Bob Tarte

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Sing Your Life

On his new album, Finland's Wimme abandons ambient techno for ancient chants

By Bob Tarte
Apr 22, 2004

Wimme Saari is more than unplugged on Instinct. He's completely unhitched from any kind of instrumental accompaniment. Wimme, as he is most often known, made his name on four previous albums for the Nordic roots label Northside, marrying the joik chants of the Scandinavian Arctic Sámi people (once known as...
Refried Southern Journey

New Orleans producers Tangle Eye tap into the power of the Alan Lomax catalog

By Bob Tarte
Mar 18, 2004

The word "remix" almost invariably implies radical surgery that drastically alters the cosmetics of a performance. But every once in a while the procedure turns out to be surprisingly noninvasive. Take Tangle Eye's re-envisioning of eleven classic Alan Lomax folk recordings that were recently reissued as part of Rounder Records'...
Must See DVD

Capturing the essence of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

By Bob Tarte
Feb 19, 2004

Jerome De Missolz's documentary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: The Last Prophet, the latest installment in Shanachie's World Music Portraits DVD series, starts off rather shakily with a meander down New York City's streets as a cab driver explains how much the Pakistani qawwali singer means to him. But the anonymous...
Super Band Supreme

The outstanding return of Super Rail Band de Bamako

By Bob Tarte
Jan 22, 2004

The sheer strangeness of Manding "swing" music can be daunting. Sure, there are enough familiar elements, from amplified instrumentation to radio-friendly lengths that tell you in an instant that you're listening to pop. But the heightened sense of drama feels foreign, from the operatic intensity that courses through the vocals...
Are You Experienced?

This year age triumphed over youth in world music

By Bob Tarte
Jan 1, 2004

You've seen that familiar New Year's greeting card. A baby in diapers crawls into the spotlight as a symbol of the year to come, while a white-bearded great-grandfather with a cane hobbles away. But in 2003, the card should have been different. The world music old-timer hogged the stage while...

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