Global Rhythm Radio: Welsh Acid Folk, Japanese Krautrock, Shaabi Music

Tune in to Global Rhythm Radio for an eclectic mix of contemporary and traditional international music, featuring your monthly host Parisa. We'll be exploring two hours of music that bridges eras and continents, with an emphasis on '70s rock, funk, folk, krautrock and psychedelic soundscapes. This post also marks a new direction for GRR, featuring song highlights and personal blog aspect to the mix.

This month’s lineup:
- Roots rhythms from Zimbabwe's anti-colonial 1970s rock and roll scene
- Urban folklore and shaabi music from the ethnic minorities of southern Egypt
- Welsh acid folk rarities collaged with hip hop production
- Krautrock-influenced drone music with ancient Japanese instrumentation

Stream the episode here:
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Global Rhythm Radio originally airs the fourth Thursday of every month on 91.3 FM KXCI Tucson and is archived here on T&E.

Playlist is available here.

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Although I go into details about each track on the talk breaks, I wanted to start making these blog posts a little more personalized and interactive. I'll start by sharing two tracks on the mix, one contemporary and one older track, and delve into 'em a little more.
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Tracklist features

​"Brân Swît" - Don Leisure
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Tyrchu Sain is the latest LP from Welsh beat maker and hip hop producer Don Leisure, who spent several years digging into Welsh psychedelic rarities and acid folk to weave a tapestry of hypnotic sound. I really dug this album, especially because it made me realize that I don't know much of anything when it comes to Welsh music aside from more popular contemporary artists, i.e. Cate Le Bon, Duffy, Neck Deep, mclusky. 

I'm not generally a big acoustic folk music listener, but what I find so fascinating upon my quick research about Welsh folk is just how rare and precious it is. While the Welsh language is not as endandgered as other Celtic languages, it is only natively spoken in Wales by 18% of the population. It's such an intricate and beautiful language, and speaking that language is not only a preservation of culture but an act of anti-colonial defiance. 

​In 2014, Finders Keepers Records released a compilation called Welsh Rare Beat that seems to have first documented the psych-folk era of Wales. A great album to check out if you want to dig more into this scene!

Fun fact if you didn't already know: the city with the longest name in the world, ​Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch, is in Wales. 
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​"See the Storm" - Salty Dog
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In recent years, Zamrock has become more well-known to the average rock/garage/psych fan (not to say "average" in a pretentious way, rather, people who generally like this style of guitar music but wouldn't normally look into artists outside the US). This is likely due to bands like WITCH reuniting and doing tours, and seeing lots of reissues of Ngozi Family and beyond. It's great to see this scene get more recognition as it's one of the best rock 'n roll scenes to ever exist on this damn planet! 

That being said, one band that reserves the utmost recognition is Salty Dog. Formed during the height of the Zamrock scene, they were a trio that came together because they wanted to model the Jimi Hendrix Experience but with that distinct Zambian sound.

I love this track in particular because it's the perfect summer monsoon song. There's a distinct feeling of connection listening to this song in the Sonoran Desert and relating to a sound from another distant desert on the globe. The atmosphere and production of this song is dry and dusty, while the singer's voice drifts into this sort of psychedelic, somber tone that mirrors the heaviness in the air before a storm. Hard to explain unless you've been in Arizona and watched a monsoon, but if ya know, ya know.

This is what that song looks like to me. Photo from Jason Weingart Photography

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That's all I got for now! I'd definitely like to think on how to explain these Global Rhythm blogs into something that's more reader friendly and interactive, but I figured a two track feature would be a nice way to start. Thank you so much for listening! Please feel free to leave a comment with any questions, comments, or share any songs that you enjoyed!
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