Story Archives of 'World Music'

As music evolves, so does the way we discover it. In the '40s and '50s, radio DJ’s and jukeboxes introduced new tunes to the masses. Magazines like Creem and Rolling Stone hit their stride in the late '60s and '70s. They introduced a journalistic edge, championing new bands with longform interviews and provocative photographs. In the eighties, video killed the radio star with the ascendancy of MTV. Nowadays, commercial radio rotates the same 100 songs, and you’d be hard pressed to find music on MTV.

In the past decade, the Internet became the place to discover new bands. Musicians like Lily Allen or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah attribute their fame to MySpace and music bloggers. Music blogs develop cache by spreading the word on emerging artists.

Last year, Jason Cranwell started a blog called The Pop Cop to showcase Scotland’s music scene. Now he’s taking it a step forward. He’s asked each of his favorite foreign music bloggers to contribute a song by an artist from their own countries, which will then be posted on all of their Websites. It's a kind of cross-pollination he calls "The Music Alliance Pact." Jason Cranwell joins us now from Glasgow.

Singer, songwriter and string player Nawal has a solid and respected place in the World Music scene. She was raised on the Comoros Islands between Africa and Madagascar but lives now in Paris. She's currently touring in New England and will play and sing live in our studios during their tour.

Tonight we'll explore World Fusion through the music of the New England-based group 35th Parallel. They'll be in our studios to perform a variety of works that blend the cultures of North Africa, North India, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and the United States. Percussionist Gabe Halberg and stringed instrument player Mac Ritchie will also explore the origins and evolution of world music and how 35th Parallel fits in.

Jose Lezcano is Cuban-born classical guitarist, composer, ethnomusicologist, and professor of music at Keene State College. He directs KSC's Latin Ensemble, a student group that performs Latin American music, as well as the KSC Guitar Orchestra. As an ethnomusicologist, his specialty is the indigenous music of Ecuador. He was given a 2004 Artist Fellowship by the New Hampshire Council on the Arts. He will perform the world premiere of his latest composition, a guitar concerto, on February 1 in Keene at the Colonial Theater.

Dave Kobrenski is a musician, artist, and educator from Plymouth, New Hampshire. He?s studied African music and drumming with masters here and in Africa. His goal is to promote cultural diversity and understanding through an organization he founded called Black Bear Moon. He talks about his activities and his struggle with a rare and sometimes debilitating disease.

We also hear an essay form Marie Harris about time she spent in Africa.