2009, week 10 from 13 March - slipped through the cracks

[Charlie]

Seq - Artist - Song Title - Album - Country - Label - Cat no

1 - Rhett Brewer - Millennia - Hotel de Ville - UK - Ex-Directory - EXCD001

2 - Yasuaki Shimizu - Cello Suite No 1 - Prelude - Cello Suites (on saxophone) - Japan - Saravah - shl 2098

3 - Lula Pena - Fria Claridade - Phados - Portugal - Carbon 7 - CP 032

4 - Salamat - El Zol Al Asal (feat Salma) - Salam Delta - Egypt - Piranha - CD PIR 0936

5 - Marta Topferova - Semana Azul - La Marea - Czech/USA - World Village - 468040

6 - Stepanida/ Hulu Project - Kuorakka Kurus Ardakh (There is a sad rain above the city) - TranceSiberia - Siberia/ Germany - CC'n'C - 1212

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Considering how randomly records are scattered through potential media outlets, there is a surprising degree of agreement as to which albums and artists get special attention. But among the recipients, each of us favours a few projects that nobody else seems to have noticed, and today’s programme is my selection of a few that slipped through the cracks in everybody else’s judgments.


Rhett Brewer

Rhett Brewer is one of a handful of singers who makes up his own language to sing (among the others are Art Tuncboyaciyan, Sui Vesan and Julien Jacob (not quite enough to make up their own programme). Rhett is a British singer who has also recorded under other names. www.rhettbrewer.com


Yasuaki Shimizu

Yasuaki Shimizu is a Japanese saxophonist first encountered on Wasis Diop’s breakthrough album No Sant. Investigation unearthed Yasuaki’s solo project in which he transcribed Bach’s Cello Suites for saxophone and recorded an album’s worth of tunes, include the Prelude. [By the way, Yasuaki’s sister Mieko Shimizu makes music in London, freelancing on David Lowe’s Dreamcatcher projects.] [thanks to www.farsidemusic.com ]


Lula Pena

The deep-voiced Lula Pena is unlike any other contemporary Portuguese fado singer, but although her debut album Phados was a promising start in 2002, she has never released another. Her live performance on BBC London was one of the most mesmeric sessions I was ever privileged to witness. http://www.incubadoradartes.com/lulapena/


Mahmoud Fadl of Salamat

Salamat was a supergroup of musicians from Southern Egypt corralled by the British producer Ben Mandelson for a series of albums for the German label Piranha. They all reward investigation.


Marta Topferova

Marta Topferova is an American-based Czech who plays the quatro and writes and sings in Spanish. I find the tune of ‘Semana Azul’ in my head months after last hearing it. http://www.martatopferova.com/ The violinist is Jenny Scheinman, recently introduced to the forum by Chris Potts:

Stepanida [photo courtesy www.hulu.de ]

Finally the Yakutian shamanic singer from Siberia, Stepanida, with her track from a collaboration with the German duo, Hulu Project. http://www.ccnc.de/media/en/TRANCE_SIBERIA.html

[Charlie]

2 - Yasuaki Shimizu - Cello Suite No 1 - Prelude - Cello Suites (on saxophone) - Japan - Saravah - shl 2098

email from: Anonymous

1. This one is not authentic, don't play it with saxophone, please.

[Charlie]

3 - Lula Pena - Fria Claridade - Phados - Portugal - Carbon 7 - CP 32

email from: odette yumie, Milton Keynes

My situation: I have Behcet's disease and I am too tired to enjoy music but I wake when your 3 am set is on and can drink deeply from the cup of musical pleasure! I wanted you to know, Charlie and the team, as waking to hear the singer Lula Pena singing 'Fria Caridade' with the guitar of heaven.....I was consumed totally.

I will try to buy this CD as I am hoping I can enjoy this music again.

I am sorry to sound drama-queenish but that is how I felt about that piece of music.

Warm wishes Odette.

[uiwangmike]

Fria Claridade appeared on Amália Rodrigues’ Fados '67, a great album which has also provided repertoire for Mísia and Mariza among others. Even by fado standards, it has a pretty melancholic lyric, but it suits Lula Pena’s voice very well; I'd like to hear how she would do with more upbeat numbers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8zsSp1PSFk

I had to turn to Google to find out what Behcet’s disease is. A very distressing chronic condition, I see - it's good to hear that music can soothe if not cure.

[Charlie]

what appears to be a blog - with video clips of Lula and Marta

http://blindflaneur.com/?p=1706

I have tried to make contact with the host but cannot work out how - can any of you see the route by which I might reach him?

[r.allibone]

2 - Yasuaki Shimizu - Cello Suite No 1 - Prelude - Cello Suites (on saxophone) - Japan - Saravah - shl 2098

email from: Anonymous

1. This one is not authentic, don't play it with saxophone, please.

not authentic? that's the point is it not? it is different - play again please.

[Hugh Weldon]

Charlie:

I have tried to make contact with the host but cannot work out how - can any of you see the route by which I might reach him?

Charlie if it's anything like the blog hosting thing I use I think you need to register on Word Press - click on the log in link at the bottom of the page. It means you are then a member of the Word Press blog community, but of course you don't have to start posting anything if you don't want to. But you will then be able to write comments for the flâneur and there may well be a profile for him with an email address.

[Charlie]

you need to register on Word Press - click on the log in link at the bottom of the page.

success, thank you Hugh. Left a message too

CG