Kathryn Tickell's Music Planet

[LeWoiDeWeigate]

I've found both weeks from Celtic Connections really dull, heavy-going radio. I'm not massively into 'folk' music and I'd much rather have seen the festival coverage as a separate programme (hosted by MAK???) on 3 leaving us with a proper 'global music' offering in the MP slot. Unfortunately, my go-to source - the fabulous DJ Ritu ex-Radio London - has reduced her Resonance FM shows to fortnightly leaving me with the great music choices of Roger Brockbank on Deal Radio, plenty of knowledge but questionable presenting style...

Two consecutive weeks of essentially the same music played in slightly different ways is not broadening my knowledge and enjoyment of 'world' music :-(

[johncorrigan]

I've found both weeks from Celtic Connections really dull, heavy-going radio. I'm not massively into 'folk' music and I'd much rather have seen the festival coverage as a separate programme (hosted by MAK???) on 3 leaving us with a proper 'global music' offering in the MP slot. Unfortunately, my go-to source - the fabulous DJ Ritu ex-Radio London - has reduced her Resonance FM shows to fortnightly leaving me with the great music choices of Roger Brockbank on Deal Radio, plenty of knowledge but questionable presenting style...

Two consecutive weeks of essentially the same music played in slightly different ways is not broadening my knowledge and enjoyment of 'world' music :-(

I didn't hear episode two from Glasgow. LeWoi, and your description doesn't leave me fancying a listen. I had a look at the line-up...that doesn't persuade me either.

[Globaltruth]

I also tend to swerve the Celtic Connections shows and usually leave it to our very own man on the spot to sort out the best - for example, Martin Hayes.

I suspect it is a different matter altogether if you're there....

DJ Ritu and Max Reinhardt (formerly of this parish ) were doing a joint 'world' music show on Soho Radio at one point. Not sure if it is still on air.

However a podcast you might enjoy is Podwireless:

https://www.podwirelesswords.com/2023/12/podwireless-best-of-2023.html

by Ian Anderson who used to be man behind froots.
There is a mix of folk music and world music but if you follow the link you can judge for yourself as he provides some playlists.
Ian puts a lot of work into this and doesn't get paid at all, there is a TipJar where you can drop him some money though...

[johncorrigan]

Another show recorded at Celtic Connections this week centred round Fara, a band from Orkney, working with guest musicians from around the globe - not great, though I quite enjoyed Genticorum, but the whole thing sounded a bit of a mess. Les Amazones d'Afrique were on and got lost in the general mess. The whole thing sounded distinctly under-rehearsed, in my opinion.

[johncorrigan]

Great to hear Lila Downs on MP with Kathryn this week. She was very interesting. Some fine tunes in there this week. I'm also not sure that I had notced that Jo-El Sonnier had died last month - KT chose a cracking track to mark him as classic artist of the week. Usual mixed bag. KT did recommend listening to Jo-El doing 'Tear Stained Letter' - here they are together from 1990.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wKZu8o0s9g

[Globaltruth]

Just caught the end. Great track from Jo-El S. Would have liked more, so thanks for posting...

[johncorrigan]

Music Planet continues to mine Celtic Connections for content, but I enjoyed much of Genticorum's set. Some fine tracks in the show, Les Amazones d’Afrique and Dafné Kritharas to name but two. KT has Anoushka Shankar with her in the studio next week for a spot of musical ping-pong. I think that's what it was once called.

[johncorrigan]

KT has Anoushka Shankar with her in the studio next week for a spot of musical ping-pong. I think that's what it was once called.

Very enjoyable set of tunes from all over the place in this week's MP, some familiar but many not - one of my favourites was one of Anoushka's choices, 'Pundela' by Thierry 'Titi' Robin, which is certainly Indian in origin but seemed to effortlessly include many other influences and was so uplifting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ6tzC5zS0M

[johncorrigan]

I enjoyed KT's show from Saturday evening. Music from Sao Tome and Principe, Bhutan, some excellent flamenco and a nod to the passing of the great Toumani courtesy of the wonderful 'Doudou' with his great pal, the mighty Ali Farka Toure.
However there was also a fascinating road trip through Poland and Austria investigating the history of Yiddish Tango, with Olga Avigail Mieleszczuk - I had no idea that Warsaw had been the centre of European tango music with over two thousand tunes composed in the inter-war years. Interesting and most enjoyable.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0021bs5

MP is giving us recordings of WOMAD next week.

[johncorrigan]

I could complain about repeats of 'Music Planet' but I'm not going to on this occasion because I thoroughly enjoyed the re-run of KT's ping pong with Anoushka Shankar - loads of great stuff in there which I loved hearing again.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0...n=share-mobile
Among the great tracks was this one from Madagascar - 'Bedia' by Rajery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9DRet4ND8k

[johncorrigan]

Regular road tripper Betto Arcos gave us a race through some of the varied indigenous voices from across the Americas in this week's 'Music Planet'. He covered a lot of ground from the Smithsonian Folklife Centre in Washington DC - I was struggling to keep up. Meanwhile, KT played some fine tunes at a slightly more sedate pace. But it was nice to have it back after the opera break.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0023xz9?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

[Globaltruth]

Caught some of it live. Will return to it anon..


PS I like the fact that the description of the programme is nearly totally incorrect - “latest new releases from around the globe”.

[johncorrigan]

I say this through gritted teeth, because I didn't notice that Kyrgyzstan's Ustatshakirt Ensemble were playing the Edinburgh Festival in August, but Satruday's 'Music Planet' was a delight. Fascinating music, and a terrific interview between Kathryn and Aga Khan programme director, Fairouz Nishanova, about their programme to protect the traditional music and instruments of this nomadic culture. Wish I'd seen it.
There were also some fine tunes from Malawi and Iran among others. Great show....keep it up!


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0...n=share-mobile

[johncorrigan]

Nice to see that the opera finished early enough to make way for Radio 3's flagship world music extravaganza this week. Kathryn gave us a Mountain special this weekend to celebrate World Mountain Day. Music from the Pyrenees, the Cairngorms, Appalachia and lots of other high places. Most entertaining.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025w89?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile