The Whole Music Experience

World / Folk   The Henry Girl December Moon   Independent recording Hailing from Ireland, the sister trio (Karen, Lorna and Joleen McLaughlin) The Henry’s Girls are the UK’s answer to Canadian women folk bands the Wailin’ Jennys and the Good lovelies. However, they’re no copycat act since Henry’s Girls possess authenticity while even giving Irish music a facelift on their fourth recording December Moon .   One listen to their cover of Elvis Costello’s Watching the Detective (given a cabaret treatment here) turns heads.   And overall, their harmonies sound more bluegrass swing than Celtic.   The girls add some West African flavors via Gameli Tordzro’s kora on Moonstruck , an interlude sandwiched between the send-up December Moon and the lament Rain and Snow . Anyone looking for a warm acoustic album (banjo, fiddle, harp, accordion, kora, double bass, dobro, percussion, horns, piano, mandolin, ukulele, and Mexican guitar) will feel right ...

Americana   American Playground Compilation   Putumayo Kids   Since I’m a childless adult, I usually avoid children’s CDs, but in the case of Putumayo Kids’ American Playground , I find myself reflecting on my childhood.   In fact, you don’t have to be either American or a child to enjoy American Playground , but it helps if you are familiar with American folk of the classic variety.   This compilation features such rainy day favorites as Blue Skies , You Are My Sunshine , the gospel tune, This Little Light and Bob Dylan’s 1974 tribute to his son, Forever Young .   With the songs (country, folk, bluegrass, blues, gospel) on this CD, we feel forever youthful and we find ourselves singing along as if we’re sitting around the proverbial campfire. While any of these songs (even though some of the text carries adult themes about broken hearts) would appeal to children, Alan Lomax and other song catchers would have a field day with this com...

World/Galician   Radio Cos Radio Cos   Folmusica The American song collector Alan Lomax knew a good thing when he made field recordings of Galician music decades ago.  In some ways Galician folk music with its Celtic influences could be mistaken for Scottish or Irish music and in other ways, it sounds like Basque traditional music, some Portuguese traditions tossed in and the musicians sing in the exotic Spanish dialect, Gallego.  Radio Cos performs Galician dance music on Radio Cos punctuated by “aye, la, la” and on one of the tracks, I could have sworn I was listening to a Mexican ranchera (listeners also dodge animated bullets on that song). Romp-stomping accordion bounces along delicious polyrhythms played on the traditional frame drums and tambourines, maracas, violin, gaitas (bagpipes), saxophone and vocals.  The vocals supply us with harmonies and occasionally passionate outbursts.  On Pandeiretada (traditional drum) the music...

Ceumar Dindinha Sons Do Brasil Arc Music Falling somewhere between Brazilian pop diva Badi Assad and Afro-Samba chanteuse Monica Salmaso, Ceumar brings us effervescent songs on her new recording Sons Do Brasil (Songs of Brazil).   Ceumar (a name that marries the sky to the sea), blends regional folk music with pop, jazz, and samba performed on this acoustic album.   Her lilting voices recall Badi Assad, but the instrumental arrangements, minimalistic of woodwinds, Portuguese guitar, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, percussion, piano and violin (these instruments appear on the various tracks) recalls Monica Salmaso, as mentioned earlier. Songs of Brazil is one of those albums where sweet revelry meets sensuality, and at times melancholy such as on the titular track, which speaks about the Portuguese “sodade” a term not easily explained in English--a longing sadness comes close.   Fans of the late Cape Verdean vocalist Cesária Evora will re...

Silvana Kane La Jardinera Six Degrees Records Silvana Kane (Canadian band Pacifika) offers an enchanting solo debut La Jardinera , featuring nueva cancion (new songs) from South America.   The minimalist approach of Kane’s yearning vocals set against a framework of acoustic guitar, banjo, bass and trumpet gives off an intimate feeling as if we sit in Silvana’s living room while she shares her favorite songs.   Kane reaches back to her childhood living in Peru, Canada and the United States when she discovered celebrated Latin American singer-songwriters such as Mercedes Sosa, Violeta Parra, and Chabuca Granda.   Kane transforms the folkloric songs into contemporary lullabies, which Kane sings in sweet, whispery Spanish.   Since I’m a fan of South American folk songs and warm acoustic music, I enjoy immersing myself in Kane’s recording.   When I first listened to the CD, I also visited YouTube to watch Kane’s sensual and touching videos. T...

Os Cempés Tentemozo FolMusica Powered by drums and bagpipes--sounds like a marriage of Arabic modes and Celtic marches, Galician Os Cempés Tentemozo offers an uplifting listening experience.   If you are a regular visitor to Whole Music Experience, then you already know about Galician traditional music.   Similar to another Galician musician Uxia, Os Cempés creates a big sound on this recording with 50 traditional musicians bringing their talent to the project. Led by Oscar Fernández, hurdy-gurdies, violins, Galician bagpipes, tambourines, guitars, and the large Galician drum join forces and ignite into popular dances from this region of Spain.   This beautiful album was funded through the generous support of the band’s 740 friends and followers.   And you’ll want to thank these people after giving this CD a listen. The album opens with the rousing Mirandosa and then launches into Pasodoble De Illa which carries some musical reminders of Spai...

Lisa Dillan and Asbjorn Lerheim Love Me Tender (The Quiet Quiet Way) Kirkelig Kulturverksted I have not thought about Elvis Presley in years so I felt surprised when I received a Norwegian recording, Love Me Tender , paying tribute to Presley.   Vocalist Lisa Dillan and guitarist Asbjorn Lerheim headed to Nashville to record in the same studio the late Presley had recorded, and to work with the same musicians as Presley.   While this must have seemed like a dream manifested for Dillan, who became a Presley fan after the legend’s death in 1977, Dillan gives each song unique folk interpretations.   The musicians create a warm, relaxing and quiet atmosphere in which Dillan’s vocals caress every word.   A strong melody and evocative text translates into almost any musical style. Unlike, Dillan, I know little about Elvis Presley outside of the movies I saw as a child.   While you won’t hear Jailhouse Rock or Blue Suede Shoes on Love Me Tender , you will ...