Top 10 Albums Of 2011 - Ron Steeds

Ron Steeds is our Sponsorship and Fundraising Coordinator. He is also one of the members of the This Island Earth collective of hosts. This Island Earth is on Sundays from 1 - 4 PM. He is a member of the improvised music collective.

This is my current 10 favourite World Music albums at the moment. Some have been on the list for a while (“Radio Kaboul”; “Terra Nostra” and “Imidiwan:Companions”). Some are relatively new to me (David Dalle turned me on to “Eternal Light” over the past year when he played several pieces on his show – THANK YOU DAVID!). Some replace the previous albums by the same artists (“Gakondo”; “Rising Sun”). Some others could easily be exchanged for other albums by the same artists (Kayhan Kalhor & Brooklyn Rider’s “Silent City” could easily have been Kayhan Kalhor & Erdal Erzincan’s “The Wind”). All have have sustained my attention over many listens. I’d recommend any of these recordings to anyone who is looking for something a little off-the-beaten-track and appreciates fine musicianship and compelling compositions. In no particular order:

1. Gakondo – Mighty Popo



2. Rising Sun – Souljazz Orchestra



3. Terra Nostra – Savina Yannatou



4. Radio Kaboul – Mahwash



5. Imidiwan: Companions – Tinariwen



6. Eternal Light – Shankar/Zakir Hussain/T.H. Vikku Vinayakram



7. Silent City – Kayhan Kalhor & Brooklyn Rider



8. Second Nature – Minor Empire



9. Zembrocal Musical – Ernst Reijesger & Groove Lele



10. Lost – Bazar Bla

Top Artists Of 2011 - Ron Steeds

Ron Steeds is our Sponsorship and Fundraising Coordinator. He is also one of the members of the This Island Earth collective of hosts. This Island Earth is on Sundays from 1 - 4 PM. He is a member of the improvised music collective.

This is the list of World Music artists who, when they release a new recording or re-release a recording that’s been out of print, draw my immediate attention. They never disappoint me, often surprise me, always thrill me. They span the globe – beginning right here in Ottawa (Mighty Popo and Souljazz Orchestra) and fanning out to Africa (Fela Kuti & Tinariwen), Spain (Radio Tarifa), Greece (Savina Yannatou), India (Ravi Shankar), Persia (Kayhan Kalhor), Argentina (Astor Piazzolla) and Australia (Baka Beyond). All incorporate influences from other cultures. That’s probably why they appeal to me: each of them is unique.

1. Fela Anikulapo Kuti - the originator of Afrobeat music.



2. Tinariwen - the leaders in Desert Blues.



3. Savina Yannatou - one of the most glorious voices on the planet.



4. Ravi Shankar - the master of the raga.



5. Radio Tarifa - this ensemble combines Spanish Flamenco and Northern African music.



6. Mighty Popo - Popo keeps getting better and better with every recording. I feel lucky to get a glimpse into the musical soul of Rwanda through Popo.



7. Souljazz Orchestra - taking Fela Kuti into the 21st century.



8. Kayhan Kalhor - the fearless Persian musical explorer who creates astounding music with anyone whom he plays.



9. Baka Beyond - Martin Craddick & crew melds Celtic, African and Australian musics into a unique hybrid.



10. Steve Tibbetts - this restless musical explorer has collaborated with Choying Drolma (a Tibetan nun), Knut Hamre (a Swedish violin player) as well as creating music inspired by his trips around the world.

Best Year Ever for Ottawa Music # 4

The Mighty Popo is a Rwandan refugee who has made frigid Ottawa home and has helped countless people in Africa and Canada throughout the years. In the "City That Fun Forgot" he is one of the few who gets the passive crowd, dancing and singing. He has it all! The stage presence, the material and the musical chops. If anyone should be a music star it should be the "Mighty Popo".

His latest release "Gakondo" is another ridiculously good CD. "Gakondo" means origins or tradition. His live shows and previous releases were rooted in traditional music but were informed and infused with elements of Reggae, Soul, Blues and R&B. "Gakondo" features: Intwatwa songs of the Batwa people. Popo has steeped himself in the poetry of the “Ibwami” and has created a tribute to ancient songs and poems that tell the story of an entire civilization. The lyrics are written solely in Kinyarwanda, Rwanda’s only indigenous language.

The solo numbers were recorded live in the studio with one microphone picking up both the vocal and the guitar. The rest of the album was recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs on percussion; the bells were recorded straight from the footsteps of the dancer. The result is a stunning world class recording that provides musical gifts every time you play it.

Dance into your favorite local record store and pick this up as soon as you can.