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September 26, 2008
Journey around the world
Putumayo offers a variety of music – and funds good deeds.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
The motto of Putumayo World Music is "Guaranteed to make you feel good!" And, for 15 years, it has managed to succeed at just that.
Established in 1993 to introduce people to the music of various cultures, Putumayo CDs tend to feature upbeat compilations grouped by geographic region, type of music or both. There is music from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and elsewhere; there is blues, reggae, folk, lounge and other genres. In this issue of the Jewish Independent alone, we look at releases that celebrate Québécois, European, African, Arabic, Latin American and Hawaiian music.
In addition to trying to make people "feel good" with music, Putumayo has contributed more than one million dollars to nonprofit organizations that it considers worthwhile. Currently, there are 43 organizations listed on Putumayo's website, including Latet – Israeli Humanitarian Aid, which provides assistance to needy populations, and A New Way, which strives to promote a pluralistic, democratic society in Israel.
Putumayo CDs are widely available at various stores in British Columbia, as well as on the Internet at www.putumayo.com.
Québec City at 400
In honor of Québec City's 400th anniversary this year, Putumayo has released Québec, featuring a diverse collection of Québécois songs, including one written and performed in Montagnais (an Algonquian language) by singer-songwriter Florent Vollant, who was part of Kashtin, which was one of Canada's most well-known First Nations musical groups.
"Étrange" by DobaCaracol is a combination of funk, reggae and African rhythms; an African-sound also makes an appearance in the beautiful song "Brûlots" by Chloé Sainte-Marie, who, in addition to being a composer, has acted in several films. "Un Homme" is a spirited piece by Annie Villeneuve, a winner of the TV program Star Académie, the Québec version of American Idol. "Cette Ville" by Mathieu Mathieu and "Les Viscères" by Polémil Bazar share a musical style and Martin Léon, Marie-Annick Lépine and Myreille Bédard provide some softer sounds. Traditional Québécois folk music is represented by the contributions of La Bottine Souriante and Le Vent Du Nord. Of the CDs reviewed by the Independent, this one provided the most variety.
Québec follows other Putumayo French-language albums, such as French Café, Paris, French Playground and French Caribbean. A portion of the CD's proceeds will be donated to Jeunes Musiciens du Monde (Young Musicians of the World).
European electronica
In 2001, Putumayo released Arabic Groove, the first in what has become an acclaimed series of recordings that showcase what the label calls "modern fusions in world music." Euro Groove is the 11th release in the "Groove" series, which has included Asian Groove, Latin Groove and Gypsy Groove. It highlights contemporary electronica and world music by musicians, DJs and producers from France, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Spain, England and even Lebanon on one track – "Destins et Désirs" by Toufic Farroukh, featuring Jeanne Added.
One of the more interesting songs on this CD is "Jacob's Ladder" by Chumbawamba, a U.K. band, but many listeners will enjoy the lounge sounds of "Jazzamor" by Nuit Magique, "!DelaDap" by Le Shin and "Superwhirly" by the Guateque All Stars, featuring Shiva, the playful "Check In" by Fiamma Fumana and the jazzy "E Pa-Pa" by Mystic Diversions. Other songs on Euro Groove include "Cette Fille" by Martial, "Mädchen Mit Plan" by 2raumwohnung and "Mina" by Mouss et Hakim.
Another African party
According to the Putumayo website, it was the music of African group Kotoja – at a concert in San Francisco in 1991 – that led Dan Storper to start Putumayo World Music in order "to introduce people to the joyous international sounds that moved him on that day." African Party, a collection of songs from South Africa to the Ivory Coast, celebrates Putumayo's 15th anniversary.
For those who already have African Groove on their CD rack, African Party is probably not unique enough to make it worth adding as well, but there are some upbeat, rhythmic, movement-inducing songs for the uninitiated. Highlights include "Mwafwako" by Mapumba (Congo/South Africa) and "Nguva Ye Kufara" by Chiwoniso (Zimbabwe). A portion of the sales of African Party will be donated to HopeHIV.
Softer Arabic sounds
With Acoustic Arabia, Putumayo presents "the subtler, more organic music of the Arabic world, which has been inspired by the region's traditional music." It includes "Tu n'aurais jamais dû" by Maurice El Medioni, a renowned Jewish pianist from Oran, Algeria, who, according to the music label's website, "first began performing alongside Arab musicians during the golden age of the Algerian music halls of the 1940s and '50s and is still tickling the ivories as an octogenarian."
Other noteworthy contributions to Acoustic Arabia include "Alger, Alger" by Les Orientales – Mouna Boutchebak, Saléha and Sylvie Aniorte-Paz – which has an Edith Piaf quality, and the svelt "Ghir Enta" by Souad Massi, whose socially conscious songs have been banned by the Algerian government. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this CD will be donated to the Saïd Foundation.
Latin rock 'n' reggae
As its name clearly states, Latin Reggae is a collection of reggae music from Latin America and Spain. As such, most of the songs have similar rhythms so, unless listeners know Spanish, they may find this CD repetitive. But many of the contributors have been on the pop charts over the past 20 years, so the quality of the musicianship is high. As well, for anyone learning Spanish, the lyrics are sung clearly enough that it's worth attempting to understand them.
A portion of the proceeds from Latin Reggae will be donated to Acción International.
Hawaii for the kids
In addition to purely adult-oriented CDs, there is also Putumayo Kids, which "is committed to introducing children to other cultures through music from around the world." Apparently, Putumayo Kids' music experts choose songs with child-friendly lyrics and rhythms and then test them out on real kids and parents. Using this process, they have managed to release many award-winning recordings and, for each new release, Putumayo donates at least one per cent of the proceeds to nonprofit groups that support children, families, schools and other charities.
One of the more recent Putumayo Kids releases is Hawaiian Playground, replete with ukuleles and slide guitars. Some of the songs have a distinctly child-oriented feel, such as "The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai" by Teresa Bright, "Come to Hawaii" by Joe McDermott and "Toad Song" by Keali'i Reichel (an easy favorite from all six CDs reviewed), but they and most of the other selections on Hawaiian Playground will also be enjoyed by adults.
The CD includes Hawaiian artists, as well as music by other musicians who have incorporated Hawaiian-sounding melodies into their music. A portion of Putumayo's proceeds from the sale of the Hawaiian Playground CD will be donated to PACT (Parents and Children Together).
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