World Music Exploration - Traditional Chinese Music

May is Asian Heritage Month in Calgary. My students and I are celebrating by exploring music from China.

First up is a performance featuring the guzheng, a traditional Chinese table harp. It also looks like one of the ladies is playing on a five-piece paigu (tunable traditional drum-set).

Unfortunately, there is no title to this particular number. However, our world music exploration so far has shown that traditional music tends to be about historical events, nature or daily life long ago. It is very easy to imagine battle scenes during the driving parts and a graceful dance during the slow, middle section.

Here is the music video:

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(TM), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

World Music Exploration - R n B Artist PROFF

We are wrapping up our exploration of Kenyan music with the R'n'B artist Proff. You can definitely hear its connection to soul and reggae (or ragga) music.

Unfortunately, I can't track down a lot of information about Proff, which leads me to believe that he's relatively new and is on the rise, judging from the YT views.

Here's "Data":

World Music Exporation - Rufftone

This week, we are exploring the music of Kenyan gospel artist Rufftone (Roughtone). His musical style has been described as "Reggae, Afro- Kapuka". He has been nominated for numerous awards, including Gospel of the Year at Africa's Kora Awards, International Artist of the Year at the 2004 America Gospel Music Awards and Album of the Year at the 2003 Kisima Awards.

He won Artist of the Year at the 2004 Groove Awards. He has performed throughout Africa, the USA and United Kingdom.According to KenyanGospel.com, the title song of his 2003 album, Mwikulu, Luhya for heaven "is about how people would like to go to heaven, and yet they forget the simple rules. It is a fusion of Zouk (party music) and African ragga.

Here's a clip:

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(TM), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

New Videos on Musespeak Youtube Channel

Videos from some our performances at SAJETAA's Hana Matsuri are up on my Youtube Channel.Here's one of them:

Proceeds from the event will go to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

We performed six Jpop numbers:

• "Tsubasa wo kudasai" from Neon Genesis Evangelion and K-On!

• "Houki Boshi" from Bleach

• "This is My Road" from Guin Saga

• "Crossbeats" by Pia no Jac

• "Fukai Mori" by Do As Infinity

• "Shima Uta" by The Boom

We're still playing around with the set but hope to perform it again soon.

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

World Music Exploration - Grand Master Masese

This week, we're checking out an instrument that is unlike anything we have in North America, the obukano. It hails from the Gusii village.Playing the obukano and singing is Grand Master Masese. He plays the obokano and nyatiti (lyre). He is also a comedian, poet, dancer and writer. He introduces the song extremely well in this video: