The Whole Music Experience

Women Stand Up; Women Speak Up Women musicians from the West African country, Mali grabbed my attention in 2001 and I’m still enthralled by their personal power and musical talent.   In 2002, I received Tama’s recording Espace in the mail featuring the vocals of Mamani Keita sung over warm acoustic guitar, the Malian banjo, ngoni and percussion and I haven’t forgotten Keita’s vocals over the years. With her solo album, Kanou (World Village), Mamani Keita sings in a traditional voice about contemporary social issues, but mostly she sends an invitation out to women of the world to stand up against violence towards women and children as well as, keeping our world leaders on the same page as the people who voted for them.   Keita uses her powerful voice and musical gifts to bring transformation to the world acting as a messenger for all of us. Please note that this interview has been through three translations and lyrics weren’t included with the CD. ...

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 ...

World Perunika Trio A Bright Star Has Risen Arc Music In the late 1980s, Bulgarian choir music reached international audiences when Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares and Trio Bulgarka enjoyed popularity among world music fans.   Trio Bulgarka appeared on Kate Bush’s Sensual World which introduced Bulgarian vocal music to pop and rock audiences.   Further more, Philip Koutev, an arranger and composer also enjoyed popularity while western ears were introduced to open-throat singing and folkloric music of Eastern Europe.   Closer to home, San Francisco-based Kitka also includes Bulgarian folk songs in its repertoire that also includes Balkan, Russian, Ukrainian, and Hungarian songs. Bright, young and beautiful, the women vocalists who comprise Perunika Trio sing polyphony complete with the exclamatory whoop.   Lead by Eugenia Georgieva, the women hail from Bulgaria and Serbia originally and now make their home in the UK where they have won the ...