Travel, Drumming, Music, History, Family History, Walking and my Garden
All the drummers/percussionists I have added since joining My Space. It would be quite a trip! Plus Airto Moreira, Tom Waits and Van Morrison.
Coming from an island, I seem to have an affinity for island music. Particularly from Cuba (The Buena Vista Social Club, Pedro Luis Ferrer [favorite], Sierra Maestra and Afro-Cuban Santeria Drumming and Chants) and from Cape Verde (Sara Tavares, Cesaria Evora, Tcheka, Simentera [favorite] and Mariana Ramos). These are all fusions of African and European music (Spanish in the case of Cuba and Portugal for Cape Verde). Then African musicians such as Lokua Kanza, Manecas Costa [favorite], Waldemar Bastos and Bonga who also fuse elements of Portuguese music into their sound and Kekele, Papa Noel, Orchestra Baobab, Bembeya Jazz, Habib Koite and Richard Bona who are influenced by Congolese rumba, in its turn influenced by Cuban music. I also enjoy pure African artists, such as Salif Keita, Toumani Diabate, Nuru Kane and the Afro-Folk fusion outfit Baka Beyond, who are probably my favorite band. Inevitably I also listen to a lot of African drumming.Of course most Brazilian music is also a fusion of African and Portuguese influences and I love Bossa Nova artists such as Bebel Gilberto and Caetano Veloso and samba/jazz fusionists Airto Moreira and Flora Purim.Now Spanish musicians such as Ojos de Brujo and Amparanoia are incorporating Cuban rhythms into their music. The Spanish percussion outfit Tactequete are another favorite, I was very flattered when a friend described them as five Alexs after I loaned her the CD! I am just beginning to discover Garifuna music from Central America in the shape of the excellent Aurelio Martinez of Belize.Then in complete contrast - Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Richard Thompson, John Martyn, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Josh Rouse, the Be Good Tanyas, Madeleine Peyroux and many other acoustic singer/songwriters. Then there is soul music, I was a huge Marvin Gaye fan and still try to follow the careers of Al Green and Bobby Womack. Modern singers I like who are keeping the tradition alive (and haven't been sucked wholesale into hip-hop) include John Legend and Corrine Bailey Rae.
Buena Vista Social Club, The Life of Brian, The Ruling Class
PAST: Hill Street Blues, St Elsewhere, LA Law, Whose Line Is It Anyway, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and Dr Who PRESENT: Lost, ER, Green Wing, NYPD Blue, West Wing, Have I Got News For You and Dr Who
Science Fiction , Fantasy, History
Airto Moreira, Tom Waits and Van Morrison