Oh my, Omar!

Omar Sosa, the multi-instrumentalist from Cuba, began studying drums and percussion at the ripe old age of five. When he was in his teens, he taught percussion to young children before forming the group Tributo in 1986. Listening to his piano work, it’s hard to believe it isn’t his first instrument. Omars’s music runs the gamut from fiery Latin jazz to Keith Jarrett improvisations to World to meditative music promoting the concept of world peace. He’s worked with several vocalists in a number of groups, has produced several recordings, and has been nominated for a Latin Grammy. And to top it off, he’s just one cool dude.

Time Flies

The Horse Flies have been around for a while. They originally formed back in 1979. They're a traditional American roots band with plenty of strings attached. But they also mix in everything from jazz to Caribbean rhythms. The Horse Flies released several albums of original music and then entered a period where they only produced original soundtracks. Well, they just released a new CD and it's a dandy. Welcome back, guys!

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Out of Africa

Ayub Ogada, the Kenyan singer has been deeply involved in music since he was six years old. He was born to musician parents and went on the road with them at an early age. He eventually moved to London where he performed on the streets. He was invited to perform at Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD festival. He was also invited into Gabriel’s Realworld studios. Ogada has a soothing, mesmerizing voice and he plays the nyatiti—which is a lyre-like stringed instrument. If his voice sounds familiar, it may be because a couple of his songs were used in the film “The Constant Gardner”. His music is full of joy and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. This, my friends, is what World Music is all about.

Please note: I’m going to try to update the blog a couple times a week. Probably Mondays and Fridays.

Soul Geek or Geek Soul?

A nerdy white kid from Ann Arbor, Michigan singing soul? You bet. And he’s good! Mayer Hawthorne grew up listening to his dad’s classic Motown records and originally recorded his soul tunes as a joke. When they were played for the head of Stones Throw records, he thought they might be re-edits of older soul recordings. He eventually signed Hawthorne to a record contract and the rest is history. Think Smokey Robinson. This kid has chops to burn. When you’re watch his videos, it’s hard to match the voice to the person. A definite disconnect. Funny story: When he was interviewed on NPR, he told the interviewer she needed a “Mayer Hawthorne” name. He said, “Your middle name will be your new first name, and the street you grew up on will be your last name.” Now that’s nerdy!

Love to Haiti

In response to the horrible devastation in Haiti, I thought I’d post some music by a Haitian artist. Emeline Michel hails from the island nation and is considered that country’s Queen of Song. Her style mixes traditional Haitian music with jazz, samba, bossa nova and calypso. Her voice is smooth and she sings in an effortless manner. Hearing her makes you want to hop on the next plane to the Caribbean. Especially when temperatures hover around 15 degrees.

If you haven’t already done so, please consider contributing to the relief effort for Haiti. Hopefully, the country will head in a positive direction once the rebuilding is over.

Some Tasty Stuff

Lemon Jelly is a spacey electronica duo made up of Nick Franglen and Fred Deakin that I discovered by accident. Deacon is a DJ as well as a designer and Franglen is a producer who has worked with Primal Scream and Bjork. They mix synths, guitar and drum beats with found sounds and recorded robot-like voices to create a mesmerizing, hypnotic sound. Their laid back music is perfect for late night listening and is pretty trippy at times. I don’t really know that much about the group so I’m not going to ramble on and on about them.

Is This a New Avon Product?

Soap & Skin. Sounds like a beauty product to me. In reality, it’s a singer who’s following in the tradition of Iron & Wine, Sea & Cake, City & Colour with an offbeat handle. She grew up on a pig farm in Austria (I’m not making this up) and has an incredible future in store for her—she’s only 19! Her voice and style of music are somewhat reminiscent of Bjork—and that’s a good thing in my book. Some of her tunes challenge the listener, but her voice is always powerful and engaging. I can’t wait for her to do a tour of the States—I’d love to hear her live. And I think I can explain the unusual moniker. Her real name is Anja Plaschg.