Skip to main content

Al compas del mundo - programa #100 - The Harmonica

We gather together in celebration of Al compas del mundo’s 100th anniversary. It’s been almost two full years since I’ve undertaken programming a weekly selection of eclectic musical morsels for the edification and (hopefully) enjoyment of a vast listening audience. Rather than attempt to tabulate sheer numbers in the worldwide streaming reach of RadioactivaTX (out of Tequisquiapan, Queretaro, in Mexico) and faithful Al compas devotees, I might better ask “Who does not listen to my weekly program?” Ok, Xing Pi for one, but that’s likely due to the scarcity of Chinese tunes that have been included in the playlists – except for Uyghur music. The newly infamous Mike Johnson. And the entire Trump family. Otherwise, it’s been a fruitful exercise and I expect it to continue. I must admit, though, as I try not to play songs that have previously appeared, it gets harder as time moves on. My vast music library of over 40,000 titles is a most valuable resource and always inspiring. But thank goodness for YouTube, where practically every song in the world is available and downloadable.

So that leads me to this week’s dedication to the mighty Wurlitzer in a miniature package, the harmonica. The so-called “mouth organ” (not sure why it’s sometimes called a “harp” as there’s nothing harp-like about its sound) is found around the globe and has entered a host of musical genres as a significant member of the orchestra, or at least a novelty that always seems to stir up the audience (disclaimer: I have been known to play a little blues harp on occasion). Speaking of the blues, the obvious inclusion of Little Walter Jacobs and Big Walter Horton just scratch the surface of available talent. Here they take us to Mexico and the streets of Chicago, each with a rhythm that just won’t quit. Understand that someday in the not-too-distant future there will be an entire program dedicated to harp-blowing bluesmen. Elsewhere in the USA, non-African American harmonica bands formed and were a popular genre. Recorded in the 1930’s and 40’s, Jerry Murad’s and Borrah Minevitch’s efforts illustrate both the serious and humorous sides to these entertainers. These two musical movements presage a wealth of home-grown harmonica talent and virtuoso performances, with the likes of Paul Butterfield, Magic Dick of the J Geils Band, Stevie Wonder, Buddy Greene, and others. But as I pointed out at the beginning, the harmonica has been embraced in cultures around the world. Witness (better, listen to) examples here from Mali, Israel (playing Appalachian folk music), Jamaica, China and Latin America. And maybe pay special attention to an Indonesian talent, Sarah Saputri, who seems equally at home rendering folk music ballads from her native land to soulful blues (YouTube awaits your exploration). She truly excels, but then maybe that’s because she’s chosen a most favorable instrument to express her talent: The Harmonica. - J.H.


 Runlist for The Harmonica - First broadcast November 2, 2023

01 Walter Horton - La Cucaracha (USA)

02 Jerry Murad´s Harmonicats - Guadalajara (USA)

03 Borrah Minevitch & His Harmonica Rascals - Bugle Call Rag (Russia-USA)

04 Baby Face Leroy Foster - Rolling and Tumbling (USA)

05 Little Walter - Rollercoaster (USA)

06 J Geils Band - Whammer Jammer (USA)

07 Them (con Van Morrison) - Mystic Eyes (Ireland)

08 Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Droppin' Out (USA)


09 Stevie Wonder - Fingertips, Part 2 (USA)

10 Skin Flesh & Bones - Do it till you're satisfied (Jamaica)

11 Alex Paclin - Redbone (USA)

12 Boubacar Traoré & Vincent Bucher - Mondeou (Mali and France)

13 Buddy Greene - The Pear Tree + Waiting for the Federals (USA)

14 Avital Tamir & Ofir Ventura - Little Sadie (Israel)

15 Larkin Gifford’s Harmonica - III. Saturday Night Roundup (USA)

16 Stanton Street Duo – Libertango (Astor Piazzola) (USA and Latin America)

17 Sarah Saputri - Es Lilin (Indonesia)

18 Cy Leo - Misty (China)

 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

British Invasion - 1960s

I wanted to declare “Kick out the jams, mo’fos!” as a signpost towards the message in this week’s Al compás del mundo radio show, but that actually came about a little later. As humanity descended ever deeper into the Cro-Magnon state, Iggy Pop and the punks claimed that honor. What we have here instead, is a post-WWII let’s shake up the political order a bit, and no, not everyone has signed up to be an unconscious consumer attitude. There’s something afoot with these lads. Not exactly revolutionary fervor, but most certainly promoting a change in the general way of things. Recalling Che Guevara’s famous quote “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”, the Animals, Yardbirds, Rolling Stones et. al. pouted and preened – some more than others – in a way that hadn’t quite been done before. Youthful vigor ensued. These groups pushed the evolutionary chain of popular music a step further and we’re all better off for it.  Set list Al compás del mundo programa #183, 6-5-25 - The British Invasion, 1960s 01 Yar...

Funk and Soul

  Al compás del mundo - programa #169, 2-27-25, Funk and Soul   01 The Commodores - Brick House 02 Tower of Power - Drop It In The Slot 03 Parliament - Ride On 04 Sly & The Family Stone – Frisky 05 The Webb People – I’m Sending Vibrations 06 Ruby Delicious - Rock Steady 07 Mandrill - Git It All 08 The San Francisco TKOS – Herm 09 Ohio Players - Fire 10 Parliament - Mothership Connection (Star Child) 11 Kool & The Gang - Jungle Boogie 12 Chico and Buddy - A Thing Call the Jones 13 Little Ann – Possession 14 Lafayette Afro-Rock Band - Time Will Tell 15 Parliament - Ain't Nuthin' But a Jam Y'all   What did James Brown mean when he said “we’re gonna have a funky good time”? This “funky” of which he spoke, was it strictly musical (and danceable), or maybe sexual, sociable, or even political? Or maybe a little bit of each? Funk, funky, funkify, funkadelic, funkalicious…all pointing at the pleasure principle…a new dialect for the “blue...

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...