Category: New Age
Life’s Soundtrack – The Safari’s Workday flows better with the Music of R Carlos Nakai and Peter Kater
Sometime in the late 90s, I discovered the music of Native American flute master R Carlos Nakai. Since that time many of his albums have made their way into my music library. Carlos flute, along with the vibes of Gary Burton keep me sane! Many times when I am stressed or worried at work, I say that it is TIME for some R Carlos Nakai and within minutes of the music’s start I am headed back to sanity!! Nakai has some wonderful musicians who work with him to create the music that I love and often need, including William Eaton on a variety of stringed instruments and Will Clipman on various percussion instruments. I particularly like the albums that Nakai has made with pianist Peter Kater. Their 1994 release Honorable Sky is one of my favorites.
The Safari Discovers Sahrawi singer Aziza Brahim and her No 1 album Soutak!
The No 1 album on the April 2014 World Music Europe Chart is Soutak from Aziza Brahim, Aziza is a Sahrawi singer and actress. From Wikipedia
She was born in 1976 in the Sahrawi refugee camps, where her mother had settled in late 1975, fleeing from the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara. Her father remained in El Aaiun where he later died. Due to the Western Sahara War, Aziza never met him.
New Age – Healing Music from Michael Brant DeMaria – The Maiden of Stonehenge!
The Maiden of Stonehenge
Michael Brant DeMaria
So the other day I was browsing through the Zone Music Reporter’s New Age Top 100 Radio Air Play chart and I spotted down at #87 an interesting looking album titled The Maiden of Stonehenge by Michael Brant DeMaria. Not knowing anything more about the album, than that it had both an interesting title and a cool cover (there I go again dating myself). I downloaded it on to the iPhone and gave it a listen. As soon as I heard the flute on the first track “Lost Village” I knew that I was going to like the album and I was very, very correct!!
The Safari Discovers More Ethiopian Music from the Addis Acoustic Project – Tewesta!!
If
you’re like me and long for Ethiopian music to be like it was in my childhood in the 1950s and 60s, back when Ethiopia’s pop music of this era predominantly featured acoustic instruments such as the mandolin, accordion, clarinet, and double bass, played along with traditional instruments such as the “Kirar”, “Kebero”, “Washint” and”Massinko”. Then you’ll love the new album from the Addis Acoustic Project, Tewesta (Remembrance)!! The album brings back that old music but in a new light! Of course I am kidding – but I have listened to the album a couple of times and I must say that I like it!!
The Safari has Adventures in Kali City with Karim Baggili
So yesterday when I visited the World Music Chart Europe and listened to the Number 1 album, I also spied an interesting mix at Number 4. The album was Kali City(featuring Trio Joubran) from Karim Baggili. The countries listed after the title and artist were Belgium and Palestine. I gave the album the thirty-second test which it passed with flying colors. I downloaded it onto the iPhone, and listened to it later in the day. After listening and enjoying the Middle East tinged music, I went to Karim’s website where I discovered, that Karim is Belgian of Jordanian and Yugoslavian descent. He is a self-taught guitarist, who started with the electric guitar and then moved onto the flamenco guitar and the Oud, which he acquired in Jordan.
Today in Music – Feb 1, 1959 – Ottmar Liebert’s Birthday!!
Today is the birthday of one of my favorite acoustic guitarists Ottmar Liebert. From Wikipedia: Ottmar..
….was born February 1, 1959 in Cologne, West Germany to a Chinese-German father and a Hungarian mother. As a child, he spent most of his time traveling throughout Europe and Asia with his family. He began playing classical guitar at 11, and flamenco guitar at 14, after he “found a Flamenco LP in the bargain bin at a local supermarket”.[1] After performing rock music in his native Germany, he moved to the United States and settled in Boston for a few years, performing in various rock clubs.[2] In 1986 Liebert settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he began looking to create a new musical sound...Read More
The Safari encounters the Icelandic New Age Music of Olafur Arnalds!
An Essential for 2013 from Echoes – Ludovico Einaudi – In a Time Lapse
The other day Echoes with John Diliberto issued their list of 25 Essential Echoes CDs for 2013. Atop that list was the album In A Time Lapse, from Ludovico Einaudi, which I finally listened to today. It was a very beautiful collection of music that is a perfect soundtrack for my workday, nice a soothing, just the right sound to help keep me calm and focused!! Not knowing anything about Mr, Eindaudi. I first went to his website, where his biography is in his native Italian. Since I was not using Googke Chrome at the time, I left his website and went searching for information about him elsewhere on the net, at places like WIKIPEDIA – surprised!!
