1 - Umalali - Merua - Garifuna Women's Project - Belize/Honduras - Cumbancha - CMB-CD-6
2 - Pama International - Highrise - Rockers Revolt - UK - Pama Int - RRHIITCD2
3 - Romica Puceanu - Unde O-Fie Puiul de Aseara - Princes among Men - Romania - Asphalt Tango - CD-ATR 1608
4 - Balla et Ses Balladins - Bandian - The Syliphone Years - Guinea - Sterns -
5 - Mikail Aslan - Miraz (Miracle) (Beyta 3. - 4.) - Miraz - Turkey - Kalan - CD 348
6 - Sissoko, El Maloumi, Rajery - Toufoula - 3MA - Mali, Morocco, Madagascar - Contre Jour - CJ020
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These weekly programmes are a variable balance of first-ever plays from brand new releases, follow-up reminders of recent albums, and lucky dips into the past, sparked by any number of arbitrary factors. This week, three tracks are from albums that have previously been introduced; the other three are first-time plays.
Umalali
The Garifuna Women’s Project by Umalali is turning into the year’s most played album, and as nobody has written asking me to stop, here’s ‘Merua’ by Umalali again. Inexplicably, the group was not invited to perform at this year's WOMAD Charlton Park (or anywhere else in the UK) but are included in the impressive bill at the highly-recommended Cartegena Festival in Murcia, South East Spain in early July.
Michie One
Is Rockers Revolt the correct name for the album by Pama International? The layout of the sleeve is so obscure, it’s hard to tell, The UK-based group is reviving the golden age of Jamaica reggae and, in the case of ‘High Rise’, actually recycling it, as the tune is based on Eric Donaldson’s anthemic ‘Cherry Oh Baby’. The whole album is good, but the apposite new words of this make this song stand out every time, sung by Michie One: “Highrise, terrorise, hooligan, hearse, every day these are rehearsedâ€
