2010 - week 05, from 30 January

[Alan]

World Service Week 5 from 30 January 2010

posted on behalf of CG

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

1 - DuOud - Missy Nouackshott (feat Malouma) - Ping Kong - Tunisia/Algeria/Mauritania - World Village - 657 036 1160-2 - http://tinyurl.com/yc49ohv

2 - Smadj - Toi et Moi (feat Minino Garay, Erik Truffaz, Talvin Singh) - Selin - Tunisia - MVS - 3 760148 282 2894 - http://tinyurl.com/yct9nf9

3 - Yoon Jeong Heo - Recitation of Pleasure in Zen, Part 4 - Geomungo Solo - South Korea - C&C/EMI - CNLR 0626-2 - http://tinyurl.com/y8wkccd

4 - Seasick Steve - The Banjo Song - Man from Another Time - USA - Atlantic - 505186 5615828 - http://tinyurl.com/nsvpy6

5 - Lord Cobra - Colón Colón - Panama 3 - Panama - Soundway - SNDWCD018 - http://tinyurl.com/yzsxsf2

6 - Titi Robin feat Maria Robin - Amantito - Ces Vagues que L'Amour Soulève - France - Naïve - WN 145080 - http://tinyurl.com/32cj57

7 - Ibrahim Maalouf - Trumpet & Saz Improvisation - Diachronism - France - IM - IBM2 - http://tinyurl.com/ybtjzvl

Listen again via http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p005yh7n from 11.30pm 30 January for 7 days

Born in Tunis, Smadj (pronounced Smudge) is an oud player who has based most of his career as a professional musician in Paris, where he teamed up with another oud player, the Algerian, Mehdi Habbab, as half of the duo, DuOud. Until now, the pair’s albums have not quite delivered the promise that seems inherent within them. Their latest, Ping Kong, may be their best yet, particularly on the two tracks featuring Mauritanian singer Malouma, another artist who has yet to deliver her full potential on an album under her own name.

DuOud look for that Radio Ping Pong gag

Smadj Malouma

With no apologies necessary, I return to the Geomungo player encountered on last year’s trip to South Korea, and enjoy a private joke by following her up with Banjo Song; by Seasick Steve, wondering if anybody will guess the nationality of the second musician. Seasick Steve is an anomaly among artists of recent years in having sold 200,000 copies of each of two consecutive albums, one on an independent label, the other on a major, at a time when everybody is grumbling about a catastrophic decline in sales of physical CDs. While being an ardent supporter of Steve, I have not felt that either album was an adequate reflection of the musician (unintentionally, this seems to be a theme of this week’s programme). On the new one, Man from Another Time, at least three tracks are exceptionally good and I’m worried that my enthusiastic support might be the kiss of death that breaks Steve’s run of hits.

Heo Yoon Jeong

Seasick Steve

When I was obliged recently through ill health to abandon my regular show on BBC Radio’s World on 3, I was particularly disappointed to have to cancel a planned game of Radio Ping Pong with Miles Cleret, whose SoundWay label was my ‘record label of the year 2009.’ In addition to releasing his own compilations from Anglophone West Africa, Miles has also packaged a series of collections of music from Panama collated by Roberto Gyemant, of which the latest, Volume 3, feels like the best of the bunch. It really is a case of let the roulette wheel spin, and play the track fate chooses.

Lord Cobra

In amongst the new discoveries, a return to a long-standing favourite, ‘Amantito’ by Titi Robin featuring his daughter Maria.

Titi Robin with daughters Coco (centre) and Maria (right)

Having been listening again to the album The Living Road by the recently deceased and much-lamented Lhasa, I’ve been treasuring the contributions of guest trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, who has an album of his own newly released in France. ‘Trumpet & Saz Improvisation’ feels more like a description than a title, but that’s what he calls it and that’s what it is.

Ibrahim Maalouf

Incidentally, this is the last of the programmes recorded towards the end of last year before I became too ill to carry on. I understand that the World Service will be recycling some of my previous programmes until I am fit enough to pick up the reins and carry on. I’m intrigued to see and hear what they choose to repeat.


CG

Listen again via http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p005yh7n from 30 January 11.30pm for 7 days
World Service page link http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p005yh7n#broadcasts

[kastamonu]

Just to wish Charlie all the very best for a speedy recovery! I was sad to hear he'd been ill - looking forward to his return to the show in the very near future! I'm sure the interim shows will be just as enjoyable as they always are - a great week-end treat here in Izmir, Turkey. (Am looking forward to this week's show by the way - I 'listen again' tomorrow - Sunday).

[kastamonu]

Fabulous! :-))))))

[Chris P]

3 - Yoon Jeong Heo - Recitation of Pleasure in Zen, Part 4 - Geomungo Solo - South Korea

WOW that was fantastic !

& yes the Seasick Steve flowed from that remarkably & extraordinarily well.

I had to switch off my ears after that as I was going to the wire with my tax return, but I know from having listened a few times over to the Ibrahim Maalouf track you played on a previous show, that that is really really fine too. In fact the whole programme regardless of my concentration level was another brilliant one.

[David Flower]

[
Born in Tunis, Smadj (pronounced Smudge) is an oud player who has based most of his career as a professional musician in Paris,
s

Smadj has been living in Istanbul for some years now, which I only mention as he's been producing and collaborating with a lot of musicians there and is very much part of the scene

[Charlie]

Smadj has been living in Istanbul for some years now, which I only mention as he's been producing and collaborating with a lot of musicians there and is very much part of the scene

Aha, I had noticed his various Turkish collaborations but didn't realise he actually lives there.

[tulsehill charlie]

Charlie wrote

Mauritanian singer Malouma, another artist who has yet to deliver her full potential on an album under her own name

I especially liked the Dououd track with Malouma, which sounded a lot like Little Willie John's "Fever". Someone should get Malouma to do an album of her favourite soul tracks (in a Mauretanian style). I love the way she mashes up the melodies. She used to sing soul numbers. On her first album she did Otis' "Fa Fa Fa Fa" etc. and she drops quotes in live performance. I'd like to hear her get to grips with "Chain of Fools" or "Rock Steady".

[Jozef]

Hi Charlie,

As a diligent weekly reader of your lovingly commented choices of music, I never felt the need to contribute. It was enough.
When reading you are again not well, and need to take a break I registered to express my hope that you may recover, and continue to surprise your listeners with with your ideosyncratic choices. I hope you can keep listening to good music.

I wish you strength.

Jozef

[Charlie]

emails, from:

1. Nemo Kim, Seoul, Korea

I very much enjoyed the latest edition which I heard on the Internet.

I'm also very happy to hear offerings from Korea.

Just a little pronunciation pointer though.

The traditional Korean instrument, "Geomungo" is not pronounced as Mr.
Gillett did, with a soft G sound. It's a hard G sound, similar to
"girl".
So the word is pronounced like "Gir-Moon-Go".
I hope it helped and I hope I didn't offend Mr. Gillett!

Nemo Kim, News Anchor, Korean Broadcasting SyStem, Seoul

CG reply: am I offended, Nemo? Definitely not, I need keeping in line and appreciate your guidance. It's an honour to have you in the audience and take the time to send a note.

--------------------------------------------

[EleanorT]

& yes the Seasick Steve flowed from that remarkably & extraordinarily well.

I agree. I looked at the playlist and the photos before listening, and those two didn't strike me as an obvious choice to put side by side, and having listened to it I can quite see why you've put them together, Charlie - sounds wonderful.

I especially loved the Ibrahim Maalouf too.

Very sorry to hear that you are not well. I wish you a speedy recovery and look forward to your return to health.

[Dayna]

I like Seasick Steve's Banjo Song.

Lord Cobra