Monthly Archives: October 2007

Anoushka Shankar in Madison

By | |
3 Comments

To experience the Anoushka Shankar Project is to open yourself up to the wonders of mental movement. For this project, Anoushka is joined onstage by: Tanmoy Bose– tabla, Ravichandra Kulur– flute, Leo Dombecki– piano, and Jesse Charnow– drum kit. In 2007 the tour consists of new, acoustic versions of select pieces from Anoushka´s album Rise, new and as yet unrecorded compositions by her, and a showcase of some of her father Ravi Shankar´s finest Raga creations. The fusion of traditional Indian Classical and masterfully arranged audio interpretations featuring a blend of instrumentation, consumes your senses in a timeless moment of rapture. This project is certainly a step into the modern musical times with a strong sense of understanding where people have been drawn in in the past. There is a vision to this music. As with her father Ravi Shankar, the ability to listen and hear have in my humble opinion, placed Anoushka in a position to shape and invent within the structure of music, and create new boundaries for others to gain inspiration from. With a mixing of perspective, reflection and exploration, that magic of the Sitar should aptly be the choice to create these new stories. Sometimes it’s hard to turn the page, but in this case…..who KNOWS what’ll be next….SPEAKING OF…..

I invite you to check out a new project that features Miss Shankar and Karsh Kale.

Also, take a moment and re-visit my conversation with Anoushka about one year ago….ENJOY

anoushkashankar 0021.jpg
..with Anoushka Shankar 10/5/07

COLOMBIAFRICA THE MYSTIC ORCH.

By | |
Leave a comment

VOODOO LOVE INNA CHAMPETA LAND is the new release from this riotous Afro-Colombian street sound of Colombia’s Caribbean coast – a powder-keg of rhythms from local slave descendants brewed together with Congolese soukous, Ghanaian highlife, and Nigerian Afro-beat. The Afro-Colombians created their own versions of Congolese soukous, highlife and other modern African rhythms, fusing them with the folklore of the cumbia, bullerengue, chalupa and other Caribbean styles. This fusion, completely unique in its genre, was called Champeta criolla, a movement inspired by popular African music and readapted in Afro-Colombia. This musical project is a dream come true. After many years of hard work, it presents the greatest talents of Afro-Colombian music from the Caribbean coast, alongside their African brothers. This release honours the greatest guitarists of Africa (the Congo in particular), including Diblo Dibala, Caien Madoka, Dally Kimoko and Rigo Star. The famous ‘animateurs’ (popular singers to the soukous rhythm) were also involved. Hadya Koyaute, a member of the group African Divas, took part as a guest from Guinea, and Cameroonian guest drummer Guy Bilong is supremely talented, with a repertoire that spans mandinga to soukous, as well as the makossa of his native land. This production is a journey through the rhythms of Afro-Colombia and Africa, creating a new fusion, building bridges between two traditions, between mother and offspring. From cumbia to soukous, chalupa to Afro-beat, the lumbalú (funerary song) of Palenque to the Sowetan rhythm or South African mbaqanga, the dialogue between drums, guitars and voices could go on for ever. The singers of the Colombiafrica Orchestra — Justo Valdez, Viviano Torres and Luís Towers— have had long careers, creating key pieces in the history of Afro-American music. Throughout their lives they have fought for this new musical genre, Champeta, which is part of the heritage of Africa in Colombia. They are the founders of this rhythm, which we hope one day will spread throughout the world.

Come and enjoy these rhythms for yourself.

afrocolo.jpg