Coming Up
Saturday 06 December 2008
His eclecticism may annoy the odd ‘blues policeman’, but Carlos Del Junco’s Steady Movin ought to delight any ears with an open mind between them. Whether your tastes incline to blues, to jazz or simply to good music, the Cuban-born, Canadian harmonica ace’s new album offers a feast of delight and amazement. As one reviewer observes, ‘One needn’t be a harp-o-holic’ to enjoy it.’ Fittingly, its cover image of a harmonica in flames is a clever variation on an image popular in Mexican culture - of a burning heart.
Sunday 07 December 2008
George Kuo is a virtuoso, but very relaxed, always lyrical. That remains true on O Ke Aumoe, nothwitstanding that it finds him in a Bordeaux mansion, rather than in Hawaii where his favourite playing venue is ‘outside on my porch, late at night.’ As its title suggests his new CD was at least recorded at the right/night time, when ‘You can hear the spirit of all the ancestors.’ George is a master of ki ho’alu - the Hawaiian style of finger-style acoustic guitar, known in English as ‘slack-key’ guitar.
Saturday 13 December 2008
Seckou Keita’s music is a happy marriage of innovation and tradition. From Senegal, he resides in Britain and will tour Australia in February/March. A fine singer, but most especially a master of the kora, Seckou is noted for devising entirely new tunings for his 21-string harp/lute. The Silimbo Passage is named for the special time of day when ‘darkness gives way to the light.’ It is the second CD from what he now calls ‘SKQ’. The quintet’s other members are a sister of his who sings, a percussionist from Gambia, an Italian bassist and an Egyptian violinist.
