The Cuban Cowboys bring together rock ‘n’ roll and Latin beats with a punk sensibility that brings to mind such post-punk genre busters as The Pixies, Manu Chao, Jonathan Richman, and Moroccan cha’abi rockers Hoba Hoba Spirit. Musically promiscuous and lyrically inventive, head Cuban Cowboy, Jorge Navarro, has found the musical voice on their new album Diablo Mambo that was [...]
R.I.P. Cool Ruler — reggae legend Gregory Isaacs passes away at 59
The Cool Ruler, Gregory Isaacs, passed away today in London. Known as the master of ”lovers rock” — smooth vocals over cool grooves — Isaacs made his mark singing romantic songs. However, he also was an eloquent spokesperson for Jamaica’s poor, addressing social social problems in songs such as “A Riot” and “Village of the [...]
Sissy Bounce — an anomaly or just another transgendered musical tradition
Unexpectedly, when I was doing research on the history of a former blues nightclub district in North Richmond, California, I stumbled upon a facet of that history I had not anticipated: the participant of cross-gendered performers and club-goers. And, in mainstream venues. It flew in the face of all my presumptions of the role of [...]
Khaled and the myth of rai (Ted Swedenburg @ The Middle East Channel)
Excellent article by Ted Swedenburg on Khaled and rai — debunks prevalent misconceptions about both. Brilliant! Check out Ted’s HawgBlawg — well worth the time. Khaled and the myth of rai | The Middle East Channel. An excerpt: Cheb Khaled, the Algerian rai singer who is probably the best-known Arabic singer on the planet, was [...]
Is the future of jazz in its past?
THIS IS AN ADDENDUM TO AN EARLIER POST ON DECIPHERINGCULTURE.COM: Regenerating Jazz Is the future of jazz in its past? There’s a lot of talk lately about why jazz has been losing its audience despite decades of efforts to build infrastructure. There is hardly a university music program that does not include a jazz studies [...]
Reimagining the classics — Turtle Island String Quartet does Hendrix
After being exposed to Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin — a piteous collection of pop dreck — I reluctantly turned my attention to the Turtle Island String Quartet’s Have you ever been…? While the latter’s set of Hendrix covers has not received the level of acclaim that Wilson’s butchering of the songs of the Gershwin [...]
Taqwacore updates (courtesy of جون بلوتن)
More on Taqwacore from جون بلوتن (Tales from Bradistan) (1) A short excerpt from AMERICAN ARAB, an in-progress Kartemquin Films documentary by Usama Alshaibi, featuring Marwan Kamel of the Taqwacore band Al-Thawra. (2) Another repost from Tales from Bradistan with some great photos of the Kominas The Kominas Live In Bradistan Following the ending of the taqwacore [...]
Breaking down racial barriers: the “new” folk revival
I’ve written several pieces on what is often described as an ongoing revival of American traditional music (listed below with links). A piece on NPR today and in the N.Y. Times earlier this week on Southern California’s Frank Fairfield brought the subject back to mind. While you (or I) may argue with the assertion that [...]
Taking the ngoni into new musical territory
Working on a couple of posts but still too busy to put much time into it. In the meantime, here’s a repost of a Jon Pareles piece (N.Y. Times) on how Bassekou Kouyati has revolutionized the use of the ngnoi but first here’s a YouTube video of Kouyati with another “revolutionary” who has taken the [...]
Thawra — Another Taqwacore installment from Tales from Bradistan
Another installment in the excellent series on Taqwacore from my sadiqi at Tales from Bradistan. MONDAY, 26 JULY 2010 Al Thawra I am the revolution and you are the revolution In your spirit you have the power In your heart lies the secret From your lips spills the truth That the wine of power is in [...]
