***Tom Ze & Gilberto Assis -Santagustin (Brazil 2002) -This is GREEAAT!!***

The reviewer below also says "I can say that I have yet to hear a bad record by the guy, including his 90s comeback albums Hips of Tradition (1992) and Fabrication Defect: Com Defeito de Fabricao (1998). Strike that. I have yet to hear a Zé record that wasn't pretty great-- and in light of Animal Collective's recent Brazilian odd-ysseys, now is as good a time as any to seek out one of the country's original outsiders."


"Santagustin finds Zé returning to his roots in theater, as he teams with composer Gilberto Assis to provide music for the ballet troupe Grupo Corpo. Ballet? Yes, but check it: It's got homemade answering machine IDM, discordant guitars and flutes with "Tom Sawyer" drums, non-discordant guitars and mandolins that will appeal to the same sect of Brazilian music lovers who dug Sung Tongs, guys and gals going, "Gee-ahhh, oh-way-oh-way, oh-waaayyy!", and lots of pitter patter Brazilian percussion. Apparently, Zé based his music on the ideas of Christian philosopher Saint Augustine, though to read a translation of his comments in the CD booklet is to enter a convoluted world of whimsical theory: "The technique of inducing a controlled infection in order to produce an antidote is well known. In this instance, through controlled error in the tonal functions we create a ferment ranging by degrees between rage and inoculation." It goes on like this. Fortunately, most of this (wordless) music is its own reward.

Opener "Marco da Era" begins as a cold, repetitive cell-phone ring, moving subtly into tones from other phones and eventually morphing into micro-beat electronica. The high pitches and digital precision sound closer to Mille Plateaux than Bahia, and when the messy splatter of brass that ends the piece hits, I wonder if I somehow managed to insert the wrong CD. However, "Ayres da Mantiqueira"-- with synth-flute, off-key whistling, pizzicato plucking and counterpoint of acoustic and electric guitar-- betrays Zé as the heart of this music. Likewise, the bouncy, classically tinged "Nogueira do Monte" sounds practically lifted from one of Zé's mid-70s LPs, with immediately distinctive guitar figures and a vocal melody fit for restless kings.

"Pixinguim-Rasqueira" also features a Zé trademark of short, wordless vocal accents like "oh!" and "ah!" used as percussive thuds and pings, amid more intricate acoustic guitar arpeggios and bizarre horn lines sounding part of a demented circus orchestra. Throughout the CD, there is a faux-chamber orchestral feel (which gets the better of my interest on the fairly tedious "Ciro-Gberto"), though its best moments are invariably the bubbliest and most infectiously catchy. I wouldn't recommend anyone start with Santagustin as an entry into Zé's music, but fans will easily pick out the joyous, eccentric strains of his stuff."

01 - Choro 1: Marco da Era
02 - Choro 2: Ayres da Mantiqueira
03 Choro 3 Nogueira do Monte
04 -Choro 4 Moura-Sion
05 - Choro 5 Pixiguim-Rasqueira Marky-Patifório - Hermetório - Joãogilbertório - Yamanduzório
06 - Choro 6 Ciro-Gberto
07 - Choro 7 Bate-Boca
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***The Tafo Brothers – Plugged In Pakistani Pops (2009)***

01 – Yeh Aaj Mujih Ko
02 – Tut Tooro Tooro Tara Tara
03 – Oh My Love
04 – Bura Honda Juwariyan Da
05 – Par Kahin Aankh Laraee
06 – Bijli Bhari Hai
07 – Dilon Man Laee
08 – To Shamae-Mohabbat
09 – Mera Mehboob Hai Tu
10 – Lakh Karo Inkar
11 – Tere Siwa Dunya Men
12 – Munda Shahr Lahore Da
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***Bosphorus & Mode Plagal - Beyond The Bosphorus- (Greece, Turkey, -bewitching fusion of folky traditional music & modern Jazz with female vocals)***

“Greek jazz ensemble Mode Plagal collaborate with Bosphorus, a group with Turkish musicians and traditional instruments who bring forth the sound and experience of the Eastern and Anatolian musical tradition. The symbolism of the Bosphorus straits as a passage from one world to the another, from one sea to the other and from one continent to a new world.”

"'It was bound to happen, someday.'
That was the first thing that crossed my mind when I came across the news that Bosphorus and Mode Plagal were to collaborate on a record.

Bosphorus, a group of Turkish musicians from Istanbul who for almost twenty years now have been studying the musical tradition of that city through its many periods have been churning out amazing records off the mainstream. They have been exploring, among other things, the musical tradition of Greek composers of the city, as well as the interplay between what existed in the city (the Byzantine tradition of the time when the city used to be called Contantinople) and what came after (the Ottoman musical tradition both on the level of court music and popular one.)

Mode Plagal have already been covered extensively in Rootsworld, as they have been following a similar path regarding Greek music, but with an added focus on jazz experimentation.

Listen!
So, in many ways, both groups have been dealing with the same questions: What does it mean to be at the crossroads between East and West, Now and Then? What have been the results of the influences of other people on the musical tradition of the region? Are there traces of the past to be found and are there any of those worthy of retention for the future? All that and beautiful sounds!

The latter is where Beyond the Bosphorus succeeds effortlessly: this is a compelling, seductive record that doesn't sound academic at all, while it combines music from three different musical traditions; the learned Eastern musical system (the ancient one), the folk tradition of the Alevi communities, and the western-influenced one, as is noted in the beautiful and very informative trilingual liner notes (Greek, English and French.) There were times that this record sounded pop. At others, it reminded me strongly of Morphine (the band from Boston) or an ethnomusicologist's pet research project. On "Oceania," the last song, the U2 of the late 1980s comes to mind. All that and it never sounds forced, grotesque or garish.

As in the previous collaborative work of Mode Plagal (the Yorgos Margaritis CD recently reviewed), this record sounds like Bosphorus, possessed by Mode Plagal. The way in which they go in and out of the picture, blending in or coming to the forefront, depending on the musical needs or whim of the moment, is fascinating.

Apart from the usual high musicianship of Mode Plagal (who use saxophones, electric and acoustic guitars, drums and bass) and the exquisite learned virtuosity of Bosphorus (who play kemenche, rebab, violin, ney, cello, kudum, bendir, kaval, saz, kanun and tanbur), Vassiliki Papageorgiou, who sings on almost all the tracks, should be singled out for particular praise, as her laid back, spacey yet curiously earthy voice is often the highlight of a song. Providing a stylistic unity to the record which otherwise would have been torn apart by its various musical influences, Papageorgiou inhabits the role of the narrator of this fascinating musical journey, as she sings about love in the city, important Islamic religious feasts, Sappho and most of all about the city: Konstantiniye/Istanbul. - Nondas Kitsos

The press info:
The symbolism of Bosphorus straights as a passage from one world to another, from one sea to the other and from one continent to a new world, has marked through myths the spiritual memory and heritage of migrating tribes as well as that of sea-faring people in the greater basin of the Easter Mediterranean.

Those tribes coming from the South, following the south to north migration of the cranes, believed in the a hyperborean haven and heaven whirling beyond the North Star (Polaris), whereas those arriving from the Ease longed for a Western Paradise somewhere along the shores of the Atlantic. On the crossroads, at the exact point of intersection of the axis, there at the divide between Europe and Asia, a City was founded which it was hoped would reflect the heavenly peace (Irini) and Wisdom (Sophia)- the Byzantine Constantinople, Konstantiniye of the Ottomans- the present dat Istanbul.

The space of all around seems to resound - Aghia Sophia, the Bosphorus, the mosques, the domes, the golden horn, everything seems to whirl around a mysterious and inaudible sound which is perceptible only to those who have managed to emerge free from the murky and channeled waters of urban material existence. Beyond, rises yet another deafening but silent sound, the dirge of a Metropolis which has lost the dream to embrace within her womb all the religions and people suffering tribulations and by this way, becoming admired by all the nations as an example of ecumenicity.

We have tried to capture with our music the echo of this indescribable sound. To achieve this -which is also a game with different musical systems and tunings- two different groups collaborated: Bosphorus with turkish musicians and ancient traditional instruments which bring forth the sound and experience of the Eastern and Anatolian musical tradition and Mode Plagal, a greek avant-garde group which is experimenting a contemporary approach to greek traditional Folk music. The compositions, besides the traditional songs and tunes, are by the musicians of both groups and are put to the lyrics and poetry of G. Seferis, T. Syrelis and V. Papageorgiou around the theme of "Beyond Bosphorus".

They are interpreted by Vasiliki Papageorgiou, with a traditional Alevi prayer to the 12 Imams by Engin Arslan. The musical direction is by Nikiforos Metaxas. Bosphorus and Mode Plagal have been collaborating for some time now, Mode Plagla have been visiting Turkey quite often and both groups have given joint concerts the last couple of years in Greece, Turkey -in Istanbul and Smyrni for the 100 years of G. Seferis- in Belgium, Holland etc.

Apart from the usual high musicianship of Mode Plagal (who use saxophones, electric and acoustic guitars, drums and bass) and the exquisite learned virtuosity of Bosphorus (who play kemenche, rebab, violin, ney, cello, kudum, bendir, kaval, saz, kanun and tanbur), Vassiliki Papageorgiou, who sings on almost all the tracks, should be singled out for particular praise, as her laid back, spacey yet curiously earthy voice is often the highlight of a song. Providing a stylistic unity to the record which otherwise would have been torn apart by its various musical influences, Papageorgiou inhabits the role of the narrator of this fascinating musical journey, as she sings about love in the city, important Islamic religious feasts, Sappho and most of all about the city: Konstantiniye/Istanbul." - Nondas Kitsos, RootsWorld

“Beyond The Bosphorus is a collaboration between Greek band Mode Plagal and the most recent incarnation of the Turkish group Bosphorus, which now includes such leading performers of Turkish art music as Hasan Esen (kemençe) and Murat Aydemir (tanbur). On vocals is Vasiliki Papayeoryiou, who has worked with Bosphorus in the past. In short, this is an impressive line-up. - Chris Williams”
Track Listing
-------------
01. Improvisation: Rebab-Cello
02. Konstantiniye
03. The Tumult Of Torrents
04. Ey Zahit
05. Shuttle Boats
06. Beyond The Bosphorus
07. Until Such Time
08. Itinerary
09. Twelve Imams
10. Tatavla
11. For Sappho
12. Erotikos Logos
13. Lullaby
14. Faraway Lady
15. This Night
16. Oceania


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