Al compás del mundo - programa #123

Al compás del mundo - programa #123 – Sudan and Ethiopia

This will be the second time around on Al compas del mundo featuring the music of Sudan and Ethiopia. Apart from the totally mesmerizing and distinct sounds from these East African neighbors, there are two major underlying motives for my appreciation. When we lived in Cairo for a year back in 1982-83, one of our August vacation options was Sudan and its capital of Khartoum. Similar desertic topography to Egypt and a summer time average temperature of 105-115 degrees steered us toward the alternative: Turkey – green, Mediterranean, and politically stable (mostly). Still, I (almost) left my heart in Sudan. The music did all it could to win me over.

Purchasing cassettes of Sudanese music in the streets of Cairo, I was exposed to the mellifluous strains of Sudanese orchestras, soloists, and singers. There’s no other music on the planet quite like it. Cuts 2, 7 and 9 may be exceptions only in that they are straight out of the country and unlike the urban sounds I’m particularly enthralled with (though representative and savory).

Ethiopian music takes up the second half of the program and fills it with more unique stylings found only in that region of Africa. To my ears, Ethiopian music epitomizes “exotica.” Not to trivialize or fetishize with my Western ears, but the scales used, particularly minor notes, evoke in me a certain mood, both tenebrous and exultant. Another reason for the attraction goes back to my days wooing Ms. Claudia in Mexico City. One of the many things that brought us together was the fact we had each dated Ethiopians. Each had shared music from back home and we both became converts. Fortunately, she waited for me and ended up in San Francisco and not Addis Ababa.

Of course, none of these meager descriptions of the music presented herein do any sort of justice to the actual product. Find these tunes wherever you can and listen. An education and pleasure will be your reward. - J.H.

RunList for 'Sudan and Ethiopia'
First Broadcast 4-11-24

01 al-Bilabil - al-Bysel ma bituoh (Sudan)

02 anonymous - Wed al-ballah howidi (Sudan)

03 Solomon Mahmoud - Ashwak (Sudan)

04 Mohammed Wardi – al-Sourah (The Photo) (Sudan)

05 Abu Obaida Hassan - Nas fi nas (Sudan)

06 Sayed Khalifa - سلام بالبسمة (Sudan)

07 Seed al-Khala - Audhiya azab (Sudan)

08 Abdelkarim al-Kabli - Hal Fatma (Sudan)

09 anonymous – folk music on the rebab (Sudan)

10 Thona'i al-Nagham - al-Akhdar al-limuni (Sudan)

11 Seyfu Yohannes - Mela mela (Ethiopia)

12 Girma Beyene - Ene negn bay manesh (Ethiopia)

13 Mahmoud Ahmed - Atawurulegn lela (Ethiopia)

14 Muluken Melesse - Hédètch alu (Ethiopia)

15 Asselefetch Ashine & Getenesh Kebret & Army Band - Metche new (Ethiopia)

16 Ayalew Mesfin & Black Lion Band - Feger aydelem wey (Ethiopia)

17 Tlahoun Gessesse - Sema (Ethiopia)

18 Ayalew Mesfin & Black Lion Band - Gedawo (Ethiopia)

Black Lion Moving

Comments

British blues of the 60s y 70s

This has to be one of my favorite programs. The British blues scene gave us a healthy dose of reverential and, admittedly, imitative music that awakened a youthful audience suffering from pop fatigue on both sides of the ocean. Of course, the blues, as interpreted by young white musicians who couldn’t have been much further from the Mississippi Delta or the South side of Chicago, can be considered as cultural appropriation. At the same time, those involved in the scene have reminisced that playing the blues was largely a visceral reaction to a compelling combination of rhythm, lyrics and energy that was distinct from the British music scene up to that point. I don’t believe anyone at the time felt guilty playing the songs of their Southern US heroes. Does it make a difference that a number of these groups went on to earn far more money than the originators ever dreamed of? Probably, though many of the greats – Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson and others – profi...

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...

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...

Search This Blog