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Transpacific Sound Paradise
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Martin Koenig's Vintage Balkan Village Vinyl
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Band in Halovo, Eastern Serbia, 1967. Photo: Martin Koenig. More images at
Martin's Balkan Echoes website - and in the cover art and inserts that accompany
the new Balkan Arts reissues.
Martin Koenig founded New York's Balkan Arts Center (now
CTMD) in 1968, a vital cultural organization building cross-cultural bridges through music, dance and folklore. Koenig first fell in love with East European folk dancing in college in the 1950s. He adventurously traveled behind the iron curtain in Eastern Europe to learn the dances directly from the source. Seeing the old traditions rapidly disappearing he started documenting, with tape recorder and camera. One result was three classic 1970s Nonesuch Explorer LPs. But less well known were over a dozen 7" vinyl EPs of his field recordings (often made with his CTMD co-director Ethel Raim), the Balkan Arts Series, that circulated only in folk-dance circles.
Now over four decades later the Balkan Arts series is getting a broader release for the first time, both digitally and on the original 7" vinyl (with beautiful new cover art from
Martin's photo archive, expansive liner notes and even an audio commentary from Koenig). Martin Koenig joins us to talk about his musical travels and share a sampling of this treasure trove of music.
This Week's Playlist:
(* = new)
Cannanes:
Bumper
/ Small Batch
/
*
(0:00:00 )
Cafe Tacuba:
53100
/ SiNo
(0:04:02 )
The Mops:
Useless Opinion
/ Various Artists: Stray Cat Rock
(0:08:38 )
Rung Fah Puping:
PuYai Lee Santana
/ Various Artists: Thai? Dai!
(0:09:44 )
Plearn Promdan:
Ruk Kum Samong
/ Various Artists: Thai? Dai!
(0:13:09 )
Sway Machinery and Khaira Arby:
Gawad Teriamou
/ The House Of Friendly Ghosts, Vol. I (Featuring Khaira Arby)
(0:21:16 )
Imperial Tiger Orchestra:
Etu Gela
/ Addis Abeba
(0:26:53 )
Imperial Tiger Orchestra has a full live album downloadable gratis from WFMU's Free Music Archive, here: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Imperial_Tiger_Orchestra/
Either Orchestra:
Feqer Aydèlèm Wey
/ Ethiopiques 20: Live in Addis
/ Buda Musique
(0:31:54 )
Cristina Pato:
Pandeirada Bestia
/ Migrations
(0:40:21 )
Liliana Araujo:
Cabeca Feita
/ Liliana Araujo
(0:49:23 )
Interview:
Martin Koenig
(0:54:01 )
Petar Ivanov Penkov, Atanas Atasnasov Ivanov, Georgi Stoyanov Georgieve:
Zborinka
/ Various Artists: Balkan Arts 701 - Bulgarian Folk Dances
/ Evergreene Music
/
*
(1:05:03 )
New reissue
Petar Ivanov Penkov, Atanas Atasnasov Ivanov, Georgi Stoyanov Georgieve:
Ruka
/ Various Artists: Balkan Arts 701 - Bulgarian Folk Dances
/ Evergreene Music
/
*
(1:07:13 )
Strandjanskata Grupa:
Chukanoto
/ Various Artists: Balkan Arts 701 - Bulgarian Folk Dances
/ Evergreene Music
/
*
(1:10:11 )
Prvomajskata Grupa:
Dobrolushko Horo
/ Various Artists: Balkan Arts 701 - Bulgarian Folk Dance
/ Balkan Arts
/
*
(1:13:37 )
Interview:
Martin Koenig
(1:16:56 )
Vlach Band from East Serbia:
Patrusha
/ Various Artists: Balkan Arts 703
/ Evergreene Music
/
*
(1:29:06 )
Musicians from Florina, Greek Macedonia:
Amoliti Gaida
/ Various Artists: Balkan Arts 705
/ Evergreene Music
/
*
(1:34:34 )
Musicians from Romania:
Brul Pe Opte
/ Various Artists: Balkan Arts 707
/ Evergreene Music
/
*
(1:35:01 )
Singers from Bulgaria:
Lazaritsa
/ Various Artists: Balkan Arts 708
/ Evergreene Music
/
*
(1:37:30 )
Spring ritual song calling out good wishes from house to house
Zurla and daouli ensemble from Alexandria, Greek Macedonia recorded in NY:
Ti Klez Kalmeni Maria
/ Various Artists: Balkan Arts 709
/ Evergreene Music
/
*
(1:38:23 )
Musicians from Greek Thrace:
Zonaradikos
/ Various Artists: Balkan Arts 710
/ Evergreene Music
/
*
(1:43:25 )
Ballaké Sissoko:
Kalata Diata
/ At Peace
/ Six Degrees
/
*
(1:50:22 )
Diabel Cissokho:
Patte D'oie Blues
/ Kanabory Siyama
/ World Village
/
*
(1:55:29 )
Habib Koite & Eric Bibb:
Foro Bana
/ Brothers in Bamako
/
*
(2:01:20 )
Mahzuni Serif:
Ibom Oluyor
/ Mahzuni Serif
/ DMM
(2:06:04 )
Little Cow:
Viragok a Reten
/ I'm in Love With Every Lady
(2:09:40 )
Mano Negra:
Sidi H'bibi
/ In the Hell of Patchinko
(2:14:05 )
Salim Halili hit
Markscheider Kunst:
Zambie
/ Markscheider Kunst
(2:16:45 )
Elikeh:
Olesafrica
/ Between 2 Worlds
/ Azalea City
(2:21:11 )
Massama Dogo leads this DC-based band
Shibusashirazu Orchestra:
Sorimachi Kiro
/ Shibusai
(2:32:07 )
Music bed for concert listings
BBK:
Bena Ngoma
/ Various Artists: The Karindula Sessions
/
*
(2:43:43 )
Tarika Sammy:
Voromby
/ Various Artists: Madigasikara 1
/ GlobeStyle
(2:48:25 )
Listener comments! | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:11pm
Mitten John:
Stupendous twofer: Rob followed by Donna tonight. A woo, and a hoo, too! | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:12pm
Pete from Boston (and NJ):
Holy crap, The Cannanes! Great show already! |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:15pm
Rob Weisberg:
Thanks John! Pete, glad you liked the Cannanes track. Starting off with some rock although things are gonna change as the show progresses... |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:19pm
RevolutionRabbitNov63:
Yes - exciting sounds already. | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:23pm
Hugh:
Love that Thai surf groove! |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:24pm
RevolutionRabbitNov63:
...'I'm Just a Mops' - !!!... : ) ...'WorldRawk' - ! ...Saturday's a Workday for me - so Thanx for helping me expand my horizons in the evening - & for bringing us the World. | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:25pm
Pete from Boston (and NJ):
Still kicking myself for missing their most recent very rare US appearance. |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:28pm
Sem Chumbo:
Listening in and loving what I hear. Obrigada muito. |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:37pm
Rob Weisberg:
Thanks Sem and Hugh! And Pete, yeah, I hope they come back sometime! |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:37pm
RevolutionRabbitNov63:
...Hate to sound needy! - but it would be Kewl if ClockTimes were Posted on Playlist ...WFMU(.org) defining Kewl already of course... ...People have - as received info. - told me of their reading in Gurdjieff (metaphyical philosopher) - & his recountings of strange Folk Magicks & such - & - in my ignorance - I wonder if it relates @ all to tonight's Balkan theme/topix. He was of Greek origin himself, I think, altho' he's most often associated w/ Russia? - Notable characterisitic of the Balkans them being 'transition point' (for lack of better-informed phrase) between all things Europe - & the Middle-East/Asia - ?? (Scales & Patterns of Voix Bulgare an example - ??)... | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 6:42pm
RevolutionRabbitNov63:
...Voix Bulgares' - w/ an 'S'. | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 7:28pm
RevolutionRabbitNov63:
- It is indeed pretty breathtaking that Mr. Koenig took the risks that he did - personally & politically (I think this is an example of what Joseph Campbell meant by 'Follow Your Bliss'!) to bring us a record of what has already (@ least partly?) ceased to be - ! - I remember hearing an interview w/ a Voix Bulgares lady pointing up the irony that Westerners were attending their concerts - while her own son wore an Iron Maiden t-shirt. - But *this* here of course is deeper & wider than what mainstream media provides us thru any channels - & decades before Voix Bulgares was published by the 4AD label too, certainly. - Mr. Koenig eloquently, passionately & personally emphasizes the relation between this Music & the actual native 'agrarian' Culture & Lifestyle - which to their credit was noted in the Voix Bulgares materials too...& they certainly sang awesomely too... | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 7:42pm
Rob Weisberg:
Voix Bulgares was unusual in that it came out of a Soviet Era Bulgarian national ensemble that actually worked esthetically and - although this may be debatable and a bit beyond my knowledge - but I have a sense that it didn't necessarily undermine the village traditions the way such ensembles did in other places in the Soviet Union. |
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Sat. 2/16/13 7:51pm
selminma:
nice radio | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 7:53pm
RevolutionRabbitNov63:
...point being Voix Bulgares were perhaps spared 'Sovietization' - being far enuff West - ??? - & they were totally A cappella - whereas what we've heard *here* so far is Instrumental - w/ no voices @ all - ! ...I wonder if that's a Men/Women thing - ???? ...& Mr. Koenig wil take us to regions other than Bulgaria... - Somewhat tangentially : - If you haven't seen PBS' 'How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin' - you should - ! : ) | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 7:54pm
Marmalade Kitty:
Great show Rob!! |
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Sat. 2/16/13 8:08pm
Sir Random Listener:
Tonight's show is going great. I'm digging these tunes! | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 8:12pm
bk:
Anyone else having a problem with the 91.1 signal tonight?My reception is awful. | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 8:14pm
Rob Weisberg:
91.1 signal checks out OK here. Thanks though bk for your concerns! And thanks Sir Random and M-Kitty! |
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Sat. 2/16/13 8:16pm
RevolutionRabbitNov63:
...& contrast it to the episode of PBS' 'Music Voyger' - hosted by the Putumayo label's Jacob Edgar - in which he visits contemporary Putin's Russia... ...If you play anything now reminiscent of great Malian Music - yer kinda gonna break my heart... | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 8:42pm
Ike:
Hey BK, does that stand for Brooklyn? Maybe the Haitian pirate scumbags are on in Flatbush again at 90.9 screwing up 91.1? I hope not. |
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Sat. 2/16/13 8:46pm
bk:
don't hear another signal-i am in east village,but have had a pretty dependable signal since 1996 till last few weeks.tonight is really bad. | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 8:49pm
RevolutionRabbitNov63:
...can you just get it online - ?... | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 8:56pm
RevolutionRabbitNov63:
- I'm way the hell up here in New Hampshire - so for me for WFMU - it's online or nothing - ! - But even for my local stations - plugging my computer into my stereo circumvents all the Antenna issues... - As long as I stay on good terms w/ comcast - !... | |
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Sat. 2/16/13 8:59pm
Snortley:
Reception in Kensington, Brooklyn is OK, even though I'm only a mile from that Haitian station. One track sounded bad, but that seemed to be its recording, not the signal. |
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Sat. 2/16/13 9:02pm
Ike:
@BK, probably just sunspots or something then. @Snortley, I heard that one bad track too, I think it was out of phase. Good show, Rob. |
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