Next course

January 13th to March 17th 2015, every Tuesday morning 11.45-1.15 at City Lit.

I'm running a 10 week class for all comers, professional and beginner alike, in Central London, starting next week. 

Listening to and playing songs and tunes from 3 continents, putting together a set for any sudden bookings we might get, world tours etc. It may involve Samba, Bhangra, South African jazz, Hilife and Klezmer, and more. Simple tunes and grooves.

There's drums, percussion and mikes at the City Lit, plus a couple of melodicas and pianos [even a xylophone or three]. Bring your own instrument if you have one. For more info see attached course outline and visit the City Lit website.

I will coordinate with London world music gigs during this time, with a bit of themed linking.

If you can't make it you know someone that it would be just grand for, so pass this on.

Sarha

Calypso

Origins include Kaiso from Nigeria

The distinctive Calypso beat is demonstrated here on the drum kit.

Stone Cold Dead in the Market 1939 by Wilmoth Houdini: Trinidad and Tobago musician who moved to New York - made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan

Last night he went out drinking
When he came home he gave me a beating
So I picked up me rolling pin
And went to work on his head till I bashed it in

And now he's stone cold dead in the market
Stone cold dead in the market
Stone cold dead in the market
And I killed nobody but me husband

His family they're looking for to kill me
His family they're looking for to kill me
His family they're promising to kill me
But if I killed him, he had it coming

He is stone cold dead in the market
Stone cold dead in the market
Stone cold dead in the market
And I killed nobody but me husband

I beat him with the pot and the frying pan
I bashed him with the pot and the frying pan
Beat him with the pot and the frying pan
If I killed him, I tried to

He is stone cold dead in the market
Stone cold dead in the market
Stone cold dead in the market
And I killed nobody but me husband

There is one thing that I am sure
He ain't going to beat me no more
And I tell you that I doesn't care
if I shall die in the electric chair

He is stone cold dead in the market
Stone cold dead in the market
Stone cold dead in the market
And I killed nobody but me husband

Another calypso song made famous by jazz musicians:  St Thomas

Soca

was a later development

 Soca beat demonstrated here on drums. And here: Soca groove

Hot Hot Hot

Sudanese Music

 Here are two traditional instruments played in the Sudan: the Sudanese Lyre and the drum, the tar, played by the cross-cultural Otaak band. The tar is demonstrated on this link by Hamza el Din.

 Both these instruments also feature in this traditional song and dance. The scale used here is a pentatonic using the notes F F# Bb C C#.

Many of the Sudanese traditional songs use pentatonic scales. The Db major pentatonic scale is featured on two other examples: a women's wedding song, the popular song Luluwe, and the F# minor pentatonic features in the violin, drum and keyboard accompanied song here.

"Something New in Africa" podcast

This is a 40 minute radio programme on African popular music that I made a while ago. There's mention of Highlife [around 5 mins in] and South African music [around 6 mins and 19 mins in], and lots of other stuff that hopefully will interest you. Some of the technical quality leaves something to be desired as I was a novice. Enjoy!

Something New in Africa podcast

Ghanaian Highlife

Starting with a Nigerian (!) demonstration of bell and shekere playing, formidable and including a sponge. Then traditional drums played by Mustapha Tettey Ade. The talking drum in an ensemble and Sammy Odoh demonstrating palm wine guitar complete the Ghanaian ingredients of Highlife.

Put together with a big band influence in the 50s and 60s E.T. Mensah was one of the pioneers of the highlife band, as in the 1960’s freedom anthem Ghana Freedom and All For You. 

Highlife had its height in the 80s with bands such as Orchestre Jazira in London, and Bessa Simons. Since the 90s the popular music coming out of Ghana has been more studio based, the term hiplife describing tracks such as this remix of Kwabena Frimpong’s highlife track by Omanhene Pozo.

Guitarist Alfred Bannerman performs with Konkoma around London, and Ghanaian singer Richmond Kessie’s band Yaabafunk is performing on 25th May at the Hootenanny, Brixton.

Watch this page for the upload of my radio programme on African music.

Samba

Good view of fancy tamborim and relentless surdo on Brazilian carnival. Lots of carnival atmosphere Carnival  and more tamborim, including ‘South Afric…’ at 2.15. Samba Enredo several rhythms including samba reggae.

Details of how to join the London School of Samba or the Paraiso school of samba

Watch bits of the film Black Orpheus for samba: 4.00-4.30, 3.30-6.00. And the  track Manha de Carnival from this film demonstrating the morphing of Samba to the slower Bossa Nova feel.

The Gal Costa is the O Orvalho song in the key of the music attached. 

Plus simple arrangement plus original with a clarinet.

 
Alcione here is singing a samba song with some kind of accordion?
Finally, Caetano Veloso is playing at the Barbican this month, and here is performing with Gal Costa. Listen to Gal's entry at 1.10.

May 1st to July 3rd, every Thursday night at City Lit.

I'm running a 10 week class for all comers, professional and beginner alike, in Central London, starting next week. 

Listening to and playing songs and tunes from 3 continents, putting together a set for any sudden bookings we might get, world tours etc. It will definitely involve Samba, Bhangra, South African jazz, Hilife and Klezmer, and more. Simple tunes and grooves.

There's drums, percussion and mikes at the City Lit, plus a couple of melodicas and pianos [even a xylophone or three]. Bring your own instrument if you have one. For more info see attached course outline and visit the City Lit website.

I will coordinate with London world music gigs during this time, with a bit of themed linking.

If you can't make it you know someone that it would be just grand for, so pass this on.

Sarha