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Category: ‘non-western’ musics, aka ‘world music’

Thar Desert (#36 in “a shining moment” series)

 

No other large desert is so densely populated by humans.

Its remarkably abundant and diverse wildlife also defies preconceived notions of deserts as “empty” or “barren” places.

Most of the Thar Desert is in northwest India; the other 15% is in Pakistan.

The greater portion is in Rajasthan.

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Wild Yak Valley (#35 in “a shining moment” series)

 

It was – in the exact words uttered earlier tonight on Australian television – “an analog, off-line experience”.

On the morning of 19 October 2019, the valley floor on which we stood was almost twice as high as Australia-proper’s highest peak.

The peaks above us were a deal higher, again.

…and yes – rather more than a thousand, mostly-vertical metres away from us – wild yaks were making their way across a snow-blanketed alpine meadow.

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Non-falling leaves, in a different autumn (#29 in “a shining moment” series)

If the tree in question were a deciduous, Northern Hemisphere species, its autumn leaves would be the “right” colour, but otherwise all “wrong”.

These autumn leaves are young and growing, not old and preparing to fall.

They will soon change colour – from red to green, not vice versa.

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“Upside down” trees (#28 in “a shining moment” series)

 

The “skin” of almost any tree will reward your close attention.

There are just nine recognised species in the genus Andansonia the baobabs.

One is Australian.

Two live in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

The other six – this one included – are Madagascan, only.

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Music review: Three Cane Whale & Daniel Herskedal

You could describe the British trio’s music as “chamber-folk”, the Norwegian tuba virtuoso’s as “chamber-jazz”.

I am wary of hyphenated “chamber” musics; recordings so-described oft prove anaemic, twee, wannabe.

No such problem here:  two very different ensembles have each created something singular, beautiful, with spine.

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Music review: Iris Dement, Elina Duni

Over the last year no “female vocal” albums have moved me more deeply. In their different ways, each defies description, and is a very “unlikely” success. Respectively, they were recorded in the singer’s living room in Iowa, and in a studio in south-east France. Iris Dement interprets Russian poetry, in a manner no one else would ever have attempted… or imagined.  Elina Duni addresses poetry and traditional song from her birthplace, Albania…with three brilliant Swiss jazzmen.

 

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