The Worldmusic Blog (Seckou Kouyate)

WorldBeatUK (25th Show) - Broadcast Notes (7/9/11)

Tagged with: WorldBeatUK Glyn Phillips makossa Goy Karamelo Rey Trueno Emel Mathlouthi Aldona Po' Girl Espirito Brum Babilak Bah Tabacarana Dominguinhos Flavia Bittencourt Thornato SpokFrevo Dimapetrov Maguare Sin Fronteras chicha gaita frevo Zephyrus Bootlegumachine

WBUK 25 - SHOWNOTES

1 Intro-Mat (1:47) by Matchatcha from the album “Nyekesse” (Melodie)

You’re listening to Rhubarb Radio, I’m Glyn Phillips and this is WorldBeatUK!

Yes, welcome back to the show after a couple of week’s break whilst I’ve been on holiday.  I’m back in the driving seat now and revving up the engine ready to take you around the world in weighty grooves! 

Climb aboard and make yourself comfortable, because tonight we’re going from Cameroun to Argentina, Mexico to Tunisia and from Poland to Canada.  

We’ll be staying in the sun for quite a while in Brazil with a preview of next week’s Espirito Brum Festival and I’ll be getting you bouncing up and down in your seats to Electro-Swing, Peruvian Chicha, Gaita Colombiana, Gaita Venezolana, Cumbia Belga, Salsa, and some heavy Balkan beats!  Trust me you don’t want to miss it!

As promised first up we’re off to the West African country of Cameroon and a piece of oldschool Makossa by Epee and Koum. 

This is called “Soukoumokossa/Guy Lobé”

2 Soukoumakossa/Guy Lobé (4:17) by Epee & Koum from the album “Makossa Best of Vol. 3”

And from Cameroonian makossa to some upbeat Argentine Ska courtesy of Goy Karamelo this is called “Sale El Sol” (the sun’s come out, I feel alright)

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3 Sale El Sol (I Feel Alright) (2:50) by Goy Karamelo (Demo 2011)

Yeah, both Argentina and Mexico are full of experimentation and vibrant energy recently and this next one comes from Mexico’s Rey Trueno (King Thunder) an art collective that put on multi-media experiences. 

This sonic collage of a tune seems to take in all kinds of African influences and styles and is called “Aotole/Eutela” and is a lot of fun. 

¡Que suenan los tambores!

4 Aotole/Eutela (4:32) by Rey Trueno

OK, I’m going to mellow out the sounds now and feature three songstresses from three different continents. 

First up is a young Tunisian singer called Emel Mathlouthi and a beautiful song from her album “Helma Dream” called “Helma”.

5 Helma (4:28) by Emel Mathlouthi from the album “Helma Dream”

Hmmm.  Lovely!  And now from North Africa to Poland.  Well, France actually since our next songbird although born and brought up in Poland is now based in Paris and has allowed some of that Gallic wistfulness to seep into her music. 

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The lady in question is Aldona and this is a track from her new album (“Sonnet”) on the German Jaro Medien label. 

Aldona sings in Polish still, but the title of the track is given in English; this is a waltz entitled “Blue Birds of Blanka”

6 Blue Birds Of Blanka (4:05) by Aldona from the album “Sonnet” (Jaro Medien)

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OK, last of the lyrical ladies for a moment - although stay tuned for a couple of tunes by the beautiful Brazilian singer Flavia Bittencourt later on in the show. 

This is a Canadian band called Po’ Girl.  They take their name from the folklore of New Orleans when the women there gathered scraps of food from restaurants to make the 'Poor Girl' sandwiches for the railway strikers. 

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They’re about to arrive in the UK for a tour to promote their new album “Follow Your Bliss” and will be appearing at the Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath, Birmingham, THIS Sunday the 11th of September.  On the basis of the album I’ve got in front of me they’re well worth going to see.  This track is from the album and is called “Kathy”.

7 Kathy (4:18) by Po' Girl from the album “Follow Your Bliss”

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Yeah, the urban folk band Po’ Girl who will be appearing at the Kitchen Garden Cafe this Sunday night. 

In fact if you’re going to be at Birmingham’s Artsfest this weekend and you like beautiful female voices and good music, then check out the Yardbird jazz club on Sunday 11th at 2.30pm where you can catch the Diva Collective - three great Brummie singers, Sonia Indigo Clarke, Leonie Moore and Ola Brown backed by some great Brummie musicians: Reed Bass on bass, Leon Small on drums, Reuben James on keys, Melika QB on violin, Howard Chambers on guitar and some bloke called Glyn Phillips on Percussion - music ranging from original tracks to Billie Holiday, Gwen McRae and Soul II Soul as well as a version of Florence and the Machine’s “You Got The Love” done rockabilly style . . .  2.30-3pm on Sunday at the Yardbird if you’re interested.

Now, then time to hit the Brazilian trail for the next seven numbers or so.  Starting next week in Birmingham there’ll be a Brummie-Brazilian exchange going on as Digbeth plays host to a load of Brazilian musicians and artists (alongside some great homegrown acts of all styles - over 30 acts in all) as part of the Espirito Brum Festival which is being organised by Rhubarb Radio’s own Magpie Brown and Soesmix Eden.  

Check out the website www.espiritobrum.org - all events are only a flat £5 each which is very reasonable and there’ll also be workshops, films, foods and talks.  As I say, check out the website for more details, but I’m going to give you a little taste of the Brazilian side of things over the next few tunes.  

First up is the eclectic percussionist Babilak Bah - some very inspiring stuff indeed.

He'll be doing an experimental workshop on Saturday 17th at The Edge in Digbeth and will also be appearing at The Viva Brazil night at the PST Club on Sunday 18th alongside many other acts as well as me DJing.

This is a track from the album “Emxadario” called “Vou Me Raoni”.

8 Vou Me Raoni (2:55) by Babilak Bah from the album “Emxadário” (Sonhos & Sons)

OK, that was Babilak Bah, and here’s another act to be appearing as part of the Espirito Brum Festival, the samba-roqueiros, Tabacarana

You can catch them at Monalitos in Bearwood on Thursday 15th alongside other acts.  This is called “Onde Anda João Carlos?” (Where is João Carlos going?)

9 Onde Anda João Carlos? (4:54) by Tabacarana

[CONTINUOUS]

10 Toque de Pife Sem o Brasil (2:49) by Dominguinhos (Criolina re-edit)

Well, that last track was not by someone who is appearing at the Espirito Brum Festival although there is a link. 

You heard there a re-edit by the Brazilian DJ collective Criolina of a forro entitled “Toque de Pife Sem o Brasil” by the nordestino accordion player and composer, Dominguinhos.  

And the link with the festival is as follows:

the beautiful Brazilian singer, Flavia Bittencourt will be performing here in Brum at two gigs next week - I’ll give details later - and she has brought out a couple of albums to great acclaim, the most recent being entirely devoted to reinterpreting the work of the afore-mentioned Dominguinhos, entitled “Todo Domingos”.  

So to give you a flavour of that album and of the delicious Miss Bittencourt here’s a track from there called “Lamento Sertanejo” and that’s to be followed by a sublime track from her first album (“Sentido”) called “Ex-Amor”. But first “Lamento Sertanejo”

11 Lamento Sertanejo (3:48) by Flávia Bittencourt from the album “Todo Domingos” (Tratore)

[CONTINUOUS]

12 Ex-Amor (5:00) by Flávia Bittencourt from the album “Sentido” (Tratore)

[CHANGE CD!!!]

That was Flavia Bittencourt and you can hear her twice during the Espirito Brum Festival next week. The first event is taking place at Monalito’s (which is on Three Shire Oaks in Bearwood, Birmingham) on Thursday 15th and besides Flavia and her musicians the night will also feature Brazilian DJ Zappie Pimiental and myself on the decks and Tabacarana 7pm till late - and all for £5.  I’ll see you all there . . .  

Flavia will also be in the studio here on my show next week chatting and playing some unplugged songs live too, so don’t forget to tune in! 

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And if you had already forgotten who you were listening to then I’ll give you a reminder!

[You’re listening to . . .]

This is a track called “Seu Maya” - not sure who the original is but the remix is by Thornato of the Cumba Mela Collective)

(1) 13 Seu Maya (3:22) by Thornato (Cumba Mela Collective)

OK, last of the Brazilian numbers now and time to up the energy levels to kick off the half of the show. 

This is the amazing SpokFrevo Orquestra from Recife in Northeastern Brazil and a mad, million-miles-an-hour, jazzy frevo entitled “Nino o Pernambuquinho”!

(2) 14 Nino O Pernambuquinho (3:16) by Spok Frevo Orquestra from the album “Passo De Anjo” (Biscoito Fino)

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OK, we’re cooking on gas now...

So time for a little bit of Electro-Swing from Dimapetrov of St Petersburg in Russia to tickle your fancy. 

Or is it Baltic Swing and Bass? 

Hmmm.  You know, I’m “Undecided Now” . . .

(3) 15 Undecided (3:05) by Dimapetrov

[CONTINUOUS]

(4) 16 Balkanski Bal (Bucovina rmx) (3:10) by DJ Supersonico


Opa, Opa!!  That was the DJ Supersonico’s Bucovina mix of “Balkanski Bal”

Stay tuned for some more Balkanic madness at the end of the show. 

In the meantime I’m heading for the jungles of South America and some Peruvian Chicha from Pedro Miguel y sus Maracaibos. 

This from the album “Bonghead Peru Selections” and is called “Arroz Con Coco” (Rice and Coconut).  Güeepa! 


(5) 17 Arroz con Coco (2:12) by Pedro Miguel Y Sus Maracaibos from the album “Bongohead Peru Selections”

And if that wasn’t enough here’s a little more psychedelic chicha music. 

The band are Los Mirlos, the album is called “The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru” and this track is “El Milagro Verde” (The Green Miracle)

(6) 18 El Milagro Verde (2:44) by Los Mirlos from the album “The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru”

[CONTINUOUS]

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(7) 19 El Chicharrón (3:13) by Hermanos Castillo from the album “Con Gaita”

That was a track called “El Chicharrón” by Hermanos Castillo from the album “Con Gaita” - think that was actually a Colombian rhythm called puya underlining the gaita flutes (but I’m open to correction there if anyone knows better!).

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The word gaita refers to a number of things in Spanish including, flutes, pipes, bagpipes and a form of Colombian music. 

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It also refers to another form of music from Venezuela, very different in rhythm than to it’s Western neighbour. 

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The gaita venezolana is in ¾ time and sounds like this offering from the band Sin Fronteras(without frontiers) called “Aqui Te Traigo”(Here I bring you . . .).  Enjoy!

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(8) 20 Aqui Te Traigo (2009) (4:24) by Sin Fronteras

[CONTINUOUS]

(9) 21 Tiroteo (2:55) by New Swing Sextete from the album “Volumen 01”

Hey, that was a track called “Tiroteo” by the New Swing Sextete - sorry I don’t really have much more info about them other than that.  Classic salsa dura feel even with the vibes.  Guaranteed to get your feet moving!

Next up it’s time to “Get Busy” with DJ Supersonico and the Sistema de Sonido Urbano and his Balkan-Kumbia mashup - I’ve warned you before, just watch out for Tarzan swing through the trees! - and that’s followed very appropriately by a spot of “Jungle Fever” by Maguaré.  Are you ready?  Then Get BUSY!

(10) 22 Get Busy (3:22) by DJ Supersonico & Sistema de Sonido Urbano

[CONTINUOUS]

(11) 23 Jungle Fever (4:11) by Maguaré from the album “RetroCumbia” (Zephyrus)

Yeah, now that is one sexy, sexy tune!!  The band, Maguaré, is from Belgium but fronted by the lovely Colombian Paola Marquez and that’s called “Jungle Fever” from their album “Retro Cumbia” on the Zephyrus label from Ghent

That track can now be downloaded for free (as of yesterday) by going to SoundCloud and looking for “Jungle Fever”. 

Maguaré is spelled M-A-G-U-A-R-É.  That’s dedicated to La Maranguita, as is the next track.  ¡¡Ay Papi!!

(12) 24 “¡Ay Papi!" (2:36) by Unknown Artist - from the album “Mofongo Para El Alma” (Discos Mulato)

Ha ha ha!! How was that for you? Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did…

OK last number now.

[Goodbyes, shout-outs, reminders etc]

Let’s go out with a bang (missus!) this is the Bootlegumachine mashup remix of Tony Camargo’s “Año Viejo”

Good night to all and tune in next week for Flavia Bittencourt live on the show and a whole lot more!

(13) 25 Año Viejo (Bootlegumachine_Mashup) (5:44) by Tony Camargo (bootlegumachine re-fix)

WorldBeatUK (22nd Show) - Broadcast Notes (27/7/11)

Tagged with: WorldBeatUK Glyn Phillips Daniel Nebiat Mohammed Diaby Yves Lambert Toy Hearts Mabon 9bach Bombino Joe Arroyo Dominguinhos Criolina Ze Paulo Alexandre Lima Big Landin Sexto Sentido Goldmaster Allstars Easy Star DLG Sabbo Ophex 4centers Z-Funkster DJ Lucio

 WBUK22 (27/7/11) - SHOWNOTES

1 Intro-Mat 1:47 Matchatcha Nyekesse (Aimer La Danse)

Welcome to the show! Over the next couple of hours I’ve got lots of lovely tunes coming up on the show this evening with a few particular focusses.

We check out the New Canadians - mostly of African origin - as well as some Quebecois folk from French-speaking Eastern Canada.

We keep folky with music from Wales and the UK, check out a few more Womad acts and bring some Brazilian warmth and sunshine to our changeable British Summer.

Finally WorldBeatUK takes a fresh look at the Fab Four (yes, that Fab Four!) reinterpreted in a plethora of styles and we end with a welter of remixes, refixes and general mashups - with a few surprises thrown in for good measure - so make sure you stick around till the end of the show.

So, let’s start at the top and go to Canada. Forget Mounties and Lumberjacks, the New Canadians are a disparate bunch from all over the world, including latinos, Punjabis and Africans.

Whilst out at the Womex exhibition last year in Copenhagen I met up with a fascinating woman called Nadine McNulty who is both radio DJ in Toronto (for CIUT FM) and a promoter of African music. She pointed me in the direction of some of Canada’s new residents and their music.

I’ve played a few over the past few weeks including Cheka Katenen Dioubate and Saa Andrew Gbongbor, but I’m going to showcase a few more this week from East Africa, West Africa and Southern Africa.

First off is an artist described as "Toronto’s Krar Star”, Daniel Nebiat. Now, the krar is an East African instrument best described as a 5 or 6 string lyre, that is: a small hand-held harp.

Daniel Nebiat is originally from Eritrea that small country that lies along the coast of the Red Sea near the Horn of Africa and which only regained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30 year war.

Nebiat describes his music as a mix of Eritrean Country and New Country - but don’t be thinking stetsons, cowboy boots and Hawaian slide guitars! The music mostly features traditional grooves in 6/8 time and is sung in Tigrinya, with support from the Sudanese Waleed Abdulhameed on bass amongst other things.

Nebiat fancied being a musician and originally took up playing the krar at age 12 when he saved up enough money through singing to buy one - his mother had other ideas however and chopped up his harp for firewood! He had to wait until he moved to Addis in Ethiopia when he was 17 before he could properly take it up again eventually ending up in Kenya for a couple of years before emigrating to Canada in 1996. This is the title track from his 2008 debut LP and it’s called “Hakimey”:

2 "Hakimey" 7:32 Daniel Nebiat "Hakimey"

Another African emigrant was guitarist, singer and composer Tichaona Daniel Maredza who only arrived in Toronto in 2008 from his native Zimbabwe.

As his publicity has it: “swooping down from the vast Zimbabwean plains … a guitar in one hand, a drum in the other and an mbira in his teeth”.

By December 2009 he’d formed a group the Tich Maredza Band with another Zimbabwean, two US ex-pats and a Colombian percussionist and hit the Toronto circuit hard with polyrhythmic grooves sung in Shona and English. This next track is called “Gadziriga”

3 "Gadziriga" 6:17 Tich Maredza Group - Zimbabwean-Canadian

This is the last of my New Canadians now - originally from Guinea in West Africa, the djembe drummer Mohammed Diaby started off at age seven and has had a full career since the age of fifteen as lead drummer with various dance groups and dance ensembles. The track I’m going to play here is from his 2007 album “Ala Na Na” (ie God Is Here) and is called “Yamama”, Yamama being a mask dance from the Samou region of Guinea utilising a rhythm of the Mandenyi people.

4 "Yamama" 3:08 Mohammed Diaby "Ala Na Na" Africa (Guinea)


OK, from Canadian African music to French Canadian music. Canada is almost two countries in one: the majority English speaking part and the Eastern French-speaking Province of Quebec whose inhabitants (les Quebecois) hold passionately onto their French language and francophile culture. And from that Francophone area we derive the next act.

The accordionist Yves Lambert is almost a living legend in Quebecois folk music both solo and for his 26 tenure with the cult band La Bottine Souriante and since 2004 with the Bebert Orchestra. However the track I’m going to play is from his Trio Yves Lambert which utilises just two other members of the Bebert Orchestra: Guitarist Olivier Rondeau and the fiddler and mandolin-player, Tommy Gauthier. This is a foot-stomping folk-tune called “Le Pere Tanasse”.

5 "Le Pere Tanasse" 3:20 Trio Yves Lambert avec Rondeau & Gauthier Quebecois

We’re going to segue from Canadian Folk to British Bluegrass! And in this case Birmingham’s very own acoustic bluegrass family the Johnsons, aka The Toy Hearts: Dad Stewart Johnson on dobro and banjo and his two daughters (now fronting the band), Sophia (on flatpicking guitar and vocals) and Hannah (lead vocals and mandolin).

The Toy Hearts have been gaining a lot of critical acclaim recently including from the ‘new rockabilly Queen’ Imelda May and legendary broadcaster ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris amongst others.

This is a single they released in October last year and it’s called “Femme Fatale”. Catch them while you can . . .

6 "Femme Fatale" (Radio Edit) 3:13 "The Toy Hearts" - Bluegrass

Staying in the UK we’re going over now to the Inter-Celtic folk band Mabon (who - as the newly reformed ‘Jamie Smith’s Mabon’) will be playing live at Womad this weekend at the Radio 3 Stage - check ‘em out if you’re going).

So here’s a track from the original Mabon line-up taken from their award-winning 2010 Live album “Live at the Grand Pavilion” (on the Easy On The Records label).

This is one’s called “Fiddlers Despair”! (even though there’s nary a fiddle to be heard - and it features Jamie’s Smith’s accordion). Either way, it’s guaranteed to get you bouncing up an down in your seat!

7 "Fiddlers Despair" (Live) 3:45 Mabon "Live At The Grand Pavillion" (Easy On The Records, 2010)

Sticking with the Welsh Womad connection this is a less traditional take on Welshness and Celtic identity.

The band are called 9bach - but I’m not sure whether that should be pronounced as 9bach (with an English 9) or Nawbach (‘now-bach’) with a Welsh pronunciation of the number 9.

Anyway, their music has been described as Portishead meets early Fairport Convention, acid folk, ‘dungeon dark psych-folk’, folktronica and even ‘pastoral yet sinister’ and ‘attractive yet disturbing’. Hmmm. You can make up your own minds on this one.

They sing in Welsh (or should I say Cymraeg) and usually feature the voice of Lisa Jen. This track is from their 2009 album “Gwymon” and is entitled “Bythyn fy Nain” which translates as “Bythyn, my Grandmother”. 9bach/NawBach will be performing at Womad in Charlton Park this weekend and if you miss them they’ll also be appearing at the Moseley Folk Festival in early September this year.

8 "Bythyn Fy Nain" 4:42 9bach “Gwymon” (2009)


Also at Womad this year is Saharan desert rocker Bombino from Niger - I’ve played both him and this track before - but it’s good enough to play again.

This is from his recent album “Agadez” and is a track called “Tar Hani” (My Love)

9 "Tar Hani (My Love)" 6:31 Bombino "Agadez" Desert Rock (Niger)

Now some of you maybe aware that the great Colombian singer Joe Arroyo passed away yesterday at the age of 55 in Barranquilla after struggling with multiple organ failures.

I’ve written a full obituary of Joe for the website WorldMusic.co.uk (www.worldmusic.co.uk/joe_arroyo_dies_in_colombia_26711) under the News section - so you can read that for a more in-depth appreciation of his life and work.

Suffice to say that the latin world and tropical music in general has lost a true original and an amazing artist.

With scores of hits to his name, both with Fruko y sus Tesos and the Latin Brothers as well as his own band La Verdad, Joe wrote the soundtrack to his life.

I can’t do him justice here in this short space of time, so I’ll let his music speak for him: one of the greatest salsa tracks of all time on almost every level, this is the seminal “Rebelión”:

10 "Rebelión" 6.12 Joe Arroyo y la Verdad "Rebellion" (World Circuit 1989)

RIP Joe Arroyo who died yesterday.

Let’s stay in latin america for the next few tracks, but this time we’ll head south to the vast country of Brazil. We might not be getting all the sun and warmth we think we deserve in this country, but just close your eyes, listen to this music and you can almost feel that tropical tingle on your skin!

This is the Criolina re-edit of Dominguinhos’s forro entitled “Toque de Pife Sem o Brasil”:

11 "Toque de Pife Sem o Brasi"l 2:49 Dominguinhos (Criolina re-edit) Forro

--- [CONTINUOUS]---

12 "Batom Vermelho" 2:58 Ze Paulo "Rough Guide to the Music of Brazil" Samba

[CHANGE THE CD!]

Don’t forget you’re tuned into Rhubarb Radio and listening to WorldBeatUK with me Glyn Phillips, your host for two hours of fantastic music from around the world.

You can hear WorldBeatUK every Wednesday between 7pm and 9pm (UK time) by logging onto www.rhubarbradio.com and I’ll bring you my own eclectic selection of old hits, new releases and ones that got away!

I’m going to carry on now with the Brazilian summer feel and this lovely, lilting live offering of samba pagode from the band Turma do Pagode and a track called ”Greve de Amor”:


(1) 13 "Greve de Amor" 2:31 Turma do Pagode "Turma do Pagode" Samba

--- [CONTINUOUS]---

(2) 14 "Sunshine (Simples Cançao)" (3:05) by Alexandre Lima E Radio Experienza from “Meu Apartamento É Pequeno Mas Tenho O Lado De Fora Para Andar”

You just heard the a track called "Sunshine (Simples Canção)" by the Brazilian Alexandre Lima e Radio Experienza from his rather awkward but intriguingly entitled album “Meu Apartamento É Pequeno Mas Tenho O Lado De Fora Para Andar” (which translates as ‘My apartment is small, but I have the outside bit to walk around in’!).

Ok, let’s leave Brazil now and head into a section of the show that I’ve been planning for a few months now - gradually building a library of tunes I can use in it. This is all about the Fab Four!  Yep, that Fab Four - Los Beatles - The Beatles.

Yes, you might well ask, what are they doing in a world music show? Isn’t that stretching the boundaries a bit? But folks, this is ME we’re talking about! You don’t think I’m going to give you the originals do you? No, no, no! Tish, tish! I’ve lined up half a dozen different versions and mashups that might have you either applauding or wincing in turn. I’ve no idea. But I like them!

First up we go to Venezuela and one of their great ska bands (yes, Venezuela does have great ska bands!!).

This is La Big Landin Orquesta and from their album “SKAterriza” an early Beatles tune called “I Should Have Known Better”.

(3) 15 "I Should Have Known Better" 3:47 La Big Landin Orquesta "SKAterriza" Ska Venezolano

Yeah, ha ha! Well I liked it: "I Should Have Known Better" performed by Venezuela’s Big Landin Orchestra.

Incidentally when that was released by the Beatles it became a Number 1 in Norway in 1964.

Now inevitably this leads me onto the appalling murders in Norway last week. We can only imagine the horror of such events. It still seems unreal. Just like the States after 9/11, Norway is in a state of shock and fear. And this is the time for people to reach out to others.

This might seem hard to believe, but I’d already programmed this next track into my show the week before the news came out about Oslo and Utoeya and also about the death of Amy Winehouse. So please don’t think I’m cashing in with this one - it’s pure coincidence but I think a very valid contribution to the show.

As I said above this is a time to come together, look for commonality amongst each other not differences. It’s a mash-up by the Brazilian DJ Lucio K and it brings together Amy Winehouse and the Beatles. This is “Come Together Good”:

(4) 16 "Come Together Good (DJ LK MASHUP") (4:12) "Beatles vs Amy Winehouse - DJ LK Mashup" Rock/RnB Mashup

--- [CONTINUOUS]---

(5) 17 "Eleanor Rigby (4Centers Remixxxxx)" (3:53) Beatles - Rockstep Mashup

Well there you had a dubstep version of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” remixed by 4Centers. A timely reminder to care for the distressed, mentally ill and lonely.

From a song of sadness and loneliness and neglect, to one of love and beauty - “Michelle” - and especially this treatment of it by Sexto Sentido.

Anyone that’s heard me play any music by these four Cuban women will have heard me wax lyrical about them. I just love them.

And this tune if ever there was, is a balm for the soul. It’s as if honey was made into music.

From their second album “Bossa Cubana” this is Sexto Sentido and “Michelle”

(6) 18 "Michelle" (5:52) Sexto Sentido "Bossa Cubana" Latin

Was that not just perfection on a plate? I defy any vocal group to do better! Aaaaaah!

OK, sticking with The Beatles theme still for another couple of numbers this is another tune I love and a version which I think equals the original.

From Southend on Sea this is the UK’s very own Goldmaster All Stars - a wonderful reggae and ska band - and their reggae version of “Don’t Let Me Down” from their album “Crossroads”:

(7) 19 "Don’t Let Me Down" (3:48) Goldmaster Allstars "Crossroads" Reggae

Wasn’t that good? Final one now in The Beatles themed section of the show.

This is a band I played last week for Lucy, the Easy Stars All Stars but this time featuring Luciano on vocals.

Here’s something that we could all do with: a little help from our friends . . .

(8) 20 "With A Little Help From My Friends" (3:13) Easy Star All-Stars Feat. Luciano "Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band" Reggae

Change of pace now and three remixes in the styles of Latin Funk, Baile Funk and Reggae.

First one is a tune that was well known to any salsero in this country at least who was around in the 90s.

Originally made famous by Juan Luis Guerra and later covered by other artists (including this version here which is from a Venezuelan band - but I don’t know which one I’m afraid) and here given a hard-edged latin funk remix by Z-Funkster this is going out to all ex-members of the 90s Brummie latin dance outfit Caramba - “Woman del Callao”

(9) 21 "Woman del Callao" (4:16) Z-Funkster "Azucah Selectah" Latin - Funk


Let’s rack it up a gear again.

All the way from Vilnius, Lithuania in the Baltic come the 21 year old remixer Karolis Rimkus aka Ophex.

This is a piece of what is I suppose Lithuanian folk put through Ophex’s kitchen blender and inspired by baile funk from the favelas of Brazil. It’s certainly different!

(10) 22 "Valkininkai" (2:54) Ophex "10.000 Kilometers From Rio" Baile Funk

Time for goodbyes now:

[Shout outs, reminders and thank yous, etc]

This is a remix by Sabbo of the Everley Brothers hit “Bye Bye Love” mashed up with lyrics from Busy Signal.

So what more can I say but “Bye Bye”:

(11) 23 "Bye Bye (Sabbo beat-up)" (3:17) Busy Signal (Sabbo remix) Reggae

Just enough time hopefully to squeeze this one in. DLG and a lovely bachata called “Eres Mi Vida”.

(12) 24 "Eres Mi Vida" (4:52) DLG "Gotcha"

1