Just saw the famous Senegal singer Youssou N'Dour in concert last Saturday.
I have not been following his carreer closely; I have none of his CDs beyond Joko. The sound of the concert was not good at all, but this did not damp the enthusasm of the audience, who went up dancing at the aisle at the first opportunity. I am always pleasantly surprised by the reception these "obscure" musicians get in Hong Kong; I thought no one listens to "strange" music anymore.
Two things especially impressed me: the first was that N'Dour is a superb singer. Full stop. Regardless of nation or genre. He is blessed with a beautiful tone, vocal prowess, and of course an innate sense of rhythm. These qualities are not always obvious in his albums, which I think are often over-produced.
On top of being a supreme artist, N'Dour is humanitarian. He stayed behind after the concert to have a short meet with the audience, where he talked about the plans he has for his native land. He has always been active in human rights campaigns, and has worked, among other projects, towards providing internet access in the African continent. N'Dour's own foundation aims primarily at fostering new musical talents in Senegal. He said during the concert: "When the west think about Africa, they think about three things: poverty, AIDS, and war. But I want to show that there is another side of Africa -- Africa has happiness too". At this moment, surely, happiness is but a distant dream for the majority of Africans, but as long as we have musicians like N'Dour -- musicians with a true heart -- we still have a hope.
Just saw the famous Senegal singer Youssou N'Dour in concert last Saturday.
I have not been following his carreer closely; I have none of his CDs beyond Joko. The sound of the concert was not good at all, but this did not damp the enthusasm of the audience, who went up dancing at the aisle at the first opportunity. I am always pleasantly surprised by the reception these "obscure" musicians get in Hong Kong; I thought no one listens to "strange" music anymore.
Two things especially impressed me: the first was that N'Dour is a superb singer. Full stop. Regardless of nation or genre. He is blessed with a beautiful tone, vocal prowess, and of course an innate sense of rhythm. These qualities are not always obvious in his albums, which I think are often over-produced.
On top of being a supreme artist, N'Dour is humanitarian. He stayed behind after the concert to have a short meet with the audience, where he talked about the plans he has for his native land. He has always been active in human rights campaigns, and has worked, among other projects, towards providing internet access in the African continent. N'Dour's own foundation aims primarily at fostering new musical talents in Senegal. He said during the concert: "When the west think about Africa, they think about three things: poverty, AIDS, and war. But I want to show that there is another side of Africa -- Africa has happiness too". At this moment, surely, happiness is but a distant dream for the majority of Africans, but as long as we have musicians like N'Dour -- musicians with a true heart -- we still have a hope.
Falcon...You are one lucky guy indeed. However I am not surprised at the audiences' reaction. How could anyone stay sitting at one of his shows?
Right from to the opening Arabesque piano passage, you'll instantly realise you're listening to a supremely classy production. The rest of the album does not disappoint: a sizzling musical party where traditional Middle-eastern sounds mash tastefully with flowery electronics. Some of the songs (like "Ya Galbi") have a distinctly Caribbean feel, and Khaled's voice is as strong and powerful as ever.
I always think that Algerian Rai music is a cheesy lot, and surely Khaled has propagated a fair load of cheese over the years. Let's hope that this wonderful album be a foretaste of what is to come.
I just reread this entire thread, and have a few things to add.
On the first page, Deep Forest got a brief mention but was left at that. I LOVE this group. Well, I more love their first album (also called Deep Forest); I'm quite underwhelmed by all the rest of their work. This first album uses samples from pygmies and blends it with a techno beat. It's not been off my top five list from the day I was introduced to them by my girlfriend in september.
If you like Deep Forest, Enigma and Afro Celt Sound System should also not be missed.
Skipping from one ethnic fusion to another, there is no kirtan (a form of Indian chanting) like Krishna Das'. Most of his albums have too modern beats for my liking with this style, but his album Live on Earth... For a Limited Time Only is the most beautiful, accessible, and addicting Indian music I have ever heard.
yeah i highly recommend mariza, whenever you get the chance...i have transparente as well and it's also a good album, all around you can't go wrong with her imo i also have her London DVD, great performance, i hope she comes to the states again someday so i can get a chance to see her performance
Just picked up her Live in Lisbon cd which comes with a bonus DVD with her take on the history of Fado (I don't have the cd in front of me, so forgive me if I mis-remembered the blurb on the back..have not watched it yet). I listened to it all day at work.
Also awaiting an order from cduniverse which will have a couple of old Steve Hillage classics and a new one from The Pacha Massive..
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