teental (north india)

time now to go back to an old blog exercise
for the sake of completeness if nothing else
songlines (world music) magazine being the inspiration
they published a very interesting article a number of issues back
documenting what they considered to be 50 rhythms of the world
so with the amazing resources of youtube i have gone one step further
for each rhythm i have found an appopriate clip and blogged it
i got up to 45 of 50 ages ago and then lost the plot
but spring is sprung and spring-cleaning is in order
so this project needs to be dusted off and finished
heres what the magazine had to say about teental

teental (north india) - it means a 16-beat cycle - that's 4/4
but there's nothing square about the flying fingers, ingenious cross-rhythms,
competitive exchanges and frantic build-ups
that feature in this most popular of north indian structures
all classical music operates within cycles of various lengths
which are easiest to follow in percussion
the tabla being the dominant instrument
performers often recite their compositions
in rapid bursts of syllables before playing them
traditionally the bowed sarangi accompanies a solo recital

songlines recommends memorable tabla duet by ustad alla rakha and zakir hussain
esne notes womadelaide visitors from a few years ago

the following clip in a short space of time demonstrates the above
furious finger work being the most dominant feature
also the use of the sarangi as accompaniment
my feeling is that this rhythm is best experienced live
late night, outdoors, warm air, altered consciousness stuff
sprawled out on the grass and taken away by this music
fond memories of the last act on many womad days
(46 of 50)

tango (serbia)

not entirely sure about this group named kal
they claim to be the hottest gypsy band in serbia
something to do no doubt with being a bunch of good-looking lads
probably have the ladies swooning as they make their music
what struck me is the similarity with the most famous tango group
being the argentinian group gotan project
there's the similar looking chap on acoustic guitar
the accordian/bandoneon - compulsory for tango music
the attention to lighting and the stage show is similar
the crowd would be inter-changeable with a gotan audience
and of course the music is very similar
here's what songlines magazine had to say about serbian tango

the tango may have been born in beunos aires
but it very soon found adoptive homes in paris, berlin, russia, finland and turkey
it's the only dance we've chosen to feature twice
to reflect the extensive tango diaspora

not much to go on there and no mention of kal in their writeup
but i kind of like this group so they get the nod
this would be a quieter tune in their repertoire
easy to imagine them cranking it out at speed
go kal
(45 of 50)

tango (argentina)

been looking forward to digging a little bit on this one
at least for a change a musical style that has a familiar name
another one in the list of 50 rhythms documented by songlines magazine
here's what they had to say about tango in their article

the dance groove of buenos aires lowlifers
was given glamour by carlos gardel and virtuosity by bandoneon supremo anibal troilo
but is was bespectacled pianist osvaldo pugliese
who emphasised the strident beat of the dos por cuatro (or 2/4)
as argentinians call tango
his 60-odd year career bridged the golden age
and the evolutionary explorations of astor piazzolla
last year beunos aires tangueros dedicated the whole year to pugliese
born 1905 died 1995

my big interest in tango stems from a french-argentinian group
that i own a few cd's of and have listened to repeatedly
they were one of the headline acts at womadelaide last year
the gotan project owe a lot to tango (not least their name)
their trademark sound also comes from the bandoneon
though at least live there is only 1 on stage
unlike the following clip recorded in 1985
showing osvaldo pugliese at the piano
the man credited with keeping tango alive
and carrying it forward for future generations
this concert was recorded in buenos aires
with no less than 10 bandoneon players on stage
(44 of 50)

taiko (japan)

songlines magazine includes from japan the music known as taiko
in it's list of 50 rhythms of the world
described by the magazine as follows

nobody really knows its true origins
but it is believed taiko has been part of japanese culture since 600ad
the thunderous drums have been used in temples
traditional theatre, warfare and japan's summer matsuri festivals
traditionally taiko, which vary from handheld tambours to the giant odaiko were solo instruments
but since the 1950's they have been played in troupes which has led to a musical innovation
the father of modern taiko was a jazz musician daihachi oguchi
who was the first to combine different types of drum and overlapping rhythms
to create the exciting modern ensemble style

i was introduced to taiko at womadelaide in 2006
by a japanese-australian group with the clever name of taikoz
they performed on the main stage as the midday opening act
it was quite an enthralling and memorable performance
not the least because of the athleticism on display
similarly the perfection in delivery of the pieces
indicated a dedication to the art over many years
as there was quite a complexity in the rhythms
hammered out on varying sizes of taiko drums
the following clip is of the most dubious quality
but it's the best example i could find of taiko
and briefly shows taikoz at work in perth
en route to womadelaide in 2006 (or after)
(43 of 50)

soukous (dr congo)

back in africa and a return visit to dr congo (zaire)
this time for a rhythm known as soukous
which to this untrained ear sounds very familiar
not because of any particular exposure or knowledge of soukous
but more so because it sounds similar to other african styles
where the guitar rings out a very repetitive riff
and the bass and percussion also have a strong beat
inspiring some serious hip movement
here is songlines magazine description of soukous

in the west it is still referred to as soukous music
but it's really just modern congolese music
a hybrid of classic old congo rumba with sumptuous vocal harmonies
and multiple interwoven guitars
and the faster sebene section of the song
where the guitars let rip underneath vocal animations
that encourage the sexy swivel-hipped movements of the dancers

papa wemba seems to be a major contributor to this style
but on doing a bit of research it turns out he has another career
was convicted of trafficking illegal (women) immigrants into france
so not someone i particularly want to pay much attention to
digging further revealed another musician named kanda bongo man
which reminded me of his name being on the program at womadelaide
for some reason i.e. clash of interests i did not see him perform
but found the following video of his 2006 performance at womadelaide
seems to have been a mid or late afternoon show on the main stage
so apart from providing a good reference point for soukous
this one shows off well the stage and crowd at the festival
(42 of 50)

ska (jamaica)

getting close to the end of this little project
linking a youtube video to each of the 50 rhythms of the world
as written up by songlines magazine sometime in 2006
it's been quite fun really as well as educational
have discovered some performers needing further investigation
and a few styles that have confirmed my previous tendency to avoid
more still that have enlightened me in some way mostly thanks to wiki
typically about where geographically the music has come from
there's been a few that i metaphorically screwed my nose up at
ska being one of them - i wasn't a huge fan back in the 80's
when it became a major success in the mainstream
thanks to madness, the specials and a few local acts
the allniters being the most famous as well as itchy feet
led by a chap by the name of tim freedman
here's how songlines described it in their article

sixties jamaican dance music, ska, has a jerky, see-sawing beat and matching 'shanking' dance
the underlying shuffling rhythm derives from the mento folk style and shares calypso's catchy lilt
milly small's 1964 ska-pop hit 'my boy lollipop'
coincided with the more musically sophisticated former jazz and r&b bands
whose classics were recorded in the kingston sound system studios
coxsone dodd immortalised the magnificent skatalites
prince buster brought ska to london
inspiring the two-tone ska of madness and the specials

no chance that milly small's hit is going to get the nod here
but the magazine did recommend a song by a group called the skatalites
apparantly the founding force of ska in the early sixties
seems the band is still together and performing internationally
though most of the original members have shuffled on
their trademark song seems to be a cover of the guns of navarone
found a clip of the band including a couple of original members
performing said tune at the glastonbury music festival in 2003
in a country that embraced ska and allowed it to flourish
i must admit i do like this original sounding ska music
(41 of 50)

samba (brazil)

get the impression brazilians love their music
another one of songlines magazine's 50 rhythms
comes from brazil - as does axe, bossa nova, choro, and forro
already covered in this process to put pictures to words
here's what songlines had to say about this style

samba was created by bahian emigres in rio de janeiro at the beginning of the 20th century
capeiristas, practitioners of the afro-brazilian religion of candomble
and festival troupes all brought their musical styles together
when they fused with portuguese instruments samba was born
like most brazilian rhythms, samba is in 2/4 and is driven by a deep pounding surdo drum
with an overlaying syncopated 'rat-a-tat' from a chorus of timbales
it remains at the heart of the music of rio's carnaval

which basically means we can expect to see some lively music
of which youtube threw up quite a few examples
but it's the quality thing again that made the difference
so wiki to the rescue to get some musicians associated with samba
jorge aragao seems to be a living legend of the samba style
wiki advises that his compositions are well covered
most major samba performers perform his music
he has been at it for over 30 years
and has recorded 12 albums in that time
i'm not sure that the following clip is pure samba
being a cover of a well-known internationally popular song
but he's the king of samba....and i like the tune
and very nicely arranged and performed here
(40 of 50)

sama'ai (middle east)

sad day in kiwiland today with the death of sir edmund hillary
at the age of 88 after an amazing life including conquering mt everest
on my early evening wonder i was reflecting on the occasion
it occurred to me that he was a person beyond reproach
these days our iconic figures dominate in some way
they are successful at sports, politics, business
are maybe even an art - music, writing, acting
but probably not revered across the board
as with sir edmund - respected by all
young and old, male and female, rich and poor
locally and internationally
he led a life of immaculate integrity
and throughout claimed his commonness
no wonder nz is in mourning today - vale sir edmund
it's a shame tibet does not get a mention by songlines magazine
in their definition of the 50 rhythms of the world
would have been appropriate at this time to zone in on that
but alas sticking with the program instead finds us in turkey
and a style known as sama'ai described by songlines here

though the name originally comes from turkish (saz semai)
the development and refinement of this mecurial 10/8 pattern
with strong beats on 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 10
is steeped in the arab classical tradition
the way in which a player interprets this during a taqsim (solo improvisation)
is an acid test of musicianship
too heavy an emphasis on the strong beats and the piece becomes leaden
too light a touch and the inner pulse is lost

spent quite a while viewing many youtube videos
a lot of examples of this style but not many worthy of repeat plays
until i encountered one that sounded and looked appealing
it shows a large ensemble titled ensemble tahir aydogdu
he being the leader of the group and playing the kanun
which is the stringed instrument played laid horizontally
it has 26 courses of strings each course with 3 strings - 78 strings
the tune being played by the core trio is titled muhayyer kurdi saz semai
which i suspect is a standard in this part of the world
the other 2 instruments are an oud (guitar) and keman (violin)
3 experts at work weaving their magic
(39 of 50)

semba (angola)

a day that deserves to be written off and forgotten
computer hardware hassles and subsequent battling with software
so for a bit of pleasure returning to a more enjoyable exercise
having a little bit of a look at some music of the world
back to west africa - another new style discovered
songlines magazine described semba as follows in their 50 rhythms of the world

in angola, the word means 'navel'
so you can guess the kind of sensuous dance step it describes
angolans will proudly tell you that it's the beat that gave birth to brazilian samba
characterised by lilting but propulsive rhythms, percolating acoustic guitars
fluid, upper-registered bass lines and hypnotic hand-held percussion
it also has something in common with other musical styles from portugal's former colonies
including the morna of cape verde

i went looking on youtube for semba music
came up with quite a few interesting videos
and the usual bunch of very dodgy live recordings
using a hand-held camera at a concert somewhere
but there was one that i found quite drawn to
a tune titled maiorais performed by bonga kuenda
bonga is another african musicican of repute
forced into exile for his out-spoken views
during angola's fight for independence from portugal
and still critical of the government now in power
the video has a quite surreal look about it
beautiful people in a beautiful country
and the music has a uniqueness about it
with a lot of the attributes mentioned above
so presumably a fine example of semba
(38 of 50)

son (cuba)

staying on the island of cuba for another episode of this project
putting sound and vision to songlines magazine 50 rhythms of the world
they suggested a group called sierra maestra as a good example
which reminded me i actually saw the group perform in sydney in 1996
at the excellent metro theatre and presumably a good night
the memory of the concert was somewhat overshadowed
as it was also the night of the australian federal election
in which the legendary paul keating was taken out
and the now despatched john howard was installed as pm
thinking back to that night there was a sense of foreboding
seemed like the clock was about to get turned back
little did we know he would hang around for so long
and do so much social damage to the country
but back to the music and the style of son
here's what songlines magazine had to say

son, grandfather of salsa, is cuba's national music
a sensual couple dance, it's timbric blend of afro-cuban and spanish influences
involves multiple layers of percussive polyrhythms
held together by the key clave time line 1-2 1-2-3
sung verses develop into a second montuno section where the singer improvises lines
answered by a band chorus

popping sierra maestra into the youtube search engine
delivers up all sorts of interesting videos
and not many of them musical
seems there is a mountain range in cuba called sierra maestra
used most famously by fidel castro and che guevara
as a base for their cuban revolution
i also found the following clip
a fine example of son i suspect
from another respected son (oops) of cuba
polo montanez - killed in a car accident
on the way to super stardom in his home country
looks like he is miming the song on a tv show
and it does sound kind of poppy
but i like it anyway
(37 of 50)

salsa (cuba)

a stinker of a day here in mid south island new zealand
33 degrees which is close to meltdown point for kiwis
but a beautiful sunset when the sun finally set at 9:15 ish
twas a beautiful orange glow that lit up the sky
was out walking but alas no camera to record the moment
maybe tomorrow but what are the chances?
seems ages ago i started this little exercise
inspired by an article in songlines magazine
july/august edition of 2006 (from memory)
50 separate and distinct rhythms in the world
my thinking was now that looks like fun
take each one and find a suitable clip on youtube
and post it on the blog for posterity
getting well through them now
here's what they had to say about salsa from cuba

salsa is a trunk-full of rhythms drawn from the afro-cuban traditions
and particularly the fundamental son and it's derivatives
brassy guarachas, romantic boleros, guitar-based guajiras
and the african percussive guaguancos
which remain faithfully authentic, or fully mutated
fifties mambo orchestras' arrangements
were americanised by young latino new yorkers in the 70's
famously for the fania label which became synonymous with salsa
but geographical variations include peurto rico's laid back swing
and colombia's tropical brightness

there is one name that came up repeatedly in reference to salsa
celia cruz - otherwise known as the queen of salsa
born in 1925 and working up until her death from cancer in 2003
hugely successful in cuba and then internationally
found the following clip of her doing a very well-known tune
but in true salsa style complete with the big band
and also demonstrating the importance of dance to salsa
very summery music i reckon
suits the day today
(36 of 50)

salegy (madagascar)

madagascar - that huge island off the east coast of africa
twice the size of the whole of nz and 5 times the population
another former french colony and now independent
here's what songlines magazine had to say about the most popular style of music there

madagascar has a great diversity of music
but the salegy is universally popular across the island with it's fast 6/8 beat
like many of the contemporary african dance rhythms
it's made with a fusion of western instruments and local styles
eusebe jaojoby is probably the most popular singer in madagascar
and has been the king of salegy since the 70's
his band features crooning sax and horns over rippling guitars

there are a bunch of videos on youtube for the artist still known as jaojoby
in many he comes across as the fela kuti of madagascar
he's out the front leading and directing the musicians
and always surrounded by women dancers and singers
despite the reference to brass in the songlines article
it seems he has dispensed with that part of the band
and instead has very brass-like sounds coming from the keyboards
so that would suggest some modernisation (or economisation)
as expected there is some commonality with other african music
juju music (nigeria) seems a close relation with it's similar chiming guitars
but no doubt to an expert ear they as as different as can be
the clip i have selected is one featuring jaojoby
a superstar in his home country
(35 of 50)

rumba (cuba)

rumba emerged in the ports of matanzas and havana, cuba in the 19th century
among black workers beating rhythms out on anything to hand from boxes to bottles, clave stocks to spoons
while one of them answered by a chorus sang improvised verses about life
it thrived in the patio fiestas of the communal solares, tenements populated by a family per room
sailors took it to cadiz, spain where it was absorbed into flamenco
and to barcelona from whence rumba catalana emerged
that is how rumba is described in songlines magazine article on their 50 rhythms of the world
staying true to the origins of this one limited the choice of clips to include
it seems as implied that the word rumba has been widely used
meaning many musicians from around the world claim to be playing rumba
which may well be true in reference to their own derivation of the style
but cuba is where rumba was born and developed
so cuba is where the youtube clip of choice is from
by all accounts the following clip is from a 1967 film
it features a group called clave y guaguanco
they formed at the havana docks more than 40 years ago
and strictly adhere to the afro-cuban style of music
which basically means lots of drums and percussion and not much else
though laterly their music is being integrated with flamenco style
so presumably now working towards another strain of rumba found in barcelona
i enjoy seeing some of these older clips of the music at it's roots
the documentary film is titled y tenemos sabor
not sure what that means in english
but seems to be the real deal
(34 of 50)

reggaeton (puerto rico)

another new one for me from songlines magazine list of 50 rhythms of the world
a bit of research reveals that it is a distant relation to jamaican reggae
and a lot younger also having been gestated in the 1970's
modern day reggaeton seems to be another derivation of american hip-hop
especially in the lyrics where sexual innuendo seems to be a common theme
here's what songlines had to say about this rhythm from puerto rico
reggaeton moves to various latin rhythms and the crucial dembow beat
created by late 90's reggae star shabba ranks from soca, ragga and hip-hop
in panama, el general introduced dembow to his latin-ragga mixes and unwittingly conceived reggaeton
influential bomba mixes by the puerto rican rapper vico c were formally labelled reggaeton and p r it's capital
from there daddy yankee's 2004 hit gasolina with catchy girl choruses and bomba beats propelled it internationally
today's electronic merengues and cumbias, real instruments, gangsta lyrics and erotic dances
including perreo (doggy style) have lured eminem and usher on board
which pretty well sums up what clips can be found on youtube
the most popular ones have had millions of viewings
which confirms it's international popularity
i must admit i found current reggaeton too close to rap
wanted something more authentic and original
so went back in time a bit and found the following clip
the song is called el meneaito and is performed by an artist known as gaby
wiki advises that this was the first international hit for reggaeton
it also smoulders with sexual innuendo
obviously an essential component
go the macarena
(33 of 50)

reggae (caribbean)

surely the most popular of all world music genres
certainly at least in the list of 50 rhythms nominted by songlines magazine
the rhythms collectively known as reggae - ska, rocksteady, reggae proper and ragga
first emerged in the early 60's when jamaican musicians started playing r&b boogies and shuffles
with an increasing emphasis on the offbeat - reggae rhythms have been mutating ever since
and provided the raw material for deejay music and dub - the templates for rap and remix culture respectively
and some classic rhythms are endlessly recycled within reggae music itself
i was tempted to look for someone less popular than bob marley to showcase reggae
but it's hard to ignore the massive popularity of this most authentic performer
one clip (could you be loved) had been viewed over 4 million times
there were at least 4 others all credited with over 1 million viewings
so sorry jimmy cliff and all other contemporaries and followers
but bob is the man when it comes to reggae
this clip is a lesser known song
but showcases b m and the wailers well
with a song called roots rock reggae
presume wife rita is one of the backup singers
and maybe son ziggy is there too
(32 of 50)

reel (ireland)

not sure about all this irish jig stuff
i suspect i may have had too much exposure to it in my childhood days
playing piano in various local competitions and seeing and hearing girls competing in irish dance
that's my theory anyway as i do have a real (pun intended) aversion to this style
but for the sake of completeness we shall press on - here's songlines magazine bit about reel
the reel is reckoned to have reached ireland towards the end of the 18th century
this rapid 4/4 dance form subsequently became the king of ireland's traditional music
which apart from slow airs consists almost entirely of dance tunes
all incorporated from other parts of europe
the mag goes on to recommend an album of music from noel hill and tony macmahon
lo and behold those 2 have some videos posted on youtube
so have selected the following clip recorded in 1994
one wag posted a comment suggesting noel hill is actually gerry adams with glasses
apparantly the instruments being played are the box and concertina accordians
in the second half of the video the floor is taken over by 4 couples
providing what appears to be an example of traditional irish dance
to go with this example of traditional irish music
(31 of 50)

raqs sharki (middle east)

never heard of the term of raqs sharki - the music used to accompany belly-dancers
though i have had my share of exposure (ahem) to belly-dancing usually at lebanese restaurants
and of course my share of embarrassment when hauled up to try and wiggle the tummy
i've always been in awe of the skill of the ladies who have mastered this dance
here is how songlines magazine described raqs sharki
literally eastern dance but better known as belly dance
raqs sharki uses a whole range of rhythms from around the middle east
as a backdrop to the sensuous flowing movements of the performers
the mood of the dance is wholly dictated by these beats
from the most basic maqsoum rhythm with it's immediately recognisable pattern
dum-tak tak-dum tak
to the rolling and subtle turkish chiftitelli or the quixotic 7/8 laz
make no mistake - despite worthy attempts to rehabilitate it as a cosy alternative to pilates
belly dancing is meant to stir the loins
no shortage of clips on youtube associated with raqs sharki
had a great time reviewing them to select one to embed here
the one i have selected of course features a beautiful lady
but significantly the music seems most authentic
and the colours and lighting used in the video are excellent
setting a great mood for the lady to do her thing
go sandra
(30 of 50)

polska (sweden)

off to scandanavia now on this musical journey inspired by songlines magazine
tracing their 50 rhythms of the world using youtube posted videos
here's what songlines had to say about polska
not to be confused with polka - a fast duple-beat dance from bohemia
the polska is a slow lop-sided waltz from sweden
which can be tricky for newcomers to get their feet around
rather than accenting the first beat as in a waltz
the polska accents beats one and three
once you've fallen under it's spell it's quirky magic
is powerful both in concert and on the dance floor
do a youtube search for polska and mostly what comes up is polish based music
so there seems also to be a genre of music out of that country labelled polska
which would make sense when separating the syllables in that word
songlines also suggested a 3 piece outfit called frifot
but nothing i saw was that inspiring so i then dug through the amatuer videos
it seems most searches on youtube will throw up any number of such clips
fans emulating their heroes or wannabees seeking fame and fortune
which youtube has provided on any number of occasions
but in this case i found a short clip of a swedish chap named fredfredrik
here's the text accompanying the tune he recorded and posted
finally my mandola (octave mandolin) arrived in a brown package today
a mandola has been on my wish list of instruments forever
(10 yrs? probably since I discovered swedish traditional folk music)
but not untill today i finally have my own
he belts out a very strong tune on his new instrument
sounds like a cross between a mandolin (obviously) and a steel guitar
thanks fredfredrik - very nice
(29 of 50)

nongak (korea)

amazing the connections that pop up when working on this project
finding youtube examples of songlines magazine 50 rhythms of the world
i thought i had not experienced nongak in any form
as described by songlines here
nongak is the energetic drum-led farmers music of korea
which is linked to shamanic ceremonies and traditionally played at celebrations and harvest
it's been transformed into an exhilarating performance art by kim duk soo
the four percussion instruments involved are -
the changgo (hourglass drum) puk (barrel drum) and a small and large gong
while playing the musicians do acrobatic dancing and spin ribbons on their hats
but then i recalled seeing a korean group that particularly impressed me at womadelaide a few years ago
i could not remember the name but thanks to the power of google
a search through some archive material on womad revealed all
the group's name is dulsori and they performed twice in 2005
i saw both performances and was particularly impressed with their athleticism and musical skill
they also had a sense of humour and worked very well with their audience
the opening part of their show featured an artist painting on a huge piece of cloth
i was not sure of their relationship to the nongak style under the spotlight here
chances are they could be to nongak as the sex pistols are to english folk music
but even more digging revealed an entry by a fellow blogspot contributor josy-diary.blogspot.com
seems she saw them in concert in singapore and opened their concert with a piece called samul nori
she also did some research and quoted the following from wiki
samul nori originates from nong-ak, consisting of music, acrobatics, folk dance, and rituals
and was performed in villages to wish and celebrate a good harvest
nongak is steeped in traditional animism and shamanism, but also shows influences from buddhism
good enough for me - the group dulsori do represent the rhythm known as nongak
unfortunately they are not well represented on youtube
apart from a bunch of amateur videos taken by fans mostly at womad shows around the world
the best i could find is the brief one here filmed at a roots music festival in holland
it does convey the energy of the group - and that most of them impressively are female
(28 of 50)

morna (cape verde)

yippee - time to do a plug for an old favourite
old as in long-time not in reference to the relative age of this performer
cesaria evora has been listened to and admired by myself for many years
i own a dvd of her performing at a concert in paris that bears up to repeat playing
she seems to be the one that has carried the light for morna music
is treated like a goddess in her native island country of cape verde
and has respect and recognition on a global scale
here's the quote from songlines magazine re the rhythm known as morna
sitting several hundred miles off the coast of west africa
the cape verde islands' unique geographical location has fostered a rich set of hybrid rhythms
combining african and brazilian elements with strong hints of portuguese fado
most famous of all is morna - a slow, blues-like minor key shuffle that is both poetry and dance
and the soundtrack to the nation's soul
they go on to recommend cesaria evora as the reference point performer for morna
no argument from me though a close second is a lovely young lady by the name of lura
who i had the fortune to see perform at womadelaide a couple of years ago
she was also a delight to watch but she has a huge shadow to step out from underneath of
the following youtube clip of cesaria is taken from the aforementioned concert in paris
a beautiful tune called soudade that to me carries that touch of portuguese fado music
further investigation reveals that soudade is a word that cannot be accurately translated to english
but is used to describe the longing and missing of home
i.e. typical fado music - the want and almost enjoyment of loss and despair
the band is another standout feature of this tune
particularly the handsome lead acoustic guitarist
and...the big news...cesaria evora at womad in 2008
woo-hoo
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