Hear a blending of cultural sounds with music that mixes Western instruments, both acoustic and electronic, with musical traditions from Iran, North Africa, Tibet, the Japanese island of Hokkaido, and more. Listen to clarinet paired with taiko drums from Japan in Arun Ghosh’s Hope Springs or the electric bass alongside the tabla in Tibetan vocalist Yungchen Lhamo’s Auspicious Days. There’s plenty of innovative sonic combinations to be heard in this edition of New Sounds.
Hear three tracks off of Norwegian pianist and composer Jon Balke’s album Hafla, a continuation of his project Siwan. Hafla incorporates a veritable smorgasbord of musical influences including Baroque European, electronic, Iranian, and jazz improvisation with lyrics consisting of the works of 11th-century Andalusian poet Wallada bint al-Mustafki.
Then, get a sneak peak at the upcoming album from French group Meïkhâneh entitled Chants Du Dedans, Chants Du Dehors (Songs of Inside, Songs of Outside). This trio, whose name comes from Persian poetry and can be translated to “House of Intoxication,” combines musical traditions from Europe, Mongolia and Iran. You’ll hear the Mongolian influences in the track "Je M'en Vais", which includes the tovshuur lute and khöömii, a throat singing technique.
You’ll also hear a preview of Moktar Gania’s album, Gnawa Soul, featuring an ensemble of the same name. Moktar comes from an influential family in the Gnawa tradition, a musical practice from Morocco based around religious rituals. In his piece Mossoyou, you can listen for the Kora, a West African harp.
You’ll hear all of these transcultural works and more in this New Sounds. - Laura Boyman
Program #4625, Transcultural Music
ARTIST: Jon Balke, Siwan
WORK: UQUÁLLIBU
RECORDING: Hafla
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Anouar Kaddour Cherif
WORK: Amiret Erriyam
RECORDING: Djawla
SOURCE: Riverboat Records/World Music Network
INFO: anouarkaddourcherif.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Arun Ghosh
WORK: Hope Springs
RECORDING: Seclused in Light
SOURCE: camoci records
INFO: arunghosh.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Meïkhâneh
WORK: Je M'en Vais
RECORDING: Chants Du Dedans, Chants Du Dehors
SOURCE: Buda Musique, Cas Particuliers, due out June 10
INFO: discogs.com
ARTIST: Oki Kano
WORK: Iso Kaari Irehte (Bear Trap Rhythm)
RECORDING: Tonkori in the moonlight
SOURCE: Mais Um Discos
INFO: oki-tonkori.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Yungchen Lhamo
WORK: Auspicious Days
RECORDING: Awakening
SOURCE: Six Degrees Records
INFO: realyungchenlhamo.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Jasdeep Singh Degun
WORK: Enigma 7.5
RECORDING: Anomaly
SOURCE: Real World Records
INFO: realworldrecords.com
ARTIST: Moktar Gania & Gnawa Soul
WORK: Mossoyou
RECORDING: Gnawa Soul
SOURCE: Disques Nuits d'Afrique, due out May 20
ARTIST: Jon Balke, Siwan
WORK: WADADTU
RECORDING: Hafla
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Jon Balke, Siwan
WORK: SAETA
RECORDING: Hafla
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: ecmrecords.com