Episode #15 - Songs of the Sea

Sailing. Was there ever a more popular theme or motif in pop and rock music of the 70s and 80s. Crosby Stills & Nash released Southern Cross in ‘82. Lionel Richie sang “Sail On” in ‘79. Who can forget Jimmy Buffet’s “Son of a Sailor” - one could say that he even pioneered sailing rock. Do you remember Loggins & Messina? They belted out the chorus to Vahevela on their album Sittin’ In… a song that romanticized the life of island hopping Caribbean pirates. Later they released an album titled “Full Sail.” The cover to this album left such an impression on me as a kid. Two suntanned dudes at the helm of a sailboat. The fully bearded Kenny Loggins holds a pipe and his bare-chested captain, Jimmy Messina, holds the wheel with his Hawaiian shirt slung over his shoulder.

These modern sea songs painted a picture of luxury and romance. As Christopher Cross sang,

“Well, it's not far down to paradise, at least it's not for me

And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility

Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see Believe me”

The canvas can do miracles, that’s true Mr. Cross. But the canvas can also fill the heart with longing and cast dreams into oblivion. In fact, most sea songs and shanties preceding the cocaine and merlot-fueled yacht-sailing fantasies of the 70s and 80s, dealt with the dreams, feats and tragedies of hard-working sailors.
Today on Sonic Latitudes, I’ve put together a playlist that explores sea songs and shanties of old from around the globe. Coming up in the next 90s mins you’ll hear songs from Nova Scotia, the British Isles, Australia, Cape Verde, Portugal, Brazil and the Bahamas.

Episode #18 - World Fusion

This episode's playlist pulls together some of my favorite examples of world fusion - collaborations between artists from different regions or singular artists who blend genres to create something new and innovative.

1. Mdungu - Rio Nights
2. Goran Kafjes Subtropic Arkestra - Dokuz Seki/Esmerim*
3. Tipsy Oxcart - Honey Dripper
4. SoCalled - Baleboste

6. Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita - Future Strings
7. Nitin Sawnhey feat Faheem Mazhar - Daybreak
8. Titi Robin - Sur Tes Pas - Taziri
9. 17 Hippies - Worksong
10. Eardrum - Astrobeat - Colonised
11. Mickey Hart - Happiness is Drumming

12. The Demon Barbers - Disco At the Tavern
13. Martin Bennet - Swallowtail
14. Bei Bei & Shawn Lee - Hot Thursday
15. Ibibio Sound Machine - The Tortoise
16. Juju - Nightwalk*
17. The Toure-Raichel Collective - Kfar
    
    
    
    

Episode #17 - Cosmic Quebec

Today, we’re taking a little trip back in time to a province not so far away. I’ve put together a playlist of French Canadian prog-rock from the 1970s to stimulate your ears and expand your mind.

One thing that most Mainers fail to consider is the benefit of our close proximity to Canadian province of Quebec. Of course, this means we can easily drive across the border for international vacations and gorge on buckets of poutine, but it means so much more. Visit any used record shop in Maine and you’re likely to find LPs from Quebecois artists. Some shops, like Strange Maine even have a French/Quebecois section! Dig into those crates and you’ll find some unique and sonically distinct Quebecois prog rock albums. That’s right, throughout the 1970s, the province of Quebec was host to a largely unknown, but adventurous prog rock scene. Many of those records made their way across the borders into the states of New York, Vermont and of course, Maine. Today I’m going to share some of the sonic nuggets that I’ve recently uncovered from the land of Bonhomme and Fleur-de-Lys! We’re exploring Quebec’s progressive past here on Sonic Latitudes.

1. L’Engoulevent - La fete De La Musique
2. Cano - Mon Pays
3. Harmonium - Harmonium
4. Fiori-Seguin - Deux Cents Nuits a L’heure
5. Offenbach - Promenade sur Mars
6. Pollen - Tout’l Temps
7. Morse Code - Cocktail
8. Yves Laferriere - des instruments charges a blanc
9. Bregent - Mes Longs Voyages
10. Maneige - Le Gai Marvin
11. Maneige - Mambo Chant
12. Franck Dervieux - Hyperboree, Civilisation “Un”
13. Contraction - Delire
14. Morse Code - Procreation

Episode #16 - Vintage African Grooves

Today's show is all about the funky grooves created throughout West Africa in the late 60s, 70s and early 80s. Dig.

1. Yatchiminou - Jimmy Hiacynthe - Ivory Coast Soul
2. Zadie bobo - Ernesto Djédjé - Ivory Coast Soul
3. Ilha Virgem - Jovens Do Prenda - Angola Soundtrack - The Unique...
4. African Dialects - Peter King - Nigeria 70 - Lagos Jump
5. Me Yee Owu Den - K. Frimpong And His Cubanos Fiestas - Afro Beat Airways
6. Fever - Jingo - Afro-Rock Volume 1
7. Pachanga Maria - Os Bongos - Angola Soundtrack - The Unique...
8. Everybody Likes Something Good - Ify Jerry Crusade - Nigeria 70 - Lagos Jump
9. Unite - Moussa Doumbia - Ivory Coast Soul
10. Soul Makossa - Manu Dibango
11. Kazucuta - Os Bongos - Angola Soundtrack - The Unique...
12. Let Them Talk - Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats - The Rough Guide To West Africa...
13. La ilaha illalahou - Ali Ibrahim - Ivory Coast Soul
14. Eme Lelu - Quim Manuel O Espirito Santo - Angola Soundtrack - The Unique...
15. Afe Ato Yen Bio - De Frank Professionals - Afro Beat Airways
16. Hustler - Tony Allen - Jealousy - Progress

Episode #13 - Global New Releases

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”

- Mark Twain

Take a trip around the globe and check out new releases from artists in Colorado, Brazil, Peru, Nigeria, Madagascar, Iceland, Sweden, Scotland, Thailand and more.

If you're looking for information about Goran Kajfes (who didn't make the Spotify playlist), visit his website. You can preview all of the songs from his new album, Reasons Vol. 2. It's contagious listening!

Goran Kajfes & The Subtropic Arkestra

Episode #12 - Songs in Exile

According to the United Nations' website for World Refugee Day:

“Every minute eight people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror.

A refugee is someone who fled his or her home and country owing to “a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”, according to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention. Many refugees are in exile to escape the effects of natural or human-made disasters.

Developing countries host four-fifths of the world’s refugees. The 48 Least Developed Countries provide asylum to 2.3 million refugees.”

Today on Sonic Latitudes I’ll explore the songs of musicians in exile. Resilient artists who escaped war, persecution and terror and persevere to bring their gift of music to audiences worldwide. I’ve lined up a playlist featuring Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars, Aziza Brahim, Samite, Songhoy Blues, Gloria Estefan, Tinariwen and K’Naan.

Later in the show, Rachel from the World Refugee Day task force will stop by to talk about World Refugee Day and the ongoing events and celebration here in Portland, ME.

Stay tuned for the next 120 minutes… here on Sonic Latitudes…. Songs in Exile. The music of refugees. 

Episode #11 - Destination 1976

Set 1 - Brazil to Germany Patrick Moraz - Impact Al Jarreau - Agua De Beber Hyldon - Na Rua, Na Chuva, Na Fazenda Flora Purim - San Francisco River Djavan - Magia Kraftwerk - Transistor Can - I Want More Set 2 - Francophone to Folk Jean Luc Ponty - Wandering the Milkyway Opus 5 - Contre-Courant Beau Dommage - Marie Chantal Malicorne - Salut a la compagnie (part a dieu) Malicorne - Branle de la Haie Stan Rogers - Barrett’s Privateers Archie Fisher - Dark Eyed Molly Set 3 - The One Drop World Taj Mahal - Black Man , Brown Man Peter Tosh - Ketchy Shuby Serge Gainsbourg - Marilou Reggae Bob Marley - Smile Jamaica Set 4 - African Funk Manu Dibango - Toumbe Osibisa - Keep On Trying Fela Kuti - No Buredi (No Bread)

So a few weeks ago I was enjoying this revelatory change of weather and strolling along Congress St. Just taking it all in. The joyful bustle of recently thawed humans. The salty smell of Casco Bay weaving like invisible tendrils throughout the cobblestone streets.

It was one of those days when I felt like my brain was a little techno-organic receiver tuning in to the universe’s magical frequencies. Everything just seemed to be clicking. Like I was in harmony with every aspect of reality. I was in a state of synchronous, hyper-awareness. Then it happened.

As I jaunted past Strange Maine, something glimmered in a little box (right near the front door). It was an LP sleeve adorned with a striking picture of a man with a red t-shirt stacked on a tight white thermal in equally tight blue jeans. He was standing on a rooftop and covering his mouth with his right hand. His eyes, squinting in a knowing smile. It’s like he just said something coy or made a joke and he was catching himself before he burst into uncontrollable laughter. Small words in a serif typeface flank him.

Al Jarreau. Glow.

I stepped into the store, as if guided by an invisible force, grabbed the record and quickly purchased it.

Later that afternoon, I placed the needle on the record. The first song began. “Rainbow in Your Eyes.”

I covered my mouth and thought, “Damn. Ain’t life sweet."


Today on Sonic Latitudes, we travel not to a physical location, but a chronological destination. 1976. I’m spinning sounds released across the globe in that year. Brazil, Jamaica, Quebec, the U.K., France, Germany, Nigeria and South Africa.

So, how do we get there? By time travel, of course.

Activate hyper-chronometer. On my mark > Earth year: 1, 976 common era. Lock on earth location: Rio De Janeiro, Brasil > 22.9068° S x 43.1729° W.

Commencing in 3. 2. 1. Ignition.