The Napster Blog

Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds, & Ghanaian Blues

As on his previous anthologies, Ghana Soundz and Nigeria Special, anthologist and Soundways label chief Miles Claret has assembled a complete picture of a short-lived era in West African music with Ghana Special. The set covers the years 1968-1981, which, despite the political unrest in Ghana, were a fertile time for pop music there; many influences, including highlife, Nigerian afrobeat, jazz, soul, funk, and other forms of American and European rock can all be heard throughout. Claret spent years tracking down musicians in and around the cities of Takoradi, Accra, Cape Coast, Tema, and Kumasi in an effort to present previously uncollected material, and it's clear that Ghana Special, as with the previous volumes documenting the West African musical heritage, is a labor of love. 

Buika, El Ultimo Trago

Buika, the soulful Majorcan singer known for her jazzy take on Spanish flamenco fusion, collaborates with renowned Cuban bandleader and pianist Chucho Valdés on El Último Trago, an homage to the ballads made famous by Mexican icon Chavela Vargas. Buika's star has risen quickly over the past couple of years, on the strength of 2008's Niña de Fuego, which received a surprise—though well-deserved—Latin Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. Valdés, for his part, is Cuba's most celebrated jazz artist, having formed and led the groundbreaking group Irakere over the past 30-plus years. The combination of Buika's plaintive yet powerful vocals with Valdés' incomparable work on the keys results in a truly outstanding recording, a dynamic re-imagining of these relatively simple, classic boleros and rancheras that truly have stood the test of time.

Cirque du Soleil, Zed

"The French Canadians are coming! The French Canadians are coming!"

Okay, so maybe that sentence doesn't pack the same dreadful punch as it used to when it was used with "Russians," or "Redcoats," or even "Mongols." Quite the contrary. These days, if a large number of French Canadians descend on your town, either a) you live in South Florida; or b) your town is hosting the world-famous Cirque du Soleil, Quebec's second-largest cultural export, behind Céline Dion.

There are relatively few examples of mainstream entertainers who so completely bridge the gap in taste between young and old, male and female, and all other demographic categories the way the astonishingly talented Cirque performers can. Obviously, audiences will remember the fantastic art direction, costumes, and choreography of these opulent shows. But equally important to the experience is the music—all original (save for the show Love, which incorporates The Beatles' catalog) and international in flavor. The soundtracks to the shows have sold quite well, regularly peaking near the top of Billboard's Top World Music Albums chart.

The latest soundtrack, Zed, comes from a Cirque show that took up residence at the Tokyo Disney resort in 2008. It tells the story of Zed, an embodiment of the human condition, as he travels the world. His globetrotting is accompanied by multi-ethnic musical styles, including pieces inspired by Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, East Asian, and African traditions, but arranged and executed in a very contemporary manner. The music is dramatic, stirring, and alternately bombastic or sentimental, depending on the experience of the main character.

If you've ever been to a Cirque du Soleil performance, listening to René Dupéré's soundtrack for Zed may evoke many of the live show's hallmarks: The anticipation, the humor, and the sense of wonder common to all of their productions. And if you haven't seen Cirque yet, do yourself a favor and splurge for a ticket one of these days; it's nothing if not memorable.

Halloween Grab Bag of Treats

[To help set a spooky mood for this year's fright fest, here's a small collection of previously posted suggestions for Halloween party music. They're from different genres, and each is scary in its own way. —Ed.]
 

Spooky Blues: Napster Playlist
Does it get any scarier than a six-foot-six, three hundred pound man literally moaning at the moon at midnight? Yes, believe it or not, it does, and when a tormented guitar player who, legend has it, actually made a deal with the devil in exchange for instrumental skill, details his torment by hellhounds, you might want to count your blessings. For some, Halloween comes around more than just once a year -- just listen to Bessie Smith or Son House for proof. So if tonight you find yourself dancing with a demon in the wee hours or shaking hands with a ghoul over some misguided wager, remember... the sun will rise tomorrow.
 

Various Artists, This is Crucial Reggae: Halloween
Halloween isn't really celebrated in Jamaica, except at the big resorts full of Americans hopped up on jerk chicken and beef patties, among other things. That said, the good people at RAS Records have taken the liberty of putting together a compilation of dub tracks that fit in nicely with the spooky theme of the holiday. This Is Crucial Reggae: Halloween is a special edition in the Crucial Reggae series. The tripped-out soundscapes created by Lee "Scratch" Perry, his band The Upsetters, and the legendary Augustus Pablo are a great choice for party hosts looking for something a little less obvious than Michael Jackson's "Thriller" or "Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. And with tracks like "Dracula Prince of Darkness," "Doctor Satan Echo Chamber," and "Bells of Death," you'll be feeling irie and eerie at the same time.
 

Halloween Metal: Napster Playlist
With fright night fast approaching, it's time to line up the scary music to make this year's gathering of ghouls truly terrifying. Submitted for your approval: What's more horrifying than a seething batch of metal? Black metal, death metal, doom metal, grindcore, speed metal, power metal, sludge metal... metal metal metal metal metal!!! Featuring such catchy numbers as "Dead by Dawn," "Blood on My Hands," and "Coffin Fodder" by such upstanding organizations as Deicide, Morbid Angel, and Cradle of Filth, Napster's "Halloween Metal" playlist is not for children, but for metalheads with sufficient maturity to handle the heaviness. You'll also encounter numbers by Anthrax, Pantera, Lamb of God, and Slayer, so if outrageous, bone-rattling horror-noise is on your list of treats this year, this playlist may just do the trick.
 

Mannheim Steamroller, Halloween
Mannheim Steamroller, aka composer Chip Davis, struck again in 2003 with Halloween, a collection of silly, fun versions of classic songs you'd expect to hear come October (or is that July now?). The group has been primarily known for their New-Age take on Christmas and holiday music, but Halloween is its own complete holiday offering, with all the usual Steamroller hallmarks: neoclassical arrangements, drum machines, and a lively synthesized orchestra. All the major spooky classical pieces are covered: Bach's famous "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" starts us off, followed by Grieg's eerie "Hall of the Mountain King." Some of Davis' own compositions are placed between other famous musical pieces by Wagner ("The Flying Dutchman," "Ride of the Valkyries") and Mussorgsky ("Night on Bald Mountain"). He also adds a bizarre spacey element to the mix with "Z-Row Gravity," "Crystal," and his own rendition of the Twilight Zone theme. A few more easily identifiable favorites include  "Funeral March of a Marionette" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." The second half of the album is made up of sound effect-oriented numbers that are meant to be shuffled with the first half. Perfect for the whole family, Halloween provides prime background music that's playful enough for all to enjoy.

Bebel Gilberto, All in One

Bebel Gilberto, daughter of bossa nova icon João Gilberto, is considered musical royalty in her native Brazil. But her fame and appeal extend far beyond those borders, as the alluring stylist has won fans of varying musical tastes all over the world with her multifaceted approach to music. Bebel has been successful at both faithfully covering bossa nova classics and creating new music that borrows from earlier traditions while at the same time expanding on them.

Gilberto brings this approach to her latest album, All in One, which features an older composition by her father ("Bim Bom"), a track produced by Mark Ronson ("The Real Thing"), and several originals ("Ela", "Port Antonio"). The album features a smooth, breezy flow, with enough energy to keep it from getting too mellow and lulluing the listener to sleep. If her new label, Verve, follows the example of her previous label, Six Degrees, then it shouldn't be long before hot-shot producers try their hands at remixing tracks from All in One, as they did with many songs on her previous albums (resulting in the remix-only albums Tanto Tempo Remixes and Bebel Gilberto Remixed.)

Bob Marley & The Wailers,Trenchtown Rock

Click "play" on this collection by Bob Marley & The Wailers and you'll be treated to hours of rough-and-ready classics from the Tuff Gong and his original compatriots, including Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. Trenchtown Rock captures the evolution of the group from their ska and rocksteady periods into the slower roots-oriented groove that resulted in worldwide recognition for Marley and later incarnations of The Wailers. Anchored primarily by material shaped by visionary producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, this set avoids the obvious, and stands out from many other Marley collections as a great introduction to the depth of his catalog.

Bob Marley, Ken Boothe, The Paragons: Reggae Beatles Covers

The Beatles are among the most covered bands in musical history, which should come as no surprise given both the depth of their catalog and the timeless quality of their songs (if not their availability on digital music services, at least yet). Reggae artists, meanwhile, have long gravitated toward covering non-reggae popular songs, producing many memorable versions over the years of music by rock, pop, country, and R&B stars. It seems logical, then, that many of the best Jamaican musicians would, at one point or another, have paid homage to the Fab Four. Napster's "Reggae Beatles Covers" playlist offers proof of that happy intersection.

Marcia Griffiths kicks things off with an incredibly heartfelt rendition of "Don't Let Me Down." Ken Booth lays his soulful tenor over an R&B-tinged version of the sweet McCartney ballad "My Love" (which was actually a hit for Wings, but deserves placement here nonetheless). The Paragons' close harmonies highlight the prevailing sense of optimism in "Black Birds Singing" (a re-titling of the Beatles' serene "Blackbird"). And a young Bob Marley & The Wailers deliver a doo-wop cover of "And I Love Her"—not technically a reggae interpretation, but it demonstrates the group's affinity for rock & roll in general and The Beatles in particular.

While some die-hards may be reluctant to give these reggae treatments of undisputed all-time classics a chance, others will recognize the reverence with which these legendary songs are treated, and appreciate the honesty and authenticity of their unique musical perspective. We say give them a try—you'll likely be pleasantly surprised.

Rodrigo y Gabriela, 11:11

With their sophomore release, 11:11, the dynamic acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela have taken such an impressive step forward that they seem to have addressed their (relatively few) critics head-on. The book on them after their first album, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and their subsequent world tour was that, in spite of their virtuoso musicianship, their whole "acoustic heavy metal" angle would get old sooner rather than later. Their latest album shows they have so much more to offer.

Every track is an homage to a musical artist that has influenced the pair, and that blueprint serves them well by showcasing their range and ability to modulate their talents. They also include other instruments on the recordings, which adds an additional layer of complexity and texture and proves that they're not slavishly adhering to some gimmicky, derivative music-making formula. On the contrary, the songs feel nothing if not authentic. Some highlights include "Buster Voodoo," their salute to Jimi Hendrix; "Hora Zero," dedicated to iconoclastic master of tango Astor Piazzolla; and the title track, "11:11," an ode to legendary psychedelic rockers Pink Floyd. 11:11 has tremendous cross-genre appeal—if you haven't already discovered Rodrigo y Gabriela, here's your opportunity to make up for lost time.

BLK JKS, After Robots

After Robots is the first full-length effort from Johannesburg, South Africa’s BLK JKS (pronounced "black jacks"). The album, produced by Brandon Curtis from Secret Machines, recalls the progressive, expansive side of Radiohead, The Mars Volta, and TV on the Radio, with lyrics sung in English, Zulu, and Xhosa, backed by a swirling polyrhythmic shuffle. First championed by the tastemaking producer and DJ Diplo, the band turned heads at the SXSW conference in 2008 and then went on to build a reputation as a can't-miss live act through constant touring across the U.S.

Matisyahu, Light

Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu recently released his third studio album, Light. Fans will recognize the artist's distinct reggae-rock-rap style—at times reminiscent of Sublime—is intact, though leaning more heavily toward the non-reggae side of the equation than before. Light is by far Matisyahu's most polished studio effort to date, and its rich production could open the door to attracting those with more rock-oriented sensibilities. Napster's exclusive version of the album includes live versions of "I Will Be Light," "Thunder," and the hit "King without a Crown," recorded at the studios of CD 101.1 FM, an alternative music station in Columbus, Ohio.