Lopa's Music Planet

[Globaltruth]

Just got round to listening to Lopa's episode from Nov. 6th it was enjoyable - the road trip to Sichuan and Yunnan by musician Yijia Tu was thoughtfully assembled - worthy of a whole show of course, and Classic Artist was Malian ngoni player Bassekou Kouyate - excellent.

Add in some Aggrovators and some Ethiopians - well, difficult to go wrong. Thanks Lopa.

[johncorrigan]

I notice that we've got a visit from Mary Ann Kennedy on Lopa's Music Planet this afternoon, talking about Gaelic Women singers of the past and their influence on more modern Scottish music. Looking forward to hearing her on R3 again.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00126tn

[johncorrigan]

You'll notice a bit of a mix-up on the heading from MP this week, but it was Lopa in control with Korean band Dongyang Gozupa in session - particularly enjoyed the energy of the final piece by them. Classic artist of the week was Ye Vagabonds from Dublin with 'Bacach Shíol Andaí (Bucky Highlander)'. Now I know I am no expert in Irish folk music but I felt a bit embarrassed to say that I'd never knowingly heard of them - sounded fine...wonder what constitutes a classic artist of the week for Music Planet? Anyway, Lopa was in standard form, but she did play 'Oscarine' by Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal - such beautiful music. Some fine tunes in there today...and some dodgers!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013hts

[Globaltruth]

You'll notice a bit of a mix-up on the heading from MP this week, but it was Lopa in control with Korean band Dongyang Gozupa in session - particularly enjoyed the energy of the final piece by them. Classic artist of the week was Ye Vagabonds from Dublin with 'Bacach Shíol Andaí (Bucky Highlander)'. Now I know I am no expert in Irish folk music but I felt a bit embarrassed to say that I'd never knowingly heard of them - sounded fine...wonder what constitutes a classic artist of the week for Music Planet? Anyway, Lopa was in standard form, but she did play 'Oscarine' by Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal - such beautiful music. Some fine tunes in there today...and some dodgers!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013hts

I couldn't get on with the Korean Band at all, and I thought Lopa's description of the gig was enough to put anyone off ("there were hardly any people there....") And I was definitely put off, looking forward to Kathryn T and then being slipped an inter-Lopa.

Ye Vagabonds? I thought I'd posted this by them before by them on the I.F. thread, but maybe I never did or maybe that was in the alternate universe.
Anyway a great version of an old classic.

Anyway here is a Myles O'Reilly short film featuring their music

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

(better than the old radio I reckon)

[johncorrigan]

I couldn't get on with the Korean Band at all, and I thought Lopa's description of the gig was enough to put anyone off ("there were hardly any people there....") And I was definitely put off, looking forward to Kathryn T and then being slipped an inter-Lopa.

Ye Vagabonds? I thought I'd posted this by them before by them on the I.F. thread, but maybe I never did or maybe that was in the alternate universe.
Anyway a great version of an old classic.

Anyway here is a Myles O'Reilly short film featuring their music

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

(better than the old radio I reckon)

Great version of 'Willie O'Winsbury', Global - I may have missed their name before, but I really hadn't seen the version of 'I'm a Rover'. It still begs the question, what criteria constitutes 'classic artist of the week'? Lopa still doesn't cut the mustard, does she!?! I always feel disappointed when I hear it's her presenting MP. KT's in Glasgow next week for Celtic Connections. Not sure what form CC will take this year - First Minister expected to loosen restrictions this week, but too late for a lot of the gigs. The organisers are talking about a hybrid online festival, whatever that might mean.

[johncorrigan]

Ian Brennan made a brief reappearance on Lopa's MP on Saturday in the form of his latest release. Lopa played two short tracks from the latest Brennan project 'War Women of Kosovo's 'A Lifetime Isn't Long Enough'. The War Women of Kosovo collective is composed of women singing publicly and writing songs for the first time. The material is very shocking as the women re-create the horrors that they experienced during the Kosovo War of the late 90s. The release seems all the more timely with the growing ethnic tensions occurring in the region. You can hear examples on soundcloud - the link is in the article.

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/560272335/socio-political-powerhouse-war-women-of-kosovo-s-a-lifetime-isn-t-long-enough-digitally-drops-on-friday-4-feb-2022

[johncorrigan]

Since I give her a hard time most the time, I suppose I should acknowledge an above average effort from Lopa this week. Wonderful track from Djeli Moussa Diawara, a very fine new release from those folks in Analog Africa; but especially the founder of Wantok records out of Papua, playing tracks celebrating the label's 21st birthday - tracks from Vanuatu, Papua, Solomons - pretty delightful...and Blind Boys of Alabama were the classic artists. Nice wee show. Keep it up, Lopa.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017tv3

[Globaltruth]

ok, will give her a listen.

[Globaltruth]

Yes, the interview was excellent - a part of the globe that we don't hear enough from musically on r3 - and overall the music was (generally) better too.
glad you pre-listened to it for me JC.

[johncorrigan]

I turned up for Music Planet yesterday but it wasn't on...Proms. I hadn't realised it was on later than usual. Surprisingly, there's a second show from WOMAD on later this evening, so I'll have a wee tune in and see what's going on in Charlton Park.

[Globaltruth]

I turned up for Music Planet yesterday but it wasn't on...Proms. I hadn't realised it was on later than usual. Surprisingly, there's a second show from WOMAD on later this evening, so I'll have a wee tune in and see what's going on in Charlton Park.

Drat - I was hoping for a review. I'll do the same I guess. Global music pos up all over the schedule on r3 nowadays. They even played the classic band Fiddlers Dram this morning.

[johncorrigan]

Drat - I was hoping for a review. I'll do the same I guess. Global music pos up all over the schedule on r3 nowadays. They even played the classic band Fiddlers Dram this morning.

A bit dull after a good start with Kanda Bongo Man, and Les Amazones D'Afriques sounding fab, Global, I thought. Not helped by it being Lopa who's in charge, of course.

[johncorrigan]

A bit dull after a good start with Kanda Bongo Man, and Les Amazones D'Afriques sounding fab, Global, I thought. Not helped by it being Lopa who's in charge, of course.

Actually it finished pretty strongly with a wee bit input from Ian Brennan and then a track from his latest offering, 'Comorian', followed by a set from Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali which sounded like it would have been great to have seen, then another track by Les Amazones and topped off by Angelique featuring Peter Gabriel. Seemed that people were having a nice time and I managed to stick around for the full two hours.

[Globaltruth]

Actually it finished pretty strongly with a wee bit input from Ian Brennan and then a track from his latest offering, 'Comorian', followed by a set from Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali which sounded like it would have been great to have seen, then another track by Les Amazones and topped off by Angelique featuring Peter Gabriel. Seemed that people were having a nice time and I managed to stick around for the full two hours.

Thanks JC - sounds like it could be ok.

Meanwhile, over on Essential Classics, Georgia Mann (who I suspect could make a great job of Music Planet) we were treated to a short Pacific interlud:
Leonard Kwan playing Opihi Moemoe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6zWE5HoVaY

from the Slack Key album - **ONLY AVAILABLE IN HAWAII**
closely followed by the traditional
Poi E, here with lyrics and a totally unwanted funkadelic bass. Ugh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BoC4k8cGyI

she also played Bali Hai.
I prefer the version by Juanita Hall though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww7xsdfDvn0

NB this is Juanita Hall's own voice, not dubbed by Muriel Smith as in the general release version of the film.


And, for trivia fans, just in case you didn't know, Alfred Newman, music director of South Pacific is related to Randy.

https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/how-are-composers-randy-and-thomas-newman-related/

[johncorrigan]

Thanks JC - sounds like it could be ok.

Meanwhile, over on Essential Classics, Georgia Mann (who I suspect could make a great job of Music Planet) we were treated to a short Pacific interlud:

She could maybe have brought in a spot of Ry to the Pacific proceedings, Global.
'Isa Lei'

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