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Here are two new CDs which Lark will be sampling
on the program, September 5th:
 Burkina
Faso is new territory for most Canadian listeners, and with
good reason. With the exception of the band Farafina which
toured Canadian festivals in the 90's, there haven't been
any recordings emanating from this musically rich country.
Camille Louvel, a transplanted Frenchman who fell in love
with African music, has made a home in Ouagadougu, where he
has built a recording studio and started a record label called
Chapa Blues.
Billing itself as "African Roots" music, we get a pretty good
clue into things over at the label by knowing that "chapa"
is the locally brewed beer, served to drink in calabashes.
Party on.
First off the bat, and a raging success in France, is Victor
Deme. Singing in the Douala language, he is at turns
soulful, bluesy, and deeply rooted in the beautiful melodies
and rhythms of his part of west Africa.
We'll hear a couple of tracks from his album Deli
this week, and definitely more of Victor Deme in weeks to
come.
 Youssou
N'Dour's latest CD, I
Bring What I Love, is the soundtrack to a documentary
film covering two years of struggle by the famed Senegalese
singer. The film was received receptively in the west for
its message of religious tolerance, but back home in Senegal,
N'Dour was dealing with severe criticism.
Deeply troubled by what he feels is a negative worldwide
perception of Islam, N'Dour recorded an album in 2004 entitled
Egypt. Employing his characteristic mix of musical styles,
N'Dour talked about his lifelong faith in Islam, and pleaded
for universal religious tolerance. The mixture of secular
music and religious lyrics was denounced by Senegalese Muslim
leaders as blasphemous. This was a particularly hard blow
for N'Dour to bear, as he is devout in his religious practice,
and had produced the album with the deepest convictions.
Ironically, it was the Grammy awarded to the album which
seemed to sway opinion in Senegal, that perhaps the album's
intentions had been well-placed after all. A triumphal parade
through the capital city with N'Dour brandishing the Grammy
in raised arms, culminated in a reception at the President's
office.
We'll hear tracks from the album on World Spinning,
September 5th.
Lark Clark was recently on special assignment, travelling
to Colombia to explore the culture and traditional music. Read Lark's
blog posts! • Colombia
- February 28, 2009 • Colombia
- February 23, 2009 • Colombia
- February 20, 2009 • Colombia
- February 19, 2009 • Brooklyn
- February 8, 2009 • Brooklyn
- February 1, 2009 • Brooklyn
- January 25, 2009
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