Pop Culture Press: Pop Culture Press Around the World, Page 2

Pop Culture Press Around the World- 2005 In review (Part 3)

Leaving Africa, we jump across the Atlantic to Brazil, which is quickly being viewed as a musical hotbed along the lines of Cuba and Mali. The most noteworthy Brazilian release of 2005 came from Seu Jorge, who is more recognizable to American audiences for his film roles in City of God and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Jorge's new record, Cru (Wrasse), is a fabulous mix of gentle acoustic songs and grittier efforts and includes splendid covers of both Serge Gainsborough's "Chatterton" and a lilting version of Elvis Presley's "Don't." Jorge's success during the second part of 2005 seems to be the harbinger of things to come in the new year for many of his fellow Brazilian artists

Another notable Brazilian release came officially just after the start of 2006 (though it had been circulating for the last couple of months of 2005) from Cabruera, a group based in the northeastern part of the country known for its drier and more barren landscape. Cabruera takes the traditional samba sounds that Brazil is famous for and gives them a grittier, edgier treatment coming up with a more aggressive and hard sound in the process as shown on Proibido Cochilar: Sambas For Sleepless Nights (Piranha). Additional noise will be made in the new year from other Brazilian acts including Lenine, Marcelo D2, and Cibelle, as well as from the New York City-based Frank London's Klezmer Brass All Stars, whose music infuses traditional klezmer styles with Brazilian sounds and reinforces the notion that Brazilian styles seem to be coming more and more into fashion.

Also worth mentioning is the Putamayo Records' compilation Acoustic Brazil, which gathers up 12 tracks from such luminaries as Paulinho da Viola, Gal Costa, Chico Buarque, and Caetano Veloso. For people just beginning to explore Brazilian music beyond "The Girl From Ipanema," this compilation is an excellent starting point.

Two other Putamayo compilations released in 2005 which focus on Latin American music and are worth exploring are Women of Latin America and Latin Lounge. Women of Latin America compiles songs from female artists from Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Chile. Not surprisingly, there is a wide variety of styles collected here, and the CD has highlights throughout including "Yo Me Llamo Cumbia" by Colombian artist Toto La Momposina, "Indian Song" by Chilean singer Mariana Montalvo, and the gorgeous "Justo Agora" by Adriana Calcanhotto from Brazil.

If Women of Latin America is a fairly subdued, mostly acoustic record, Latin Lounge features low-key electronically laced sounds. The highlights of this CD, which includes tracks with European collaborators, showcase Argentinian artists. Federico Aubele's "Esta Noche" and Andres Linetsky & Ernesto Romeo's "Sentimientos" both offer intoxicating tracks that blend electronica and traditional tango. Also worth noting is Texan Michael Ramos' Charanga Cakewalk project, whose song "Carmela" is featured here and is also found on the group's excellent Loteria de la Cumbia Lounge (Triloka/Artemis) record which also focuses on giving electronic treatments to traditional cumbia and norteno styles.

One of the most significant projects of the year was the Escondida label's Cuban Essentials series. Chosen by label president Patrick Moxey in collaboration with a team of Cuban music historians, musicologists, and journalists, this ten volume collection aspires to be the definitive Cuban music collection and was compiled with special access to the library of the state run Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales (EGREM) studios.

The first installments covered some of the legends from The Buena Vista Social Club movie and ensuing recordings and concert series, including the recently deceased vocalist Ibrahim Ferrer, pianist Ruben Gonzalez, and the incomparable singer/guitarist Compay Segundo, as well as the still-active figures of singer Omara Portuondo, singer/guitarist Eliades Ochoa, and pianist Chucho Valdes. The remaining four volumes, from Juan Formell y Los Van Van, Benny Moré, Irakere, and the various artists' compilation Guantanamera are all due during the first half of 2006.

On the subject of compilations, the always intriguing Puerto Rico-based label Antifaz released Darker Roots, a collection of tracks featuring various well-known reggae singers and players all backed by the New York City-based Version City Rockers band. This rootsy and deeply soulful record showcases the talents of such stars as Sugar Minott and Glen Brooks with saxophonist Cedric Brooks providing the killer "It's Up To You." This is a great collection of dark, classic reggae styles reminiscent of the classic tracks from the mid-70's dub heyday.

Elsewhere in the United States, a couple of records deserve mention. The burgeoning influence of Malian music will certainly get a lift in the US from the presence of Mamadou Sidibe who has left his native country and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area with his American wife, Vanessa. The two combine forces as Mamadou and Vanessa on Nacama. The record showcases Mamdou's stunning musicianship, especially on the kamalngoni, while the two share vocals, and hopefully this record will earn the pair some deserved recognition.

Also in the San Francisco area, composer Christopher Hedge created the stirring soundtrack for the New Heroes documentary which focused on various local, grass-roots efforts to affect positive social change throughout the world. Hedge essentially took audio snapshots from the show's segments and created musical scores around them using a skilled group of musicians. The result is that each of these tracks has an organic feel in line with its pertinent subject matter, but is also able to stand up out of the documentary's context.

And for our last record, we'll hop across the northern border to Canada, the home of Indian-born and Toronto-raised singer and composer, Kiran Ahluwalia. Her self-titled record on Triloka/Artemis showcases her modern interpretations of the 700 year-old tradition of ghazals, which are poems put to music, and Punjabi folk songs. As a nod to the sprit of bringing together divergent influences, Ahluwalia is joined by Natalie McMaster, resulting in a sort of Celtic/Indian hybrid.

So that ends our musical globetrotting. With the shrinking nature of our world and the increased mixing of cultures and musical styles, the future is bound to bring more fascinating world music.