OUT NOW! Folk Music of the Sahel Volume 1: Niger VA S.F. - 090 2LP

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OUT NOW!

 Folk Music of the Sahel 

Volume 1: Niger VA 

S.F. - 090 2LP

To order from Forced Exposure and hear samples:

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/va-folk-music-of-the-sahel-vol-1-niger-2lp/SF.090LP.html

Folk Music of the Sahel: Niger consists of field recordings collected in the Republic of Niger during the course of six expeditions undertaken by Hisham Mayet between 2004 and 2014. This first volume in Sublime Frequencies' new Folk Music of the Sahel series comprises a subjective but spectacular overview of Hausa, Zarma, Fulani, Songhai and Tuareg music culled from Mayet's rich archives. On this lavish double album, Mayet methodically reveals the dazzling range and power of Nigerian music, from stream-of-consciousness griot performances that serve as a local news broadcast and gossip column to a rare example of ritual music from a private spirit-possession ceremony. Its four sides offer a tantalizing glimpse of this region's unmatched musical riches, including the awe-inspiring courtship dances of the Wodaabe men and a rare duet between the late, great Tuareg guitarist Koudede and the renowned molo master Ousenni. The gorgeous gatefold cover features a 25-page bound-in booklet with extensive and informative liner notes, as well as Mayet's emblematic photographs from towns and villages throughout the region. In addition to preserving an exciting variety of sacred and profane musical performances by known and unknown artists, these recordings capture the music of Niger at a difficult cultural crossroads in which ancient musical and oratory traditions are imperiled both by the demands of modern assimilation and by the reactionary forces that oppose it. As such, the intent of this album is not just to document the fantastic heterogeneity of Sahelian music, but also to bear witness to the changes and challenges faced by Niger's diverse ethnic groups during a decade marked by almost inconceivable political instability and technological upheaval. Coming from an area wracked by disease, food shortages and droughts, as well as by social turmoil, this music reflects the essentially improvisational character of Sahelian life as well as its unfathomable cultural wellsprings. From exuberant a cappella drone chants to the riveting instrumental minimalism of goje possession music, the performances on this album represent a poignant cry to the universe by musicians who hold every note as sacred as the gift of enduring in this exceptionally severe region of the African continent. Housed in one of Sublime Frequencies' most stunning packages, which pays homage to the great European ethno labels of yore, this monumental one-time pressing, limited edition double LP beautifully inaugurates SF's comprehensive musical survey of the Sahel

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East Coast 

Film Screening and Lecture Tour 

with Director Matt Dunning

 The Stirring of a Thousand Bells

- December 6th, Toronto Ontario: Small World Music Society
http://smallworldmusic.com/shows/the-stirring-of-a-thousand-bells/
https://www.facebook.com/events/318278381698687/

- December 11th: Buffalo NY, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Centerhttps://www.facebook.com/events/1515646995361276/

- December 12th: Brooklyn, NY: Spectacle  http://www.spectacletheater.com/the-stirring-of-a-thousand-bells/

- December 15th: Hanoi Vietnam: Manzihttps://www.facebook.com/manzihanoi

- Dec 16th: Washington D.C.: Bloombars
https://www.facebook.com/events/753616768044109/

- Dec. 18th, Baltimore, MD: Floristree

Doors at 7pm

- Dec. 19th: Wilmington MD: Theatre N at Nemours

http://theatren.net

- Dec: 20th: Philadelphia PA: Vox Populi 
http://voxpopuligallery.org/calendar-event/the-stirring-of-a-thousand-bells-w-sublime-frequencies/

OUT NOW! THE TRAVELLING ARCHIVE: Folk Music from Bengal: Field Recordings from Bangladesh, India, and the Bengali Diaspora LP

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 PO BOX 17971 SEATTLE WA 98127 USA

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The Travelling Archive -  

Folk Music from Bengal: Field Recordings from Bangladesh, India, and the Bengali Diaspora

SF - 092LP

To order from Forced Exposure and hear samples: 

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/va-the-travelling-archive-folk-music-from-bengal-field-recordings-f-lp/SF.092LP.html

The Travelling Archive is a journey through the folk music of Bengal. It is run by Calcutta-based Bengali singer, writer and researcher, Moushumi Bhowmik, and sound recordist and sound designer, Sukanta Majumdar. They have been making field recordings of songs and stories across Bangladesh and eastern India, even the Bengali diaspora in East London, since 2003; documenting and disseminating their research through archives, presentation-performances, art works, and their own independent record label and web site. Moushumi and Sukanta get out there, travel all over, become friends and live with the musicians, record them in their homes and villages, on their rivers, in their tea shops and work fields. Bengal, which includes Calcutta, India, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and more than 250 million people, is an amazingly diverse yet unique region, home to some of the largest cities in the world and plenty of uncategorizable and diverse folk music, including those wandering minstrels, the Bauls. The music and instrumentation presented on this LP features solo voice and chorus vocals, harmonium, dotara (four-string fretless lute), ektara (traditional one-string drone instrument), dugi(small kettle drum), bamboo flute, violin, and even an empty popcorn tub played like a drum. This is a diverse and magnificent sampling of what remains a massive archive of folk music from this region and Sublime Frequencies hopes to continue to release additional volumes in the future. Produced for Sublime Frequencies by Robert Millis, this limited edition LP comes in a tip-on heavy jacket with insert containing liner notes and photos.

OUT NOW AND IN STOCK! Omar Khorshid and his Group: Live in Australia 1981 LP

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Omar Khorshid and his Group:
Live in Australia 1981 LP
SF091

To hear samples and order from Forced Exposure:

 http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/khorshid-and-his-group-omar-live-in-australia-1981-lp/SF.091LP.html

This is the first live concert recording ever issued of legendary Egyptian guitarist Omar Khorshid and his group. It features tracks recorded during his 1981 tour of Australia, including live versions of songs that grace his various LPs recorded for Lebanese and Egyptian labels during the 1970s with one phenomenal tune, "Al Rabieh," being exclusive here as never before issued in any form. The sound is surprisingly great for a live cassette recording and the band is as sharp and monumental as ever, with stunning instrumental performances throughout, including an extended improvisational rhythmic exchange between percussionist Ibrahim Tawfiek and Omar's electric guitar on the epic track "Sidi Mansour." This record is loaded with Khorshid's signature microtonal Arabesque surf guitar elegance darting atop the backing band's brilliant accompaniment, and the tones of organist Fouad Rohaiem sound raw and abrasive, as though it were still 1973. The album has even more nostalgic (and tragic) significance as these shows would be his last; a car accident claiming Omar's life within 72 hours of flying back to Cairo from Australia. Mohamed Amine, Khorshid's lifelong friend and member of his group from 1975-1981, recorded these tracks and provided the photographs that embellish the beautiful gatefold jacket that accompanies this LP. Collected and researched by Khorshid historian Hany Zaki in Cairo, this unbelievable treasure is now available for the world to behold. Limited edition LP release in a full-color gatefold jacket with exquisite photos from Mohamed Amine's personal archive and informative liner notes by Hany Zaki.

NEW RELEASE OUT NOW! VODOUN GODS ON THE SLAVE COAST BY HISHAM MAYET S.F. 089DVD

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VODOUN GODS 

ON THE SLAVE COAST

Directed by Hisham Mayet

.

DVD SF089

Order from Forced Exposure: 

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.089DVD.html

Vodoun Gods on the Slave Coast explores the ceremonial splendor of sacred dance and ritual in Benin, the birthplace and cradle of Vodoun. Formerly known as Dahomey, Benin was also called the Slave Coast due to its importance in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Today, the worship and supplication of Vodoun gods remains integral to everyday life in Benin. Shot in January 2011 during the country's rich annual Vodoun celebrations, this film offers an impressionistic glimpse of the major ceremonies and delirious musical performances associated with this ancient religion. Guided by the otherworldly rhythms and colors of Vodoun pageantry, Hisham Mayet presents an intimate view of metaphysical dramas enacted in magisterial costumes: The cult of Sakpata, fearsome god of pestilence, disfigurement and healing. The Egoun-goun, ancestral visitors from the realm of the dead, who bring blessings and warnings for the living. And the Zangbeto nightwatchmen, ambulatory haystacks who serve as Vodoun's secret police. Traveling in a malarial fever dream from the clutter and bustle of village markets to the palace of Ahosu Agoli-Agbo Dedjalagni, the King of Abomey, Mayet provides an unforgettable portrait of secular and sacred life in Benin. Digipack with 12-page booklet of photographs from various Vodoun ceremonies throughout Benin; 48 minutes/color; all-region DVD, NTSC format. Limited one-time edition of 1,000 copies.

FORTHCOMING RELEASE: A Distant Invitation: Street & Ceremonial Recordings from Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand VA LP

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FORTHCOMING S.F. RELEASE: 

A Distant Invitation: Street & Ceremonial Recordings from Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand 
VA LP

RELEASE DATE 11/25/2014

TO PRE-ORDER AND LISTEN TO SAMPLES: 

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.093LP.html

A hallucinogenic splatter-drift audio meltdown through the streets and back alleys of Southeast Asia recorded and assembled by Seattle-based multi-sword-wielding artist Jesse Paul Miller (Factums/Secret Records/Liver & Bacon/Big Tribal Balls). This limited edition LP includes street and folk music, situational ambience, radio excerpts, and psychedelic atmospheres from Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. "We heard them from a distance, bells in the back alleys of Surakarta ... Then, one day, two weeks later, we walked around a corner and there they were, a troupe of roving gamelan musicians and a monkey with a mask ... If one wanders the streets of Southeast Asia, they will undoubtedly hear a variety of fascinating sounds; those created by street musicians, sellers in markets, horns from temples and mosques, woven with insect songs, birds, dogs, motorcycles. Intended to engage and entertain a host of spirits and gods, festivals and processions are frequent in certain regions. They can be extremely vibrant and overwhelmingly powerful energy situations. In rituals, the use of random multiple layers or instrumental vibrations can be intended to confuse or scare off bad spirits, and this can be very disorienting for the living listener also. Street musicians combine older instruments with electrical delivery systems in the form of genius portable battery-operated-waist-pack mini-horns connected to keyboards, karaoke machines, and folk instruments -- sometimes with effects. These musicians sit roadside; in some places they hop on buses between stops. In markets and along roadsides, sellers manipulate their voices to advertise using delay effects. Food cart proprietors use an incredible array of sonic methods to attract customers. They tap on objects, use steam whistles; sing like birds, use bits of Western jingles (and much more). Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim broadcasts can be heard blasting through loudspeakers. With the addition of amplification, there is usually some form of distortion inherent to the speaker systems, often magically enhancing the voices, mixing in with the urban or rural soundtrack. The sonic tapestry of any space can reveal poetic insights. There is the perspective that all audio events in an environment, regardless of their form, can be heard musically. The vitality and depth of human expression, whether awe-inspiring or minute in all of its multitudinous manifestations, is for now, intact in Southeast Asia, and very much alive." --Jesse Paul Miller; This limited edition LP comes in a full-color tip-on jacket with a two-sided insert including photos by Linda Peschong & detailed liner notes and personal impressions by sound artist & compiler Jesse Paul Miller.

FORTHCOMING S.F. RELEASES: OMAR KHORSHID AND HIS GROUP LIVE IN AUSTRALIA 1981 LP / FOLK MUSIC OF THE SAHEL VOL. 1: NIGER 2LP

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES COMMUNIQUÈ

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES PO BOX 17971 SEATTLE WA 98127 USA

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com

OMAR KHORSHID AND HIS GROUP
LIVE IN AUSTRALIA 1981

To Pre-Order and listen to samples: http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.091LP.html

LISTEN to OMAR KHORSHID AND HIS GROUP's 'Sidi Mansour (Tunisian Folklore)', taken from the forthcoming SUBLIME FREQUENCIES LP, Live in Australia 1981 http://tinyurl.com/qfmbyzd

"This is the first live concert recording ever issued of legendary Egyptian guitarist Omar Khorshid and his group. It features tracks recorded during his 1981 tour of Australia, including live versions of songs that grace his various LPs recorded for Lebanese and Egyptian labels during the 1970s with one phenomenal tune, "Al Rabieh," being exclusive here as never before issued in any form."

"Limited edition LP release in a full-color gatefold jacket with exquisite photos from Mohamed Amine's personal archive and informative liner notes by Hany Zaki."

FOLK MUSIC OF THE SAHEL VOL. 1: NIGER 2LP

PREVIEW "Bismillhia (Tuareg/Zarma)" from the forthcoming SUBLIME FREQUENCIES 2LP set, Folk Music of the Sahel Vol. 1: Niger

LISTEN: https://soundcloud.com/forcedexposurepublicity/bismillhia-tuaregzarma-taken-from-folk-music-of-the-sahel-vol-1-niger-sublime-frequencies 

"Folk Music of the Sahel: Niger consists of field recordings collected in the Republic of Niger during the course of six expeditions undertaken by Hisham Mayet between 2004 and 2014. This first volume in Sublime Frequencies' new Folk Music of the Sahel series comprises a subjective but spectacular overview of Hausa, Zarma, Fulani, Songhai and Tuareg music culled from Mayet's rich archives."

"The gorgeous gatefold cover features a 25-page bound-in booklet with extensive and informative liner notes, as well as Mayet's emblematic photographs from towns and villages throughout the region."

TO PRE-ORDER AND HEAR SMAPLES: http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.090LP.html

OUT NOW! Choubi Choubi! Folk & Pop Sounds from Iraq Vol. 1 VA 2cd and Ecstatic Music of the Jemaa El Fna VA cd

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OUT NOW!

Ecstatic Music of the Jemaa El Fna

Various Artists CD

SF - 056CD

To hear samples and order — Forced Exposure: 

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.056CD.html

For centuries, the Jemaa El Fna (Rendezvous of the Dead) has remained the stage for one of the most spectacular social forums on the planet. By day, this central square in the city of Marrakesh, one of Morocco's great imperial cities, fosters a kaleidoscope of entertainment for its local inhabitants; storytellers, acrobats, magicians and snake charmers all create intriguing displays of bewitching spectacle. As the sun sets, the evening grows frantic with the pulse of the crowd; it is then that the night musicians set up. Free from the restrictions and expectations of light entertainment for a tourist crowd, these musicians manifest ecstatic performances that animate the audience and players alike. The groups represented on this album; Troupe Majidi,Amal Saha, and Mustapha Mahjoub, are working and carrying the torch of their musical heroes nightly in the square. These songs come from the repertoire of Morocco's greatest musical exports: Nass El Ghiwane, Lemchaheb, Jil Jilala, Larssad, and many others from the Chaabi (Moroccan popular music) canon and are given a raw, emotional and fiery interpretation. Instruments are powered by car batteries and blown out through megaphone speakers. These recordings represent a rare opportunity to hear this music at such close proximity, taking in all the power and passion of the performances. The raw fidelity captures an unflinching immersion of what is simply some of the greatest street music on earth. Recorded by Hisham Mayet in 2005, a few of these performances were featured in his film Musical Brotherhoods from the Trans-Saharan Highway. This collection also contains tracks not present in the film for a more potent snapshot of the ecstatic Jemaa El Fna. Debut CD digipak edition of this sold-out LP with booklet & photos of the musicians and liner notes by Hisham Mayet.

OUT NOW!

Choubi Choubi! 

Folk & Pop Sounds from Iraq 

Vol. 1 

Various Artists 2CD

SF - 1025CD

To hear samples and order — Forced Exposure: 

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.1025CD.html

Originally released in 2005, while the U.S.-led war against Iraq was tearing the country to pieces, Choubi Choubi Vol. 1 brought a collection of incredible Iraqi music and styles that had rarely showcased abroad. This 2014 deluxe-edition 2CD reissue is a must-have. It features re-mastered, and in some cases, completely restored audio, revised and updated liner notes with new artist and track information, plus four additional tracks not featured in the first CD issue. Meticulously compiled by Mark Gergis from his archives of Iraqi cassettes and LPs found in Syria, Europe and the Iraqi neighborhoods of Detroit, Michigan and elsewhere within the diaspora, this unique collection of folk and pop styles displays a wealth of outstanding music that is exclusive to Iraq. Choubi is Iraq's version of Middle Eastern dabke music, and can be found throughout the country. It's performed at weddings and parties nationally by its melting pot of Arabs, Kurds, Christians, and Rom gypsies -- known as Kawlia. The Kawlia have been some of the most active recorded choubi artists in Iraq since the 1980s, and many tracks featured in this volume feature their outstanding performances. There are many reasons why Iraqi music stands alone in the dynamic world of Arabic music: one example is the unbelievable rapid-fire machine-gun rhythms fluttering atop the main tempo. This is the work of a unique nomadic hand drum called the Khishba -- also known as the Zanbour (Arabic for wasp). A style prominently featured here is the infamous Iraqi Choubi -- a driving, rhythmic style that can include fiddles, double reeded instruments, percussion, bass, keyboards and oud over its signature beat. Other styles featured are the Basta (an urban Baghdadi sound), Iraq's legendary brand of Mawal -- an ornamental vocal improvisation that sets the tone of a song, regardless of the style, and the outstanding Iraqi Hecha -- with its lumbering and determined rhythm pulsing beneath sad, antagonized vocals. Most of the music in this collection was produced during the Saddam period -- between the 1980s and 2002. Since the 2003 invasion and the wholesale disassembly of the country, classic tracks like these have already become part of a disappeared past. This 2CD package comes in a beautifully redesigned digipak and features 70 minutes of classic original recordings compiled by Mark Gergis with extensive liner notes.

OUT NOW! 1970's ALGERIAN PROTO-RAI UNDERGROUND NEW REPRESS CD - SF045

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OUT NOW! 

1970's ALGERIAN PROTO-RAI

UNDERGROUND

VA CD - SF045

To hear samples and order — Forced Exposure

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.045CD.html

This is a new 2014 digipak designed CD repress of the limited LP pressing which sold out almost immediately when released in 2008. This is Raï music from Algeria as you've not heard it before. In the early 1970s, a new group of singers and musicians were operating on the northwest coast, and what they pioneered was a sound that eventually reached worldwide status by the end of the decade; however, their names are relatively unknown to this day outside Algeria. This crucial and defining period of the development of Raï is criminally ignored and overlooked by Algerian music historians and Raï fans. Due to censorship and government-controlled music diffusion, this scene and lyrical style was forced underground and banned from broadcasts, yet slowly built a small following around the seaside cabarets of Wahran (Oran). This period witnessed the rise of artists such asGroupe El Azhar ("The Flowers" group) and Messaoud Bellemou, who can comfortably be considered the Godfather of the modern Raï sound. His group, L'Orchestre Bellemou, rewrote a heritage of centuries by using modern instruments and especially the trumpet, which became, during the 1970s, the backbone of the Wahrani genre. Reinterpreting the gasbamelodies on trumpet, Bellemou backed singers such asBoutaiba Sghir and Sheikh Benfissa who carried on the lyrical tradition of their forefathers singing about daily preoccupations and problems as well as love affairs, alcohol, or simply owning an automobile! Toward the late 1970s,Cheb Zergui brought a newer ingredient: an electric guitar with a wah-wah pedal. Thankfully, the late 1960s saw the development of vinyl pressing in Algeria. This new industry allowed many small artists including the Wahrani "scene" to record and release singles documenting their repertoire. This compilation is a selection of this proto-Raï scene's vinyl 45s. CD booklet features photos of the musicians & informative liner notes by the man who compiled it, Hicham Chadly.