Recently
Eddie Vedder Finds New Musical Pearls With Ukulele Songs
In music, as in life, knowledge and experience can be valuable tools for growth. But for Eddie Vedder, knowing next to nothing about Hawaii's most famous stringed instrument proved invaluable when he made his endearing new solo album, "Ukulele …Read more.
Isn't That Special? Dana Carvey Returns
Dana Carvey has created so many classic comedy routines over the years that it's difficult for fans to agree exactly which one is the most, well, special.
Is it his perpetually prissy Church Lady or his Grumpy Old Man, two of the most enduring …Read more.
Life on Mars (Bruno, That is)
Few experiences can fuel success like complete and utter failure. Grammy Award-winning pop sensation Bruno Mars learned this from a bitter, yet ultimately fruitful, personal experience that helped propel him from obscurity to fame.
Mars was only 18 …Read more.
One Outfit is Enough For Grace Potter
Grace Potter doesn't shy away from looking her best when she's on stage with her band, The Nocturnals, or in her new music video with country-pop star Kenny Chesney, "You and Tequila." But this Vermont-bred organist, guitarist and hard-…Read more.
more articles
|
The Other Stream: Some Standouts of 2009Since its inception in 1998, "The Other Stream" has been devoted to exploring and showcasing eclectic artists who strive for excellence and whose work is distinguished by a respect for both tradition and innovation. Some sing in languages unfamiliar to most Western ears, mine included. Others don't sing at all, instead using their instruments to express emotions that words alone sometimes cannot adequately convey. These are some of our favorite "Other Stream" albums of 2009. What are yours? "The Other Stream" looks at music outside the mainstream that pushes borders and boundaries. OUMOU SANGARE "Seya" World Network/Nonesuch nonesuch.com A superstar in her native Mali since 1989 and a major attraction in much of Europe, Oumou Sangare counts such varied artists as Alicia Keys, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bela Fleck, Meshell Ndegeocello and Indian percussion master Tirlok Gurtu among her collaborators and admirers. Equally gifted as a singer and songwriter, she fuses age-old West African cultural traditions with a thoroughly modern outlook that is steeped in a brand of feminism rarely witnessed in Mali before Sangare emerged. Her lyrics, which she sings in Bambara and her own Wassoulou brand of Creole French, address serious subjects (from polygamy and female circumcision to the economic plight of Third World countries). Her splendid voice enables her to ignite at will without ever seeming to show off on "Seya" (which translates as "Joy"). More than 50 musicians are featured on this 11-song album, including Afro-pop drum pioneer Tony Allen, Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun and former James Brown band stalwarts Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis on trombone and saxophone, respectively. But it is Sangare who soars the highest, and rightly so: Her singing is out of this world. MARIZA "Terra" 4Q fourquartersent.com Mozambique-born vocal dynamo Mariza is a budding master of fado, the intensely mournful Portuguese musical style that aches with an intense sense of longing.
AMADOU & MARIAM "Welcome to Mali" Nonesuch nonesuch.com Bound by their love for music and each other, this blind husband-and-wife team from Mali creates ebullient music that combines various West African styles with rock, blues, funk, dance-pop, Cuban son and more. When the couple's voices intertwine in joyous harmony, which is often, the infectious results should have even your crankiest neighbor beaming with delight. TINARIWEN "Imidiwan: Companions" World Village worldvillagemusic.com On its second great album of the past three years (and fourth overall), this band of guitar-slinging nomads from Mali's Sahara desert region digs even deeper into its unique brand of Afro blues. As raw and primordial as they are haunting and timeless, Tinariwen's songs sound both age-old and utterly contemporary. LHASA "Lhasa" Nettwerk nettwerk.com The third album by this Montreal-based Mexican-American troubadour is her first in six years — and her first that is sung entirely in English. While her arrangements are much more spare than on her previous two releases, the ethereal quality Lhasa evokes remains undiminished, even when she sings of lost love and her quest for meaning in an increasingly tumultuous world. Her Jan.1 death from lung cancer, at age 37, brings added poignancy to what was already a standout album.
To find out more about George Varga and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM 
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
