WORLD MUSIC NETWORK

The Rough Guide to

WORLD MUSIC

The ‘Rough Guide to World Music’ book is a comprehensive guide to the music of seventy countries and regions with contributions by seventy-seven specialist writers.  Many genres of music are covered from Irish Soul to Hungary’s Magyar and Gypsy traditions, Algerian Rai to Twentieth-Century Egyptian Classical song, Qawwali – the Sufi devotional music of Pakistan to Ghanaian Highlife, Zairean Soukous to Zimbabwe’s Jit, Mbira and Chimurenga folk styles, Javanese and Balinese Gamelan to Jamaican Reggae, Colombian Cumbia to Appalachian Old-Time and Bluegrass.  There are also interviews, reviews and a selective discography provided for major artists, as well as a brief description of some of their musical instruments.

The ‘Rough Guide to World Music’ CD was specially compiled to accompany the book, and includes music by Joe Arroyo (Colombia), Africando (Senegal), Oumou Sangare (Mali), Zaiko Langa Langa (Zaire), Etoile De Dakar with Youssou N’Dour (Senegal), Cecile Kayirebwa (Rwanda), Tarika Sammy (Madagascar), Henry Kaiser & David Lindley with Roger Georges (USA/Madagascar), Ali Hassan Kuban (Egypt), Sainkho (Siberia), Guo Yue & Joji Hirota (China/Japan), Muzsikas (Hungary), Oyster Band (UK), Buckwheat’s Zydeko Party (USA), and Talitha Mackenzie (Scotland).

"Rough Guide to World Music" distributed by New World Productions.  PO Box 244, Red Hill, Queensland 4059, Australia.  Tel: (61 7) 3367 0788, Fax: (61 7) 3367 2441.

ANDRIÁN PERTOUT

'Mixdown' Monthly ~ Issue #40, August 6, 1997

BEAT MAGAZINE PTY LTD

The African continent consists of two main divisions of musical traditions, and the region south of the Sahara desert is represented by the music of black Africa, while North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia) is primarily Arab speaking, and therefore most of its religious, classical, folk and modern popular musical forms have origins in Islamic traditions of the Middle East.  The prominent Moroccan genres include the Arab-Andalucían classical music traditions of Andalous, Milhûn and Gharnati, the music of the Berbers and Rwais, Ghaoua and Jilala trance music, and the modern popular style of Chaabi.  On the western boundaries of the Maghreb is the nation of Mauritania and the sounds of the Moors, while encountered in the east is Sudan's poetic song inspired by an explosive environment of political and religious repression.  An interesting modern development in the region is Algerian Rai, which is the 'young music of dissent', rebelling against Muslim conservatism with its provocative lyrical content, and traditional rhythms sounded on drum machines and synthesizers.  Egypt on the other hand is the home of Raks Sharki or belly dance music, contemporary Egyptian classical song, popular music genres such as Al-Jil, Shaabi and Nubian, as well as Saiyidi and Sawahili folk traditions.

The ‘Rough Guide to the Music of North Africa’ CD was specially compiled to accompany the Rough Guide to Morocco book and includes music by Cheb Kader, Cheb Mami, Cheb Khaled & Miloud, Cheb Sahraoui & Chaba Fadela, Houria Aïchi (Algeria), Ali Hassan Kuban, Hossam Shaker & his Ensemble, Hamza El Din, Salamat, Mahmoud Fadl (Egypt), Abdel Aziz El Mubarak, Abdel Karim El Kabli (Sudan), Adnan Sefiani & L’Orchestre de Salé and Hassan Erraji & Arabesque (Morocco).

"The Rough Guides to North African, Flamenco, Classic Jazz, South African, Salsa, Cuban and Reggae music" distributed by New World Productions.  PO Box 244, Red Hill, Queensland 4059, Australia.  Tel: (61 7) 3367 0788, Fax: (61 7) 3367 2441.  For further information on world music also visit the World Music Network web site.

ANDRIÁN PERTOUT

'Mixdown' Monthly ~ Issue #44, December 1, 1997

BEAT MAGAZINE PTY LTD

The Indian subcontinent is constituted by the political divisions of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and is the birthplace of two of the world's greatest religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as the home to many others.  A rich cultural diversity that has given rise to a wide variety of religious, classical and folk music traditions with a historical evolvement of many millennia.  The two main art music traditions include North Indian 'Hindustani' classical music (also practised in Pakistan and Bangladesh) and the 'Carnatic' classical music of the Dravidian peoples of the south.  Ghazal and Thumri are the light classical song and instrumental forms of the subcontinent, while Bhajan and Kriti are its Hindu devotional song genres.  Qawwali, made globally famous by one of its major exponents, the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, is the Sufi devotional music of Pakistan, a spiritually elevating art form with the principal aim of achieving a closer bond with God.  The regional folk music traditions of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, the Punjab and Bengal, as well as the popular songs from the world's second largest film industry in Bombay and Madras add flavour and spice to a land possessed by a physical and spiritual kaleidoscope of infinite colours.

The ‘Rough Guides to the Music of India and Pakistan’ CD was specially compiled to accompany the Rough Guide to India book and includes music by Ali Akbar Khan with Asha Bhosle, Purna Das Baul, Musicians and Poets of Rajasthan, Bismillah Khan, Vilayat Khan, Amjad Ali Khan, Shivkumar Sharma & Hariprasad Chaurasia, Dr. N. Ramani (India), Sabri Brothers, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Zarsanga (Pakistan).

"The Rough Guides to Indian and Pakistani, Scottish, Zimbabwean, Kenyan and Tanzanian, West African, Andean and Irish music" distributed by New World Productions.  PO Box 244, Red Hill, Queensland 4059, Australia.  Tel: (61 7) 3367 0788, Fax: (61 7) 3367 2441. For further information on world music also visit the World Music Network web site.

ANDRIÁN PERTOUT

'Mixdown' Monthly ~ Issue #44, December 1, 1997

BEAT MAGAZINE PTY LTD

Latin America (the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions of the Americas) is made up of twenty independent nation states, and its musical traditions are essentially a multifaceted cocktail inspired by its cultural diversity.  The amalgamation of the European, African and indigenous peoples that inhabit these lands have led to the conception of a most unique set of musical idioms.  Mexico is the home of Norteño or Tex-Mex, which is an accordion-led genre with roots in the Corrido ballads that depicted its early nineteenth century battles between the Anglos and Meskins.  Ranchera and Son Jaliscience, popularized by the trumpet dominated Mariachi bands, as well as dance forms such as Cumbia Mexicana and Huapango are but some of the styles encountered in this northern frontier.  In the Caribbean is situated the island state of Cuba, which is credited for many of the world’s dynamic rhythmic innovations such as Rumba, Danzón, Son, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo and Bolero, as well as the Son derivative Salsa.  This relatively new style has an actual Cuban-Puerto Rican origin, but was then adopted and developed by New York’s Latinos to incorporate the characteristic big band jazz sound.  Today it is the staple diet for aficionados in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Venezuela.  Other genres in this geographical zone include Merengue from the Dominican Republic and Mejoranas from Panama.  South of Panama is Colombia, and its most popular dance form is Cumbia, which serves well to illustrate the nature of Latin America’s multicultural heritage with its three-dimensional makeup.  Colombia’s other prominent styles include the accordion-led Vallenato, clarinet-led Porros and harp-led Llanera.  Rio de Janeiro’s old black neighbourhoods is where the world-renowned carnaval began early in the century, and consequently institutionalizing the Samba.  Brazil’s other contributions to the ethnomusicological repertoire include the Choro, Bossa Nova, Lambada, as well as its own accordion-led genres, Forró and Nordestina.  Southwest of Brazil is Paraguay, and the both lyrically and melodically romantic sound of the harp-led Guaraña is the leading regional style.  In the most southern part of South America is Chile and Argentina, and this sets the scene for the creation of the protest song phenomenon of Nueva Canción or New Song (known in Cuba as Nueva Trova), brought about by the political and economical frustration of the working class in the 1960s.  Argentina is also the birthplace of the Tango, which even though today has an air of respectability, it was once the ritualistic dance of the infamous pimps that commanded the bordellos and bars in the slum districts of Buenos Aires.  Latin America is also overflowing with indigenous musical traditions, and these communities have in effect contributed greatly to its pronounced musicality.  The Huayno and Huayla are but two of the popular zampoña-led genres of the Andean highlands.

The ‘Best of Latin America: Change the Rules’ CD includes music by Joe Arroyo, The Latin Brothers, Fruko y sus Tesos, Los Nemus del Pacífico, La Sonora Dinamita, Maximo Jiminez (Colombia), Jesús Alemañy, Ñico Saquito, Sierra Maestra, Estudiantina Invasora (Cuba), Moleque de Rua, A. Reiner/F. Menendez/M. Candeias/L. Gazineu, Os Ingênuos (Brazil), Susana Baka, Julie Freundt (Peru), Kjarkas, Emma Junaro (Bolivia), Juan Jose Mosalini & his Tango Orchestra and Adriana Varela (Argentina).

"The Best of Latin America: Change the Rules and The Rough Guides to Salsa, Cuban and Andean music" distributed by New World Productions.  PO Box 244, Red Hill, Queensland 4059, Australia.  Tel: (61 7) 3367 0788, Fax: (61 7) 3367 2441. For further information on world music also visit the World Music Network web site.

ANDRIÁN PERTOUT

'Mixdown' Monthly ~ Issue #48, April 1, 1998

BEAT MAGAZINE PTY LTD