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fRoots 44
The latest in our series of sought-after compilations, which you can download to enjoy on your computer or mp3 player or burn to CD –the download includes artwork for a slimline case and label.
O
ne of the great things about turning the justly sought- after series of fRoots compi- lations into downloads is that we can do more. There is so
much wonderful music always coming to our attention – almost all of it on small independent labels with little in the way of promotion resources. So here’s the first time we’ve done one with the June issue, and it’s a cracker!
Several albums into their career,
David Wax Museum’s great Mexican- influenced music only just came into our radar range as they’re at Womad this sum- mer. Turns out they’re friends of our pals the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Well, the old fRoots crystal ball was on the blink!
Oh we do like what happens when traditions mix up together in a naturally occurring way – which is what happened when Tanzania’s Arnold Chiwalala, a stu- dent of Hukwe Zawose, moved to Finland and discovered how well the traditional Finnish kantele fitted his music.
Before she was half of the wonderful future-folk duo Snakefarm with Michel Delory, Anna Domino was a cult 1980s electro-pop singer songwriter. Exclusively for fRoots, the pair revisit one of her old songs in the acoustic form of their recent UK tour, plus Steven Brown on clarinet.
Talking of routes leading from electro-
pop, Yasmine Hamdan came to fame with Lebanese duo Soapkills before mov- ing to Paris. Her first solo album draws its inspiration from Arabic traditions, espe- cially the great Arabic women singers from the middle of the 20th Century.
Having toured her Oysterband collab-
oration Ragged Kingdom extensively, this year has seen June Tabor on the road in a totally different context – with pianist Huw Warren and sax player Iain Ballamy providing an exquisite, mesmerising set- ting for her voice as Quercus .
American national treasure and prop- er job folk hero Spider John Koerner cel- ebrates his 75th birthday year with a new album – his first ever recorded in England – featuring his recent touring partner Chip Taylor Smith on fiddle. Songs rarely swing more relaxedly funky than this!
Italian-resident Malian ngoni player Baba Sissoko has teamed with his moth- er, singer Djeli Mah Damba Koroba, for a wonderful CD of traditional Malian griot music, also featuring his ngoni-playing nephew Djime Sissoko and celebrated soku (local violin) player Zoumana Téráta.
There’s much gorgeousness and origi- nality to be found on the debut CD by the Rheingans Sisters (Rowan – she of Lady Maisery – and Anna), but we were particu- larly struck by the way they effortlessly turn The Incredible String Band’s October Song into an old-timey thing. Good, eh?
From way over there on the left hand side of Canada, The Sweet Lowdown are a trio of women whose writing is also influenced by old-time sources. Amanda Blied (guitar), Shanti Bremer (banjo) and Miriam Songstenes (fiddles) also have a great line in goosepimply harmonies.
One of our all time favourite Spanish party bands were the amazing Ampara- noia with their Cuban ska-influenced mes- tizo mixture. It’s hardly surprising that the
excellent Bongo Botrako fit into the same mould: they’re produced by Ampara- noia’s feisty Amparo Sanchez.
We still remember when the last Ruth
Theodore album turned up in the fRoots office: all work stopped as jaws hit the floor, entranced by her originality. Well, one of the most distinctive, different live performers, singers, songwriters and gui- tarists has done it again!
While Sheffield has its traditionalist hordes, Bristol – where the fRoots dun- geon is now located – is home to some of the UK’s most creative roots musicians around today. Songwriter (and ferry man) Will Newsome has adopted the West African kora as his instrument.
Estonian fiddlesinger Maarja Nuut may still be in her twenties but she’s already sufficiently immersed in tradition- al village music to confidently use it as a basis for very individual experimentation, live looping voice and instrument in extraordinary fashion.
From Virginia, Maya Lerman and
friends, aka Maya & The Ruins, popped up with a delightful, independently pro- duced, organic-feeling album of old-time, country and blues songs which you can get through Bandcamp. Look out for a Root Salad feature on her elsewhere this issue.
Song Yuzhe, the mastermind behind
DaWangGang, is a cittern and banjolin player, sound technician and designer from Chang Chun in China, now resident in Beijing. The group uses Chinese opera structures with folk songs and original compositions to create something new.
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