Originally posted at WFMU's Beware of the Blog.
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere
gateway to a great getaway!
Back in the mid-'90s, the city of Wilmington, Delaware, used this laughable tag line in an ad campaign to bolster its tourist trade. I remember seeing it plastering the walls of the city's Amtrak station back then. The best thing we have to offer, city officials seemed to be saying, is an easy rail connection out-of-town. Not the brightest way to get the odd visitor to stay and spend a few bucks.
Though it still makes me smirk two decades later, maybe I should adopt Gateway to a Great Getaway as a slogan for Mining the Audio Motherlode. What a better way to describe the worldly adventures teed up for you here on a weekly basis. Just peep the current quintet of far-flung and far-out sonic delights and you'll get the drift. And the best thing is you don't have to spend a thing.
(Blog: AfroCubanLatinJazz)
"Rei Da Música Angolana"
"Elias Day Kimuezu for his musical profile is considered the king of Angolan music. This musician, steadily and by your courage, because it is not easy being a musician in Angola, for the younger, less is for a man his age, as he said, there are few people who bet on your work and talent." (Google Translated from a description by Amélia Mendes)
(Blog: Raga Blog)
Carnatic Fantastic
"It would be difficult to overstate the talent and the impact made by Smt. M.S.Subbulakshmi, not just in the field of carnatic music, but also as a philanthropist and a person who placed her life at the service of her country and its people. She was both much larger than life and utterly human in her interaction with others." (Welcoming statement at the M.S. Subbulakshmi Tribute blog)
(Blog: Abracadabra-LPs do Brasil 2)
Avant Hippie
"Formed in Salvador in the late 60s, the band was a mixture of personalities. Luiz Galvao was the poet and mentor. Moraes Moreira was in many way's Galvao's partner, giving deadpan delivery and delicate guitar to his lyrics. Baby Consuelo was the only member not from Salvador, she had stuck around after a holiday from her native Niteroi, following her dream to achieve stardom. Paulinho Boca de Cantor was the 'Lucifer' of the group, able to add the rock 'n' roll and carnival to their more upbeat numbers. Pepeu Gomez was the musician, a virtuoso guitarist in thrall to Hendrix." (Description from "How João Gilberto Turned Os Novos Baianos from Hendrix Worship to Recording the Greatest Brazilian Album of All Time," by Russ Slater at Sounds and Colors )
(Blog: Music From All Around)
Spell On You
"It's a bracing mix of swampy grooves, rockabilly carousing, soulful blues, and flat-out screaming. Hawkins' roots include doo-wop and jump blues, but he throws it all into a stew completely of his own making. A bold personality, Hawkins imbues his songs with complete and undeniable commitment." (Description by DJ Fanis at HippyDJKit)
(Blog: Oriental Traditional Music from LPs & Cassettes )
Uzbek and Call
Just grab it already. Great stuff.
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