The Night: World Music

Part 1: 

Lullabies From the Axis of Evil.
Label: Kirkelig Kulturverksted.

In 2003, Norwegian producer Erik Hillestad resolved to give the expression ‘Axis of Evil’ which was used by president George W. Bush for the first time in his 2002 State of the Union, a human face.

Part 2:

Label: HARMONIA P – Z.  Album ‘Transparent Water’ by Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita.

Cuba and Senegal; maybe not the most obvious combination on paper.
Nevertheless, Cuban pianist Omar Sosa and Senegalese kora player and singer Seckou Keita achieve something special in ‘Transparent Water’ by incorporating oriental influences as well.

Part 3: 

Label: Glitterbeat. Aziza Brahim – Soutak.

Aziza Brahim was raised in an Algerian refugee camp where her parents, coming from the Western Sahara in Morocco, ran for safety.
When she was 11 they moved to Cuba.
In later years she settled in Barcelona for her further musical education.

Part 4: 

Label: Kirkelig Kulturverksted FXCD 409, Xango. The album ‘Traces Of An Old Vineyard’ by Mahsa Vahdat.
She is a passionate supporter of freedom of expression. Since 2007, she has been one of the ambassadors of Freemuse, an international organisation against censorship in music, and was awarded the Freemuse Award in 2010. Mahsa Vahdat’s music is heavily inspired by the ancient traditional music from the various Iranian regions. She was taught singing by some old masters and composes most of her songs herself.

Part 5: 

Another album by Mahsa Vahdat, but this one is from 2008 with her sister Marjan, and titles ‘Songs From a Persian Garden’.

This album was recorded live and has beautiful duets by these two Iranian sisters.

Part 6:

Label: Piranha records.

Frank London’s Glass House Orchestra is a super group with eight known musicians of various backgrounds from four different countries and two continents.

They are very much aware of history, but live entirely in the ‘here and now’.

Part 7:

Label: Elen-music / Xango.

The album ‘Bear’s wedding’  by the Bulgarian group Bulgara.

Part 8:

Label: ARC. Ternipe was started in 1989 by young gypsies who wanted to play their own music, the traditional gypsy music.
Two women and three men who, above all, want to keep their traditions alive, and do this with a lot of passion and persuasiveness.
‘Hungarian Gypsy Music’ by the Hungarian gypsy band Ternipe.

Blok 9:

Piranha Musik Berlin. ‘World After History’ – La Campanella ＆ Boris Kovac.

The music of Boris Kovac  & La Campanella, a  full range of melancholy, with some gypsy swing, French cabaret and tango added.

Nice music to listen to, especially at this hour of the night.