The international music scene offers interesting, eclectic artists

By: Daniel Younessi

Posted: 10/8/08

Every once in a while, some of us get tired of the derivative popular music industry. Sometimes, your money should go to people who almost never get it and really deserve it. The rest of the world has a lot of great music to offer, and if you college students don't get out and do their bit, no one will. So here are some artists to get you all started:

Fela Kuti

Should be the best known of all the following musicians. He is constantly cited in music classes and the hippie and Black Power movements made him famous throughout the world.

"Once you put him on, it's physically impossible to turn him off," 7th-semester pharmacy major Stephen Bendel said.

Kuti was the pioneer of Afrobeat, a style of upbeat dance music mixing African polyrhythm with reggae and jazz improvisation. Almost every one of Fela Kuti's 10 plus minute songs start with at least five minutes of instrumental improvisation before the catchy call and response vocals enter. Expensive S--- is most characteristic of Kuti's style. Telling the story of the corrupt arrest of Kuti by the Nigerian government, the lyrics, while funny and satirical often take a back burner to an intense desire to dance. This album, incidentally, is the only recommendation here that will be suitable for the weekend.

Highlights: "Expensive S---"

Skip: Nothing

Carlos Núñez

When most of us picture Spain as the land of dry landscapes, thin women in polka dotted dresses and flamenco, we forget the mountainous wet forests of northern Spain, long populated by Celtic tribes. Carlos Núñez brings us music from Galicia. A piper, both flute and bag, Núñez presents here an intense mix of Celtic piping mixed with more traditional flamenco guitar and chanting that dates back to the Arabs. His debut and best album, "A Irmandade das Estrelas" showcases some instant iPod top plays, as his music, which swings from drinking song to forlorn lament, can really suit any situation. Despite the quality of some tracks, Núñez sometimes falls dangerously close to Riverdance territory and that's disappointing.

Highlights: "Cantigueiras", "Os Gaiteiros da Noite"

Skip: "Amanecer," "Para Vigo Me Voy"

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

It seems like every single list of "best world music" contains something from India or Pakistan. Could it be the hippie fascination with these countries or because you hear it at Indian restaurants? No, it's because these countries' ancient musical traditions are so immensely difficult that virtuosity is a prereq. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan may have the greatest voice ever put on record. With a six-octave vocal range and a talent for jazzy vocal improvisation, he takes the four 10-plus minute songs on "Shabazz" and performs every minute of every one in a way that keeps you captivated for the entire duration of the song. It's no small wonder that vocal god and misunderstood genius Jeff Buckley referred to Nusrat as "his Elvis."

Highlights: The whole album

Skip: Nothing

The Kamkars

Right from the get-go it could be said that this next band, The Kamkars, might be the hardest to sell. Middle Eastern music's ancient modal melodies and heavy rhythms can sound harsh to American listeners. But if you're this far into the article, you must want a challenge. Kurdistan gets a lot of visitors these days, and the past was no different. The stringed barbats and setars on 'Nightingale with a Broken Wing' bring to mind flamenco music, while the strong, often complex rhythms evoke hard Celtic jigs and even epic metal. Singers howl like all Middle Eastern vocalists should. Sure, it'll lose you most of your friends on a Saturday night, but the few who stick around and enjoy it end up lifelong friends.

Highlights:

"Xoshe Hewraman"

Skip: "Bulbuli Bal Shkaw"