The Whole Music Experience

Final CD Review World   Kevin Seddiki and Bijan Chemirani   Imaginarium   World Village    Sometimes we need to lose ourselves in our imagination and often time music provides us this avenue as fodder for fantasy.   For anyone with the desire to escape to somewhere truly exotic, the percussionist and lute duo Kevin Seddiki (guitars and percussion) and Bijan Chemirani (saz (Iranian/Turkish long-neck lute, Persian/Arabic drums and percussion) provide the soundtrack on their CD, Imaginarium (try getting that word past spell check). The mix of music genres ranges from Persian classical with improvisations to Arab-Andalusian and classical guitar.   The guitars along with the drums/percussion provide snaky rhythms, but even so, the music leans towards revelry and not foot-tapping.   La Bohême takes us on a Spanish guitar flight in all its lushness and warmth.   On Saturn’s Rings has a distracting raspy vibration which...

World / Native American   Wayne Silas, Jr. Infinite Passion   Canyon Records Hey everyone, it’s that time of year for Native American round dances--a merry cycle of socializing, dancing, drumming and singing personal as well as, humorous songs.   A regular performer on the pow-wow trail and round dance circles, Wayne Silas, Jr. (Menominee/Oneida) brings us his newest collection of round dance songs, lullabies, and traditional women’s songs on Infinite Passion .   One minute he’s singing at the top of his lungs, another a moment he sings from the bottom of his heart with songs so sweet, intimate and tender that I feel like I’m eavesdropping on his family.   On the other hand, when his group of talented friends joins Silas, I feel like I dropped into a party. My favorite songs lean on the slower melodic side such as Tha Mash Up which features polyrhythms, chimes, and vocal harmonies.   Pray , a duet with Veronica Keeswood also hits th...

World   Toninho Ferragutti O Sorriso da manu   Borandá When I think of South American accordion music, my thoughts usually gravitate towards Argentine tango and the late Astor Piazzolla.   However, many wonderful South American folkloric music centers on the accordion brought to Latin America originally by Italian and German immigrants.   Brazil certainly has its share of folkloric traditions in which the accordion plays a key role.   Brazilian accordionist Toninho Ferragutti and his quartet (accordion, clarinet, percussion, and bass) team of with a chamber ensemble of strings and piano as they explore forró and choro dance songs along with an abstract version of flamenco on the recording O Sorriso da manu. Delightfully playful and contemplative in turns, listen to Flamenta with its lively castanets and the titular track with its klezmer-style clarinet.   When I listen to this recording, I’m reminded more of Finnish accordionist an...

World   Debademba Souleymane   World Village Some of the first world music I heard was from West Africa.   I started out with Senegalese music then discovered Malian music and West African music found a place in my life.   With so many musical styles hailing from West Africa, sometimes bands come along that mix and match while causes us to dance our feet off.   Debademba (led by guitarist Abdoulaye Traoré of Ghana and Malian griot vocalist Mohamed Diaby) performs High Life (Ghana), mbalax (Senegal), Afro-Beat (Nigeria) and griot blues (Mali) on their second album, Souleymane . These musicians supply us with ample infectious rhythms played on calabashes and other percussion, shimmering kora, acoustic guitar, soaring vocals, as well as, violin, cello, flute, piano and chorus (women and men vocals).   I dare you not to dance. Okay, so it’s not all fast grooves and primal beats.   Djiki snakes along to Arabic modes with vocals so s...

Native American / World   Tony Duncan Native Son   Canyon Records I had one of those days where I feel wound up and it doesn’t help that I have been consuming raw chocolate.   So listening to Apache/Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara flutist Tony Duncan’s third album with Canyon Records and I believe his second solo album, Native Son , comes as a relaxing godsend.   When you listen to numerous Native American flute recordings you begin to identify subtle and not so subtle differences and signatures of the many gifted flutists.   Some Native American flutists possess playfulness while others lean heavily into the ethereal realm and others provoke healing tears to flow.   Duncan combines all of those qualities in his playing, which if it was a wine, we would also call it full bodied and robust--not bad for a young musician. I survived a stressful summer in 2011 in part listening to Estan-Bah (acoustic guitar, Native American flute, Native American...