalore http://bit.ly/ccIwPM 

World music: profile of Somali singer K’Naan http://bit.ly/9vXRLQ 

My March 2010 tweets compiled: world music http://music.techsparks.com/ 

RT @balispiritfest Blogpost: Festival Music Finale: Celebration and

Commitment to Life! http://bit.ly/aRVmTq 

RT @balispiritfest Blogpost: AfroMoses at BaliSpirit Festival:

Feeling Good about the Future! http://bit.ly/bOf0Nw 

RT @balispiritfest Blogpost: Music review from BaliSpirit Festival,

Night Four: Moods and Dance! http://bit.ly/ccEBwS 

RT @balispiritfest Blogpost: BaliSpirit Festival 2010: Spotlight on

Indonesian artistes http://bit.ly/aOup9Z 

RT @balispiritfest Blogpost: Music review from night concerts, Day

Two http://bit.ly/c8OJXv  “A Celebration of Beat and Rain” - what a show!

RT @balispiritfest Blogpost: Yoga + Bollywood dance at BaliSpirit

Festival 2010! http://bit.ly/aaReGF 

RT @balispiritfest Blogpost: World music review from night

concerts, April 1: “Global Devotion and Fusion” http://bit.ly/aV6guk 

RT @balispiritfest Fresh new blogpost!! Ojeya Cruz Banks: West

African Percussion + Dance workshop http://bit.ly/9UUGR6 

Yes, I am the official music blogger at BaliSpirit Fest!

@maverickwoman Sending u spiritual greetings across the pond! R u in Bali now?

Another event I must check out next year: Byron Bay BluesFestival!

www.bluesfest.com.au  http://bit.ly/9OsZQl  http://bit.ly/dfyQGC  #bluesfest

by Madanmohan Rao

World Music Editor & DJ

http://twitter.com/MadanRao

At BaliSpirit Festival: workshops on yoga, dance; music treats tonight: Daphne Tse, Mamadou Diabate! http://bit.ly/9HKe0x 

RT @BaliSpiritFest Blogpost on opening night of BaliSpirit Festival

2010: http://music.techsparks.com/ 

Great meeting Yeshe, Daphne Tse, Ganga Giri, other cool

musicians today! Looking forward to their shows this week www.BaliSpiritFestival.com 

RT @balispiritfest: Inauguration highlights: contemporary djembe

+gamelan by Nyoman Windha; Gayatri Mantra by Ayu Lakshmi & Soul Power Bali!

RT @balispiritfest “Music is the language of the spirit. it opens the

secret of life - bringing peace, abolishing strife.” - Kahlil Gibran

RT @balispiritfest Performing in 2009 *and* 2010: Ganga Giri,

Australian tribal beats + didgeridu + funky bass! http://bit.ly/8ZJctG 

RT @balispiritfest Bandung band D’Cinnamons has released an

album called “Good Morning” – hear them @ BaliSpiritFest! http://bit.ly/cWYSM0 

RT @balispiritfest Catch the global sounds of DJ Cheb I Sabbah at

Bali Spirit Festival 2010! http://bit.ly/cga1V6  www.chebisabbah.com 

RT @BaliSpiritFest Review of world music at BaliSpiritFest 2009

http://music.techsparks.com/?p=3  Catch the 2010 show next week!

My blogpost: Timbre Rock&Roots music festival, Singapore, March

26-27 http://music.techsparks.com  #RockandRoots

Congrats to organisers and fans for a terrific Rock&Roots debut in

Singapore — looking forward to more!!! #RockandRoots

Thanks for tweets/re-tweets @timbremusic @revmazza

@IbsyOnline @tifamisu @tjbanks @benlow #RockandRoots

Singapore’s first Rock&Roots Festival kicks off! http://bit.ly/bFiwX9 

www.rockandroots.com.sg  #RockandRoots

RT @BaliSpiritFest Ghana’s Best International Music Ambassador

Afro Moses, in Bali next week http://bit.ly/a1ooF2  www.BaliSpiritFestival.com 

The Gipsy Kings - performing live in Singapore this evening! http://bit.ly/bAWjdZ  www.rockandroots.com.sg 

Overview of world music showcase at #SXSW, Austin http://bit.ly/9Tleg0 

Representatives Of Five Continents Perform Singapore 2010

Theme Song for Youth Olympics http://bit.ly/91k3Mz 

RIP: UK DJ and world music champion Charlie Gillett http://bit.ly/dnJX1l 

On tour in Vermont: interview with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain

http://bit.ly/boTAfQ 

World Music Institute NY celebrates 25th anniversary with terrific

lineup! www.worldmusicinstitute.org 

Indian Ocean band to release film piecing together their story http://bit.ly/bOymw3 

Looking forward to hearing Buena Vista Social Club, Gipsy Kings,

Buddy Guy perform in Singapore on Friday! www.rockandroots.com.sg  

20+ World Music concerts in 5 nights! Cheb Sabbah, AfroMoses,

GangaGiri, Daphne Tse, and more! BaliSpritFest Mar31-Apr4 http://bit.ly/7ao7bB 

RT @BaliSpiritFest “The coolest festival last year was the Bali Spirit

Festival. It was incredible” - Tom Freund http://bit.ly/du92IO 

Off to cover 2 superb music fests: Timbre Roots (Singapore), Bali

Spirt Festival (Bali) www.rockandroots.com.sg  www.balispiritfestival.com 

Tripping out now on some of the superb music I picked up on my

East Africa trip! Huge potential for professional music festivals here…

South by Southwest Music Conference & Festival: Austin, March

12-21 http://sxsw.com/ 

Also check out Thierry Robin in Jaipur: http://bit.ly/9y0iPj  European

+ Indian gypsy music fusion

Every once in a while there is a song I just can’t enough of - this

time it is Thierry Robin’s La Petite Mer! http://bit.ly/1vPXuU  #flamenco

Bangkok Jazz Festival, March 9-14 http://www.bangkokjazzfestival.com/artist_program/program.html 

Led Zeppelin + The Who = New Supergroup?! Well, partially

http://bit.ly/b2O6XW 

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra invited to #Twitter HQ! http://bit.ly/cua7rf  200,000 followers soon!

WOMEX 2010 Showcase Applications for World Music Artists and

DJs Now Open www.womex.com  Oct 27-31, Copenhagen

Evolution and markets for world music: interview with Jacob Edgar,

Cumbancha http://bit.ly/dnZpv8 

Rock ‘n’ Roam: World music meets rock http://bit.ly/buflAC 

Mystical lessons from the #sarod: Ken Zuckerman, Ali Akbar

College of Music, Switzerland http://bit.ly/bDw56v 

Crossing genres: interview with #flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook

http://bit.ly/d2TNTp http://bit.ly/25n2dI 

Music and culture can “transcend” India-Pakistan divide http://bit.ly/c1TQgs  http://bit.ly/a25cUB 

Tabla shcool in Bangalore celebrates 25 years http://bit.ly/ddVgWs 

Reviews of annual Fireflies music festival in Bangalore http://bit.ly/asDRQ4  http://bit.ly/cS7BBs  Feb 20

What an honour to hear #flamenco guitarist Paco el Lobo play live

in Paris last week! http://pacoellobo.com/musique.html 

Bangalore flautist Pravin Godkhindi - using Net to teach students in

India US Indonesia Canada http://bit.ly/dilZGL www.pravingodkhindi.in 

Pity I will miss two spectacular music fests in Asia this month:

JavaJazz, Mosaic www.mosaicmusicfestival.com  web.javajazzfestival.com 

Lineup of Miri International Jazz Festival, Malaysia http://www.mirijazzfestival.com/showtime.htm  May 14-15