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Music of Benin and Nigeria: Afro National Band, The Nigerian Police Force Band, Black Santiago, More

Two neighboring countries in West Africa, Benin and Nigeria, have much in common. At the same time there are distinct traditions that set them apart. Of course, I’m talking about their music. Listen to the two “halves” of this program and you will see what I mean. Otherwise, Benin is best known for its history – referring to the local kingdom with its roots in the 10th century leading up to the British Punitive Expedition in 1897 wherein the entire royal treasury of bronze “art” works (“the Benin bronzes”) were looted. Nigeria, the most populous nation on the continent, has long been a country of contrasts: a thriving economy for the upper classes versus struggles for vast numbers of the poor and under-represented; major divisions have arisen between the Christian and Muslim populations; a land of plentiful resources where hunger is not uncommon (i.e. Biafra). But enough of all that. We’re here to sample the popular music of both countries with just a whiff of what’s available. After a...
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Jazz vocals

  Al compás del mundo - programa #167, 2-13-25, jazz vocals   01 World Saxophone Quartet with Fontella Bass - Suffering with the Blues 02 Charles Mingus - Weird Nightmare 03 Courtney Pine - I've Known Rivers 04 Don Was & the Pan-Detroit Ensemble - I Ain't Got Nothing 05 Roland Kirk - Baby Let Me Shake Your Tree 06 Gary Bartz NTU Troop - Uhuru Sassa 07 Gil Scott-Heron - The Prisoner 08 The Pharaohs - Freedom Road 09 Pierre Dorge & New Jungle Orchestra - Bobo Sanneh   For the summary of this week’s program on Al compás del mundo radio, I’m going to let the song lyrics and performers’ backgrounds tell their own story. First off, I have to admit I’m not a big fan of jazz with vocals. Maybe it’s all the cutesy and torch-y songs or the 50th recorded version of Blue Moon and umpteen other jazz standards from “the great American songbook.” As a rule, they don’t get under my skin. But that’s not to say there is nothing redeeming (to my ears) in lyri...
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Middle Eastern music

I realized it’s been a long time since I’ve featured Middle Eastern music on Al compás del mundo. The remedy is found herein, and it’s not only Arab music but the playlist includes tunes from Kurds, Nubians, Iranians and Amazight (formerly referred to as “Berbers”). It’s fair to say everything here is rooted in traditional music, though at least one piece, by Amina Aloui and the Ahmed Ensemble, refers back to a classical Arab-Andalusian music that evolved from 9th century Spain to 21st century Algeria. Another Algerian, Abdelli, sings in the Amazight language and is probably the example that strays most beyond its folk origins. Some stand-outs, in my mind, are the anonymous Tunisian number – slow, evocative, powerful and earthy via a dreadnaught drum, flute and women’s chorus and the first tune of the program by Yemeni Mohammad al-Masuri, marked by the same pure and unadorned substance that defines the very essence of “folk” music.   [continues below]    Al compás de...
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Don't point no finger at my greatest hits rehash, people

  So, it’s another “greatest hits” program from Al compás del mundo on RadioactivaTX out of Tequisquiapan, Queretaro, from deep in the belly of old central Mexico. What means this idea of greatest hits? Most certainly, no one’s tallied the dinero they’ve raked in or scraped by on some regional measure of the public’s acceptance and pursuit of ownership, nor danceability, nor hall of fame loftiness. No, these musical bits just happen to strike a chord in yours truly, more than their companions in weeks of programming whatever came to mind. And all with a certain inscrutable logic. Out of all the aspirations launched in weeks 32-35 (June of 2022!) these musical hit parade wonders stood out as fancy-ticklers that yearned to be released just one more time. At the rate of a greatest hits playlist every five weeks – as has been the course – I’ll never catch up with myself in the mission to avoid redundancy. Not to worry. There’s always more discoveries and themes for my unwitting public ...
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Eclectic instrumental gem pluck

Say the magic word and win $100 (Wanna buy a duck?) “Eclectic” it is! And yet, you protest, every program of Al compas del mundo is eclectic. No? We’re going to do the ol’ dictionary trick and cite a proper definition of that word: “deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources”. I think that pretty much nails it as a prime motivator in choosing a playlist for this weekly radio program. And today it’s a set where no one opens their mouth, unless they’re blowing a trumpet, harmonica, or some sort of wind instrument,  [Ed.note or cello ala Zoe Keating] or maybe exulting in musical pleasure (see: Yarina from Ecuador.) There’s no singing to interrupt the instrumental reveries. There’s quite a lot of globe-hopping to be heard though, touching on North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. I might have missed Australia and Antarctica - perhaps next time. My head spins just trying to find a way to tie all of this together in some logical descriptive fash...
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Rhythm & Blues: Historic & Notable

I, for one, had never heard the Olympics 1966 original version of “Good Lovin’”. Chalk that up to that old maxim ‘you learn something every day.’ Everybody’s got some holes in their education. But what intrigued me is that the Top 40 AM radio hit of that tune by The Young Rascals, recorded less than a year later, was arranged and performed note for note, almost verbatim to its predecessor. It reached #1 on Billboard’s Pop Singles chart while the Olympics’ version got to #81. The “race records” concept was still in effect...and counteracted by Otis Redding recording The Rolling Stones’ classic composition “Satisfaction”, both coming out in 1965.  You get to enjoy these historical notables on this week’s Al compás del mundo playlist, along with plenty of other major and minor R&B successes of the times. Lots of other familiar and rewarding musical statements found herein: Curtis Mayfield’s “Superfly”, Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight (Everything's Alright)”, The Temptations’ “Ain't T...
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Nuyorican boogaloo cha-cha-cha

 I’m labelling this week’s playlist as “Nuyorican” music, the lion’s share of the players from Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican ancestry.  Two notable exceptions are Joe Bataan, a Filipino-African American, and Mongo Santamaria born in Cuba. What they all have in common, however, was centered around the music scene of New York City where African American and Latino musicians forged a common ground in creating “boogaloo” dance music, mixing elements of R&B, Soul, and Latin dance rhythms. The boogaloo genre was fairly short-lived, enjoying popularity during the 1960’s before giving way to salsa, in what was largely an East Coast and Caribbean impulse. “Watermelon Man” and ”El Watusi” were early and major boogaloo hits, but truly, most of the titles included in the program were popular recordings in their day, whether cha-cha-chas like Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va”, or GFyEN’s guajira. I’ve gathered them here for an hour’s worth of revelation for those too young to have heard thi...
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