Courtesy of Audio Texture’s James Barrie. Here at Audio Texture, one of our albums of the year, already, […]
Category: Interviews
A Classic Interview with Global Beatmaster DJ Nickodemus on the Roots of New York City’s Underground Dance Scene
BY JON FREER Beatsmith par excellence, Kenny “Dope” has been making records since the late 80s. His distinctive […]
By John C. Tripp Argo’s passion for DJing began back in the early 90’s in NYC while checking […]
“Music is always a healer, It doesn’t matter if it is mine or someone else’s. I have a […]
An interview with Sarah Linhares Sarah Linhares is a passionate and eclectic singer, songwriter and performer. She began […]
Dub and reggae were never meant to be entertainment, it’s a weapon without compromise –Lister Hewan-Lowe From his […]
Kode9 Speaks on the release of “Black Sun” A follow-up collaboration with The Spaceape that expands into a […]
Interview by John C. Tripp Nick Edwards still bares the stamp of his earliest sonic impressions, those seemingly […]
London’s Resonators, a nine-member band, blend classic reggae with contemporary influences in their new album “The Constant.” Recognized for their vibrant live performances and socially conscious lyrics, they create a transportive musical experience. The band retains authentic reggae roots while exploring new sounds, gaining acclaim across UK and European venues.
An audio interview with Sir Norman Jay by Fabien Vouillon
From his Barcelona headquarters, intrepid musical adventurist James Barrie operates Audio Texture, a radio program and music consultantancy […]
Growing up in two countries — Chad as children and France as teens — the women of Les Nubians, Hélène and Célia Faussart, were shaped by both cultures. On their third recording, Nü Revolution their pan-African vision remains as vibrant and clear as ever. Nü Revolution embodies, both through music and lyrics, a true sense of ‘World Citizenship.’ Featuring special guests ranging from African music legend Manu Dibango to indie soul icon Eric Roberson, with South African pop stars Freshly Ground, Ghanian-American MC Blitz The Ambassador and Polish MC John Banzaï along for the ride. Les Nubians manage to make the blend of so many diverse elements seem logical and organic; it flows quite naturally from their multicultural lives.
MundoVibe’s John C. Tripp spoke with Hélène and Célia on the Nü Revolution via telephone from their new home of Brooklyn just after their first performance ever in the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.
MundoVibe: Congratulations on your third full-length recording, I’ve been absorbing it and I love it. It’s got a great message to it, it’s really uptempo, very celebratory vibe and I think it’s going to blow up for you. So, this Nü Revolution, I want you to tell me about it because I want to be part of it.
Les Nubians: Well, Nu Revolution is a two year process to put together and Nu Revolution, why, I guess NU for “new universe” and we’re entering a new time, everything is kind of changing and no more types of frontiers because of the internet. I feel like because of the written histories we all went through, the recession crisis, all the wars and all the natural catastrophies we feel even more related to each other than ever. So, this is a new universe we’re living in. There’s finally worldwide citizenship that’s for real now.
Diego Garcia, the former frontman of acclaimed garage rock band Elefant, may have been born in the wrong era: he wears his heart on his songwriting sleeve. But more likely he’s just continuing a tradition of strong songwriting, albeit with a romantic sensibility.
On his solo debut album, ‘Laura,’ he explores his Latin roots with a sound that conjures the spirit of 1970s troubadours like Sandro, Jobim and Jose Jose. It is the fusion of these Latin influences with the era’s “anglo” visionaries, artists like David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Bryan Ferry, which makes this project truly special.
Minor keys, cello, nylon classical guitars, light drums, and wooden tambourines help create a vibe of tenderness and intimacy on “Laura”. With lush string arrangements, delicate Spanish guitars, and distinctly Latin flavor, the album is worlds apart from Elefant. What remains a constant is the romantic within.
Garcia’s new album was inspired by the loss of love. His music was a means of healing and closure and “Laura” is a musical diary during four years of torn feelings over the break up with the love of his life (don’t worry there’s a happy ending).
Minneapolis based musician/producer Cory Wong is on a mission to spread the music of Peru’s coast as far and wide as possible. Last April, he traveled to Lima and assembled an ensemble to help document Afro-Peruvian music. The group was called Peña (a meeting place or grouping of artists/musicians) and two albums from the sessions have been released since last October on Wong’s Secret Stash Records. A third Peña volume, released this April, remixes some of the original tracks.
The first Peña effort was a collection of 17 tracks that eloquently displayed the different styles within the genre and was accompanied by a documentary DVD, impressively packaged in an lavish wooden box. The album quickly received critical praise from tastemaker’s like NPR Music, PRI’s The World, All Music, Blurt, Afropop, etc. and landed on many year end lists.
MundoVibe caught up with Peña’s Producer and Musician Cory Wong to discuss the history of Afro-Peruvian music and how Peña came to document it.
MundoVibe: It was just a year ago that you visited Lima, Peru to record and release Peña. What was the inspiration for you to venture to Peru and to make this recording?
Cory Wong: It came from a long standing relationship with my guitar mentor Andrés Prado. He is from Lima and lived here in Minnesota for several years and is now back there. He instilled in me a passion for Afro-Peruvian music and taught me a lot about the culture and where this music has come from. I wanted to do a project like this for a long time and last March I was at lunch with Eric Foss and we just decided that it was time to make it happen. 2 weeks later he, Unai Bolivar and I were standing in Lima with a bunch of gear ready to go!