global posts

Ibrahim Ferrer

Wednesday, August 10th, 2005 by Paul Irish

afro-cuban // cuban son

Right before his worldwide debut with the Buena Vista Social Club, Ibrahim was living in a croweded, tiny apartment in Havana and earned a living shining shoes. From the 50s through the 70s, Ferrer was deep into the Cuban music scene, but eventually was forced to give up on it and find more dependable pay. Ibrahim describes Ry Cooder’s arrival as such: “An angel came and picked me up and said, ‘Chico, come and do this record.'” The result was the Afro-Cuban All Stars record A Toda Cuba Le Gusta. Later, his strong sonero voice graced a number of records, from Sierra Maestra’s Rumbero Soy to Gorillaz’s epynomous debut. The bolero “Pensando en Ti” showcases his natural and evocative phrasing later supported by a cuatro solo by Barbarito and El Guajiro‘s trumpet solo.
Like a grandfather living his boyhood dream, making everyone smile and dance.

Afro Cuban All Stars – Amor Verdadero
Barbarito Torres – Pensando en Ti (Thinking of You).mp3

Rest In Peace, Ibrahim.
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Lucas Santtana

Monday, August 1st, 2005 by Paul Irish

brazilian // acoustic guitar

It’s interesting – trying to come up with a time of day this song fits. It could fit early evening, the sky burns orange as you sip from a light pino grigio. It could fit a loving Saturday morning, your hand gently trailing up and down her back while the warm sunlight beams through the window. It could even fit the commute home after a tough day. But the genius of this beautiful song isn’t necessarily its versatility; rather, the song holds the power to elevate you into a new setting. A soothing guitar supported by subtle percussion and enhanced by a most gorgeous vocal melody by Brazilian wunderkind Lucas Santtana creates a new place of mind for you to enjoy.
Warm sun, deep breaths, and beautiful soft sounds.

Lucas Santtana – Mensagem de Amor
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The Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion

Sunday, July 31st, 2005 by Paul Irish

cuban // classical

Three talented German jazz musicians were on tour in Cuba with the Dresden Philharmonic, when they fell in love with the Cuban music. A casual meeting with Compay Segundo led them to two talented Cuban percussions. The group then spontaneously ignited up a fiery session of cross-cultural musical intercourse. It was in this sudden compatiblity when the Klazz Brothers realized how perfect Cuban music complemented the classical pieces they knew so well. The result was their debut CD, Classic Meets Cuba, reinterpreting the masterpieces of composers like Mozart, Brahams, and Bizet into boiling Cuban rhythms.
Beethoven by way of Buena Vista.

The Klazz Brothers – Salsa No. V (Beethoven’s Fifth)
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Celso Fonseca

Wednesday, April 13th, 2005 by Paul Irish

nueva bossa nova // brazilian acoustic

Little can put your mind at ease the way that some quiet bossa nova can. Fonseca, a producer and instrumentalist who has collaborated with Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and Bebel Gilberto, has been actively creating music since he was 12. He now is releasing Rive Gauche Rio by way of world music powerlabel Six Degrees. Fonseca has lately been working as one of the most desired producers in Brazil; his keen ear shows on this record – the sounds are beautiful, sensual, and slightly melancholic all at once. He duets quietly, subtly and smoothly on “Don De Fluir” in Spanish with Oscar-winning Urugyuan vocalist Jorge Drexler in typical Brazilian unhurried rhythm. As a surprise, Celso gives Damien Rice’s eerie and somber “Delicate” a new face; an interesting cross-continental cover with graceful guitar and heart-trodden percussion.
Feeling easy, warm sunshine, wading in the sea.

Celso Fonseca – Don De Fluir
Celso Fonseca – Delicate (Damien Rice cover)
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Bill Frisell

Wednesday, January 26th, 2005 by Paul Irish

world jazz // african // country celtic

It opens like a treasure box, curious colors squiriming around inside. Slowly, they transform into a steed mounting the orange horizon. The African moon rises slowly, placing you in a trance and absolving you into an addictive chant. Bill Frisell has been creating songs melding together an assortment of world flavors for years. This track, “Baba Drame” from his 2003 album, The Intercontinentals, amalgamates seemingly disparate world genres. An african rhythm guitar and percussion start off the song, however a country violin pairs with the guitar for a solid harmony that feels mistakably celtic.
A beatiful sample of the world’s sound in a palatable package.

Bill Frisell – Baba Drame
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DJ /Rupture

Monday, January 24th, 2005 by Paul Irish

afro-spanish pop // minimalist electro-ragga

Despite the absolute frigid temperatures this morning, my ride to work was warm because I had the sizzling island flavor of this tune to keep me moving. What at first intrigued my ears as odd spanish rap, soon matured its sonic sound as a dubbed-out dance track where you choose your level of involvement. You can let it be the backdrop for your utterly fascinating conversation of say, folksonomies; or conversely, you can crank it up, clap your hands, and make the other drivers on the road wish they had the CD, too.
A squeeky clean tropical production of deliciously organic sounds.

DJ /Rupture – Musquito (club foot remix)
Rupture (Jace Clayton)’s blog
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Carlos Vives

Thursday, December 2nd, 2004 by Paul Irish

latin pop // tropical // vallenato puya

There’s some times in life where you need the happiest song possible to sing along with and dance. And that’s exactly where Carlos Vives delivers with ‘Pa’ Mayté’. In it, the traditional vallenato accordion and guacharaca are joined by chirping Andean flutes and a full-on Latin rock rhythm section creating a rich pan-Colombian fusion. It’ll get ya dancey.
When you find yourself wanting to sing along with this catchy tropical tune, I’ve got you covered.

Carlos Vives – Pa’ Mayté

Also: I’ve been trying my darndest to keep all of aurgasm’s songs online, but I’ve finally run out of space. So before I start deleting the old stuff, hit up the archives and listen around. There’s some damn fine music in these past couple months: [Sept],[Oct],[Aug],[Nov].

Gilberto Gil

Monday, November 8th, 2004 by Paul Irish

brazilian pop // bossa nova

This man is a legend. This song is a Sunday morning hummingbird, vibing into your ear and causing you to wriggle. Gilberto’s voice is nudging your body to get delicious and join the groove. A playful flute weaves through the tree branches while Gil’s guitar strums a tune you swear you’ve heard.
Grab a maraca and get in to it.

Gilberto Gil – Roda

Tom y Joyce

Thursday, October 28th, 2004 by Paul Irish

nueva bossa-nova // brazilian lounge

The ocean waves roll in. Birds twitter in the distance. The warm Brazilian breeze brushes past your body, your cotton cropped pants comfortable and airy. Some soft bass hits your body, a gentle keyboard line floats in your eardrums. A luscious Portuguese voice serenades your soul. And then, the sound of drumsticks dropped by that gorgeous dark-skinned girl.
Put yourself on this Brazilian beach right now.

Tom y Joyce – Vai Minha Tristeza

1 Giant Leap

Monday, October 25th, 2004 by Paul Irish

worldbeat // global fusion

Soothing diversity. 1 Giant Leap was a project formed to “capture and weave together a unique fusion of sound, image and spoken word from some of the world’s most happening musicians, authors, scientists and thinkers.”[site] The album showcases music from Senegal and Ghana and features incredible collaborations. (Baaba Mall, Speech, & Revetti Sakalar).
The Cinematic Orchestra reworked this global feel into a tasty groove that ranges from calm and serene to aurally engaging and complex.

1 Giant Leap – The Way You Dream (Cinematic Orchestra Remix)