Jama Ko - Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba

I've been featuring the music of Bassekou Kouyate and his group Ngoni Ba on 2BBB's Local Global Show for five years now. Ngoni Ba's first two releases, "Segu Blue" and "I Speak Fula", were amongst the most feted releases to come out of Mali in recent times, with the focus on the Ngoni being of great interest to musicians and audiences far and wide.

 When Bassekou was 18 and playing music with Bamako's famous Rail Band, he made his first solo trip to the USA at the invitation of Taj Mahal. On visiting an African-American Museum, he saw that early slaves had taken the Ngoni with them across the Atlantic, only for it to evolve (with the addition of machine heads and other adjustments) into what we call a Banjo. The original Ngoni is like a hollowed out cricket bat with strings and Ngoni Ba were the first to experiment with a larger, bass version of the instrument as well as other sizes and tunings.

 Bassekou Kouyate comes from a long line of griots who have specialised in the art of playing the Ngoni, and he is now obviously enjoying the fact that his own sons are of an age when they too can join him and their mother, the beautiful, talented and renowned Malian singer Amy Sacko, on stage at festivals and concerts all over the planet. One of my favourite tracks on this new CD is the closer "Moustafa", written by Moustafa 'Vieux' Kouyate in which he thanks his Mum and Dad for putting him through school and teaching him the Ngoni. He and his brother Madou, who plays the Ngoni bass, are only in their early twenties but they've been playing the instrument ever since they could pick one up and carry it.

 The new family-oriented line-up - with father, mother, two sons and a nephew in matching colourful traditional robes - blew audiences away recently at Womadelaide with their totally-in-synch togetherness. They are as tight as any band I have ever seen and with this new CD "Jama Ko", there has been something of a shift, with performances being taken to a whole new level. There is now a far greater use of electronic effects, in particular the wah-wah on Bassekou's lead Ngoni which lends an air of breathless excitement and urgency.

 Perhaps it is a reflection of the circumstances in which the album came to be recorded in Bamako in March 2012. Producer Howard Bilerman (renowned for his work with Arcade Fire) had been flown in from Montreal and Studio Bogolan booked, only for the city and country to descend into utter chaos as an unexpected military coup took place, ousting Kouyate's friend and supporter President Amadou Toumani Toure. Shots rang out barely a kilometre from where the recordings were taking place, with the radio station being the centre of the fighting. The coup changed the mood of the country overnight but somehow, between power cuts, fuel shortages and daily curfews, the recording still took place.

 It is best exemplified by Bassekou's insistent "Ne Me Fatigue Pas" (Don't wear me out) a fast-paced, trance-like put down of all the shenanigans taking place around them. The chaos in the capital meant that things also changed rapidly in the North of Mali, with Islamist insurgents taking advantage and taking control, to impose sharia law and ban music in a country where music is in the blood. The title track "Jama Ko" means 'a great meeting of people' : Bassekou explains the meaning thus: "There are over 90% Muslims in Mali, but our form of Islam here has nothing to do with a radical form of Sharia: that is not our culture....If the Islamists stop people making music, they will rip the heart out of Mali". If you would like to discover the heart of this incredibly diverse and highly musical nation, you should track down a copy of this CD.

The Life and Times of....... - The Hot 8 Brass Band

If you have ever watched "Treme" (the latest much-lauded HBO TV show from the makers of "The Wire") you will have seen the Hot 8 Brass Band in action. It is a fascinating series that documents people returning to post-Katrina New Orleans to pick up the pieces of their lives. Much of the action centres on the lives of the musicians and it vividly portrays just how central music is to the everyday life of the city.

Whether playing in the "second line" New Orleans parades, at a traditional Jazz funeral, or in a crowded bar in the Treme area, the Hot 8 grab our attention because they are so young, so talented and so together musically. Most have been playing in bands since starting High School and their youth means they bring an energy and a "street" / hiphop feel to whatever tunes they play. They do a couple of covers on their new CD: The Specials' "Ghost Town" (very redolent with meaning with post-flood New Orleans in mind) and Basement Jaxx's "Bingo Bango" - and they make both tunes very much their own.

There is a real sense of Joie de Vivre in their music that belies the hard times they have been through. Three founding members died as a result of handgun violence, with one of them killed by the often brutal NOPD with his hands in the air and in possession of little more than a trombone case. Another member was lost to drugs. A third band member gets around in a wheelchair after getting out of one car and into the path of another speeding vehicle. Many of the group struggle with health issues, with youth obesity and diabetes being such epidemic killers in their part of the world, particularly amongst African American working class neighbourhoods

"War Time" struts along, angrily propelled by the heavyweight Sousaphone and Bass Drum, with some wild Jazz saxophone, trumpet and trombone letting rip. But we're having a Party here, with a capital P, so the wild solos always give way to the catchy refrain. This is eminently dance-able music. The hiphop chants in this and "Let Me Do My Thing" illustrate their immense self-belief these days. They are now signed to TruThoughts Records in the UK and are making waves far and wide. There is a touch of the swagger of Funk and Stax Soul about the songs on this CD.

The track I keep coming back to for the Local Global Show is "Steamin' Blues" - a truly riotous piece, swinging along and featuring virtuosic displays by all of the ensemble in the best Jazz traditions but with a thoroughly modern day street-oriented take on proceedings. Further emphasising this, the sleeve is adorned with an array of amazing graffiti artworks created by Banksy in New Orleans after the flood, which cleverly satirise the social issues facing the Hot 8, their neighbours and the other inhabitants of Treme.

Archie Roach "Into The Bloodstream" This new CD from one of Australia's living national treasures is an absolute revelation. I've always appreciated his work - his breakthrough "Charcoal Lane", his atmospheric soundtrack for "The Tracker" movie and his last release "Journey" are testament to Roach's strong song-writing and story-telling abilities. But I've never really enjoyed his music. His pain was so transparent - and for very good reason, given his stolen childhood and his struggles to cope as an adult - so that his music often made for very uneasy listening. In the liner notes to "Into The Bloodstream" Roach reveals that his own attitude to Pain was transformed during the making of this latest album. He used to think that letting go of his Pain was the only way to get over it, but he came to understand that the Pain may always be there, and that a different attitude to life, some good medicine and the creative process of writing songs about it gave him ways of coming to terms with it. To say that he's had a challenging few years is something of an understatement. First, he unexpectedly lost his soul mate Ruby Hunter. Then, during his grieving, he suffered a debilitating stroke. While recovering from that, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and had to have half a lung removed. Little wonder that he was initially finding it hard to find his muse when first trying to gather ideas for "Into The Bloodstream". The opening title track is familiar territory to those who know his work. But there are hints of a positivity and a lightness that we haven't heard before. The next track "Song To Sing" is a full-blown Gospel number that simply soars. Check out the video for it on YouTube and I defy you not to shed tears of joy. Shot with an indigenous choir and a large ensemble in St Brigid's church in Archie's hometown of of Killarney, it is truly inspirational. "Mulyawongk" is a beautiful tribute to Ruby and her many virtues. "Wash My Soul In The River's Flow", though penned by Roach, sounds like a New Orleans standard and allows Archie to revel in his discovery of whole new registers to his voice. "We Won't Cry" is a gorgeous duet with his old mate Paul Kelly. "Hush Now Babies" (with Emma Donovan) and "Old Mission Road" are touching tributes to his much missed Mother and Father, celebratory without being maudlin. There is so much to like about this album. All I can say is get down to your local record store and BUY IT - without further ado. As Archie says in the sleeve notes (and what lovely artwork too): "Doing this album has been good medicine for me! I hope listening to it will be the same for you!"

"Traces" by Karine Polwart

It has been a fair while between drinks for fans of Scottish songsmith Karine Polwart. Her new CD "Traces" contains songs that have had a 2-3 year gestation period during which they have been performed live and finely honed to perfection. The title refers to traces of things, people or places left behind when they are gone. The wonderfully poignant "Salters Road" is a eulogy for a beloved 90 year old neighbour who passed away. "Strange news" is a song written in a state of disbelief on hearing of the sudden death of a cousin. There are also eulogies to particular places and what makes them personal to Polwart. There is pure poetry in the lyrics of Polwart's songs, words which wash over you and leave vivid imagery in their wake. The instrumentation and voices are sparse and sweet. Often it is the space in between the sounds which speaks volumes. Brother Steven Polwart plays guitar, Inge Thomson plays accordion and both harmonise beautifully with Karine's own voice. The sound is augmented by such instruments as Indian harmonium, Shruti box, piano, clarinet, flute, trumpet, marimba and other percussion. It is a distinctly accoustic and analogue feel on the whole and the overall feel of the album is life affirming and uplifting. "Don't Worry", "Cover Your Eyes" and "King of Birds" all have great political relevance. All 10 songs are cut and polished gems where layers of sounds build to dramatic and cinematic effect. Most definitely one of the best releases of 2012.

Bending The Dark - The Imagined Village

It's five years since Simon Emmerson took a break from the Afro Celt Sound System to embark on a new venture called The Imagined Village. Recognising the multicultural balti that England had become, Emmerson brought together an extremely diverse bunch of musicians to help bring English Folk kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. There have been quite a few personnel changes along the way to this, their third CD, and these changes have only added to the spice and variety of the project. This incarnation has brought together English Folk legends Martin Carthy and daughter Eliza, Jackie Oates, sitar player extraordinaire Sheema Mukhterjee, dhol drummer Jonny Kalsi, and the rock steady drum and bass duo Andy Gangadeen and Ali Friend, together with a red hot brass section. The set opens with Jackie Oates and a sweetly sung but sad and perfunctory finger-in-the-ear story about the heartless slaying of "The Captain's Apprentice" on a ship bound for Spain. It segues into "New York Trader", which introduces the whole ensemble with a brightness and communal vigour that we haven't quite heard in their previous releases. The schedule of writing together, playing live, then recording and then touring to promote the CD seems to have paid handsome dividends. Some of the tracks, such as "The Guvna", have great immediacy - Lush arrangements, with touches of dub and drum & bass and bursts of dhol drums, are overlaid with fiddles and sitar. But for the first few listens, some of the songs don't quite gel - there is so much going on that there is a danger of it all becoming just too muddy. But perseverance pays off. While not as immediate as the first two releases, Bending The Dark is a complex, adventurous work, with twists and turns and layer upon layer of rewards in store. The best example of this is the 12 minute title track which finishes off the CD. Written by Mukhterjee as a commission for the River of Music Festival that was held during the Olympic Games, it plays on the theme of "bending the dha" (a note on the sitar) and with time signatures that thoroughly test the ensemble, it is a remarkable celebration of the modern day multicultural nature of England.

Ondatropica "Ondatropica"

In the same way that London has its legendary Abbey Road studios, and Kingston Jamaica has its Studio One, Medellin in Colombia has Discos Fuentes. An iconic record label and studio since 1934, it is sometimes referred to as an Afro-Colombian Motown. Discos Fuentes was instrumental in introducing African-based genres such as cumbia, fandango and porro to the wider world. In January 2011, English DJ and producer Will "Quantic" Holland, long-time resident of Colombia, teamed up with local musician Mario Galeano ( of "Frente Cumbiero") to convene at these antiquated analogue studios with forty two of the country's leading musicians, young and old to see what musical magic might happen. They invited musicians who had worked there in the 50's and 60's golden era of Colombian music along with the best and brightest of the younger generation. The takes were live onto 4 track tape. Arrangements were written and improvised on the run. But the musicians were all equal to the task and a lush sound resulted, indicative of a very cohesive, co-operative atmosphere for those two frantic weeks of recording. The Brass arrangements in particular are to die for and the percussive drive has a punk-like energy at times. To keep us on our toes, for example, there's even a drunken ensemble version of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" There are ska, raps, beatboxing and dub sensibilities merged gloriously with the old-style Afro-Colombian genres - the serenading of the sixties Colombian crooners, such as Michi Sarmiento and Markitos Micolta - and all interwoven with the silky accordion of Anibal 'Sensacion' Velasquez. These younger musicians are realising a dream and playing - live - with their idols in these most legendary of surroundings. There are so many classic tracks on this double CD. My own favourite is "3 Reyes de la Terapia" which mashes up marimbula, accordion and beatbox in a manner never before seen or heard in a Colombian recording studio. It was the final recording made for the LP, laid down on the last night before all the gear was packed away. It has a melancholic not-wanting-it-to-end feel courtesy some beautifully atmospheric analogue reverb and sparse instrumentation. The two producers talk in the liner notes of wanting to create "an atmosphere of true musical discussion, learning and exchange". This they do in spades. But the FUN they had along the way is what is totally infectious. It would be fitting if this release does for Colombian culture what Buena Vista Social Club did for Cuban.

"Guzo" by Samuel Yirga

The joint venture between British and Ethiopian musicians called Dub Colossus has been a firm favourite on the Local Global Show for three years now, with "A Town Like Addis", "Addis Through The Looking Glass" and the remix CD "Dub Me Tender" all being quite extraordinary releases by Real World Records. The keyboard player with Dub Colossus is the precocious talent Samuel Yirga. Now in his early twenties he has only been playing piano since the age of fifteen, when he was one of only three out of two thousand applicants to secure a place at the Addis Ababa Music Academy. His parents disapproved of him being a ne'er-do-well musician, but he was quite driven and would practise for twelve hours a day. Eventually the Academy asked him to leave when he persistently refused to perform the classical music that they insisted upon, in favour of more contemporary EthioJazz compositions that he preferred to play. "Guzo" is his first solo CD and is one of the standout releases of 2012. Partly recorded in Addis, partly in London and produced by Nick Page (of Transglobal Underground fame) there are four distinct elements to it. First up, there are some solo piano pieces with his own distinctly Ethiopian filter. Then there is some traditional Ethiopian music with a Jazz tinge, recorded with local Addis musicians - the one stringed violin and plaintive singing plus Fender Rhodes bass. "The Blues of Wollo" is quite outstanding. Thirdly, there is some full-on postmodern BeBop Jazz, sometimes fierce and in your face (with some wild saxophone parts) and at others very introspective and considered. Finally there is the soul / funk crossover fusion from Western music that has inspired him from the 70's and 80's, which features a great brass section and some wonderful harmonies provided by the Criole Choir of Cuba. This is music that is richly layered and textured, taking the listener through a whole gamut of emotions. It is music from the heart but also, at times, highly complex cerebral stuff. Recent research in Canada using Sting as a guinea pig has shown that composing and performing, and also just listening and dancing to, this sort of music can fire up the neurons in one's brain, releasing dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin galore. Great added value indeed for the price of a humble CD!