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This newsletter is sent only to those
who requested it. Information on subscribing and unsubscribing is at
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anyone you think may be interested. For a full list of past
newsletters, see
http://www.to-music.ca/newsletters.htm
This issue has some hot music to
counter the cold and snow out there: both live and online, along
with George Bush, Busby Berkely and how Solomon Burke saved Phil
Spector's soul...
In this issue:
1. Live: Highlight shows: Hugh Masekela, Trio Joubran
2. Online: BBC Radio 3, Toumani Diabate, American politics (Bush to
Busby), African cassettes and more
3. Best 6 Albums ever?
4. Angelique Kidjo & a World Music Grammy
5. Film (The Band's Visit) opens
6. Ike's Funeral: Solomon Burke saves Phil Spector
7. More events
1. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
A couple of upcoming shows to highlight:
a)
Feb. 15: Hugh Masekela & The Chissa
All-Stars: Phoenix, Feb. 15
African music fans won't need a reminder about this show with the great
South African trumpeter. (See
www.smallworldmusic.ca for details and ticket info). He's also bringing
a number of artists from his record label including the wonderful singer
Sibongile Khumalo. (I
received an email yesterday from a friend in Vancouver who just saw the
show. She described Sibongile as "amazing")
To
help get in Masekela mood, here are two audio and video clips:
-
A
concert (audio) with Hugh Masekela &
DeeDee Bridgewater at the Tanglewood Jazz
Festival Aug 31, 2007
- A
Good recent video
of Masekela talking about his life, music, career from last summer
 b) Mar.
1: Trio Joubran: Three brothers from Palestine. Their intricate, and
tightly connected playing is superb and magical. Highly recommended. Don't
wait till the show is sold out. Check
Small World Music for details and
ticket info. For more about the group, see
this website, or the group's
own site. My photos of their 2005 show at the Lula Lounge are here.
(Visitors to my website may remember my previous logo... it was a shot of
one of their self-made ouds from that show).
See my photos
of their 2005 show at the Lula Lounge. More information about
the group is available
here. A video performance on YouTube
here.
Enwave Theatre (Harbourfront) 231 Queens Quay W. 8pm. $25adv. 416 973-4000, online at
Small World Music (which has more info on the group, plus other ticket locations).
Proceeds from this concert will go to Children of Palestine
2. MUSIC: AUDIO, VIDEO CLIPS
Some musical highlights you can catch at home:
a) BBC Radio 3:
While writing this, I've been listening to an excellent world
music show hosted by Lopa Kothari. Go to
this page, for
the playlist. Click the "Listen Live" link. (Her show starts after 1 minute).
b) Toumani Diabate:
The great Malian kora master put on one of last year's best Toronto concerts
with his big band Symmetric Orchestra has just released a new solo CD, The Mande
Variations. He plays a selection of songs from that on this
NPR show.
c) American Election: Two musical items inspired by the political
activity happening south of the border:
- President Bush consults with Little Richard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_pnQ-zrzSQ
- Iris Dement: a wonderful, moving Arkansas singer in the 1990's wrote and
recorded her bitter song about the U.S., "Wasteland of the Free". It's
captured in a new film, American Music: Off the Record about independent
musicians' struggles in a corporate music world. The highlight of making the
film according to the director, Ben Meade was Dement:
“The story that really reaches out and grabs you is about Iris DeMent,”
he said, referring to the KC-based country singer-songwriter.
“I wanted to use one of Iris’ recordings, ‘Wasteland of the Free,’ and
Warner Bros. Records wanted $35,000 to use it. I spoke to Iris who said,
‘Warners owns that recording, but I own the song. You come to my house, and
we’ll film me singing it.’
“Which is what happened, and by the time she was done we were all
crying. That experience sent a message to me. Iris was saying, ‘This is
my song. How dare you?’ ”
Someone has made a photo montage of Dement's song for
YouTube. Don't let
the visuals interfere with her words.
And for different YouTube views of the above two musical stars:
Little Richard truly rips it up on tour in England, mid-60's.
More about and by Iris Dement
here.
d) "Awesome African tapes"
A website with,
indeed an awesome and downloadable collection of classic African music taken
from old cassettes.
e) Lullaby of Broadway
Something completely different. One of Busby Berkeley's dance masterpieces
from the film Golddiggers of 1935 on YouTube. Thirteen minutes: Part
One
& Two.
3. BEST 6 ALBUMS
One person's take on "the best 6 albums ever". English world music broadcaster
and writer Charlie Gillett was asked by a newspaper for his picks. Knowing
they likely didn't want or expect him to pick albums by artists like the Beatles
or Bob Dylan, and not sure about picking musicians that no-one had heard of, he
came up with the list below. Food for thought...
Daily Express, Friday 21 September 2007
MY SIX BEST ALBUMS - CHARLIE GILLETT
JIMMY CLIFF/VARIOUS ARTISTS: THE HARDER THEY COME (Polygram)
I love reggae but there was something about the way it came together on this
film soundtrack starring Jimmy Cliff which made it more substantial
than many reggae records.
VARIOUS: AFRICAN PEARLS VOL 1: CONGO (Rumba On The River) (Syllart)
Compilation of music recorded in the Congo in the Sixties. Hearing it is like
finding a missing piece to a puzzle.
ORCHESTRA BAOBAB: PIRATES' CHOICE (Nonesuch)
The album originally came out in Senegal in the Eighties and was pirated
endlessly. It was a bridge for me from Western to world music.
YOUSSOU N'DOUR: IMMIGRÉS (Earthworks)
I heard this singer, also from Senegal, around the same time. I found this
difficult to listen to then because, unlike his Nineties' hit Seven Seconds, it
was so rhythmically peculiar.
MILES DAVIS: KIND OF BLUE (Sony)
Whenever I hear it playing I'm blown away. It's just a beautiful mood record.
SALIF KEITA: MOFFOU (Decca US)
A spectacular singer from Mali who for years never quite made the record his
fans wanted him to. Then, in 2002, this spacious, acoustic record came out.
4. WORLD(?) MUSIC GRAMMY NOTES
Angelique Kidjo, the
terrific singer from Benin won in the Contemporary World Music category.
While her music over the years has been superb, many of her long-time fans
are ambivalent about the CD that won the award, Djin Djin. It was very much
a "crossover" album in search of a larger pop market, featuring
collaborations with musicians such as Peter Gabriel, Carlos Santana,
Branford Marsalis, Ziggy Marley and others. See Banning Eyre's
review on
Afropop Worldwide, or see her
video (with Joss Stone)
of the Rolling Stone's "Gimme Shelter".
But if some "world music" folks had issues with
her album, well, she had some issues with winning a Grammy in a "world
music" category. See
this article for example.
5. FILM OPENING THIS WEEKEND
A recommended film opens in Toronto
today (at the Cumberland), The Band's Visit. The story?
To quote from the ad: "Once -- not long ago -- a small Egyptian
police band arrived in Israel. Not many remember this... It
wasn't that important".
It's received great reviews and
numerous awards in Europe and Japan.
The website
is here, and you can view the trailer
here.
6. IKE'S FUNERAL
A
report on the Dec. 21 funeral of Ike Turner. The image of
the Rev. Solomon Burke calling up Phil Spector to be personally
saved is a highlight.
7. MORE LIVE EVENTS
A few selected events. Check
www.to-music.ca/events.htm for details on these and many other shows from
now through the spring.
Fridays in February: Free African music at the Melody Bar,
Gladstone Hotel from the Gladstone & Music Africa, 7-10pm
Feb. 15: Sudanese multi-instrumentalist Waleed Kush
Feb. 22: Eritrean krar player Dawit Sium
Feb. 29: South African band Jabulani
Feb. 18-19: "Olifiddle" benefit for Oliver Schroer at Hugh's Room
Feb. 19: Autorickshaw at Hugh's Room
Feb. 21: Buckwheat Zydeco at the Horseshoe
Feb. 22: Roberto Linares Brown: one of Toronto's top Cuban musicians has his
CD Release at the Lula
Feb. 25: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic at the Phoenix
Feb. 26: Adam Solomon & Tikisa at the Silver Dollar
Mar. 2: Gogol Bordello at the Sound Academy (formerly The Docks).
Listen to their
full
club concert frrom the 9:30 club in Washington DC
Mar. 4: Steve Earle and Allison Moorer at Massey Hall
Mar. 5: Great jazz vocalist Jon
Hendricks with Jane Bunnett and others at Hugh's Room
Mar. 5: Chick Corea (solo) at Massey
Hall
Lots more. Hugh's Room has a "classic"
lineup from now through the spring, of old folkies and others
including the McGarrigles, Jesse Winchester, Tom Rush, Richie
Havens, Chris Hillman, Country Joe McDonald and more. Plus
Odessa/Havana, Drive by Truckers, Buddy Guy.
And...
Looking way ahead, to warm summer
nights at Harbourfront... an unconfirmed report that Orchestra
Baobab will be performing there on July 3. Sure to be one of the best shows
of the year, and something to warm your heart during the snows of
February. Meanwhile, here's a
video of them performing "On Verra Ca" from the WOMAD
festival in 2002
John Leeson
www.to-music.ca
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