A Musical Tour of the World: All Countries A-Z One Per Day

Thanks, @HitAndRun, for sparing me from folk music from South Tyrol! I did find something from Saint-Pierre et Miquelon though. It's called "Compilation de Musique de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon" and consists of four very nice songs:
1- Je suis né Outre-mer de Henri Lafitte
2- Chanson Acadienne de MEF et les JUJU
3- Rocher D'île de Blague et Hale
4- De la mer de Brise Glace

 

Thanks @Jamsterdammer. Listening to that now.

I haven't posted the big list of countries and regions/places for a long time. Those in italics are already done. The remainder are coloured to show the three remaining chunks - the remainder of the S's, the T's, and U-Z's.

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic (Czechia)
Côte d'Ivoire
Democratic Republic Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
England (UK)
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Hawaii (United States)
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kurdistan
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
North Macedonia
Northern Ireland (UK)
Norway
Okinawa (Japan)
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent & Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome & Principe
Saudi Arabia
Scotland (UK)
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
SierraLeone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
State of Palestine
Sudan
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tibet
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vatican City (Holy See)
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Wales (UK)
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

And, down here where nobody will see it, I'll hide that I went through Putumayo Records releases and found a new track I like. Here is 'Rebel Blues' by Lëk Sèn from the album Putumayo Presents African Beat. Sèn is a reggae artist from Senegal. More information here: Lëk Sèn Takes Reggae Back to its African Roots and Beyond

 

How about some Sioux music then?

Many parts of Russian Federation have local culture very different from Russian culture, not nesessary being authonomous entity. According to Wiki, we have more than 190 ethnic groups, some of them can be located to defined borders, and some of them not. All of them have their own language and own folk music, in most cases very different from Russian folk music.

 

Catching up with 'S'!
Sioux War Dance

 

Heavy Pettin'- "In and Out of Love" (Hard Rock/Heavy Metal- Glasgow, Scotland- 1983)


Chasar- "Kings" (Hard Rock/Heavy Metal w/Progressive leanings- Alloa, Scotland- 1983/1987) Their only album was released in 1983 and rereleased with a different title in 1987.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-ihMIAorbQ

Close Lobsters- "Godless" (Alt Rock- Paisley, Scotland- 2020) This is from their first studio album since 1989.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMmWQ1NUaTo

 

Thanks for the music, everyone.

Today we're in Slovenia.

I'm going to start with a Eurovision song, but I think it's quite nice and I like the electronic backing. It's been in my 'guilty pleasures' playlist for a while. 'Sebi' by Zalagasper. If I remember correctly, I voted for it.



Here is some very interesting, more experimental, music. 'Hello, I Can Not Find My Head' by Maja Osojnik. Osojnik now lives and works in Vienna. maja osojnik

The world's oldest musical instrument, the 'neanderthal flute' from 55,000 years ago, was found in a cave in Slovenia. Here is a recreation of the instrument played by Ljuben Dimkaroski. Dimkkaroski was born and educated in Macedonia, but is a citizen of Slovenia. The piece of music is called 'Czardas'.

I've had a request to include a song by Vlado Kreslin. Here is the, to my ears, 60s pop/rock inspired song 'Lahko Bi Zletela'.

And, I end with a fairly normal folk song, 'Tam Kjer Murke Cveto' by Ansambel bratov Avsenik. More information about the ensemble here: Avsenik Ensemble - Culture of Slovenia

Tomorrow we're in the Solomon Islands.

 

@leshafunk - particularly on the rest/catch-up days, it's up to posters to decide what fits. Listening to your Sioux nation music now. Very interesting.

@Soopernaut - thanks for the Scottish music. Will listen next.

 

I have to admit that on YT evidence Slovenia would not be amongst my favourite musical stops on our world tour. I did like this clip of "folk music in Ormož, Slovenia on St. Martin's Day (Martinovanje)" but ...


.... it only last for ten seconds ....

and this "traditional Music from Sentjernej in Slovenia - from Sentjernejski oktet"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bibtkAYjFBk&ab_channel=HaraldAdelmann
but a comment has added "This is not Slovenian, but Croatian music from Croatia, more precisely from Vela Luka, Dalmatia". Actually it did remind me of an old American song which I can't quite place at the moment (something by the Ink Spots?)

I initially assumed that Tabu was the name of a female singer, but it happens to be the name of a band with a female singer, of which there has been three since the group formed in 1998 - the latest, Eva Baus who joined in 2015, would have been aged about four when the band began. This is a 2016 performance with Eva for Slovenia's Radio 1 which I preferred to the more produced records I sampled - 'Nabiralka zvezd'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEkOWjitaIU&ab_channel=radio1slovenia
Tabu (glasbena skupina) - Wikipedija, prosta enciklopedija

The small town of Tolmin in northwestern Slovenia is the host each year for "Punk Rock Holiday", apart from this year obviously - next year's festival is set for 9th-13th August if you wish to make a note of it in your diaries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=encGFDMFUmw&ab_channel=PunkRockHoliday
Punk Rock Holiday 2.0

also there each year is the Overjam International Reggae Festival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sinHd4eYY2s&ab_channel=OverJamInternationalReggaeFestival
Overjam International Reggae Festival

not forgetting (although I might wish to do so if I lived in the town) MetalDays
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqQ3tPEPbcA&t&ab_channel=MusicHolidaychannel
MetalDays

I'm not sure if any Slovenian acts ever appear at these festivals. The Punk Rock Holiday theme is by The Cool Trick who I note from their website are from "The East of Holland"
The Cool Trick | PUNKROCK FROM THE EAST OF HOLLAND

Tolmin - Wikipedia

 

Ziga Jelar is a current Slovenian Ski Jumper and releases music in his spare time

 

@HitAndRun, thread "regulars," and everyone who is posting here:

thank you

(and curse you)

for investing your time in research and composing all of the excellent posts and band/song suggestions....

you're not only expanding my horizons in a delightful manner, but you've created what is now my #1 distraction / procrastination engine / bandwidth sucker (personal and internet...)

 

Thanks @john hp. I've listened to your tracks. I must admit that I was expecting more of this sort of thing: Yugoslavian Liverpool in 60’s – Maribor

Unfortunately I won't be able to go through it myself until after 5pm. But, if anyone wants to mine that musical seam, please feel free.

@emmodad - I personally find this thread valuable, and have learned loads. I'm certainly going to revising it a lot into the future. Drinking at the world music fire hydrant is how I see it.

@AudioPhil - great to hear the musical ski jumper. The very nice poppy track is more professional sounding than I guessed it might sound.

Returning to the page above, this appears to be a reunion of the Slovenian 60s sounding 70s band (though, originally formed in 1969) Čudezna Polja with the self-descriptive even with the language barrier 'Zlati hiti mix 1'. I haven't had time to go through the article. I just selected this band because there was a photo of them wearing Sergeant Pepper suits.

 

Great selections as always. My favourites were the Vlado Kreslin song posted by HitAndRun and the Sentjernejski oktet posted by John, despite it being Croatian. Maja Osojnik is indeed very experimental, but a bit too abstract for my taste.

I'll start with a Slovenian folk song called "Zrejlo je žito", beautifully sung by Students of faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana:


Perpetuum Jazzile is a Slovenian musical group best known for an a cappella version of Toto rock band's song Africa. It starts with sounds made by the group and audience with their hands and then the song itself starts at 1:48:
https://youtu.be/x1NvTwNTR5o

Šank Rock is a five-piece Slovenian rock group from Velenje, formed in 1982. During their career the group has seen several hiatuses and restarts. Their greatest distinction is reportedly that their music remains the same as it was from the beginning. This song from 2014 is appropriately called "Restart":
https://youtu.be/zJ_TWqHM4g4

Niet is a punk rock and hardcore punk band from Ljubljana, Slovenia. They were one of the most iconic and influential music groups of the Slovenian punk movement and the punk rock in Yugoslavia in general. The band was active from 1983 to 1988, from 1993 to 1994 and 2008 to 2017 and is active again since December 2019. Here is a live recording of the song "Ruski Vohun". Not really punk rock to my ears:
https://youtu.be/EPwzchtbdZc

And finally, Anton "Tone" Janša is a Slovenian jazz musician (saxophone, flute, composition) and music teacher. Here is the Tone Janša Quartet with a composition called "Vzgon". Nice jazz, but nothing earthshaking:
https://youtu.be/7omRZ4v-TJk

 

One of the most controversial and interesting bands to come out of Slovenia is Laibach. The band name refers to the German name of Ljubljana. They have been active since 1980 and are described as an avant-garde music group associated with industrial, martial and neo-classical genres. In their music and performances there are strong references to totalitarian, nationalist and military symbols, but in a manner that is highly ambiguous and makes use of parody and pastiche. They sing in German, Slovenian and English. Here is “Tanz Mit Laibach” (Dance With Laibach), which sounds a bit like Rammstein to me:

 

I looked before and didn't find anything, I've looked again and still haven't found anything....

But here's some "hardcore, emo metal" from 2001 which I unexpectedly found myself listening to reasonably contentedly ... until about 2:20 in ...

'Starec' by Entreat from the album "Shaded"

Shaded, by Entreat.

 

Thanks @Jamsterdammer, and @John Hp

The cover of 'Africa' by Perpetuum Jazzile was really something. The mass creation of weather sounds through human bodies. The beatboxer who, it is noted in the comments, did the entire song without a break. And, the first time I've ever seen an entire choir of that size recorded by giving each member their own Shure SM58 microphone. Somewhere offstage there is a VERY large mixer.

I left Laibach for others. I won't grab all the obvious artists for myself. Only some of them Laibach are never boring, in my experience. And this track doesn't disappoint.

Šank Rock isn't innovative, but their music is catchy. Tone Janša Quartet is Jazz, and sounds good. But, I agree that it's not earthshaking.

For @John Hp, I did go through some of the bands in the article I found. And, most of them were a bit disappointing. Not bad, just not what I expected. However, I do like the sort-of R&B of Mladi Levi with their song 'Zaznamovan'. I don't know if this is a cover of a well known song with translated/new lyrics.

I did look further into Slovenian Jazz but it appears that an awful lot of what is labelled so isn't to my ears. However, what follows is not Jazz at all music no matter how Discogs.com categorises it, but 'Pupa' by Melanholiki is at least catchy. I'd describe them as a combination of Haircut 100 and Chas and Dave, and suspect that they have heard the song 'You'd Better Shop Around'.

Looking for hip-hop, I found the group Heavy Les Wanted, here with 'Ljubljana Dans la Place'. It reminds me of French rappers such as MC Solaar, and not just because of the language. With a bit of Beastie Boys mixed in.

Finally, Mateja Gorjup is said to combine ancient vocal traditions with state of the art technology. I think it makes an interesting combination. This is 'V Dolino'. More information here: Mateja Gorjup - music for voice from Slovenia / A RootsWorld audio feature and CD review

 

Thanks for the latest selections, although any track described as being a "combination of Haircut 100 and Chas and Dave" would have difficulty living up to that description.

That's an original with a bit of a Stax influence I think. I do see that they did record versions of 'Soul Fimger' (the Barkays); 'When Something is Wrong with my Baby' (Sam & Dave); and an Otis Redding song with re-written lyrics as 'Dvigni Roko' (which doesn't appear on YT). Discogs indicates that Mladi Levi translates into English as The Young Lions (although google translate disagrees); and that they had an early 1967 single released in Italy under that English language name, obviously with fewer members than they had later.It is maybe the kind of thing that you suggested you expected I would be posting this morning. This is 'A Man with a Mission' - two copies are advertised for sale on discogs - one in VG+ condition for 99.99 Euros; another "Near Mint" US$170. plus shipping of course.


The Young Lions* - An Echo Of My Dreams

And for something a little different here's a 1970 instrumental track by Mladi Levi included on a 1999 Anthology CD and possibly not issued at the time - 'Dervis in smrt' (Dervishes and death?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpUjAcmbhu4&ab_channel=WCNo7
Mladi Levi

 

Thanks @john hp. Mladi Levi recorded some very interesting stuff.

I didn't mean to say that I expected you to post certain types of music, but given how many beat groups we found for Slovakia and that we aren't too far away today - I thought there would be more. I went through quite a few bands from different eras tonight and didn't find quite what I was expecting to find. Particularly when I found the page above on the 'Liverpool' of Slovenia which I thought would be a motherlode of 60s music.

So, I'll end up with modern pop band Koala Voice with 'Ker Tu Je Vse Tako Lepo'.

 

Robert Pešut, known as Magnifico, is a Slovenian singer of Slovene and Serbian descent. His musical path started with music group U'redu, with whom he recorded his first album, Let's Dance (1992). After that, he embarked on a solo career, recording six albums in twelve years. Here he is with "The Land Of Champions", which has more than a coincidental resemblance to a certain well-known song by The Animals:


There was a land,
A land of Champions,
A land called Yugoslavia
And it's been the ruin
Of many a poor boys
And God I know, I'm one
Oh, mother, tell your children
Not to do what I have done
I've lost my soul
Oh, Glory Alleluia
Down in Yugoslavia
(There was a land of Champions
Called Yugoslavia)
And it's been the ruin
Of many a poor boys
And God I Know, I'm one

 

Thanks for all the music everyone.

Today we're in the Solomon Islands.

I'm going to start with something from the Small Island Big Song project. This is Small Island Big Song ft' Charles Maimarosia - Naka Wara Wara To'o. The lead singer is from the Solomon Islands, but from the video it appears that musicians from other places are backing him. I recognise the percussion instrument from Hawaii (which we've seen before in this thread already), the water drummers from Vanuatu (who will appear later), etc. Biography of Charles Maimarosia here: https://www.smallislandbigsong.com/charles-maimarosia



Next up, something I think is non-professional. The Melanesian Brothers Sing In Glorious Harmony. This is performed by 'novices from the community of the Melanesian Brotherhood'. This is an Anglican community in the Solomon Islands.

Twisting the international attribution even more than usual, this is the French band Deep Forest. However, the sampled lead vocal is from a 1970 recording of a woman called Afunakwa performing a Baegu Lullaby called Rorogwela from the Solomon Islands. I'll call it by the Deep Forest name. This is Sweet Lullaby. More information on the Deep Forest track here: Sweet Lullaby - Wikipedia Here is the original performance of Rorogwela by Afunakwa.

This is some fairly mainstream but well done reggae done by producer Baka Solomon and young singer Chris Young. This is Apologise. I included that as it's an original track. But, as an 'either or' another Solomon Island reggae singer is Rosie Delmah who does reggae covers. Very professionally produced. Here she is with Adele's When We Were Young.

Tomorrow we’re in Somalia.

 

Thanks for the initial Solomon Islands selection, I usually have an extremely low tolerance for the sound of the panpipe, but the Solomons make it more palatable by combining it with men hitting things.

I'm going to start with Miss Caro aka Caroline Kopana Isa, who sadly passed away recently on 18th November after a short illness

'I wanna be by your side'; posted to YT at the end of February this year



Horizon band lost female vocalist - Solomon Star News
R.I.P. Miss Caro

Country music is represented in the Solomon Islands by Johnny Trash - his name sounds like a not very funny Benny Hill parody, but on YT evidence he appears to specialise in covering songs by the US singer Ricky Van Shelton. But I decided to choose a clip of the Crystal Band with 'When the Roll is Called Up Yonder' - a song that seems to date back to 1906 and has since been recorded by many country singers. From 2016 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42cnxx7ToJQ&ab_channel=DayanFeranaba
They are "filled with compassion and love for Country Music which has been inherited since their childhood days back in the 60's, 70's, and 80's till this very day"
Cultures-Solomon | Crystal River Band
Cover versions of When the Roll Is Called up Yonder written by James Milton Black | SecondHandSongs

I couldn't discover anything much about Kopere except that they are usually described as "a girls band from Isabel Province of Solomon Islands"; they seem as if they could be four friends rather than a group assembled from a long auditioning process. This is 'Ne Tuani' "feat. Bibili" from 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBBJzfQ61Ww&ab_channel=STUDIOHOMEGROWNPRODUCTIONS

This is the EM Childrens' Choir from Malaita and 'Ele lele' (rejoice) from 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiqGLncYyC8&ab_channel=GROMASOUNDS
Solomon Star's Malaita Magazine

But the islands are not a place entirely free from "headbanging, death growling, guitar shredding and staccato drumming" - these are the Sons of Solomon and 'Follow' from 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oKr6ZrJgb0&ab_channel=KokrosRecords
Heavy metal resurrection in Solomon Islands

The video for 'Vehamo' by Kayboy was posted at the end of June this year, and as at this morning had only attracted 26 views and no comments, but it seems quite enjoyable to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQE6TMqXgNc&ab_channel=KayboyOfficial

It was obvious from my YT search that the Solomon Islands are certainly not an autotune-free zone; I imagine that many producers would not understand why anyone wouldn't use it now it is available.

 

Thanks @John Hp. It's always extra sad when someone so young passes on, clearly with much to give.

Crystal Band confused me a bit as their description calls them a group of men, but the lead vocals on the songs appear to be all by women. ????

You've got a very good and varied selection there.

I found a few things by YT auto-play, but they were a bit 'more of the same'. But, this song by Sean Rii is quite nice, if moderately autotune generic pop. 'I Remember'.



And for something different, here is a video just titled 'Traditional Solomon Island Singing' from the island of Malaita. It includes some gentle hitting of things. And, I like the sound. Occasionally before I have posted some traditional music so that I've ... posted some traditional music. But, this, despite the break in the middle, is nice in my opinion.

EDIT: For @Jamsterdammer's posting of the cover of HotRS track by Magnifico with some new lyrics. I played a number of songs by Magnifico yesterday, but didn't find the right song to post. This one I like. I think it's the first time I've heard a key change announced with a gunshot.

 

A few interesting selections today. Nice to hear the original lullaby that was used by Deep Forest (which smothered it in New Age drivel) and I thought the Sons of Solomon were fun. My own searches led me into rather vapid reggae stuff and straight into autotune central! But there actually are some OK reggae artists and songs that shun autotune. For example here is the band Native Stonage with "Legalize":


Also, I enjoyed 56 Hop Rod x Dan with the song "Conscious Movement". I assume the guy trying to sound like Louis Armstrong is Dan:
https://youtu.be/V_JiBaIkNoM

I saw a mention on wikipedia of Edwin Nanau Sitori from the island of Malaita, which I guess you guys probably also found. Eddie Sitori was an amateur composer and singer, best known for composing the country's unofficial national song "Walkabout long Chinatown" while working as an electrician in Honiara in the 1950s. Unfortunately I couldn't find a recording of him singing that song, but here is Solomon Dakei and His Solomon Islanders who covered the song in 1963 and which can be found on a compilation called "Music of Melanesia":
https://youtu.be/jReub7gWizE

And from Malaita, here is "Traditional Solomon Island Singing" and how "a family entertains their guests in the mountains of the island of malaita":
https://youtu.be/1SsBsZwqlnw

And this is "U'ula - Traditional song from Alite, Solomon Islands (1978)", which is also in Malaita:
https://youtu.be/YWSpgoJ-N2Q

 

Thanks @Jamsterdammer. I'm quite enjoying the traditional music of the Solomon Islands today. It seems to have a distinctive but melodic style which I like.

I had a look at other songs on the album 'Music of Melanesia' and they were all a bit too similar.

That led me to Discogs, where I found the following. It's interesting, 'Horoa Narita' by Narasirato. Instrumentation similar to the Small Island Big Song song with Charles Maimarosia is present - the pan pipes and other instruments. I found songs I preferred, but I like this video of them live in Budapest at the Sziget festival. This video is 25 minutes long, but I post it with the intention of including the first song they play which is about 5 minutes long. However, what follows (that I have seen) is interesting.



Here's information about them on the Joe Strummer Foundation website: Meet Narasirato from The Solomon Islands

There's been quite a bit of reggae today, and I greatly enjoyed the track by 56 Hop Rod et al which might be Ragga??? My ability to identify genres is not great. Here's a song which is unambiguously reggae - Johnny featuring Conkarah and Sammielz with 'Good Vibes'. It's nothing earth-shatteringly original.

Finally for this post: 'Spectacular up-close footage of drummers from Hauharii, Solomon Islands, playing the large hollowed out log drum'. Yep, you know the drill: 'Log Drum Hauharii'.

And even more, with a bit more background on how they are set up and work. 'AreAre Bamboo Pipe Drums'. Eventually he starts hitting them on a rock, and the result is quite tuneful.

EDIT: I can still edit, so I will. I found that someone had written their master's thesis on music of the Solomon Islands. One song mentioned in it is 'Time Me Sick Long Number Nine' by Fred Maedola. I thought I'd look it up, and it's an enjoyable little island song. However, I'm not sure about the album it's on, which is called 'Pidgin English Songs of the South Seas' and features a fully nude and damp island maiden on the cover. Oh well, I have issued a warning.

 

Thanks for all the Solomon Islands music, my favourites being 'Walkabout Long Chinatown' and 'Time Me Sick Long Number Nine'. Here's a clip with the sons of Fred Maedola performing one of the old man's songs for a small but appreciative audience during the 2015 celebration of the 37th independence anniversary for the islands. I believe the song's title is 'You go over long gate, goodbye long you'



I think I should post a song by the country singer Peter Trash having falsely accused him this morning of calling himself Johnny Trash (as I had convinced myself was the case); and maybe Peter Trash is his real name? He is certainly not to be confused with a UK "glam metal" vocalist using the same name. This is 'Let me live with love, and die with you' from 2017, a song previously recorded by the US country singer Ricky Van Shelton in 1988.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdGKHmSejv0&ab_channel=petertrash
Yes, it may have been autotuned a touch....

The Crystal Band being described as a group of men might be down to inaccurate translation - google translate often does this. Or perhaps the two female singers were guests rather than members of the group?

 

Fascinating!