April 3rd, 2020 We’re pleased to have Tom Schnabel, the legendary music consultant and former Music Director for KCRW, share two articles he has recently written for his Rhythm Planet blog with us here this week. Tom’s extensive knowledge of music from many genres, and his expertise in curating music by artists outside the mainstream […]
music
Do you know BTS?
April 12th, 2019 BTS – Photo courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment Have you heard of BTS? No, its not another acronym for an educational credential or yet another new international professional organization. It stands for Beyond the Scene, the acronym for a boy-band from Korea, but not just any boy-band. ACEI-Global.Blog readers might be surprised […]
Rhythm Planet’s Favorite World Music Releases of 2017
January 18th, 2018 Now that we have 2017 behind us, we’d like to take a look at the countries in the African continent, in Latin America and India and learn a little more about some of them. We realize traveling to these destinations may not be possible, but we can agree that one way of […]
Kedi: A Sweet Film and Soundtrack for Istanbul’s Constant Companions
March 16th, 2017 A scene from Kedi. Photo courtesy of Ceyda Torun Istanbul is a city at the center of the old world, for millenia a crossroads of civilization, trade, and cultural exchange. On the many sailing ships entering the Bosporus over the centuries came the stray cats that kept mice and other vermin under […]
One Rhythm, One Planet: Music from the Banned Countries
February 9th, 2017 I have always believed that music brings people together and bridges cultural divides. Music can connect us like no other arts, with its universal language of rhythm and melody. Maybe even more importantly, music—especially world music, helps us understand and appreciate other cultures and people. I have bonded instantly with immigrant taxi […]
Three Timely Presidential Songs
November 14th, 2016 With the election just over, I thought I’d call to mind some songs about U.S. presidents and elections — songs that either celebrate or poke a little fun at being POTUS. We can all use a little levity about now, right? The first is “Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt” by Otis Jackson. […]
Qawwali Music: The Mystical, Peaceful Side of Islam
September 30th, 2016 I first heard the Sufi devotional music called qawwali around 1982 on a WOMAD (World of Music and Dance) album. WOMAD was Peter Gabriel’s world music label and brainchild. This was right about the time when a bunch of Brit record executives coined the term “world music” as a category for retail sales purposes. […]
Sister Deborah and Ghana Jollof: Tasty Rice
This is a culinary tale–or rather competition–West African style. Last Sunday morning, I heard a story and song on NPR’s Weekend Edition about a rice rivalry in West Africa, particularly Ghana vs. Nigeria, surrounding a ubiquitous rice dish in the region (Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal) called Jollof. The tune’s nice grooves and rhymes caught my […]
Tijuana’s Youth Orchestra: Bach, Not Banda, Mahler, Not Mariachi
April, 7th 2016 I know about El Sistema and the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra, where Gustavo Dudamel got his training. I also know about his work with YOLA, the Youth Orchestra of LA, something Dudamel was behind creating. Both El Sistema and YOLA give inner city kids a way off the streets into the world […]
Musical DNA Goes Everywhere Today
February 25th, 2016 James Brown’s 1968 hit “Say it Out Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” not only became a #1 R&B hit, the anthem for the Black Power movement, but also inspired new pride among countless Africans in newly-independent nations that had just become free of colonial power. Hits like this were heard via […]