Another Happy Ending

Here we are, shaking our heads at how another year has passed by so quickly. I guess it's radio tradition to take a look back at the year in music, but I already covered that on my last episode of TerraSonic (big ups to Mark, by the way, for covering for me on Xmas Eve). Instead, I'm feeling more in a party mood, it being New Year's Eve 'n' all.

We're starting out with Dub Gabriel, whom you'll find at the epicenter of the Brooklyn Dub Massive. His credentials are impressive, as is his talent. His debut release, Bass Jihad (Azra Records) meshes some very outernational sounds with a deep bass vibe. Check today's opener, "The Saaz Remains the Same" to hear what I'm talking about. I met Dub Gabriel briefly a few years back. He was putting together a show at the Polish National Home in Greenpoint, a very cool venue. In the lineup were Umar Bin Hassan (of Last Poets fame), backed by Dub Gabriel's band, and Musafir, a Rajasthani group whose album, Dhola Maru, I helped put out several years ago. We'll be hearing from that a little later in today's show.

After Dub Gabriel comes one of my favorite voices in Arabic music: Natacha Atlas. The funky reggae stylee "Eye of the Duck" comes from Something Dangerous, a 2004 release representing a new step from an already demonstrably versatile artist. Of Egyptian descent, born in Brussels, raised in Northampton, Natacha Atlas (her real name) was first noticed for her work with Transglobal Underground. I saw her at this year's WOMEX, with Fidget Feet, an aerial acrobatic troop from Ireland. Her voice was in top form, harkening back to the legendary Oum Kalthoum (please check her out if you're not familiar with her; it's an incredible story). I interviewed Natacha when she came to Boulder several years ago with Transglobal and mentioned the Oum Kalthoum connection. She told me that, as much of an influence as Oum Kalthoum was, she considered herself a singer more in the style of Asmahan, a lesser known songstress of mid-century Egpyt. The sister of the legendary Farid El Atrache, Asmahan met an early death that, for some conspiracy theorists, is surrounded by a bit of intrigue.

From the Egyptian reggae stylings of Natacha Atlas, we move on to something new from Marcelo D2, an emerging artist from Brasil. His new release, Looking for the Perfect Beat (Mr. Bongo) produced by Mario Caldato of Beastie Boys fame, is a fresh blast of Brasilian rap-rock. I think "Qual E" fits nicely between the Natacha track and the next one, by Ndithethelele.

The Mothers--Township Sessions, also from the Mr. Bongo label, has really been growing on me lately. It's music from Philani, a South African foundation dedicated to supporting and educating children in the townhips and squatter communities around Cape Town. Philani Mothers formed a choir in 1986 and began releasing cassettes of songs promoting nutrition, hygiene and all around good health for children. On this record, Faze Action, Nitin Sawhney, Zero 7, Kid Loco and others contribute remixes of these educational songs. It's an interesting concept that will no doubt expose a wider audience to some already gorgeous songs. We're closing out today's first set with the Soul Savers' remix of "Speak for Me."

There's your p/review of today's first music set on TerraSonic. There's plenty more to follow that, but you'll have to listen to catch the rest. As a reminder, you can subscribe to the TerraSonic podcast from the iTunes Music Store or the very cool Underheard website.

Thanks, as always, for listening to TerraSonic. Have a safe and raucous celebration tonight. We'll see you next year. Cheers!