music from nigeria: popular ishola adepoju and his native blues

whole album.zip

Iwa re lenia.mp3

This one comes from John B. I was on his case to digitise it from the vinyl as soon as he played it to me. Beautiful Yoruba hand-drumming from Nigeria. Polyrhythms like nobody's business. I'd love to know what he yells at the start of his songs if anyone can translate.

p.s. That signature on the cover seems to have no relation to the artist at all.

sornkili meets ratanaruang

Our man sornkili is all over Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's movie 6ixtynin9! I like the literal translation from the film's original thai trailer: "the turning point of fate on 69 number on one woman's one day-off".

music from ethiopia via america: neway debebe

belay.mp3

Neway Debebe is still alive and kicking. He's moved to the US and is pumping out really garish pop songs. This one song (from new album "Amen") demands to be listened to, with patience and charity. It is amazing, despite your initial reaction to the high production values. Turn it up loud!!

music from japan: hirasakana oyogu

My friends recorded Hirasakana in various outdoor locations in Kyoto last year. Here he is accompanied by Tatsuya Okabayashi on Mongolian horse head cello.

mountain climbing.mp3

Hirasakana Oyogu is a Japanese street musician who makes tribal and childlike folk music. He travels Japan playing songs on his djembe, ukelele and flute which combine African hand drumming with traditional Japanese folk and western pop. He writes his songs as he travels the Japanese countryside and each song is an expression of the environment and season in which it was written.

Mp3 and blurb courtesy of brothersisterrecords.org. You can buy copipes of the album here.