World music... where did it all begin?

[Charlie]

If the intention is to look only at 'world' music once it became a universal term, then I'd guess that didn't really happen until '87. When I wrote my listings and preview column for City Limits magazine (1984-85), we were still calling it 'Folk and International'.

The idea is to pick out the stuff that predated the coining of the term, so the rest of your post is on the nail, John

[John Crosby]

If the intention is to look only at 'world' music once it became a universal term, then I'd guess that didn't really happen until '87. When I wrote my listings and preview column for City Limits magazine (1984-85), we were still calling it 'Folk and International'.

The idea is to pick out the stuff that predated the coining of the term, so the rest of your post is on the nail, John

I also think that the thing which really kickstarted the 'world music' scene in the early 1980s was not just the sudden upsurge in recordings available in the UK and America but also the 'live' music scene.

Previously, you could very occasionally catch a world music group at a jazz festival, hear Urubamba (Los Incas) with Paul Simon or a state-sponsored UK civic theatre tour (I remember seeing a Czechoslovakian dance and folk troupe in 1970). In the 1980s, however, serious world music touring seemed to begin in earnest with WOMAD and such gig entrepeneurs as Anne Hunt rapidly creating a very real touring circuit.

Whilst at City Limits, I can remember previewing and attending: Legong dancers and a gamelan orchestra at the Shaw Theatre, Euston; Les Amazones De Guinee at the same venue; Segun Adewele at the Town & Country Club (The Forum); Benga Boys at the same venue; leading Sudanese musicians and singers at Camden Town Hall; Thomas Mapfumo and Touré Kunda at the 100 Club, Oxford Street; the now sadly deceased Dan Del Santo (with a support band including Ben Mandelson) at a little club under the motorway in West London. Memorable times and a very real buzz because most of this was new, still relatively scarce and no-one had any idea if the scene would last beyond the '80s.

[PATCHES53]

I bought "A Lambkin Has Commenced Bleating" on vinyl after hearing it on Wogan's radio show and fell in love with it. What a stunning voice.

With regards Nadka's "A Lambkin Has Commenced Bleating" - "Zableyalo Mi Agunste".
It is available as a download on iTunes but sadly can't find the B Side "Stoyan Winnows Away The Wheat" on iTunes.

On Spotify they have the album "World Famous Voices" featuring 20 of Nadka's songs.
One of the tracks is titled "Stoyan Na Mama Dumashe" and another is titled "Stoyan Pshenitsa Prevyava".

I have tried an online translation of "Stoyan Winnows Away The Wheat" which comes up with:
Стоян Winnows на пшеницата
I suspect this could be the track:
"Stoyan Na Mama Dumashe"
But as I don't know Bulgarian maybe someone else will know.

There are also some videos on YouTube of Nadka in performance which are well worth looking at:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... djova&aq=f.

Especially this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQqwNOeH32w
Nadka is the one on the left as you watch the video.

Hope this helpful.

[Chris P]

One of the tracks is titled "Stoyan Na Mama Dumashe" and another is titled "Stoyan Pshenitsa Prevyava".

I have tried an online translation of "Stoyan Winnows Away The Wheat" which comes up with:
Стоян Winnows на пшеницата
I suspect this could be the track:
"Stoyan Na Mama Dumashe"
But as I don't know Bulgarian maybe someone else will know.

The translation for wheat 'пшеницата' transliterates roughly as 'Pshenitsa' so I reckon it's actually "Stoyan Pshenitsa Prevyava" that translates as "Stoyan Winnows Away The Wheat"

hope that helps, looking forward to trying out your YouTube clips