The Whole Music Experience

Suzanna Owiyo My Roots Kirkelig Kulturverksted Skruk and Mahsa Vahdat In the Mirror of Wine Kirkelig Kulturverksted The Norwegian label Kirkelig Kulturverksted champions women and has been doing so for decades. In the few years that I’ve been reviewing recordings produced by KKV, I’ve come across several compilation albums that brought women musicians from around the world together to fight injustice and celebrate their womanhood. The women that appear on the label lean towards community organizing, championing worthy causes, and employing their musical gifts to better the world, especially their corner of it. I’m thinking of Palestinian vocalist/composer Rim Banna who visits the refugee camps and loans her talents to furthering peace for the Palestinians, and I’m thinking of the Iranian sisters Marjan and Mahsa Vahdat who defied the ban on Iranian women singing in public and gave a concert at the Italian Embassy in Tehran ( Songs from a Persian Garden )....

Imagine Africa (Compilation) Kirkelig Kulturverksted Sadly, when African nations appear in our daily news headlines the focus is often negative.  We hear about wars, famines, poverty or AIDS.  Unless we listen to world music on a regular basis, attend music festivals and enroll in classes that explore music, art and culture from Africa, we miss out on the beauty, vibrancy and excitement of the African continent.  We miss out on the warm laughter, the strength and vibrancy of the African people. Thankfully, labels such as Putumayo and the Norwegian label Kirkelig Kulturverkstad address both the negative and positive conditions experienced by Africans.  Instead of forcing our will and our help on other nations, we can engage people of those nations to bring their wisdom, resourcefulness and talent to a collaborative effort that not only solves socio-economic problems, but also celebrates diversity and culture.  Besides, there's always a more complex situ...