The Whole Music Experience

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...

Last night I turned on On Point Radio (NPR) and was pleasantly surprised to hear a segment on traditional music from Central Africa and Bali. Here's the link: http://www.onpointradio.org/2010/02/the-hum-of-life The field recordings aired on the show are worth a visit to the above link.