Tuesday on Sound Travels was quite quixotic; a trip sans plan as I played a few very different types of tunes throughout the day. And it started at 10am with a cat who's sound is quintessentially French, Serge Gainsbourg. "Cha Cha Cha du Loup" was what I played; a cut originally featured in a vintage soundtrack called Les Loups Dans La Bergerie from his pre-Brigitte Bardot period and features a younger Serge full of all that charm but with only a hint of eros that would mark his later work. Sexy nonetheless...
Went with a classic afrobeat tune at 11am from the father of the style itself; the late great Fela Kuti. "Zombie" is one of his most identifiable and dopest tunes. It features Fela in typical fashion, full of fire and calling all things as he saw them. A couragious act in the 60's-era Nigeria and still a statement today.
Yesterday, I featured some music from Latin Grammy winners La Vida Boheme and today my cycle of affirmation circled back to an artist I debuted earlier this year, one who also won a Latin Grammy, Gaby Moreno. Miss Moreno has the sweetest voice and her latest album, Postales, just earned her the award for best New Artist.
Bhangra at 1pm from a cat I always thought would have more hits by now, Panjabi MC. Back in 2003, when Rajinder Rai collaborated with a Jay-Z just stepping into his prime, he dropped "Beware" and then sort of dropped off the scene. As it turns out the world was more than ready for a bhangra breakthrough and every DJ seemed to be playing this one and waiting to see how the Punjab's most notable style of music would affect modern music...and we're still waiting.