Best of Steve Kindig (Global)
By Folk Department
Steve Kindig alternates on Beyond Borders Wednesday afternoon from 12-2 (eastern).
In no particular order
Artist(s)/Album/Label
Mokoomba/Tusona — Traces In the Sand/OutHere Records
For their latest album, Zimbabwe’s Mokoomba recruited the horn section from the terrific Ghanaian band Santrofi, lifting their propulsive Afropop sound to an even higher level. My favorite global music album of the year.
GAJA/Między Światami/3420736 Records DK
The Polish band GAJA delivers a tuneful album of gentle folk and folk rock.
YEMa/Yedega Sew/YEMa
The young singer Yemariam “Yema” Chernet’s polished debut album beautifully fuses traditional Ethiopian song styles with more contemporary elements.
O Gajo & Ricardo Vignini/Terra Livre/Lusitanian
This album of instrumental duets features a pair of guitar-like instruments and players that were completely new to me. Ricardo Vignini, from Brazil, plays the 10-string viola caipira, and is joined by O Gajo, from Portugal, who plays the 10-string viola campanica.
Aziza Brahim/Mawja/Glitterbeat
With her first new album in five years, Algeria’s Aziza Brahim continues to create resonant desert blues with lyrics ranging from defiant to mournful, but always with a distinctly feminist perspective.
Meridian Brothers/Mi Latinoamerica Sufre/Ansonia Records
The latest project from Colombian composer/producer/multi-instrumentalist Eblis Alvarez blends his trademark electronic cumbia with a kitchen sink of influences including Ghanaian highlife and Congolese soukous.
Lass/Passeport/Chapter Two Records
Senegalese singer Lass delivers a set of catchy Afropop songs infused with Afro-Cuban rhythms, but his soaring elastic voice is the real star.
Bedouin Burger/Ma Li Beit/Pop Arabia
Lynn Adib (Syria) and Zeid Hamdan (Lebanon) are the creative minds behind Bedouin Burger. Their music combines traditional Middle Eastern melodies with irresistible dance rhythms, all in support of Adib’s spellbinding Arabic vocals.
Various Artists/Congo Funk!/Analog Africa
In recent years my “Best of…” lists always seem to include a compilation from Analog Africa. Congo Funk! is another gem, filled with guitar-driven grooves from 1969-1982 culled from some 2,000 tracks assembled by label boss Samy Ben Redjeb.
Ali Dogan Gonultas/Keyeyi/Keyeyi
Compared to the spate of Turkish psychedelic bands, the stark acoustic beauty of Ali Dogan Gonultas’ expressive singing and tembur playing is like gazing into a pool of clear, still water
Sahra Halgan/Hiddo dhawr/Danaya Music
On this electric and electrifying album, Somalian singer Sahra Halgan delivers a wide-ranging collection of up-to-the-minute desert rock.
Peter Somuah/Highlife/ACT Music
Highlife is built on the rich musical heritage of Peter Somuah’s Ghanaian roots, featuring a rich tapestry of instruments, from rhythmic guitars and percussion to Somuah’s radiant trumpet, weaving a captivating dialogue between highlife and modern jazz.
