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Music from the Rainforests

joel

Painter of Dragons, Maker of Mirrors
There is a good article in the Guardian about the (amzing) music of the Aka Pygmies of the Central African Republic (and also Zaire)
Guardian article
THe Ocora "songs of the Aka Pygmies is a superb album as is the rather more sensual JVC recording made over the border with the Ituri Pygmies in 1983, which I was listening to ealier (with the new sepakers it sounded like a new disc). The complex multipart harmonies and interaction with the forest are quite startling and extraordinarily beautiful.
I also recently picked up music from PNG on both Smithsonian and Topic (label of the National Sound Archive). More on those after I've given them a more thorough listen.
I cannot recommend the Aka music highly enough. It is music that must be heard IMHO.
 
Joel,

Do you have any links to sites selling this kind of stuff? Much of your musical taste represents totally uncharted waters for me; not only do I not know anything about it, but I also don't know where to buy / listen to it! I'd love to hear the music you write up.

Tony.
 
Hi Tony,
Sites that sell this stuff are failry thin on the ground IME.
A good place to start could be Topic Records you will need to search out the "World series" and then figure out their online shopping system :confused:
Harmonia Mundi in the US also sell (to the US only they claim...) music from Ocora And Institute du Monde Arabe - but again not exactly a shopper friendly experience.
Ocora do have a kind of online shopping experience over at the Radio France website here, but it is slow, in French and you actually make your purchases at a la page.com (I have purchased quite a few books from them over the years and they have been reliable). Both Ocora and a la page do have online samples - not that there's any need to check that album of Mongolian throat singing you've always wanted :D
Buda have a large collection of nicely priced music, but don't do real online ordering. Plenty of samples to check out, though.
Playa Sound / Air Mail Music have another really large catalogue and do do online ordering. What's more, the Air Mail series CDs can be had for 8 euros each. A bargain. The downside is that not all their stuff is quality and they do not provide the serious and informative notes you get on other labels (notably Ocora). Worth checking out if you are looking for an introduction to West African drumming for instance.
Nonesuch are an old established and very well known label with an extensive back catalog in the Explorer series. I have not come across a bad album in this series, and if you keep your eyes peeled you should find quite a few on vinyl. They are all worth a punt (same goes for Ocora BTW)
Smithsonian / Folkways is the great grandaddy of them all. Well worth a visit for the *really* extensive Blues back catalogue as well.
For Turkish Music (not just trad either) take a look at Kalan
Basically, I will buy anything on Ocora & Institute du Monde Arabe, and most things on Nonesuch & Smithsonian (and maybe Topic from now on). The others I play by ear.
 


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