3 August 2008
Rokia Traore
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Rokia Traore is generally quieter than most ‘African divas’. The independent-minded songster from Mali is also more creative, less predictable. Pay attention and you soon understand why she has been described as ‘the most adventurous singer-songwriter in Africa’. You also discover that her voice is much ‘bigger’ than at first it seems. Tchamantché (‘balance’ or ‘equilibrium’ in Bambara - her first language) is a highly original set of her own songs, plus a highly original (‘hidden’) version of a Gershwin song - one famously ‘owned’ by Billie Holiday.
Discover more about Rokia Traore’s new album, here:
www.rokiatraore.net/_sites/ROKIA_TRAORE/html/rokia_bio.htm )
Playlist
Playlist
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Details of each track are presented in the following order:
BROADCAST TIME
TRACK NUMBER AND TITLE
COMPOSER
PUBLISHING AND COPYRIGHT DETAILS
RECORDING COMPANY AND CD NUMBER
( distributor/ source details, in brackets like this, in lower-case)
ARTIST AND CD TITLE
Duration of track
Description of track, in lower-case.
Where relevant, further info links to information, gigs/events/related programs
’THE WEEKEND PLANET’ SUN 3.8. 08
2205
THEME:
(details below, as per the original CD.. This cut is also on these compilations Ketama - ’ Nuevos Medios Coleccion’ - Nuevos Medios NM 15 820
{ in Australia via MGM www.thegroovemerchants.com
worldwide, via: www.flamenco-world.com/noticias/nuevos.htm }
and ’ Jarabi - the best of Toumani Diabate’ (Hannibal 334352 )
CD CUT 1, ’JARABI’
TRAD, ARR TOUMANI DIABATE
HAMILCAR MUSIC LTD
HANNIBAL HNCD 1323
( in Australia, some releases through Stomp Enquiries to: ben@stomp.com.au
worldwide: www.rykodisc.com )
KETAMA, TOUMANI DIABATE, DANNY THOMPSON - ’SONGHAI’
THIRTY SECONDS (EXCERPT)
(retains a stately-Manding air, whilst also embracing flamenco elements. Toumani Diabate’s kora, Danny Thompson’s beautiful double bass and Ketama’ s flamenco guitars )
2207
CD CUT 9, ’A OU NI SOU’
STEVE SHEHAN AND ROKIA TRAORE
TÂMA AND SAFAR
TÂMA PRODUCTIONS/ UNIVERSAL MUSIC FRANCE
( not issued in Australia, as I type.
Is readily available via European-based suppliers, online.
Rokia’s site: www.rokiatraore.net )
ROKIA TRAORE - ’TCHMANTCHÉ’
3: 53
( Tenderly erotic: The Malian female singer’s singular, seemingly-gentle voice, accompanied solely by Steve Shehan’s tuned percussion. He’s playing the steel-drum-like ’hang’, I think. The lyric thanks her audience: ’let the night be soft and sweet for you.. please do accept my gratitude for you coming to listen.’ However she also expresses her independence and warns them that she does not sing people’s praises in return for money: ’I am not your djeli/griot’.. don’t give me money.. your wealth doesn’t impress me’)
SEGUE
2211
CD (DISC THREE) CUT 14, ’THE MAN I LOVE’
MUSIC BY GEORGE GERSHWIN, LYRIC BY IRA GERSHWIN
WB MUSIC CORP (ASCAP)
COLUMBIA/LEGACY C3K 47724
BILLIE HOLIDAY - ’THE LEGACY 1933- 1958’
3: 05
(yearning-filled female vocal with jazz orchestra in New York, December 1939. Lester Young is the discreetly stupendous tenor sax soloist. The ’hidden track’ on Rokia’s new CD is her hugely-different, multi-lingual treatment of this song. See, below )
2217
CD CUT 1, ’DOUNIA’
ROKIA TRAORE
TÂMA
TÂMA PRODUCTIONS/ UNIVERSAL MUSIC FRANCE
( not issued in Australia, as I type.
Is readily available via European-based suppliers, online.
Rokia’s site: www.rokiatraore.net )
ROKIA TRAORE - ’TCHMANTCHÉ’
6: 18
( sombre, with a groove, recognisably ’African’, but contemporary, blues-tinged and individual - not surfing any fashion. Rokia is the not-loud but intense, compelling female singer and she plays one of the electric guitars. Her lyric refers to Africa’s history - of great men and civilisations rising and falling - as offering both warning and inspiration to Africans today )
SEGUE
2223
CD CUT 6, ’PAVANE: THOUGHTS OF A SEPTUAGENARIAN’
ESBJÖRN SVENSSON, ARR BY ULF WAKENIUS
E.S.T
ACT MUSIC ACT 9459-2
( In Australia, through The Planet Company/ MGM
email: info@theplanetcompany.com
website: www.theplanetcompany.com
worldwide: www.actmusic.com )
ULF WAKENIUS - ’LOVE IS REAL’ (ULF WAKENIUS PLAYS THE MUSIC OF ESBJÖRN SVENSSON)
6: 17
( Haunting piece, nicely introduced by some non-standard string quartet sounds { courtesy of radio.string.quartet.vienna }. Eventually becomes a vehicle for Ulf’s acoustic guitar, supported by ac bass, brushes, piano and the strings. This was not intended as a ’posthumous salute’. Its dedicatee/composer - the piano-playing leader of the trio ’est’ - was still alive and well when this CD was issued in Europe, a few months ago. In June Svensson died whilst scuba diving.
ABC RADIO NATIONAL ULF WAKENIUS/SVENSSON ALERT
We explore this album in depth next Sunday night, August 10.
More details here: www.abc.net.au/rn/weekendplanet/comingup )
SEGUE
2229
CD CUT 7, ’TOUNKA’
ROKIA TRAORE
TÂMA
TÂMA PRODUCTIONS/ UNIVERSAL MUSIC FRANCE
( not issued in Australia, as I type.
Is readily available via European-based suppliers, online.
Rokia’s site: www.rokiatraore.net )
ROKIA TRAORE - ’TCHMANTCHÉ’
3: 05
( begins a cappella, with Rokia’s female African voice, multi-tracked. Then enter the band and a rapid-fire, insistent-urgent groove. With ngoni twanging, electric guitars, drumkit, percussion and some remarkable, sometimes-growling singing from Rokia. The lyric is about how ’rich’ yet how very poor are most Africans, about how Europeans patronise them and the false-romantic notions some Africans have about Europe. It urges Africans ’say no to exodus’ and urges them to try improve their lives within their own countries)
2237
CD CUT 4, ’MARIAMA’
OUSMANE SACKO/ ROKIA TRAORE, ARR ROKIA TRAORE
PUB NOT SPEC
INDIGO LBLC 2594
( in Australia through Select Audio-Visual Distribution:
www.savd.com.au
worldwide: www.label-bleu.com )
ROKIA TRAORE - ’BOWMBOI’
5: 33
( Rokia sings on the brightly-rhythmic opening part, then it turns into a sombre epic on which she shares the singing with the stupendous { and I mean stupendous } male voice of Ousmane Sacko. With ngonis, percussion, chorus and backing vocal parts - would move the proverbial heart of stone )
SEGUE
2243
CD (DISC TWO) CUT 8, ’PART 17’
KEITH JARRETT
CAVELIGHT MUSIC (BMI)
ECM 1960/61
( in Australia through Fuse Music
www.fusemusic.com.au
worldwide: www.ecmrecords.com )
KEITH JARRETT - ’RADIANCE’
13: 40
(An ecstatic-rhapsodic, and - eventually - gospel-drenched solo piano improvisation - v much an instrumental chant, complete with moans and squeals from its spontaneous creator. Truly phenomenal playing, ’live’ in Tokyo in October 2002)
2257
CD CUT 4, ’BRINDAVAN SARANG’(IN JHAPTAAL)
TRAD, IMPROVISED UPON BY SHRI ARTHUR GRACIAS, PANDIT DEBU BHATTACHARYA AND SHRI MALAB DASGUPTA
PUB NOT SPEC
SELF-ISSUED CD
( available direct, worldwide from www.78records.com.au
Arthur Gracias site: www. Indo-jazz.com )
ARTHUR GRACIAS - ’RAAGS DOWNUNDER’
2: 00 ( excerpt )
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: Hindustani classical meets jazz: Arthur is playing a much-modified electric guitar. Sitar and tabla are played - respectively - by Debu Bhattacharya and Shri Malab Dasgupta.
ARTHUR GRACIAS CD LAUNCH GIG ALERT
Saturday August 9 @ 8pm
1st Floor, 13 South Terrace ( above Dome Café ), Fremantle
Bookings via www.kulcha.com.au
tel (08) 9336 4544
Arthur will be accompanied by Mohan Sathyanath on mridangam and keyboardist Andre Gracias )
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11 PM NEWS
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2305
CD CUT 9, ’QUELAMIA’
JOHN ZORN
(PRESUMABLY) TZADIK
TZADIK TZ 7367
( In Australia, through Birdland www.birdland.com.au
Worldwide: www.tzadik.com )
JOHN ZORN/ BAR KOKHBA - ’LUCIFER’ ( BOOK OF ANGELS VOLUME10: BAR KOKHBA PLAYS MASADA BOOK TWO )
4: 57
( ’chamber-jazz-cum-Sephardic-surf-music’. Named for ’one of the seven exalted throne angels residing in the first Heaven’. Bar Kokhba are Marc Ribot on elec guitar, cellist Erik Friedlander, violinist Mark Feldman, ac bassist Greg Cohen, drummer Joey Baron and percussionist Cyro Baptista.
ABC RADIO NATIONAL JOHN ZORN/BAR KOKHBA ALERT
We explore this album next Saturday night, August 9
More details here: www.abc.net.au/rn/weekendplanet/comingup )
2312
CD CUT 5, ’KOUNANDI’
ROKIA TRAORE
TÂMA
TÂMA PRODUCTIONS/ UNIVERSAL MUSIC FRANCE
( not issued in Australia, as I type.
Is readily available via European-based suppliers, online.
Rokia’s site: www.rokiatraore.net )
ROKIA TRAORE - ’TCHMANTCHÉ’
5: 22
( Intimate and grand, spacious: the singer-author’s beautiful female West African voice with Mamah Diabate’s ngoni {twangy, fretless lute} and a European-style harp, played by Christophe ’Disco’ Minck. Rokia’s words contemplate charisma as a gift from heaven that - if you have it - you have to learn how to use properly down here on earth )
SEGUE
2317
CD CUT 4, ’ORÓ MHÍLE GRA (A THOUSAND TIMES MY LOVE)’
TRAD ARR MCKEOWN/TARTIT
NO PUB SPEC
WORLD VILLAGE 468029
( in Australia through Select Audio-Visual Distribution:
www.savd.com.au
worldwide: www.worldvillagemusic.com )
SUSAN MCKEOWN - ’SWEET LIBERTY’
4: 27
(rolling Irish Gaelic call-and-response song. Susan’s Irish voice is joined by the Saharan voices and instruments of North African Tuareg women’s band, Tartit: amazingly, it works!)
SEGUE
2322
CD CUT 4, ’AIMER’
ROKIA TRAORE
TÂMA
TÂMA PRODUCTIONS/ UNIVERSAL MUSIC FRANCE
( not issued in Australia, as I type.
Is readily available via European-based suppliers, online.
Rokia’s site: www.rokiatraore.net )
ROKIA TRAORE - ’TCHMANTCHÉ’
4: 13
( The West African singer-author sings this in at least two languages: the European one is French. Has a hypnotic-insistent Afro-funkish groove with ngoni prominent, plus elec bass, rhythm elec guitars, percussion. Her lyric deals with love as something irresistible, glorious and ridiculous )
2329
CD CUT 8, ’SIXTEEN’
ALISTER SPENCE
APRA
RUFUS RECORDS RF075
( in Australia through Universal
Rufus website: www.rufusrecords.com.au )
ALISTER SPENCE TRIO - ’MERCURY’
6: 54
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: Musing ballad for the composer’s piano, Lloyd Swanton’s ac bass and the brushes of drummer Toby Hall.
ALISTER SPENCE TRIO GIG ALERT { Sydney}
Wednesday August 6th. Music from 8pm, doors open 7pm
supported by The Alcohotlicks { Aaron Flower-guitar; Ben Hauptmann-guitar; Evan Mannell-drums}
Alister’s trio is as per the CD and track played, above.
The musicians will be joined by moving image artist, Louise Curham
The Factory Theatre
105 Victoria Road, Enmore
Box Office: Phone (02) 9550 3666
Fax (02) 9550 2990bookings:ings
www.factorytheatre.com.au or
www.ticketek.com.au )
SEGUE
2336
CD CUT 9 (CUED IN @ 4: 37 - UNLISTED CUT), ’THE MAN I LOVE’
MUSIC BY GEORGE GERSHWIN, LYRIC BY IRA GERSHWIN
WB MUSIC CORP (ASCAP)
TÂMA PRODUCTIONS/ UNIVERSAL MUSIC FRANCE
( not issued in Australia, as I type.
Is readily available via European-based suppliers, online.
Rokia’s site: www.rokiatraore.net )
ROKIA TRAORE - ’TCHMANTCHÉ’
4: 42
(As you’ve never heard the song before { Billie Holiday’s famous 1939 version is @ 2211, above }, with a fretless African lute prominent { the ngoni, played by Mamah Diabaté }. Rokia at first sings in English - and struggles a bit. She then changes languages and musical gears and gives it an astonishing, much more limber and 100-percent African treatment )
2351
CD CUT 2, ’BHOPALI’( IN ROOPAK )
TRAD, IMPROVISED UPON BY SHRI ARTHUR GRACIAS, PANDIT DEBU BHATTACHARYA AND SHRI MALAB DASGUPTA
PUB NOT SPEC
SELF-ISSUED CD
( available direct, worldwide from www.78records.com.au
Arthur Gracias site: www. Indo-jazz.com )
ARTHUR GRACIAS - ’RAAGS DOWNUNDER’
13: 28
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERTH: Hindustani classical meets jazz: Arthur is playing a much-modified electric guitar. Sitar and tabla are played - respectively - by Debu Bhattacharya and Shri Malab Dasgupta.
ARTHUR GRACIAS CD LAUNCH GIG ALERT
Saturday August 9 @ 8pm
1st Floor, 13 South Terrace ( above Dome Café ), Fremantle
Bookings via www.kulcha.com.au
tel (08) 9336 4544
Arthur will be accompanied by Mohan Sathyanath on mridangam and keyboardist Andre Gracias )
2358
CD CUT 10, ’HUG YOU LIKE A MOUNTAIN’
RORY MCLEOD
PUB NOT SPEC
TOPIC TSCD571
( In Australia, through The Planet Company/ MGM
email: info@theplanetcompany.com
website: www.theplanetcompany.com
worldwide: www.topicrec ords.co.uk )
ELIZA CARTHY - ’DREAMS OF BREATHING UNDERWATER’
1: 10 ( excerpt)
( Anthemic song of love and yearning, with Eliza’s stirring vocal at the heart of a rich arrangement.
ELIZA CARTHY ABC RADIO NATIONAL ALERT
Her new CD is featured this week - Mon-Fri - on ’The Daily Planet’.
Eliza is the author of all the album’s other songs.
’The Daily Planet’ with Lucky Oceans airs Monday to Friday at 2.20pm
Except on Fridays, it has a second airing at 11.20 pm
website {includes audio} : www.abc.net.au/rn/dailyplanet )
Presenter
Doug Spencer
Producer
Doug Spencer
