Through the Night: World Music

 
1. France – Bernard Lavilliers
He is the globetrotter among the French artists. Lavilliers hails from Saint-Etienne but has a weakness for the southern hemisphere: Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Sertao, Trenchtown, heat and sweat. Bernard Lavilliers certainly did not wait for the fashion of the World Music to color his ‘rock’. CD. compilation. Labels: Eddy Barclay Records/France > Universal Music Group.
2. UK (Scotland) – John Martyn
Recently described by Empire magazine as the ‘best British (folk)blues singer ever", John Martyn was one of the last true mavericks in the genre. Despite a long addiction to alcohol and drugs, that contributed to his death in January of 2009, he produces a series of peerless albums. John Neil Munro wrote a book about him: Some People Are Crazy: The John Martyn Story. With contributions from Martyn himself, his friends, twenty musicians who knew him well, his upbringing in Glasgow and the Scottish and London folk scene from the 60s. CD. Compilation. Label: Island Records.
3. Spain – Diego El Cigala
Latin-Grammy-winning Gypsy singer from Madrid, known as a pioneer in fusing flamenco with Latin American music forms like the bolero, Afro-Caribbean jazz and tango. His ability to mix different forms of temporary music with traditional flamenco has brought him great popularity and numerous awards. He is best known for his release of Bebo y Cigala: "Lágrimas Negras" – with the Cuban jazz pianist Bebo Valdés. CD. Compilation. Label: Cigala Music.
4. Italia – Eros Ramazzotti
The popularity of Eros Ramazzotti has made him one of the most famous artists of Italy. His career lasts for more than 25 years and he has sold over 50 million albums. Eros Luciano Walter Ramazzotti was born in 1963 in Cinecittà, a suburb of Rome, known for its famous film studios. His parents noticed his talent for music and registered him for the Conservatory in Rome. Unfortunately, he was rejected. After a brief period of teaching himself how to play the piano and the guitar, Eros started to compose his own songs. The first opportunity to perform was the Castrocaro Music Festival in 1981, where he presented his first compositions. He was noticed by Baron Lando Lanni, founder of the young record label DDD (Drogueria di Drugolo), who let him sign a record deal immediately. CD. Compilation. Labels: RCA, Ariola Records, Bertelsmann Music Group, Universal Music Group.
**Eros performs at the Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam on November 3th. 2015. Tickets
5. UK (Wales) – Tom Jones
In 1963 Tom Jones founded the band Tommy Scott and the Senators. The crowd loved them, but growth was limited by their non-urban location (south Wales). This changed in 1964, when he was discovered by Gordon Mills Jones, who took him to London and who is still his manager. With a new solo career he changed his name in Tom Jones. ‘Decca Records’ contracted him, but his first single never became a hit. His second single, It’s Not Unusual, peaked at the top in the UK charts in 1965. CD. Compilation. Labels: Decca, Columbia, Epic, Jive, Island, V2, S-Curve.
6. USA – Otis Redding
Otis Redding was born and raised in the American state of Georgia. When he was 15 years old he left school to support his family and joined Little Richard’s backing band,The Upsetters, to take part in talent shows for the prize money. At first he was mainly popular among the African-Americans, but later on he reached a wider audience. Together with his band he played for the first time in the famous nightclub in Los Angeles: Whisky a Go Go. His world success came in 1967 on the Monterey Pop Festival, where he played his song The Dock of the Bay. Some time after his death (at the age of 26) in a plane crash in 1967, this song topped almost all charts in the world. CD. Compilation. Labels: Stax records, Atlantic, Rhino Entertainment, Atco records, Warner music group, Sundazed music.
7. UK – Seal.
Seal was born in London in 1963, his mother was from Nigeria and his father was from Brazil. After Seal had tried to build a musical career for himself in London, he joined the funk band “Push”, and left for a tour in Japan. Every day was a new experience. After a  little excursion to Thailand with a blues band he left for India and there he had some, as he called them, spiritual experiences. Seal’s breakthrough came in 1990 with the song "Killer", that spent several weeks on the first place in the British charts. CD. Compilation. Labels:  ZTT , Sire, Warner Bros,  Reprise.
8- USA – Stevie Wonder.
Stevie Wonder is an American singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. When he was twelve years old this blind  rhythm-and-blues, soul, pop and funk artist was introduced by Motown as the new Ray Charles. In the 70s he acquired he record deal with artistic freedom and recorded a few albums that were favourably received by both the audience and the critics. He sold over a hundred million records, won twenty-five Grammy Awards and was listed in the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Title: As. Label: Tamia (Motown).