Like many Pogues songs, “The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn” is about drinking. But, like many Pogues songs, often the same as the ones just mentioned,…
Folk
30/03/2021: “Waterloo Sunset” by The Kinks
There was a lot of great music released in the 60s. And in the late 60s, even more so. Impressive, then, that The Kinks can…
19/03/2021: Los Indios Tabajaras by Maria Elena
‘Los Indios Tabajaras’ means ‘The Tabajaras Indians’. The Tabajaras tribe is from Brazil. The two guys on the album cover are Antenor and Nato Lima….
17/01/2021: “Capullito De Aleli” by Pepe Jaramillo
“Capullito De Aleli” was written in 1930 by Rafael Hernandez for Los Jardineros. It’s been covered many times since then, not least by Nat King…
14/12/2020: “Dr Kitch” by Lord Kitchener
Before reggae, before ska, before soca, there was calypso. Calypso directly descends from the musical styles brought over from African due to slavery. It blends…
10/12/2020: Drømte Mig En Drøm (Arranged for Strings) by The Danish String Quartet // Traditional
Everywhere has history. Some cultures, however, wrote more down. Icelandic poems are some of the oldest, for this reason. This song, “I dreamt a dream”,…
11/11/2020: “Bofou Safou” by Amadou & Mariam
Amadou & Mariam are a couple from Mali, both blind, both excellent musicians. A lot of their music is lighter than this track, which leans…
30/10/2020: “Cuando Ya No Estes” by Danitse
I first found out about Danitse through one of my favourite artists, Mala. He used her vocals for “Cunumicita”. Her voice is like a beautifully…
05/10/2020: “Song Of Old Hawaii” by George De Fretes & His Royal Hawaiian Minstrels
I’ve never been to Hawaii. I’d love to though. Seems like a great place. It’s also well known for being intensely relaxed, which naturally filters…
29/09/2020: “La Leyenda Del Tiempo” by Camaron De La Isla
For an artist specialising in flamenco, this kind of music is a big step away from tradition. So much so, that the album this is…