Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal will be performing at the First Congregational Church of Santa Cruz at 8 pm on Saturday, March 16th. Sissoko is a Malian Kora player; Segal is a French cellist. The fusion of the two resulted in a collaboration of soothing chamber music featured on their newest album, “At Peace”. NPR…
World Music Show Feb. 19
By World Music Director | Published February 13th, 2013This and next month are full of African and African-influenced music events in Santa Cruz. Tuesday the 19th, world fusion band Toubab Krewe will perform at Moe’s Alley. Toubab Krewe specializes in upbeat instrumentals that draw from African blues, rock, folk, and so much more. Some of the instruments used are the Kora, electric guitar,…
Interview with Rupa and the April Fishes
By World Music Director | Published October 30th, 2012Yesterday, I had the privilege of interviewing Rupa Marya, lead vocalist of the world fusion group Rupa & the April Fishes. Formed in San Francisco, the band has a very distinct, jazz-influenced style of music, overlaid with Rupa’s soothing vocals in English, French, Spanish, and even Hindi. Rupa discussed their newest release, “Build”, as well…
“Discovering” Jacques Brel
By World Music Director | Published October 11th, 2012As I perused our station’s labyrinth of a record collection in search for some “European” music a couple of days ago, I found a record from an artist with a name that rang a bell, but with a track-list that truly seemed foreign. I soon remembered that I had heard the name “Jacques Brel” in…
An Electric Pow Wow (free download!)
By World Music Director | Published September 2nd, 2012Take some dubstep-influenced beats, overlay them with Native American tribal vocals, and you get Pow Wow step, the genre A Tribe Called Red uses to describe their debut self-titled album. Hailing from Canada, the Native American DJ crew combines the traditions of Pow Wow music with the rhythms of today’s electronic scene, creating a remarkable…
Jovanotti’s “Italia 1988-2012″: A 24-Year Retrospective
By World Music Director | Published August 8th, 2012Through ATO Records, Italian singer-songwriter and rapper Lorenzo Cherubini, better known as Jovanotti, has finally issued his first U.S. release after over two decades of being in the business. This compilation album that includes the greatest hits of his career so far, aptly titled “Italia 1988-2012″. Initial tracks like “Con La Luce Negli Occhi” and “Sulla Frontiera”…
Weezer…in Hebrew!
By World Music Director | Published July 9th, 2012It is very common for contemporary World Music artists to remake popular American songs while still staying true to their culture. With YouTube, it’s been easier than ever to find up-and-coming artists sharing their cultural talents in a more mainstream medium. The Sharon Holzman band is an example; they have covered Weezer’s classic hit “Say…
Toure-Raichel Collective, Mon April 23rd
By Folk Department | Published April 22nd, 2012The Touré-Raichel Collective will be performing twice at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, CA on Monday, April 23, 2012, starting at 7:00 and 9:00pm. Spearheaded by the unlikely pairing of Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré (son of legendary guitarist Ali Farka Touré) and Israeli pop superstar Idan Raichel on keyboard, they have created…
Where in the World?
By World Music Director | Published March 24th, 2012One of the challenges of being a fan of world music is how to find out what’s new and interesting. Here are some good places to start. Songlines Magazine is an imported magazine from the UK that covers world music. Every issue you get a free CD (or two) that features the latest from around…
Dan “Daddy Squeeze” Newton, Wed Jan 18th
By Folk Department | Published January 17th, 2012From chilly Minnesota comes Dan “Daddy Squeeze” Newton to the Backstage Lounge (next to the Rio Theatre) in Santa Cruz, CA on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 8:30pm. A true master of the much maligned squeeze box, Dan’s repertoire covers a wide swath of original and traditional material, including influences of Gypsy Swing, French Musette,…