It’s John Lennon’s 70th birthday today… so here’s an ‘imaginative’ ‘gamelan salute’ to John Lennon, in the first minute of this video that I shot on October 15th, 2008, at Radio Netherlands.
Category Archives: World Music
IGFA 2010 was een muzikaal feest voor oog en oor!
De afgelopen week verkeerde ik in gamelansferen. Dat kwam door de 2e editie van het International Gamelan Festival Amsterdam – het IGFA 2010 – dat plaatsvond van 2 tot en met 11 september in het KIT Tropentheater. Ik heb alle avondvoorstellingen bezocht.
Was de eerste editie van het IGFA in 2007 al een groot succes, het IGFA trok in 2010 nog meer nationale en internationale belangstelling en alle avondvoorstellingen in de schitterende Lichthal van het Tropenmuseum (met 550 zitplaatsen) waren nagenoeg uitverkocht. Balinese en Javaanse topensembles verzorgden oorstrelende en oogverblindende concerten die je op Nederlandse podia hoogst zelden en eigenlijk alleen maar op dit unieke festival zult aantreffen. Amsterdam mag zeer trots zijn op dit wondermooie festival van wereldformaat. Ik zie al weer uit naar de 3e editie van het IGFA! 🙂
Als bonus hier nog even de Balinese groep Semara Ratih, hier in een laatste repetitie op Bali van het schitterende stuk Lapanbelas, dat zij op 9 september op het IGFA in premiere brachten. Dit is het eerste deel…
Concertzender Wereldmineralen 2 Sept. 2010 / African and Asian music
My edition of Concertzender’s 60-minute radioprogramme Wereldmineralen on 2 September 2010 features recent releases of African and Asian world music. You can listen to the programme via www.concertzender.nl , broadcast time is 19.00-20.00hrs (dutch time). After broadcast you can listen ‘on demand’ via this link.
In the first half hour there’s African music, starting with the album ‘La Difference’ of Salif Keïta from Mali, followed by the album ‘Télévision’ of Baaba Maal from Senegal. Then there’s a selection of recently released seventies Afrobeat-music from the sampler album ‘Nigeria Afrobeat Special’. In the second half hour the programme features new releases with music from Asia, starting with the album ‘He who travels far’ (release in September 2010) of Chinese-Mongolian band Hanggai. This group blends rock with traditional Mongolian music and overtone singing. The final part of the programme features music from the album Stringstruck by sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee.
An article on Purbayan Chatterjee’s recent fusion projects / In: Hindustan Times, August 15th, 2010
With his band Stringstruck Purbayan Chatterjee created an album of fusion music that earned him in July 2010 the award of ‘world music album of the year’ in India. Pleasant and striking surprises on Stringstruck are Purbayan Chatterjee’s singing and his playing on the dwo, an electric sitar.
Playlist of Wereldmineralen:
Titel: La Différance
Tijdsduur: 04’04
Uitvoerende: Salif Keïta
Componist: Salif Keïta
Album: La Différance
Label en Jaar: Universal Music 000422 88240266 ; P en C 2010
Titel: Papa
Tijdsduur: 06’58
Uitvoerende: Salif Keïta
Componist: Salif Keïta
Album: La Différance
Label en Jaar: Universal Music 000422 88240266 ; P en C 2010
Titel: Télévision
Tijdsduur: 07’04
Uitvoerende: Baaba Maal
Componist: Baaba Maal, B. Reynolds
Album: Télévision
Label en Jaar: PALM BEC5772521 ; P en C 2009
Titel: International
Tijdsduur: 03’11
Uitvoerende: Baaba Maal
Componist: Baaba Maal, B. Reynolds
Album: Télévision
Label en Jaar: PALM BEC5772521 ; P en C 2009
Titel: Who’re You?
Tijdsduur: 08’42
Uitvoerende: Fela Ransome Kuti
Componist: Fela Ransome Kuti
Album: Nigeria Afrobeat Spexial
Label en Jaar: Soundway SNDWCD021 ; C 2010
Titel: Hankuri
Tijdsduur: 04’18
Uitvoerende: Madman Jaga
Componist: Madman Jaga
Album: Nigeria Afrobeat Spexial
Label en Jaar: Soundway SNDWCD021 ; C 2010
Titel: Cha
Tijdsduur: 03’53
Uitvoerende: Hanggai
Componist: Hanggai
Album: He Who Travels Far
Label en Jaar: World Connection WC 039 ; P en C 2010
Titel: Dorov Morlaril
Tijdsduur: 05’30
Uitvoerende: Hanggai
Componist: Hanggai
Album: He Who Travels Far
Label en Jaar: World Connection WC 039 ; P en C 2010
Titel: Golden bangle
Tijdsduur: 04’06
Uitvoerende: Hanggai
Componist: Hanggai
Album: He Who Travels Far
Label en Jaar: World Connection WC 039 ; P en C 2010
Titel: Dwo Bickram Ghosh Mix
Tijdsduur: 05’45
Uitvoerende: Purbayan Chatterjee
Componist: Purbayan Chatterjee
Album: Stringstruck
Label en Jaar: Times Music 885444227394 ; C 2010
Titel: Shadowlights
Tijdsduur: 08’22
Uitvoerende: Purbayan Chatterjee
Componist: Purbayan Chatterjee
Album: Stringstruck
Label en Jaar: Times Music 885444227394 ; C 2010
Samenstelling: Pieter de Rooij
Balinese gamelan: Lotring tribute video with footage + music from 1972
I guess with the upcoming second edition of the IGFA (International Gamelan Festival Amsterdam) in september 2010, gamelan is more on my mind these days – and btw, in the past I played Balinese and Javanese gamelan for almost twenty years – maybe that explains why I couldn’t resist making this Lotring-tribute video 🙂
The video contains footage of legendary Balinese musician I Wayan Lotring (1898-1983) dancing and playing in 1972. I combined this footage with a segment of Lotring’s composition ‘Liar Samas’, played by himself and his orchestra in 1972. You can find the complete recording on a marvellous 2cd-album, released by Ocora, titled ‘Hommage a Wayan Lotring’, an album I highly recommend, a very worthwhile buy if you like gamelan music from Bali.
In the 1920’s and 1930’s Lotring was an absolute sensation on Bali, revolutionising musical form of gamelan pieces on kebyar, pelegongan and gender wayang, and in so doing paving the way for others on Bali to take gamelan into new directions.
I would expect Canadian composer Colin McPhee to have filmed him in the 1930’s but haven’t seen that footage (I’ve only seen a few photographs of Lotring by McPhee). In his book ‘A House in Bali’ McPhee meets Lotring and even devotes a chapter to him. A nice read that brings you in the midst of musical history on Bali.
Natacha Atlas releases new album ‘Mounqaliba’ in September 2010
Natacha Atlas is a great singer. I remember her solo debut album ‘Diaspora’ was one of my favourites in 1994. Through the years she made a lot of other great albums and now there’s a new one on its way, to be released in September.
I look forward to the release of Mounqaliba, where – as is explained in the video below – she explores links between Western classical music and Arabic classical music, ‘blending Middle Eastern, African and European sounds. Mounqaliba features new songs written in classical Arabic by Atlas and collaborator Samy Bishai, who learned violin from Russians and Armenians in Egypt. Atlas’ multicultural background – half Moroccan/Egyptian/Palestinian and half British and largely raised in Belgium – plays out in her genre-bending music, with its appreciation of Western electronic music and pop alongside a thorough grounding in Arabic musical traditions. For the new record, Altas had ambitious intentions: “What I hope I have achieved is to match the lyricism of classical music with the inherent poetry of Arabic… To create a melange of ideas and examined opposites.” Mounqaliba will release 21 September via Six Degrees Records.’ (quoted text from: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/30/2992535/riff-report-new-music-this-week.html#ixzz0yE48cYHU )
Natacha Atlas explains about the upcoming release of Mounqaliba
One of Natacha Atlas’ lovely dance hits, Mon Amie La Rose
Balinese Gamelan: unique footage of legendary composer I Wayan Lotring
Recently published on YouTube in two videos: selected segments of unique footage from 1972 of the legendary Balinese composer, musician, dancer I Wayan Lotring (approx.1898-1983).
Lotring is arguably Bali’s most influential gamelan composer/musician of the twentieth century. And of course a great dancer as well. We see Lotring at old age dancing and playing his own compositions with fellow musicians. When playing, we see Lotring mostly as the leader of the ensemble, playing the kendang (drum). Segments are shown of the famous 1972 performances that have been published on Ocora in 1974 (rereleased in 1989). Below you’ll find part two. At 2’40” in this video the famous piece ‘Gambangan’ is played and from 6’16” there’s my very favourite piece ‘Liar Samas’ 🙂
Great as this footage of Lotring might be, there are also two regrettable minuses regarding this material:
1. It’s in black and white (filmed from a black and white tv screen?). I can’t imagine (ethno)musicologist Jacques Brunet shot this material in black and white. Moreover, his recordings of these sessions are presented on Ocora along with colour photos in the cd booklet.
2. Sound and image are not sync. It would be very easy to correct this. I’m always surprised to see this. Why do uploaders not correct this before they publish? As a consequence we don’t get to see the real artistic beauty of Lotring’s dancing along with the music and of his (drum)playing with the orchestra. Ooooww!!! 🙁
British newspaper recognises stature of dutch radio pioneer Ate Doornbosch
It’s quite amazing that the best newspaper coverage on the demise of dutch folksong collector and radiomaker Ate Doornbosch (1926-2010) comes from an overseas neighbour: British music journalist Ken Hunt wrote an excellent obituary about Ate Doornbosch for the British newspaper The Independent. To read this obituary, click here.
I think it’s regrettable that the dutch national NOS Journaal of public television broadcasting didn’t report on television on Ate Doornbosch’s passing away.
Ate Doornbosch, busy transcribing
Of the big dutch newspapers (Telegraaf, Volkskrant, Parool, Trouw, NRC) only NRC published a short obituary. Still, without any doubt Ate Doornbosch was a figure of national importance. He became famous with his radio programme ‘Onder de Groene Linde’, that ran 1316 times between 1957 and 1993 and in its heydays attracted 350.000 listeners per episode. It was the longest running radio programme ever on dutch national radio.
Ate Doornbosch recording old dutch folksongs at the people’s homes
“Few folk-song collectors anywhere match Doornbosch’s achievement, the public face of which was the long-running radio series Onder de Groene Linde (“Under the green linden”) and “his work was fairly compared to that of the US collector Alan Lomax”, writes British music journalist Ken Hunt about Ate Doornbosch in the aforementioned obituary.
It’s great to see that a foreign newspaper fully recognises the meaning and stature of the pioneering work of Ate Doornbosch. Here’s the link to the obituary once more.
Ate Doornbosch in 1990
* outside of the dutch press and media the only extensive dutch obituary I found is this one, written by professor Louis Grijp of the Meertens Instituut in Amsterdam.
Liedjesjager en radiomaker Ate Doornbosch overleden
“Liederen uit de hele wereld klinken in de huizen. Wie heeft er nog aandacht voor een traag oud lied, dat vroeger de lange winteravonden kortte of een eindeloze werkdag op het land?”
Op 23 juli 2010 is op 84-jarige leeftijd de Nederlandse radiomaker en volkskundige Ate Doornbosch overleden. Hij is op 29 juli gecremeerd. Doornbosch presenteerde van 1957 tot 1993 dertienhonderdzestien keer het populaire radiopogramma ‘Onder de Groene Linde’ waarin hij overal in Nederland mensen thuis bezocht en opnamen maakte van door henzelf gezongen, mondeling overgeleverde liederen. Doornbosch legde op die manier zo’n 5000 traditionele liederen vast. Zijn inspanningen leverden een imposant archief op dat in Amsterdam wordt beheerd door het P.J. Meertens Instituut.
Ate Doornbosch ontvangt in 2009 een Edison voor zijn werk
Night of the Overtones 6-hour Concertzender-night special 7 March 2009
Saturday 7 March, at 24.00hrs, another great 6-hour night programme is broadcast on De Concertzender, produced by me, Pieter de Rooij, and by Charlie Crooijmans. You can listen to a great selection of overtone music from all over the world in all its manifestations. From 00.00hrs till 03.00AM a 3-hour special on overtone singing is presented, a rebroadcast of a special I made in 2003. Recently I was listening again to some excerpts of this programme and I thought a rebroadcast would be a great service to our listeners, because radiospecials on overtone singing are nowhere to be found, and my programme really offers a great selection of music of a high artistic level and some of the recordings can’t be found in any musicstore. The great thing is that after this rebroadcast you can listen to these recordings permanently online ‘on demand’, whenever you want.
I decided to make this 3-hour special in 2003 after finishing one of the most interesting books on music I’ve ever come across, “Overtone Singing: Physics and Metaphysics of Harmonics in East and West”, written by dutch overtone singer and musicologist Mark van Tongeren. Overtone singing is a technique by which a single human voice can simultaneously produce two or more clearly audible tones, usually a low drone with seemingly independant tones high above it.
I was so impressed by this book that I decided to make a radio programme on overtone singing, using Mark as ‘tour guide’. He explains the physics and metaphysics of overtone singing and demonstrates several techniques of overtone singing. The book covers its physical and metaphysical aspects and its practice in both East and West. Mark studied throat singing in Tuva, Southern Siberia, and today, Mark is still performing and continuing his research.
Mark van Tongeren
The interview with Mark is in dutch, but for people who don’t understand dutch, I’m sure the programme will nevertheless be a worthwhile listen. Have a look at the playlist below and you can already figure out why I can say this.
One more detail on the 3-hour special: the first hour is presented by great colleague and friend Bart Vonk (1964-2006). I’m sure many people will love to hear Bart once more. It was pure coincidence that Bart was presenting here the first hour of the programme. Since it was a live-broadcast and the regular presenter Paulo Folkertsma didn’t show up in time -he got stuck in the traffic and was delayed- Bart took over and courageously presented my script, while I was answering phonecalls in the studio (I received some nice calls from listeners that evening). In this way Bart really saved my programme’s first hour. The second and third hour Paulo Folkertsma is ‘taking over’. So, in retrospect, here’s my “Well done, Bart!”
After my special The Night of the Overtones continues at 03.00 AM with Charlie Crooijmans’ programming of a fascinating two hours of overtone music by dutch Mouthharptrio Aubergine (03.00-04.00 AM) and by Swiss gong player Verena Jenny (04.00-05.00 AM).
Then, the night finishes with my programming of a unique and very special recording and certainly one of my alltime top favourite recordings. From 05.00 to 06.00 AM I’ve scheduled a fantastic 60-minute recording of singer Okna Tsagan Zam from the Republic of Kalmykia. He gives a spellbinding, mesmerising performance of the Dzjangar epic. It’s a great, never commercially released ‘must-hear’-recording. Nowhere for sale! Don’t miss it!
Cheers!
Night of the Overtones – Playlist of my special from 00.00-03.00 AM
titel: Khöömei, Sygyt, Kargyraa ; tijdsduur: 2’49 ; uitvoerende: Gennadi Tumat ; componist: trad. ; album: ‘Overtone singing from Tuva’ ; label en jaar : PAN Records PAN 2090 ; P en C 2000
titel: ‘Khöömei, sygyt, kargyraa, borbannadir’, tijdsduur: 3’44 ; uitvoerende : Tumat Kara-Ool (uit Tuva) ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Khöömei kak basla men ; uitvoerende : Andryan Öpei (uit Tuva) ; tijdsduur 1’19 ; componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Kargyraa ; tijdsduur: 1’24 ; tijdsduur 8’02 ; uitvoerende: Kaigal-ool Khovalyg (uit Tuva) componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Khöömei ; tijdsduur: 3’28 ; uitvoerende: Ganzorig Nergui (uit Mongolië) ; componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Artii Saayir (sygyt) tijdsduur: 3’00 ; uitvoerende: Andrei Chuldum-ool (uit Tuva); componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002]
Overtone singing from Altai ; tijdsduur: 4’03 ; titel: fragment of epic sung with kai technique ; uitvoerende: Tanyspai Shinzhin ; componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
Overtone singing from Bashkiria ; tijdsduur: 1’30 ; titel: uzlyau (guttural technique) ; uitvoerende: Robert Zagritdinov ; componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
Overtone singing from Tibet by the Drukpa Order ; tijdsduur: 1’55 ; titel: Rituals of the Drukpa Order ; uitvoerende: leden Drukpa Orde ; componist: trad. ; album: Tibet Vol.1 – Rituals of the Drukpa Order; label en jaar: Lyrichord LYRCD 7255 ; P 1971
Overtone singing from Kalmykia ; tijdsduur: 1’27 ; titel: Khöömii / The Djangar Palace ; uitvoerende: Okna Tsagan Zam ; componist: trad. ; album: Chants Epiques et Diphoniques – Vol.1 ; label en jaar: Auvidis ; W 260067 ; P 1996
Overtone singing from Sardinia ; tijdsduur: 1’58 ; titel: Cante a boche note – S’incontru Fortunadu ; uitvoerende: Tenores di bittti remunnu e’locu ; componist: trad. ; album: Romanzesu ; label en jaar: Amori AM002 , P en C 1993
Overtone singing from South-Africa ; tijdsduur: 1’00 ; titel: iRhobane ; uitvoerende: Nowayilethi Mbizweni ; componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Ominous ground ; tijdsduur: 8’16 ; uitvoerende : Rollin Rachelle, album: ‘Harmonic Divergence’ ; label en jaar: Cryptic Voices CV 50003 ; C 1997
titel: The Fall ; tijdsduur: 4’58 ; uitvoerende: David Hykes & The Harmonic Choir ; componist: David Hykes ; Album: Hearing Solar Winds ; label: Ocora C 558607 , P 1982 C 1989
titel: Paraphony ; tijdsduur: 2’44 ; uitvoerende: Mark van Tongeren ; componist: Mark van Tongeren ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Improvisation at the bank of the Yenisei ; tijdsduur: 5’05 ; uitvoerende: Biosintes & Mark van Tongeren ; componist: Biosintes / Mark van Tongeren ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Zen dans l’art de la tartine ; tijdsduur: 4’22 ; uitvoerende: Tran Quang Hai ; album: Diva (soundtrack) ; componist: Tran Quang Hai ; label en jaar: MILAN A 120061 ; P 1981
titel : Stimmung ; tijdsduur: 3’03 ; uitvoerende: Collegium Vocale Cologne ; componist: Karl-Heinz Stockhausen ; album: Stimmung (Pariser version) ; label en jaar: opname van WDR geen label vermeld
titel : Stimmung ; tijdsduur: 1’10 ; uitvoerende: Collegium Vocale Cologne ; componist: Karl-Heinz Stockhausen ; album: Stimmung (Pariser version) ; label en jaar: opname van WDR geen label vermeld ; P 1993]
titel: Alleluia. Sancte Michael defende ; uitvoerende: Iegor Reznikoff ; tijdsduur: 5’38 ; componist: trad. Arr. By Iegor Reznikoff ; album: Le Chant du Mont Saint-Michel ; label : Studio SM D2914 ; P 2001
titel: Lulabells ; uitvoerende: Thomas Clements ; tijdsduur: 3’37 ; componist: Thomas Clements ; album: Round Sound Silence ; label : IRD 9802 ; P 1998
titel: Cavecall ; uitvoerende: Thomas Clements ; tijdsduur: 1’04 ; componist: Thomas Clements ; album: Round Sound Silence ; label : IRD 9802 ; P 1998]
titel: Flautofonie ; uitvoerende: Demetrio Stratos ; tijdsduur: 6’16 ; componist: Demetrio Stratos ; album: cantare La Voce ; label : EMI 724385744228 ; P 1978 C 1998
titel: Terre ; tijdsduur 6’35 ; uitvoerende: Jean Tricot met koor en solisten van het Festival van Minervois ; componist: Jean Tricot ; album: La mécanique de l’aurore ; label : Harmonia Mundi ED 13031 ; P 1994 C 1994
titel: The Second Dream of The High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer from The Four Dreams of China ; tijdsduur : 2’49 ; uitvoerende: The Theatre of Eternal Music Brass Ensemble o.l.v. Ben Neill ; componist: La Monte Young ; album: The Second Dream of The High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer from The Four Dreams of China ; label : Gramavision GRV 74672 ; P 1991 C 1991
titel: An Archeaology of Stones ; tijdsduur : 2’49 ; uitvoerende: Philip Dadson ; componist: Philip Dadson ; album: The Fourth Window ; label : Gramavision GRV 74672 ; P 1991 C 1991
titel : Aanvankelijk ; tijdsduur: 0’47 ; uitvoerende: diverse solisten en Ay-Kherel Ensemble , Nieuw Artis Orchestra, Mondriaan Kwartet ; componist: Guus Janssen ; tekst: Friso haverkamp ; album: Noach, an opera off Genesis ; Composers Voice CV 42/43 ; P 1994
titel : Arkadisch ; tijdsduur: 1’28 ; uitvoerende: diverse solisten en Ay-Kherel Ensemble , Nieuw Artis Orchestra, Mondriaan Kwartet ; componist: Guus Janssen ; tekst: Friso haverkamp ; album: Noach, an opera off Genesis ; Composers Voice CV 42/43 ; P 1994
titel: Grund- und bodenloses Gelächter (ansteckend) ; uitvoerende: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; tijdsduur: 2’16 ; componist: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; album: Duo oder auch Liebes-Szenen – Opera da Camera ; label: niet vermeld (Copyright Michael Vetter) ; P 1996 C 1997
titel: Interludium: Tantrische Meditation V (Obertöne, selbstironisch sich entfrömmelnd) ; uitvoerende: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; tijdsduur: 2’23 ; componist: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; album: Duo oder auch Liebes-Szenen – Opera da Camera ; label: niet vermeld (Copyright Michael Vetter) P 1996 C 1997
titel: Brummend vor Behagen (am Rande des Verstummens); uitvoerende: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; tijdsduur: 2’02 ; componist: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; album: Duo oder auch Liebes-Szenen – Opera da Camera ; label: niet vermeld (Copyright Michael Vetter) ; P 1996 C 1997
titel: Pitchendebin ; uitvoerende: Vershki da Koreshki ; tijdsduur: 7’21 ; componist: Vershki da Koreshki ; album: Real Life Of Plants ; label: Long Arms records CDLA 96020 ; P 1996 C 1996
titel: Kargyraa Moan ; uitvoerende: Paul Pena ; tijdsduur: 3’53 ; componist: Paul Pena ; album: Genghis Blues (soundtrack) ; label: Six Degrees Records 6570361038-2; P 2000 C 2000
titel: City Chess ; tijdsduur 2’04 ; uitvoerende: Mark van Tongeren ; componist: Mark van Tongeren ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Dzjangar ; uitvoerende: Okna Tsagan Zam ; componist: trad. Arr. by Okna Tsagan Zam ; album: Dzjangar ; label: niet vermeld ; C.1999, private release.
btw !: the final title – Dzjangar – will be broadcast later on, entirely (!), at the close of The Night of the Overtones, approx. from 05.00-06.00 AM
World Music favourites 2008 in Wereldmineralen, Sat. 27 December
Here’s my top 10 of favourite world music albums of 2008. My top favourite of the year is Continue reading