This month's World Music Chart from the European Broadcast Union, selected by 45 radio producers across 24 countries, features some interesting new releases that music fans might like to consider.
Riding high in top place is the long-awaited second album, Fenfo, from Italy-based Malian singer/songwriter Fatoumata Diawara. Her debut album in 2011, Fatou, was a revelation. The album announced the arrival of an original voice and musician. She garnered praise and awards for her debut and has since gone on to perform around the world, among others with Damon Albarn's Africa Express ensemble.
Her new album is rooted in her Bamana culture and she mainly sings in this language; her music, though, is not a return to acoustic roots as the album has a contemporary feel to it. On this album she has collaborated with producer Matthieu Chedid and her music features deep Bamana grooves, funk, various kinds of Afro-funk/pop and local acoustic instruments. And as with Malian superstar Oumou Sangare, she does not shirk away from dealing with social issues.
There are some other African releases on the chart, led by Ivory Coast's Dobet Gnahore with Miziki, her fifth studio album. She is a superstar in her home country and is widely recognised as one of the continent's finest voices. Despite having won a Grammy for her song Palea, this is an artist not well known outside Africa but well worth checking out.
A compilation of Hugh Masekela's work, Masekela '66-'76 is at No.2 on the chart. Essential for any record collection.
Two fabulous African compilations complete the African releases: African Scream Contest 2, which features a host of mesmerising bands from Benin (regular readers know that one of World Beat's favourite bands hails from Benin -- Orchestra Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou), which if it is as good as Volume 1 will be a splendid addition to your music collection; the same goes for I'm Not Here To Hunt Rabbits, which showcase music from Botswana. I know very little about the music of Botswana but as soon as I get my hands on this album, I will report back.
It is great to see the Wales-West Africa collaboration, Soar, by Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and African kora (21-stringed African harp) maestro Seckou Keita continuing its successful run. The duo are currently on a sold-out UK tour. Highly recommended.
Just one Asian entry appears on the list and this comes via Canada/USA. Canadian-based ghazal singer Kieran Ahluwalia has a new album out, 7 Billion. Readers may remember a review of her previous album which included a wonderful version of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's fusion qawwali hit, Mustt Mustt, backed by the desert rockers, Tinariwen.
As with recent charts, European bands make up the rest of the chart and several are worth checking out, particularly regarding countries like the Czech Republic (BraAgas), Slovenia (Katalena), Latvia (Auli and Tautumeitas) and Cyprus (Monsieur Doumani), which don't normally feature on the chart. The popularity of bands from these countries reflects a growing interest in local roots music across Europe.
The winners of the recent Songlines magazine's World Music Awards, which replaced BBC's World Music Awards a few years ago, were released last month. There are some great artists and music on this list, so have a look online where many of these albums have samples available for you to check out before you buy.
Africa and Middle East winner was Malian megastar singer/businesswoman Oumou Sangare's return to the studio and new album, Mogoya, the first studio release of new material for 20 years. The Americas award was won by singer/multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens, who shot to fame for her work on two albums with the irresistible band Carolina Chocolate Drops, which played all kinds of jug band, blues and jazz, African-American bluegrass and Piedmont fiddle music. Her new album, Freedom Highway, which I haven't heard yet, has garnered great praise.
The award for best album from Asia & South Pacific comes from an interesting alternative South Korean band, Black String (a reference to a kind of zither) with their album, Mask Dance. More on this band after I've found out who they are!
The Europe best music award went to a second-generation Carthy (remember her mother, Norma, and father, Martin, both stalwarts of the UK folk scene), fiddle player Eliza and The Wayward Band.
Finally, the award for fusion music this year went to the stellar Mali-meets-Western Classical music by Trio-Da-Mali and the Kronos Quartet on their hugely successful album, Ladilikan, which I reviewed a while back. More information on the award-winners and their music from www.songlines.co.uk
John Clewley can be contacted at clewley.john@gmail.com
European Broadcast Union World Music Chart June 2018(Album title, Artist name, Country, Record label)
1. FENFO – Fatoumata Diawara (Mali, 3EME BUREAU / WAGRAM)
2. MASEKELA '66-'76 – Hugh Masekela (South-Africa, Wrasse)
3. O PTACICH A RYBACH – BraAgas (Czech Republic, Indies Scope)
4. SOAR – Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita (UK/Senegal, Bendigedig)
5. ANGATHIN – Monsieur Doumani (Cyprus, Monsieur Doumani)
6. IN TRANSITION – Loxandra Ensemble (Greece, Global Music Network)
7. AFRICAN SCREAM CONTEST 2 – Various Artists (Benin, Analog Africa)
8. VISIONS OF SELAM – Arat Kilo, Mamani Keita, Mike Ladd (France/Mali/USA Accords Croises)
9. CHANTS MYSTIQUES D'ALGERIE – Houria Aichi (Algeria Accords, Croises)
10. DEIXAAS – Mercedes Peon (Spain, Altafonte)
11. 7 BILLION – Kiran Ahluwalia (USA, Kiran Ahluwalia)
12. LAI MASINA ROTAJAS! – Auli and Tautumeitas (Latvia, CPL)
13. ODDA AIGODAT – Solju (Finland Nordic Notes/Bafe's)
14. I'M NOT HERE TO HUNT RABBITS – Various Artists (Botswana, Piranha)
15. MIZIKI – Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast, Cafe De La Danse)
16. GREEK FUSION ORCHESTRA VOL.1 – Kyriakos Sfetsas (Greece, Teranga)
17. KAYEBA KHASSO – Djeneba & Fousco (Mali, Lusafrica)
18. MES RACINES – Sabry Mosbah (Tunisia/France Accords Croises)
19. CLOVEK NI ZVER – Katalena (Slovenia, Zalozba Pivec)
20. SZIKRA – Amsterdam Klezmer Band & Söndörgö (NL/Hungary, Amsterdam Klezmer Band)
More information from: www.wmce.de
