Documentation Wiki

ry_cooder

WMC_News_Dept. — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:54:04 -0500

Biography Ryland Peter Cooder (Ry Cooder) was born in Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 1947. He is a guitarist especially well known for his slide guitar work. He first attracted attention in the 1960s, playing with Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, after previously having worked with bluesman Taj Mahal in The Rising Sons, and having played with The Seeds.

united_states_of_america

WMC_News_Dept. — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:48:00 -0500

Official Name: United States of America Capital City: Washington D.C. Population: 301,139,947 (July 2007 est.) Government: Languages_: English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census). Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico.

the_chieftains - created

WMC_News_Dept. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:01:09 -0500

Biography The Chieftains started in Dublin, Ireland, in November 1962, introducing the world to the timeless sounds of traditional Irish music. The original line-up consisted of band leader Paddy Moloney (uilleann pipes and tin whistles), Sean Potts (tin whistle), Martin Fay (fiddle), David Fallon (bodhran), Mick Tubridy (flute, concertina), and Sean O'Riada.

ireland

WMC_News_Dept. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:18:37 -0500

Official Name: Ireland Capital City: Dublin Population: 4,203,200 (July 2009 est.) Government: republic, parliamentary democracy Languages: English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) is spoken mainly in areas along the western coast: Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Kerry, Cork, and Waterford Location: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

loreena_mckennitt

WMC_News_Dept. — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:23:36 -0500

Biography Loreena McKennitt was born and raised in Morden, Manitoba, a town of Irish, Scottish, German, and Icelandic inhabitants in the middle of the Canadian prairies. The most vigorous Highland dancer in her rural community, she was raised by her mother, a nurse, and her livestock-trader father. ”It was a very modest community. People came from immigrant stock. Survival was the order of the day and in some ways broad cultural exposure was limited. Although my family's ancestors on the most…

canada

WMC_News_Dept. — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:43:11 -0500

Official Name: Canada Capital City: Ottawa Population: 33,212,696 Government: Constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation Languages: English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5% Location: Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous United States of America

ali_farka_toure

WMC_News_Dept. — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:46:35 -0500

Biography Ali Farka Toure was born in 1939 in Gourmararusse (in the Timbuktu region), Mali, into the noble Sorhai family. Being of noble birth, he should never have taken up music. His family disapproved because the musician profession is normally inherited in Malian society and the right to play belongs to the musician families. However, being a man of determination and independence, once he decided to take up music, there was no stopping him.

mali

WMC_News_Dept. — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:27:45 -0500

Official Name: Republic of Mali Capital City: Bamako Population: 12,666,987 (July 2009 est.) Government: Republic Languages: French (official), Bambara 80%, other African languages Location: Western Africa, southwest of Algeria. Border countries: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal.

adama_yalomba

WMC_News_Dept. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:39:09 -0500

Biography Malian musician Adama Yalomba was born in 1970 in Bamako, the capital of Mali. As a young boy his father taught him to play dan, a traditional Malian instrument with 6 strings. He currently plays guitar, ngoni and dan. He became known to western audiences in 2003 thanks to the CD Festival in the Desert recording.

abdoulaye_diabate_from_segu

WMC_News_Dept. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:17:48 -0500

Biography Abdoulaye Diabate comes from the Segu region of Mali. He was born in 1952, son of Baba Diabate, traditional chief of the Diabate jelis of Segu, and of Assitan Dembele, one of the greatest Bambara singers. At the age of eight he started singing in villages with his mother, all the while continuing his Koranic studies and attending French school. He eventually received a degree in accounting.

abdoulaye_djoss_diabate - created

WMC_News_Dept. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:13:54 -0500

See Abdoulaye Diabate (from Kela)

abdoulaye_diabate_from_kela

WMC_News_Dept. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:12:21 -0500

Biography Guitarist and singer Abdoulaye Diabaté (also known as Abdoulaye “Djoss” Diabaté and Djoss Diabaté) was born in Kela, Mali, to the Diabaté family. A clan renowned as battlefield jelis (griot); they would accompany the warriors in battle to recount what took place. They are reputed as powerful vocalists.

jon_kertzer - created

WMC_News_Dept. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:00 -0500

Jon Kertzer has been involved with world music for many years. He is the producer of the radio show The Best Ambiance on KEXP in Seattle. Kertzer started as station manager in 1982, and created The Best Ambiance after returning from a year in London and West Africa, in June of 1984.

bassekou_kouyate

WMC_News_Dept. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:05:25 -0500

Biography Bassekou Kouyate is one of the true masters of the ngoni, an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa, and he has collaborated with many musicians in and outside of Mali. He played in the Symmetric trio alongside Toumani Diabate (kora) and Keletigui Diabate (balafon). He was part of Taj Mahal's and Toumani Diabate's Kulanjan project, as well as being one of the key musicians on Ali Farka Toure's posthumous album Savane which was released July 2006. He also toured with …

tito_puente

WMC_News_Dept. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:40:30 -0500

Biography Tito Puente was born Ernest Anthony Puente, Jr. on April 20, 1923 in New York City. His parents had just arrived from their native Puerto Rico and young Tito was nurtured in East Harlem’s “El Barrio” neighborhood that served as a cultural crossroads for Hispanic youth.

dr._john

WMC_News_Dept. — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:39:53 -0500

Biography Dr. John, or Mac Rebennack as known to friends and family, stands alongside of Louis Armstrong and Fats Domino as one of New Orleans' all-time distinctive voices. He was born in New Orleans on November 21st of 1940. His very colorful musical career began in the 1950s when he wrote and played guitar on some of the greatest records to come out of the Crescent City, including recordings by Professor Longhair, Art Neville, Joe Tex and Frankie Ford.

buille - created

WMC_News_Dept. — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:20:46 -0500

Biography Buille first came into being during the summer of 2004. It combines the unique talents of Niall Vallely on concertina, Paul Meehan on guitar and Caoimhín Vallely on piano. They released their debut album on the Vertical label in June 2005. The album consists mostly of new music composed by Niall Vallely over the past couple of years.

omara_portuondo

WMC_News_Dept. — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:47:32 -0500

Biography Omara Portuondo is one of Cuba's greatest vocalists, and has been acclaimed as such almost from the day she started singing professionally in the late forties. From 1950 through the late 1960s, she was Cuba's top performer of songs in the filin style (the word is taken from the English word feeling, and describes music inspired by the performances of Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, and Glenn Miller, among others). At the height of her popularity, Portuondo sang with a number of different g…

world_music_genres

WMC_News_Dept. — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:00:26 -0500

Here you will find information about most World Music genres and song styles. If you see any styles missing or would like to comment on the current ones, please e-mail us to A * A cappella * Aboriginal * Abozao * Acadian * Acehnese * Acid * Adewu * Afoxe * Afrobeat * Afropop * Afro-Puerto Rican * Afro-Brazilian * Afro-Colombian * Afro-Cuban * Afro-Latin * Afro-Peruvian * Afro-Venezuelan * Afro Latin * Agbadja * Aguabajo * A…

filin - created

WMC_News_Dept. — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:59:31 -0500

Filin is a Cuban music style. The name is taken from the English word feeling and describes music inspired by American jazz performers like Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, and Glenn Miller, among others).