Going Global: Six Of The Best World Music Albums For 2022
by Alex B. Magazine Editor & Digital MarketerMdou Moctar - Afrique Victime
Partly traditional, partly electric punk, Mdou Moctar’s
music is full of life and perfectly encapsulates a sense of cultural pride
against the backdrop of centuries of oppression.
The sense of joy carried in the descriptions of the African
continent and the people who live there carries a darker undercurrent; a
harshness carried on the strings of the electric guitar. You can feel the sun’s
rays through the music; from the searing burn of the chords in Afrique Victime
and Asdikte Akal, to the gentle, warming glow of Tala Tannam and Bismilahi
Atagah and the foot-stomping rhythms and subtle melancholy undertones of Ya
Habibti.
Mdou Moctar paints the picture of violence and love through
wide-open eyes, and in a voice that perfectly captures the essence of the
rawness of being human. Afrique Victime is a sun-filled joy of an album that
brings a touch of rare rawness to the global music scene.
Guy Buttery, Mohd. Amjad Khan and Mudassir Khan - One
Morning In Gurgaon
If Mdou Moctar’s music is fire, then Buttery, Khan, and
Khan’s music is water.
There is an incredible subtlety to the flow of the sarangi;
the waves of microtones rising and falling, then grounded by the patter of the
tabla drums like the splash of water on rocks. Buttery’s acoustic guitar,
precisely and finely picked, is the centre of the piece, melting the earth with
the water, as the shoreline extends from cliffs to the sea.
This album should be listened to in its entirety: the
storytelling, although nonverbal, is palpable throughout, and to disrupt the
stream, would be to ‘dam it’.
This is an album to listen to on a rainy day, when
everything is quiet, except for the music.
Satomimagae - Hanazono
Satomimagae’s album Hanazono translates to ‘flower garden’,
and that title perfectly depicts the delicacy and poignance of her music. Misty
and mysterious, Hanazono is an expert blend of beauty and melancholy, the light
plucking of the harp underpinned by rough, grunge guitar.
Her voice is breathy, and she switches seamlessly from
Japanese to English, using her lyrics like paint. She forms an overall
impression with the shape and feel of her words, building layer on layer of
sound to create an album that creates a sense of minimalism while capturing the
complexities of sound.
Satomimagae’s skilful use of Japanese folk techniques,
combined with the rawness of modern grunge, creates a haunting and almost
spiritual experience for the listener, touching on feelings of bittersweet
nostalgia.
Henna: Young Female Voices From Palestine
Henna: Young Female Voices From Palestine came in at top
place at the Transglobal World Music Chart in August 2021, and was created to
support young Palestinian women to get into a career in music. This album is an
evocative glimpse into life in Palestinian life, and the diversity of the
musical styles is captivating; two flowers is a delicate, and precise dance of
a song, the perfect picking and strumming of the strings playing in skilful harmony
with the tinny sound of the tambourine.
There is the same artistry in Gaza, but there is a playful
joyfulness underpinning the twists and turns of the key changes. The melody of
this song is full of life; it swings from joy, to sinister undertones, then
finishes in a tone that is pure and blissful.
The music takes you on a journey, and you are never sure
quite where you are going to end up, but you are left with a sense of having
been on an adventure; a wild and satisfying ride.
Vedan Kolod - Gorodische
A revival of medieval and ancient Russian folk music,
Gorodische is full of the unusual and unexpected. Instruments that you might
not expect to hear in Russian folk - such as bagpipes and the hurdy-gurdy - sit
comfortably alongside more traditional Russian instruments such as the gusli
and the zhaleyka.
You can feel the age of the music as you listen. The female
voices have a raw, guttural sound to them, and its simplicity is complemented
by the multidimensional, unfiltered essence of each instrument.
You can feel the authenticity and spirit of these sounds.
From the slap of fingers on guitar wood, to the tremors in the singers' voices,
you can feel the heart of these songs beating with the beat of the drum.
Toumani Diabaté and The London Symphony Orchestra -
Kôrôlén
Kora player Toumani Diabaté is accompanied by the London
Symphony orchestra in this comforting showcase of Mandean music.
After many years of Euro-centrism in classical music, and
problems with political and racial oppression, it appears that African
classical music is eventually becoming recognised for its beauty, ingenuity and
originality.
Toumani pointed out that ‘Our (African) music is older than
Bach’, and in an age where everything revolves around the new, it is refreshing
to see such pride in ancient traditions and richness of history and culture
that spans the ages.
This is a groundbreaking time, and an opportunity for
classical music to flourish and diversify in areas where it had long been stale.
This is, unbelievably, the first time that a kora has been used as a solo
instrument in a symphony orchestra, and the results are beautiful.
The kora has an incredibly mellow, melodic tone to it,
softer than an acoustic guitar, and with a soft timbre that sits perfectly
alongside the flutes and violins of the orchestra. The music is intricate,
complex, and full of mysteriousness.
It always leaves the listener wanting a little more, while
giving just enough to entice. Diabaté’s light touch and artistry makes the
concert what it is: a step beyond the traditional, and into the future of
music.
Albums reviewed by Holly Jackson for Superlocrian
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Created on Feb 21st 2022 16:26. Viewed 266 times.