November 30, 2011

Saeid Shanbehzadeh - Musiques du Golfe Persique



Shanbehzadeh Ensemble (Persian: گروه شنبه زاده) is an Iranian folk band, formed in Bushehr in 1990.
The band offers a rare aspect of the traditional music and dance of the Persian Gulf, more specially of the province of Bushehr, south of Iran and bordering Persian gulf.
The principal instruments of the ensemble are the neyanbān (bagpipe), neydjofti (flute), dammām (drum), zarbetempo (percussion), traditional flute, senj (cymbal) and boogh (a goat’s horn).
The band was founded by internationally acclaimed Iranian musician and dancer, Saeid Shanbezadeh in 1990. Hailing from the south of Iran, and tracing ancestry to Zanzibar in East Africa, the Shanbehzadeh family upholds a tradition that blends Sufi trance ritual and Persian and Arabic idioms.
 
Saeid Shanbezadeh was born in Bushehr, Iran, where he started playing music at the age of 7 with the old masters of the music of the region. He began with percussions, singing, and traditional dance. At 20 he founded the group of Shanbehzadeh Ensemble and won the 1st prize at the Fajr Music Festival in Tehran in 1990. In 1996 he was invited by the University of Toronto to teach a half-a-year course. In 2007 he was invited again by La Cité de La Musique of Paris to teach dance, singing and music. In 1998 he was named the professor and director of the House of Culture, Music and Dance of the Isle of Kish in Iran. That same year he portrayed himself in Talking with the Wind by Bahram Beyzaei.
Saeid Shanbehzadeh left Iran in 2002 and now lives in Paris.




there's a lot of influence in the music of south Iran, like the African influence, exactly like my face. You know if you look at my face, you cannot say I'm Iranian, not African, not Indian. You know, I am mix of all. I don't have the African nose, but my color it is. Because my mother's side from four or five generations they come from Zanzibar to Iran.
We play the music for a special reason. We have the music for the trance, for the "zar." We have music for wedding. We have music for work. We have music for the funeral. And what we present on the stage we try to introduce the people to different part of the life of south Iran.

more to read


The Shanbehzadeh Trio, with its driving rhythms, trance-inducing songs, and striking hip-swinging dances offers a rare opportunity to experience the fascinating music and dance of the southern Iranian province of Bushehr.. A cultural crossroads for centuries, Bushehr has been influenced by Sufi, Persian, Arab, African and Indian traditions. The ensemble is led by multi-instrumentalist and dancer Saeid Shanbehzadeh, who traces his ancestry to Zanzibar in East Africa, and includes his son Naghib Shanbehzadeh and Habib Mefhta-Busheri. Their alluring instruments include neyanban (double-reed bagpipe), neydjofti(double flute), and boogh (goat's horn).

les Musiques

Saeid Shanbezadeh – neyanbān, neydjofti, dammām
Naghib Shanbehzadeh - tombak, zarbetempo
Habib Meftah-Busheri

all photos by Borna Izadpanah


...& don't miss these two videos 

November 16, 2011

Abrasaz - Biraminket






















Ravi Srinivasan, tabla, vocals, santoor, electronic percussion;
Mustafa El Dino, saz, darbuka, vocals, bendir;
Akira Ando, double bass, bells;
Paul Schwingenschlögl, trumpet, flugelhorn, piano.

1 Maya wati
2 Samraat
3 Lhasa
4 Dhara hara
5 Pentagram
6 Camels on sun alley
7 Darjeeling light
8 Oiwake
9 Biraminket
10 Two worlds
11 Kalbimiz bir
12 Ez din nebum le
13 Ahur
14 Abraxis No. II

For ears to have fun
you must first say thegoodone
I hope it is not a crime
enjoying my infantile little rhyme

The music of ABRASAZ leads us into another world, a world of fantasy and desire for outer space, a world of harmony and peaceful coexistence of mankind, an imaginary world of the musical globetrotter. The singing reminds us of Turkish uplands, but also of the gigantic mountains of Tibet and Nepal, the tablas of solemn ceremonies in India, the bass of Zen-meditation in Japan. Against this horizon suddenly appears a lonesome trumpet, subtly glides into the musical landscape, starts a musical dialogue with the bass, the tablas, the saz and gradually disappears into higher spheres. Four internationally highly acclaimed musicians, whose geographic and musical differences could not be greater, merge in a brilliant way into an ensemble which is extremely homogeneous just because of the emphasis which is put on these differences. This paradox is possible because the four artists never use their musical mastery for its own sake but for their common interest. Let it be jazz, world music, Indian classical music or contemporary music...ABRASAZ escapes the musical thinking in categories and lives from the incredible creativity of the excellent musicians of this outstanding ensemble. (from their official site)

November 14, 2011

Sonny Sharrock/The Freedom Sounds Featuring Wayne Henderson: Black Woman/People Get Ready





















Black Woman
1 Black Woman
2 Peanut
3 Bialero
4 Blind Willie
5 Portrait of Linda in Three Colors, All Black

- Sony Sharrock, guitar; Dave Burrell, piano; Norris Jones, bass; Milford Graves, drums; Linda Sharrock, vocals

People Get Ready
6 Respect
7 People Get Ready
8 Cucamonga
9 Things Go Better
10 Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)
11 Brother John Henry
12 Orbital Velocity
13 Cathy the Cooker

- Wayne Henderson, trombone; Al Abreu, saxes; Jimmy Benson, sax and flute; Pancho Bristol, electric bass; Harold Land, Jr., piano; Moises Oblagacion, congas; Ricky Chemelis, timbales; Max Gorduno, bongos; Paul Humphrey, drums.


How or why were those two put together I don't have a clue, I guss the motto was "and now something completly different". Anyway if you are in a mood for reading: Black Woman review or People Get Ready or you can read on both of them. Love the original Sharrock's cover.
























One for our friend Miguel's collection of Baïlèros



ears here

P.S: And why is it Bialero instead of Baïlèro, please don't ask me. You can ask me what the pass is and I why I still use it, call it a habit of saying thegoodone.

November 11, 2011

the king of Raï (and the she-devil of trab)






as promised earlier some Raï, (and  not rai or rye)
from  the king of Rai
and  a k7-around early 80's ? when the young Khaled was better  known as Chab Khaled.
essential Khaled

Mcpe 1060



equally you wouldn't  want to miss this Algerian  lady, another  incarnation of the devil himself
Cheikha Djenia and her amazing trab
(the rural variation of rai played with tambour  and gasba reed flutes)

right there.....
Kayene Rabi

:)
have a nice weekend



November 9, 2011

Ando Drom - Phari Mamo - Magnificent Gypsy Music From Budapest






















1. Zsa Mo (Zsa Mo, Rumelaj, Akhardemla)
2. Na Kamel Ma
3. Sza Tele Zsav
4. Phergyi E Bar
5. Matyilem
6. Le Shavore
7. Me Te Merav (Avtar Manca, Zug Mar A Malom, Me Te Merav)
8. Kado Gyesz
9. O Nanasi
10. Rodel Ma Muri Dej
11. Phari Mamo
12. Csi Lav Tu
13. Ho Bo Bo


JENÖ ZSIGÓ: leader, vocals, guitar, mandolin, tambura, kanna (nin pan), spoons, oral hass, udu, talking drum and other percussions
MÓNIKA "MITSOU" JUHÁSZ MICZURA: vocals, oral hass, percussions
ANTAL "GOIMA" KOVÁCS: vocals, oral bass, percussions
ANTAL "ANTI" KOVÁCS IFJ.: guitar, vocals, oral hass, percussions
JÁNOS "GUSTI" LAKATOS: vocals, kanna Ottlik pan), oral bass, percussions
Special guests:
MÓNIKA HORVÁTH: vocals os tracks 3, 5, 7, 11
FRANCOIS CASTIELLO from BRATSCWParis: accordios os tracks 1, 2, 7 ami 12
BRUNO GIRARD front BRATSCIVI>aris: violin os tracks 1, 2, 7 ami 12
LÁJOS KATHY HORVÁTH: vidin os tracks 5 ami 6


Duiring our first visit to Budapest, while researching for our "Road of the Gypsies" project, we had been warned by various musi-cologists: "just like with us, you will find it extremely difficult to differentiate between genuine Gypsy music and Hungarian music played by Gypsies". But nods of approval followed each time we reported that we were primarily interested in the Ando Drum group. At our first meeting with them, however, we were confronted with a certain scepticism that was quickly explained: past promises and projects with some western promoters and producers never concretised — and the fear that the group would be expected to play the hackneyed music and trashy clichés so prevalent in the cafés and restaurants.
Our second meeting took place in more intimate surroundings. With plenty to drink and even more to eat, we got down to planning the project. Closely adhering to the style of the group's current repertoire, and featuring several guest nuisicians, we would create an atmosphere in the studio, allowing enough space for the creativity of all the musicians concerned, as well as for the major improvised sections to unfold. And we talked a lot about Gypsy music and the group's history.
Originally a music theatre group, Ando Drom ("(in the road") emerged in the early 80's, from a Gypsy children's summer camp, run annually in close co-operation with the Romano Kher (a Gypsy cultural institution). The present group members, Anti and Gusti, taught to dance by their parents as toddlers, were already actively involved at the age of 10. Jenii is still the group's leader. Their performances moved audiences to tears and the group won press acclaim. Goima, Anti's father, already a magnificent child dancer, did his first performances at weddings. Ile recalls: "My grandfather, a famous dancer, discovered my talent when I was only three. His trick was to withhold my favourite food until I had mastered all the tasks he had set me to his satisfaction. Later, I tried to broaden the spectrum of song and vocal bass.
I ask Mitsou about the origins of her extra-ordinary voice. I had noticed the longing in her eyes whenever I spoke of my forthcoming journey to Rajasthan. She enlightened me: "When I first heard a cassette of Rajasthani music, I was very moved. Since then, I have been dreaming of the place. You see, we Gypsies originally came somehow from there — and I must have an unusual amount of Rajasthani blood in my veins." She, too, comes from a musical family. She told me of her mother, whose voice was celebrated in her native village on the Rumanian border. Having already won many prizes, she should have gone to Budapest to seek her fortune, "But we were very poor. She didn't even own a pair of shoes and was too ashamed to go to the big city. Many of her songs still live inside me." Shortly before my trip to Budapest, the group Bratsch offered me the then recently released book entitled, "Les Tsiganes de Ilongrie et leers musiques". I confronted the group with a brief summary of its contents: Patrick Williams divides traditional Hungarian Gypsy music into two distinct categories. Firstic the pure instrumental music, integrated into Hungarian folk music very early on. In the 15th Century, Gypsy musicians were engaged to entertain the court and in the decades, or even centuries, to follow, were frequently used to recruit soldiers for the army. The initial musical line-up was violin, cymbalon and double-bass, later, on occasions, to be joined by the gaida (bagpipes), bratsche, and piano. From the very beginning, these groups owed their immense popularity to the somewhat exotic style in which they played their chosen repertoire, as well as the emotional intensity of their interpretations. During the course of centuries it turned into urban music, mainly to entertain in restaurants and coffee houses. Vocals are only seldom incorporated in the music played by such groups. Or, as Patrick Williams, describes it, "when they play Hungarian music, they lose their tongues."


The music of the wandering Gypsies, on the other hand, is purely vocal. They travelled in small groups, working as tinkers and peddlers, their possessions few. As a consequence, there were no extravagant instruments. The voice was the focal point, accompanied by everyday objects and utensils, like milk cans, pots, or spoons. The music is not intended for others, as a performance for strangers, but serves their own social gathering. Personal experiences and events are at the heart of their songs, references to far away places or others not connected with their lives -tire irrelevant. The singing begins — whenever people gather to eat, drink and tell stories — mainly with pure vocal rhythms whereby vocal bass plays a significant role. Thereafter the pieces alternate between soft, often tragic ballads, to others played at a very fast tempo, sometimes with surprising sudden instants of quiet calm and pathos: despite incredible vitality and euphoria often leading to sacred moments of deep ecstasy, a deep regard and respect for the musicians always prevails. It is not unknown for a singer who is interrupted mid-song to draw a knife, or, depending on the location, throw the unlucky perpetrator over a fence, or out of a window
This music was first discovered in the 70's by intellectuals who while researching Gypsy culture hoping to make it socially more acceptable, investigated it in more detail. But the ethno-musi-cologists' early recordings focused too exclusively on the individual voices, "Call-and-Response" vocalisations were hardly ever recorded, "the voices lack the polyphonies of brotherliness". Lent) smiles before saying, "Gypsies live their music — others write about it. It is typified, romanticised. Our history is only passed down by word of mouth, anyway The division of the music into instrumental and vocal is correct: there are, in fact, various subcultures, which almost never touch each other — but I don't like it when one part of it is praised and the other devalued." And he tells of his father, who played in a group, entertaining non-Gypsies. "Ile played everything, from classic and every possible variation of Hungarian folk music, to popular songs from other lands. Playing musical requests demands an amazingly broad repertoire. Despite that. he retained his identity as a Gypsy musician with his own individual style, a specific virtuosity, unique form of presentation and Gypsy way of embellishing the pieces he played." But Ando Drom chose a different path. The instrumental style adapting the most diverse music directions, they characterise as "Playing in the Waxworks". Right front the beginning, Ando Drom found it essential to trace the traditions of the "pure" vocal music of the Gypsies and combine it with the way they feel today In so doing, the group takes care that for every musical theme, each of them "delves deeply within himself, to invest the whole of his personality in the interpretation. Unfortunately, in today's popular music form is everything. But stereotypes have no musical value; they are sterile and mechanical. With us, it's the other way round: we try to personalise the harmonies by living out many musical forms in close conjunction with the emotional depth of each individual musician." They characterise this path as an attempt to break out, but which brings conflicts of its own. Particularly within the Gypsy community, stereo-typed expectations prevail, making it very difficult for them to accept any deviations front the norm. "You have to have a very strong identity and belief in yourself to endure being rejected by many of your own people. That is why so many talented young Gypsy musicians so rarely get into new syntheses, which they often deeply desire, and are more than able to perform. It's a freedom we have to fight for." Once in the studio, it did not take long, to understand what Ando Drom meant with "the fight for freedom". There are set thematic guidelines for the old songs, each of which the members of the group approach with their own individual inter-pretation and emotional intensity; they rehearse, become inspired, improvise, dance, discuss, often quarrelling about the tiniest detail, and listen carefully — until each piece unfolds into its own ecstatic experience. They tell me about the songs, their lyrical content and their meaning and association to their daily lives.

thegoodone
the word to get the job done


November 8, 2011

Turning Dervishes Of Konya - Odes De Ney: The Cosmic Dances Of The Turning Dervishes
























The Turning Dervishes from Konya
- The Mevlevi Round Dance

Nobody knows the origin of this unique rite, probably it derives from a constellation cult, practised long before the dervishes adopted it and gave it a new meaning.
The position of the head and hands is typical. The right, "good" hand is opened and held towards the sky, the left, "improper" hand is held towards the earth. The head is slightly inclined to the right shoulder. The eyes are varly closed and are focussing the left thumb. A general belief is, that the dervishes have magic forces during their dance.
Once a year these Turning Dervishes, the Mevlevis, are meeting in Konya, in the highlands of Anatolia, and perform their dance in the hall of sports. Only one hour they are dancing, remembering to big white butterflies. Officially there are no mystic brotherhoods in Turkey since 1920's, and these dervishes need a special allowance from the Turkish government for their festivity to honour the founder of this sect, Mevlana Dschelal ed-Din Rumi (Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī), each December.
At the beginning there is a procession. Then the participants are lining up. The Sheikh, head of tl4e sect, has a special place in front of an altar showing towards Mekka. Holy City - altar - a red-coloured sheepfur, the place of the Sheikh, are on one line,
dividing the dance floor into two equal halfs, a mystic line called equator. The orchestra is playing mostly with "neys" (the Oriental flute of reed) and drums. All dervishes are wearing the conical "sikke", a cap made of felt, being the sign of the Mevlevi Sect, and the black-coloured "hirka" (cowl). The festival starts with a hymn to praise the Prophet Muhammad and a piece for solo flute. Then the dancers are walking three times around the Sheikh and the dance floor and return then to their places. After a second flute piece, accompanied by Per-sian songs and orchestral music the dance itself starts. The dancers are now wearing their white clothes only, the "tennure", and a short waistcoat called "destegiil". The hands crossed over their breast, the dancers are walking to the Sheikh, kiss his hands and are receiving a kiss on their caps. Then they start turning around themselves in left direction.
The origin of the Mevlevi Sect is going back to a public anger which ocurred in the year n44, exactly on November 3oth 1244.
An imam, Dschelal ed-Din, fell in love with a foreign preacher in Konya. Dschelal ed-Din came from the city of Batch (today in Afghanistan) and counted 37 years. He was a professor and mufti and belonged therefore to the important people of Konya. His students called him respectfully "Maulana", in Turkish language "Mevlana"(Mevlâna,Our Guide). Due to this love he became a stranger in his city overnight. He neglected his duties and services, but people did not realize that Mevlana had not seen a normal man in this foreign preacher, but a portray of God.
The Sufi, the Islamic mysticals, were searching for God's presence already on earth, and the unification with God. The mystic beliefs of Mevlana and most Sufis are bearing on the following thoughts: Except God there is no reality. Man itself is without a real being, but may participate - under certain circumstances - in the reality of God. This assumption is fulfilled, when man has freed himself from his own, human qualities. The way to this freedom is suffering (not in a stupid self punishing way of course, in The Sufi path of love: the spiritual teachings of Rumi, in section on separation and union at about pages 236 to 238 you can read Rumi's thoughts on this ". The power to go this way is coming from his love for God.
In February 1146 Dschelal ed-Din and Schems ed-Din, the preacher, were separated by jealous students. Schems ed-Din returned once again to Konya in later years, but he disappeared under unknown circumstances. Konya found its Mevlana again, but he was not the same anymore. Twice again Mevlana fell in love with other men. His last love was Hilsam ed-Din, member of a family with great influence. Due to this love, Mevlana wrote a giant poem called "Mesnevi" (alternate link), influencing Islamic mystics in an incredible way. The first verses of this poem are considered to be influenced by God. This poem is generally known as the "Lament of the Ney". In the second half of his life, Mevlana became the mystic father of Konya. He was called "Sultan of the Lovers". In his last years of life the Sect of Mevlevis was founded, the origin of the Turning Dervishes. The final form was given to the sect by Sultan Veled, the son of the master. In the evening of 17th December tin Mevlana died.
The Sect of Mevlevis treasured his heritage for over 700 years, but with some renewed interpretation. Today the tomb of Mevlana is never without visitors. Those who have the opportunity to observe the Mevlevis for some days will see that there is a very deep believe behind the Turning Dervishes from Konya.
form linear notes with some intervention

Terms of Mevlevi order



1 Naat (Lounge)
2 Peshrey (Prelude)
3 Niyaz Ayin (The Cosmic Dance)
4 Hay (Zirk) (Invocation)
5 Son Peshrev (Postlude)
6 Bayati Semai (Interlude)
7 Nukte (Humour)
8 Ferahfeza
9 Yayli Tanbur (Arch-Lute)
10 Bishnev Ez Ney
11 Odes De Ney (Ode)
12 Tanbur (Long-Neck Lute)

word
thegoodone


November 5, 2011

Black Cumin, Nigella sativa, spice, preservative & medicine




















Nigella sativa, Black Cumin (known as kaljeera (Assamese kalzira or kolazira), kalo jira(Bengali: kalojira, black cumin), karum cheerakam (Tamil கருஞ்சீரகம்), kalonji (Hindi/Urduकलौंजीkalaumjī or كلونجى/कलोंजी kalomjī) or mangrail (Hindi मंगरैल mamgarail), ketzakh (Hebrew קצח), chernushka(Russian),çörek otu (Turkish), habbat al-barakah (Arabic حبه البركة ḥabbat al-barakah, seed of blessing), siyah daneh (Persian سیاه‌دانه siyâh dâne), jintan hitam (Indonesian), karim jeerakam in Malayalam, Karto Jeera in (Beary Language). wiki.)


In Western Asia, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt and along the Eastern Mediterranean region black seed oil has been known for centuries for it's
benefits to health and was a most common spice during the Middle Ages. The steam distilled oil of black cumin seeds is used in case of:
- Constipation, diarrhea and flatulence,
- Weakened liver function,
- Migraines,
- Strengthens the vitality of the organism,
- Anti-fatigue and inflammation,
- Improves digestion and appetite,
- Accelerates sweating and reduces fever,
- Removes parasites (worms) from the body,
- A good antidote for bacterial, fungal and viral diseases
- Bleeding (epistaxis, and hemophilia),
- Carcinogenic disease
- Reduces blood sugar level,
- Accelerates the excretion of urine,
- Stimulates milk production in nursing mothers,
- Regulates growth hormones,
- Good for lowering blood cholesterol,
- Iinflammation of the nasal cavity,
- Dry cough,
- Bronchial asthma and flu
- Allergies
- Neurodermatitis,
- Psoriasis,
- To regulate the immune system,
- To relieve the symptoms of asthma,
- For the alleviation of chemotherapy side effects,
- Digestive problems,
- High blood pressure
- In veterinary medicine.
- Also used as an aphrodisiac

Here you can find some more ways to use it, actually there are a lot of useful pages on how to use this wonderful miracle maker, I can confirm that it works almost instantly in case of diarrhea and works quite well in case of allergies (swollen throat, eczema). I heard that Mohammed said that black cumin cures every disease but death itself, in our times a lot of scientific research was done on black cumin, and some confirmed that many from the list above are rightfully holding their place on it. I am not saying that this or any other herb can totally replace medical treatments, but for sure they have bean used in pharmacy for years, and that is a certain testament to their value, especially for modern skeptics. Most of pharmaceutical medicine create imbalance in our bodies, use of natural substances can bring the balance back, after all, our organisms are used to those for centuries.


November 2, 2011

Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto-Un fuego de Sangre Pura



Dark nights light up in fire
 like a feast that enchants.
The beating of the drums,
the black race rises up,
 and the Indian, passively
with his melodic gaita,
interrupt the silence
when a bonfire dances,
and I feel through my veins
a fire that goes unquenched.
It is the fire of my cumbia;
It is the fire of my race:
A fire of pure blood,
Sung in laments.



Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto has been the most important gaita ensemble (conjunto de gaitas) in Colombia since the mid 1950s. Gaita is a term used to name a Colombian musical instrument, various musical genres, and an ensemble (the conjunto de gaitas), all from the Caribbean region of Colombia, from where much commercially available Colombian traditional and popular music comes. Today, gaita is primarily performed in the Serranía de San Jacinto, the hilly region that embraces the municipalities of San Jacinto, Ovejas, El Carmen de Bolívar, San Juan Nepomuceno, San Onofre, and María la Baja in the  departments of Bolívar and Sucre, all in the region known as Montes de María.



Before the 1940s, conjuntos de gaita performed in what the elder musicians refer to as rondas de gaita-nightlong feasts, at which the musicians would sit at the center of a circle, taking turns playing and surrounded by dancers. They also used to be performed at funerals-which is why some of this music is associated with laments. These rondas no  longer occur in community life; today, the music is performed primarily in folk-music festivals, theaters,and discotheques, especially in Cartagena, Barranquilla
and Bogotá, and in Colombia’s Caribbean region.

The founder and initial leader of the Gaiteros de San Jacinto was Miguel Antonio “Toño” Fernández (1912–1988).Today, the elders of the group are Joaquín Nicolás Hernández (male long gaita and maraca), Manuel Antonio “Toño” García (female long gaita), and Juancho “Chuchita” Fernández (voice), who trace their direct lineage and heritage to the founding members. The other members of the group are Rafael Castro (voice), Fredys Arrieta(female long gaita), Gabriel Torregrosa (short gaita and pito atravesao, percussion), Joche Plata (percussion), Gualber José Rodríguez (percussion), and Adolfo Rodríguez (percussion).

The fact that the group has persisted and includes several generations of musicians speaks to the vitality of
this tradition. Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto are a musical icon in San Jacinto and Bogotá and a reference point for other gaita musicians throughout Colombia. Through their own new compositions and through
teaching young musicians, they are a crucial link between traditional gaita music and its contemporary renewal. Thanks in great part to them, gaita music has become one of the most influential traditional musics in contemporary Colombian popular music today.


from the notes




visit wiki 

Gaiteros in space

Un fuego de Sangre Pura