Saturday, 3 August 2013

Welcome to the Roots of the World Blog and North East Gig Guide August 2013!



Featuring the August Newcastle Roots Music Radio Playlist!
and North East artists of the month
Whapwheasel!
Contact
(Drop me a line if you would like to be alerted of the next Podcast or indeed my new internet radio show on Hive Radio (see later)-all e mails will be "bcc" so no one else will see yours)
Podcast Newcastle Roots Music Radio
A monthly podcast to the best in World, Folk and Roots Music and a North East England Gig Guide at Soundcloud, Podomatic and iTunes!
featuring North East artists of the month
Whapweasel are at the forefront of contemporary English roots music weaving colourful strands of folk, rock, ska and East European sounds into a wonderful melee that will leave no toe untapped. Prepare for a hoe-down! After over a decade at the forefront of the English Ceilidh circuit, with a BBC Folk Award and more festival appearances than most people have had hot dinners, the mighty Whapweasel produced "Festivalis", a more gig oriented album. You'll hear two tracks on the podcast....and now the playlist:

Artist(s) and weblink/Track/Album

Whapwheasel/The Hexhamshire Lass/Festivalis
Monkey Junk Blues Club/Police Dog Blues/Monkey Junk Delta Blues 
Prelude/Grandaughter's Face/The Belle Vue Sessions
Simon Thacker's Svara Kanti/Shava Ghund Chuk Ke/Rakshasa
Jaipur Kawa Brass Band/Zindagi Ke Haseen Mod/Dance of the Cobra
The Bombay Royale/Oh Sajna/You Me Bullets Love
The Chair/The Hamars O’ Syradale/The Road to Hammerjunkie
The Elephant Sessions/Bulgaria/The Elephant Sessions

Rachel Newton/Must I Be Bound/The Shadow Side
Carrie Rodriguez/She Ain’t Me/She Ain’t Me 
Rattleshack/Hangin' Tree/Rattleshack
Music from countries featuring at the Alnwick International Festival http://www.alnwickmusicfestival.com/index.html:
Indonesia:  Various Gamelan Musicians/Arrival in Mas/Pitmaha/ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pitamaha-Music-Bali-Various/dp/B00006EXE9/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1H8OCT7Z5ON2E

Georgia: Gurna Ensemble/Pariobka/Folk Dances from the Black Sea/ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bulgarian-Georgian-Romanian-Russian-Ukrainian/dp/B001ZP4YV0/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1374260347&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Folk+Dances+Black+Sea
Egypt: Hossam Ramsy/Aziza/Best of Hossam Ramzy/ http://www.hossamramzy.com/
Dur Dur Band/The Introduction/Volume 5/
Owiny Sigoma Band /Lucas Malore/Power Punch/
Spooky Men's Chorale/The Spooky Theme/ The Spooky Men's Chorale

Lucy Ward/Marching Through the Green Grass/Single Flame

Trevor Sewell /Hate Me For A Reason/Calling Your Name
Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston/Sing a Full Song/ Sing a Full Song 
Manran/The Test/The Test 
Whapweasel/Locksley Hall/Festivalis

Roots of the World North East Gig Guide August
As you will have read Roots of the World now has not only the podcast "Newcastle Roots Music radio" but I'm out fortnightly on Hive Radio with the "Roots of the World Show" from Sunday August 4th. So the gig guide is still here with a one stop shop for (most) of what's going on in the N.E. roots/folk/world scene. You can still find out what's on, when and where with links through to the relevant website, but the format is simpler e.g. The weblink will take you through to the venue website and you'll need to click through to the page that you need, that's not too bad is it?  The guide is less of a timeline and more a summary area by area of what's on...Anyway take a look and there's still video content and sound clips!
Newcastle/Gateshead
Catching the eye at the Cluny this month is Dylan Day, an all dayer in homage to the great man (3/8), and a Scottish double header (17/8) Orcadian folk stompers The Chair and Newcastle folk students/"neo trad" quintet The Elephant Sessions. Also see Jumpin'Hot Club entry. 
The Cumberland Arms in Byker has the Baghdaddies and the Backyard Rhythm Orchestra (4/8), a blues afternoon (11/8) with an excellent line up including Trevor Sewell and Spanish Battery, and Rob Heron's Tea Pad is promoting a gig by Jeff Warner and Cath and Phil Tyler (30/8). 
The Jumpin'Hot Club are taking a well earned rest after "Summertyne" but have got Texan roots from Carrie Rodriguez on at the Cluny (30/8).
More monkeying about from those stalwarts of the local blues scene The Monkey Junk Blues Club @ the Butterfly Cabinet, Heaton every Thursday and also on Sundays at the Collingwood in Jesmond. Thursday gigs include Oil City Shakers (8/8), Kathryn Lowden and Gypsy Dave Smith (15/8), T.C. and Moon Duo (22/8) and Lomax (29/8).  
The Sage Gateshead is having a bit of a quiet month but is decamping to Durham for the Folkworks Summer Gathering which is dealt with in the Durham section of the blog.
It's Newcastle Mela time (25 and 26/8) so Exhibition Park in Newcastle with support of local Asian radio station Spice FM will be experiencing a meeting of the Asian arts culture food and more! 
Down at Ouseburn City Farm, those stalwarts of the local folk scene,Phoenix Folk, are continuing their summer gigs with the Andy May Band (14/8) and Judy Dinning (28/8).

Hoochie Coochie in Newcastle have from Australia, Flap (15/8), and Joe Driscoll on guitar and on kora Sekou Kouyate (23/8). 
Durham 
As said above it's the Folkworks Summer Gathering in Durham   featuring tuition and gigs! The line up is an impressive one and the gigs are at Elvet Methodist Church. Catch amongst others Jez Lowe, Laura Beth-Salter, Mike Vass and Dave Wood (both Malinky), Kat Davidson, Sarah Kitchen, Horrizontal Sunday, Tom Kitching, and a musical reflection by the Alister Anderson Band between the 8th and 10th of August.
The Durham Streets Festival is focused around street entertainment on the 26th August, but there also a very special concert in Durham Cathedral (21/8): with a stellar support band Eliza Carthy and Jim Morya celebrate 21 and 10 years respectively touring and recording. There's also "Folk in the Garden", Crook Hall Garden to be precise with Joe Hammill (4/8), Rachel Newton (11/8) and Jenn Butterworth and Laura Beth-Salter (25/8).
Catch the amazing eclectic Australian folk choir The Spooky Men's Chorale at the Gala in Durham on August 18; and north east folk stalwarts Prelude play Bishop Auckland Town Hall (21/8).
Its another busy month at Old Cinema Launderette, Durham, which now has a licence! There's lots of content links on their website so click through to have a taster. Catch Lucy Cait and Pip Mountjoy (3/8), and Lucy Ward (10/8) supported by Emma Prout and Paul Cornwall. 
North of Tyne: 
This blog has come out to alert you to Rothbury Roots August 1 gig Rex Preston and Miranda Sykes-apologies but you can catch Boo Hewerdine and Jess Morgan on August 29. 
Creative Northumberland has Kieran Goss gigging at Seahouses (10/8),  the Sour Mash Trio rock the The Ship Inn, Low Newton by the Sea (9/8), Hear No Evil, Alnwick welcome Tallis Morris with  support from Hague and Hannah Lamb. 
Over in the west, Queen's Hall, Hexham welcomes The Spooky Men's Chorale from Australia (19/8), with the gig being at the Queen Elizabeth High School in the town.  
There's an international flavour to Alnwick this month with music and dance from around the world at Alnwick Playhouse and around the town all due to the Alnwick International Music Festival (3-10/8). 
Cleveland 
Lots of dance and music from around the world including the wonderful Morris meets Street Dancing Show  "The Lock Inn" at the Billingham International Folklore Festival (9-17/8) including at venues around the region in Billingham and around including Arc, Stockton; Dance City, Newcastle; and Middlesborough Town Hall. 
The Green Room Stockton hosts Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra (23/8). 

You can hear a new show from "Roots of the World", from me, featuring the best in world music: roots music from near and far, as well as local news about what's on. Currently, it is set to be on fortnightly on Jarrow based Hive Radio broadcasting on the net out of Bede's World Museum-a Radio Station in a museum! The first show is on 4/8/13 going out 1700-1800 after the Jumpin'Hot Radio. This  latter show is a recommended roots/folk/country show with Alan Harrison from 1500-1700. My next show will be on 18/8 but schedules are being developed further so stay in touch! Please listen in tell your friends and there's a listen again service on the Mixcloud website with playlist!  Here's show number 1!
Part One  and Part Two.

And here's show no.2's playlist. Links to follow! Enjoy....

Mafiki: Nal’uthando

Hannabiell and Midnight Blue: Six Eight Fuego

Eliza Carthy and Norma Waterson:The Rose and the Lilly

Laura Beth Salter: Brother Wind

Daisy Chapman: The Life of Mary May

Manu Sequera:El gazpacho

Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate:Birnakely

Simon Thacker’s Svara Kanti:Ether Akasha

Swarnalatha and Unnikrishnan:O Kannukul

Mohd. Rafi:Chand Mera Dil

Manran: Tillidh Mi

Boo Hewerdine:Patience of Angels

Perez Prado:Mambo No.8

 
Review
Simon Thacker’s “Svara Kanti”: “Rakshasa” (Sing the Moon Records)
Musical adventures in India, Spain and more!
“Svara Kanti” is the creation of Simon Thacker, a classical guitarist  based in Edinburgh. In this cross-cultural project , Simon and his fellow adventurers blend the musical flavours of the West and East in an exciting musical thali! South India blends with the flamenco guitar of Spain, western classical, jazz and influences from Jimi Hendrix to Indonesia. None of it feels forced, artist’s input weave the influences together whilst  the whole the “work” if I may call it that, feels  balanced. Classical, Indian, Flamenco and the other musical friends who meet in this musical feast , all get on to make this an exciting listen.

I’d heard “Svara Kanti” at the Sage Gateshead, promoted by Gateshead based Gem Arts UK,(who also provided support for this disc).  I was disappointed that I was not able to purchase the work on CD that night.  I felt thoroughly uplifted by the verdant spirituality,  pulsing energies and musical tensions that the evening generated. It had been an experience not just a concert!  Sometimes the recorded version of a memorable evening can lack some of that atmosphere that makes live performances so electric. Not with this disc!

Simon was joined for this project by violinist Jackie Shave , also a member of the Britten Sinfonia,  vocalist Japjit Kaur, as well  as internationally renowned tabla player Sarvar Sabri. Together they combined to perform the constituent parts of the project which included works by a number of living composers, as well as Simon Thacker’s own compositions and arrangements of existing pieces.  This included Simon’s Edinburgh based colleague Nigel Osborne with his “Five Elements”.

The album has numerous personal highlights. “Air-Vayu”, part of Nigel Osborne’s “ Five Elements” has  scurrying tabla and singing sorrowful violin from Jackie Shave.  “Svaranjali”, has an opening whose theme has become a favourite for me with its gentle guitar and Sabri’s tabla ushering the listener gently in, with a gradual increase in pace and intensity as the guitar and tabla seem to be skipping together through the piece. Later the piece concludes its playful romp by experiencing a calming hush descending on the piece , which left me at peace also.  Simon’s title work “Rakshasa” has the other wordly, surreal and deeply engaging sound of backwards recording (all explained in the excellent accompanying booklet) , whom Jimi Hendrix is credited as the influence for. This produces the effect of the listener never being allowed to feel that comfortable as the guitar and tabla work their way through this ominous musical morass-well, the title does mean in Sanskrit “Infested by Demons” so be careful in there!  Finally, there is the absolute delight of the sweet voice of Japjit Kaur, whose opening to “Ether-Akasha” is pure serenity and conveys an elegance and grace to the music that is utterly beguiling in the opinion of this listener.

This album is a compelling and exhilarating meeting of musical styles, cultures, traditions, and  moods. It is, as said earlier, lilke a delicious thali such that you’ll not need dessert afterwards. Listen and buy!
More information at: http://www.simonthacker.com/svara-kanti.htm
Information regarding Simon Thacker’s previous project:”Nava Rasa”: http://www.simonthacker.com/Nava-Rasa-CD.htm
Video of Svara Kanti: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFu6QIIRMtY
Coda Music: Folk and World Retail Specialists

Based in Edinburgh, Coda provide a friendly and well informed
service to provide you with the very best in folk, roots and world
music! Click here for Coda website!  Friendly folk, helpful informative
service. 
Community Cultural Organisations/ Regular Events
Waka Waka Africa North East For  information click here!

Latino Events North East include music and more at  Café Ernest in the Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle every Sunday. More info click here!
GemArtsUK: Culturally diverse dynamic arts organisation. More info click here!

Crossings: Community Music Group based  in Newcastle, committed to using music to bridge barriers. Interested in getting involved: Click here!
And lastly...
Newcastle Roots Music Radio September 2013 podcast  will be out on September 1st. The North East artist of the month for that podcast is as yet to be confirmed. Also don't forget my radio show on Hive Radio ! Thanks for your interest, spread the word, support the music, venues and promoters and take care.




















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