Bole2Harlem Volume 1
For many of the musicians who make up the Bole2Harlem collective, Bole – the name of Ethiopia’s international airport – is the last glimpse they had of their homeland before setting out for New York City. And not just any part of NYC, but Harlem. Now the location of the newly coined Little Africa, Harlem – with its great Afro-American music tradition – has become home to a new generation of immigrants keen to synthesize their own sounds with that of their new environment.
If Bole2Harlem represents a bridge between two cultures, it’s also one that began as an impromptu arrangement. This band – which includes an Amharic rapper, Maki Siraj, vocalist Tigiist Shibaba, an American cellist and a Malian kora player – came together out of Saturday night jam sessions at a downtown French-Moroccan restaurant. What started as a jam was quickly picked up by veteran producer David Schommer. The resulting album – its title suggests there is more to come – jumps with the vivacity of live music. Bole2Harlem has a funk overdrive that’s augmented by wild ululations, slithering strings and breakneck percussion. The acceleration of ‘Hi Lo Ga’ makes for an irresistible dance tune, while the album’s introductory ‘Bole 2 Harlem’ has a wonderful lilt with little flavours of woodwind. Recommended.
- Product information
- by Bole2Harlem
- Star rating
- Product link
- http://www.bole2harlem.com
- Product number
- WC 64002 CD
- Publisher
- World Connection
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
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