https://vimeo.com/278533335 Uzbek song is not well known here (even the pop music is obscure), but it is well worth investigating. I find that most of the traditional music coming out of Central Asia is beautiful and redolent of another time and place. That may eventually disappear with the assimilation of western harmonies and instrumentation, but thankfully the governments … [Read more...]
The Entrancing Sound of the Timple
The family of the lute has a multitude of relatives, the guitar being the most prevalent right now. But there are a number of more diminutive nieces and nephews who have shaped the music of various island cultures. The ukulele is synonymous with Hawaii, the cavaqhinho with Cabo Verde, and the cuatro with Puerto Rico; now meet the timple, the sound of the Canary Islands. … [Read more...]
Derek Gripper’s Classical Kora Transcriptions
The last day of WOMEX is usually taken up with an awards ceremony and last minute networking within the world music community. But this year it found me traveling through Galicia in a bus bound for the Monastery of Santa Cristina, and a concert by classically trained guitarist Derek Gripper, presented by Ecos da Pedra. It was a kind of a “those in the know” event, and I was … [Read more...]