Kayno Yesno Slonce are a band based out of Sofia, Bulgaria, who straddle genres so easily that they’re nearly impossible to classify. There is a gentle beauty in the music that reminds me of Bert Jansch or The Incredible String Band, but one can hear elements of Wyrd Folk like Shirley Collins or the more instrumental endeavors of Current 93. For those of you who like neofolk, Balkan music, or something slightly hazy and psychedelic, this album is a stunningly good choice for your ears.
Month: May 2017
[Music] Ciwan Haco – Sira Sibê
Many thanks to my friend Oded for sharing this Kurdish pop gem from legendary singer Ciwan Haco, who was the first Kurdish musician I ever heard.
[Music] Hülya Süer – Şeker Oğlan (Kozmonotosman Rework)
Hülya Süer was one of Turkey’s biggest pop names throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Her tune gets reworked by Kozmonotosman. Click on his name to find other great reworks.
[Music] Fatoumata Diawara – Fatou (Full Album)
World Circuit Records, a longtime leader in World Music, produces another magnificent album. This one is by a Malian singer born in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) called Fatoumata Diawara. She’s worked with such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Damon Albarn and Beninese legends Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou.
[Music] Univers Zero – The Funeral Plain
Univers Zero provides a gloomy soundtrack to darken your day.
[Music] Olan Mill – Orient
A dream-touched record, Orient‘s music continues to linger long after the Eastern-flavored tones have faded. An unexpected confusion of static opens the record, but a flowing drone soon straightens everything out, ebbing and flowing with its mystical practices and ancient atmospheres. Orient both trembles and echoes. The dreamy notes are always falling, like a loose scattering of cherry blossom dispersed by April winds. […]
[Music] Collection Petites Planètes – Kangë e Defa – Female Rhapsody in Kosova
A very pleasant surprise from our friend and colleague, Vincent Moon, who churns out stream of startlingly beautiful compilations from places off the beaten path (Ossetia, Chechnya, etc). His label, Collection Petites Planètes, presents a compilation done with the assistance of Fatime Kosumi, a Kosovar singer of Albanian heritage, covering folk tunes for female choir.
There is an accompanying video which was posted by the duo at Vimeo, which you can access here.
[Literature] Czeslaw Milosz: One of the most fascinating poets of the past 100 years
Czesław Miłosz was a Lithuanian poet of Polish extraction (and he made sure to let people know this). His poetry was powerful and highly affected by his sufferings inside of the Soviet Union, as well as his later embrace of Roman Catholicism.
The Washington Post reviews the above-listed book here.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 