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!!  Read More

The Safari Explores the World Fusion Music of Get Tribal – God of Drum!!

This morning the Safari decided it was a World Music kinda day, so  checked out the Zone Music Reporter’s Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart.. The first album that caught my eye was at number 3 – the self released album God of Drum by Get Tribal. The title of the album brought to mind the music of David and Steve Gordon, and the name of the band John Densmore’s Tribal Jazz. So I loaded the album onto the iPhone and listened to it while I was doing some shopping, The music was, in a word, mesmerizing! I found my feet keeping rhythm constantly and just totally became lost in the flow. I even had to ask directions out of Wegmans. Not really! Maybe I should have just stopped though and meditated on the music for a bit!! Read More

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. Read More

The Safari finds Breather by Shlomi Cohen – a breathe of fresh world fusion!!

Yesterday, as I was reviewing the Jazz birthdays, I noticed one of the showcased albums on the sidebar. The album was Breather and the artist was Shlomi Cohen.Since the name sounded, and the album looked, interesting I thought I’d give it a listen. What I found was a very, very talented new musician.  Who has been nominated for a Grammy as part of the nominated album “Frutero Moderno” by Gonzalo Grau & La Clave Secreta. He is also collaborates with Colombian Harpist Edmar Castaneda, bringing his incredible and unique form of music to the world. Shlomi is also a member of the horn section of   the Bernie Worrell Orchestra (founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic). Now,  where he finds time to record Breather, his debut solo album, I don’t know, but somehow these ultra-talented people always find a way don’t  they! Read More

The Safari visits Ethiopia and finds the Music of Mulatu Astatke – Sketches of Ethiopia

This afternoon the Music Safari took a little trip of the most populous landlocked country in the world Ethiopia. The reason for the trip was to explore the music of Mulatu Astatke. The genesis of the trip  was a review of the World Music Charts – Europe – where his most recent release Sketches of Ethiopia was spotted at No 4! Read More