Kassa Tessema was a master of the kirar, an ancient stringed instrument from Ethiopia and Eritrea. He would accompany his playing with a healthy baritone singing voice.
Ethnic
[Sample] Amanar – Alghafiat
[Sample] Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble – Wintersongs
Kitka come as an absolute surprise to my ears. A group of American women who do justice to the Eastern Orthodox choral music of Russia, Bulgaria, Romania and other locales, they treat the material with reverence and sing in a nearly angelic manner. One of the best choral collections I’ve heard in some time.
[Video] Mah Banoo Ensemble – جان عاشق
Iran has a musical tradition that I find even richer than the local Arab Gulf states have, and they aren’t exactly hurting in the music department.
There is precious little known to Anglophone readers of the Mah Banoo Esemble except that the composer of this particular piece is one Majid Derakshani, who is a legendary composer and oud player.
[Podcast] A Miscellany of Tasteful Music – February 14, 2015 (Valentine’s Day Special [For Mari] )
A Miscellany of Tasteful Music – February 14, 2015 (Valentine’s Day Special [For Mari] ) by Rudy Carrera on Mixcloud
Finally, a new podcast! Here’s a progam for Valentine’s Day featuring:
Bruno Mars – Marry You
David Bowie – Be My Wife
Jorge Ben – My Lady
Chet Baker – Let’s Get Lost
The Ray Noble Orchestra feat. Al Bowlly – Blue Moon
U2 – The Sweetest Thing
Sinéad O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U
Coldplay – Fix You
Elvis Presley – Unchained Melody (Live)
[Video] Marisa Monte – Verdade, Uma Ilusão
My heart is happily ensconced in Brazil these days. I’m kept company by a peach of a girl I can only refer to as my fofinha, and it happens that she has impeccable taste in music. As Valentine’s Day draws near, I get the privilege of sharing a terribly romantic song with the readership. The lyrics are here, and are worth using Google Translate if you can’t understand Portuguese.
For more on Marisa Monte, click here.
[Video] Anouar Brahem – January
While working as a buyer at Aron’s Records in Hollywood during my youth, I came across ECM Records. Up until then, the only thing I had ever heard off of the label was Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert. As I was able to listen to promo versions of new releases, I came across Anouar Brahem, but forgot about him for over a decade. My friend, Max Franosch, whose photographs grace a few classic ECM releases, reminded by of his work via a post several years ago, and I’ve been following his music intently ever since.
[Video] Khalil Alinejad – Mola Janam
This isn’t anywhere near pop music, but Seyed Khalil Alinejad (or Alinezhad, as he is sometimes transliterated) was a master of the tanbur, an instrument popular among Iranian Kurds. He was murdered in 2001 by unknown assailants.
[Video] Madredeus – O Mar
This was the classic lineup for Madredeus, when Teresa Salgueiro was still singing for them. Both she and the band are still making wonderful music, but this tune shows them at their peak.
[Video] Garmarna – Virga Ac Diadema
St Hildegard of Bingen, Roman Catholic saint and Doctor of the Church, is given a wonderful treatment by Swedish folk band Garmara.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 