Start with Bombino!

Al compás del mundo #171, 3-13-25 – potpourri -

What can I say about yet another potpourri? The first five tracks are lively, guapachosa (danceable) Latin music. The odd group out being the Crazy Ken Band, a Japanese aggregation that does a spot-on take of the New York Puerto Rican sound…until they start singing in Japanese about the barrio Chino. #6 sort of fits with its percussion and slow Caribbean rhythm, though it’s sung mostly in French and comes out of Mali. They even throw in a chorus in Spanish, imitating a 1965 Cuban ode to Che Guevara. India then ramps up a little bhangra energy; Kyrgyzstan offers lilting strings; Niger responds with more strings in a style that’s been loosely referred to as “desert blues”; Tanzania chips in one of those “modern” songs where half of the instruments are electronic keyboard creations – though in this case it’s to back an example of Islamic tarab music, more pop than religious; two cadenced Moroccan tunes make me want to visit that land where this sound is common practice; and a couple of Ethiopian winners (IMHO) finish off the whole shebang. You may have noticed I’ve not mentioned the artists’ names. That’s to induce the non-comatose listener to take a moment and look up info and more music by any one of this talented corps that provokes a positive reaction. A hint: Start with Bombino!

RUNLIST

01 Manuel de Jesús Abrego y Abdiel Nuñez - Julia Pela la Yuca y el Gallo Blanco (Panama)

02 Los Mirlos - Muchachita del Oriente (Peru)

03 La Misa Negra - El Agua Ya Se Acabó (USA)

04 Crazy Ken Band - Barrio Chino (Japan)

05 Ondatrópica - Gaita Trópica (Colombia-England)

06 Balla Tounkara - Le Monde Est Fou (Mali)

07 Habharjan Mann - Nach Lai (India)

08 Ordo Sakhna ‎– Erke-Sary (Kyrgyzstan)

09 Bombino - Nik Sant Awanha (Niger)

10 Isha Mashauzi - Sio Levo Yako (Tanzania)

11 Aziz Sahmaoui & University of Gnaoua - Lawah Lawah (Morocco)

12 Hind Ennaira - Souriya (Morocco)

13 Imithente - Kumnyama Kuleziyantaba (South Africa)

14 Gili Yalo - Sab Sam (Ethiopia - Israel)

15 Dimonde Melkamu & Asne Abate - Zumbara (Ethiopia)

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"Blather is the first step toward illumination." - Dali Lama

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