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Much of the music included in the local level series is unavailable outside of the country of origin and thus inclusion in the series offers a unique opportunity for the music to reach a wider audience. We encourage you to support the artists by purchasing their recordings as the opportunity arises and will be updating this page with such information as it becomes available.

Please send additions for this page to gregg@madnomad.com.
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  01.A.1. Mustapha - Morocco
 
  After visiting the glorious Saharan dunes of Erg Chebbi, we hitched a ride back to civilization and were dropped of in the small town of Erfoud. From there we would catch a bus north. A friendly guy hanging around helped us buy our tickets and then asked us how we'd like to spend the wait time before the bus departed. When we expressed an interest in the local music he excitedly lead us up the road to the town market. Turning a corner, we slipped into a small dingy room with shelves piled high with cassette tapes. A man sat on a stool behind a makeshift counter, half-heartedly watching over a couple dusty old dubbing decks.

He played us a bunch of tapes - all recorded and produced locally; by him. We walked out with a couple. One of them, this one by Mustapha.
 

  no additional information found
  01.A.2. L'Haj L'Houcine Toulali (Haj Houcine Toulali) - Morocco
 
  We were in Fes for about ten days, staying in the old city and taking in an incredible amount of live music - one or two shows each day. It was the fifth annual Fes Festival of World Sacred Music. One afternoon inbetween shows, I sat in a tiny tape stall in the narrow alleys of the medina as the proprietor auditioned tapes for me. Haj Houcine Toulali was from Meknes - a city we had visited briefly the day before trying to find transport out to a sunset concert amongst the ruins of Volubulis.
 
  info:
  www.maroc.net
www.rootsworld.com
  purchase:
  www.gemm.com
www.amazon.com
  01.A.3. Orchestra Abde el Jabbar - Morocco
 
  Here's one from another of the tapes we picked up in Erfoud (see 01.A.1). As the proprietor explained it, this style of music is called baldi
 
  no additional information found
  01.A.4. Ganda Fasig - Mauritania
 
  We were in Mauritania in the month of June. It was quite warm. 50ºC one day in Nouakchott. That's 122ºF. We did a fair bit of walking that day around the center of this capital city. One of our stops found us in a happening tape shop where the proprietor hipped us to the fact that Baaba Maal was going to be performing the following week across the border in St. Louis, Senegal. None of the tapes in this shop were for sale - after all, the guy had only one copy of each. Instead, you'd tell him what you wanted and he'd dub you a copy. All three tapes of Mauritanian music included in this series were purchased in this shop.
 
  no additional information found
  01.A.5. Saidou Ba - Mauritania
 
  see 01.A.4.
 
Not much more found on the web. You might try finding this release on Sonafric:
SAF 50 023 Saidou Ba
Musique de la Republique Islamique de Mauretanie [Mauretanie]
sunsite.kth.se
  01.A.6. Ganda Fasig - Mauritania
 
  see 01.A.4.
  01.A.7. Dimi Mint Abba - Mauritania
 
  see 01.A.4.
 
Dimi Mint Abba is by far the best known Mauritanian artist outside of Mauritania. Her "Music and Songs of Mauritania" (1992) is generally available.
 
  info:
  allmusic.com
  purchase:
  www.gemm.com
ubl.artistdirect.com
  01.B.1. Fode Kouyate - Mali
 
  In Bamako, tapes are sold street-side from small stalls. The stalls tend to be clustered together and if you're looking for something at one stall and they don't have it, they'll ask around for you at the others. We picked up this tape during a listening session at one of these stalls.

You might be able to locate one of these two releases by Fode Kouyate:
Anka Wili (1993) - Syllart/Mélodie 38123-2
Djelia (1996)

  allmusic.com
  purchase:
  www.gemm.com
  01.B.2. Habib Koité & Bamada - Mali
 
  Since the time when we encountered Habib Koité's tapes in Bamako, he has broken into the international market with a bang. A recent US tour with Oumou Sangare (we saw them at Stanford) only served to increase his popularity. So much so that his CD has been consistantly sold out. With a little effort you should be able to locate Ma Ya, his US release on Putamayo, and possibly an earlier release called Muso Ko.
 
  info:
  www.alula.com
www.mediaport.net
www.contrejour.com
  purchase:
  www.putumayo.com
www.gemm.com
ubl.artistdirect.com
  01.B.2. Habib Koité & Bamada - Mali
 
  see 01.B.1.
  01.B.4. Oumou Sinayogo - Mali
 
  We picked this one up in Bamako. For those who know of him, Boubacar Traore plays on this tape.
 
  Not much found on the web. Try www.natari.com for tapes.
  01.B.5. Mamadou Tounkara - Mali
 
  no information found
  01.B.6. Amy Koita (Ami Koita) - Mali
 
  Our first day wandering the streets of Bamako we noticed leaflets plastered to walls announcing a concert performance that night by Amy Koita. Unfortunately we hadn't yet acclimated to the city enough to be enthusiastic about finding the venue. So we missed that one. Later we learned that her album Sarama had just been released and she was the hot ticket.

"Ami Koita brings a woman's perspective to the music of Mali. Known for her powerful vocals and dynamic stage presence, Koita has become a role model for the women of West Africa. Although she was born in Kirina—the same village as Salif Keita—Koita comes from a much different ancestral background. While Keita was born to a family of nobility and went against his parent's wishes to become a musician, Koita was born to a Jali family in which music was an accepted form of expression. Initially focusing on traditional Jali music, she has increasingly adopted modern influences." -- allmusic.com
 
Releases include:
  Songs of Praise (1994) Stern's
  Djiguy (1998) Declic

  purchase:
  www.gemm.com (Amy Koita)
www.gemm.com (Ami Koita)
ubl.artistdirect.com
  01.B.7. Mohamed Traore - Mali
 
  no information found
  01.B.8. Nahawa Doumbia - Mali
 
  We came across this Best of Nahawa Doumbia tape in the market in Bamako. Most info on the web about her is in French. Her album Yaala on Cobalt should be readily available. Also of interest is her involvement with the Frikyiwa project out of Paris.
  info:
  www.mondomix.org (in French)
www.theworld.org (Frikyiwa)
  purchase:
  ubl.artistdirect.com
www.gemm.com
  01.B.9. Baaba Maal - Senegal
 
  Baaba Maal is well known outside of West Africa and numerous releases are readily available. Regardless, I've included him here because of his importance in the Senegalese music scene and because he was part of our Senegal experience. We saw him perform with his band Daande Lenol in his home region near the border of Mauritania. The selected track is unavailable on any of the US releases.
 
  info:
  members.home.net/baaba
www.palmpictures.com/maal
  purchase:
  ubl.artistdirect.com
www.gemm.com
  01.B.10. Youssou N'Dour - Senegal
 
  Another superstar who is widely known outside of his native Senegal - Youssou N'Dour is also included because of his importance in Senegalese music. The release that this track comes from - St. Louis - is available in the US only as an import.
 
  info:
  www.allmusic.com
  purchase:
  ubl.artistdirect.com
www.gemm.com
  01.B.11. Jaliba Kuyateh - The Gambia
 
  I made an error on this one on the CD track listing - got the artist's name switched with part of the album title. The artist is Jaliba Kuyateh and Kumareh Band. The album - released in 1998 - is called Njai-Kunda in Paris.

Not to make excuses but part of the reason I was confused was I keep hearing in my head our Gambian friend Ebrima raving about "Njai Kunda mon he da best". 'Least that's what ended up in my head. While not as well known outside of the Gambia as Foday Musa Suso or Alhaji Bai Konte, Jaliba Kuyateh appeared to be quite popular at home.
 

  info:
  www.gambianews.com
  audio:
  www.gambia.gm
  purchase:
  www.rust.net (cassettes)
  02.A.1. Abdel Said - Egypt
 
  I'm a little fuzzy on this one. Bought it either in Cairo or Luxor. We bought tapes in both places.
 
  no information found
 
  02.A.2. Al Sambati - Egypt
 
  This one we picked up in Cairo for sure. We spent some time listening to stuff in full-fledged, actual shop - they even had CDs. Apparently Al Sambati is heavyweight on the oud but I can't find onything on him on the web. Maybe the spelling is off.
 
  no information found
  02.A.3. Amany (Amani?) - Egypt
 
  This is a tough one. I was told the name of this album is Baedenak and that the singer - Amany - is Egyptian. I haven't been able to turn up any additional information on her. There is, however, a prominent belly dancer from Lebanon with the same name and she has a number of CDs out. Might this be the same person?
  02.A.4. Shaimaa el Shaib - Egypt
 
  We picked this one up in Amman, Jordan. Shaimaa el Shaib is a young girl - 15 years old or so. She was quite popular throughout the Middle East but I haven't been able to find much on her on the web. There is this one fan site with some audio clips. I've exchanged email with this guy he tells me she has two albums. "The first one made a big hit and the second one is not bad and it's called 'Ana Tayiba'."
 
  www.kalimat.net
  02.A.5. Asalah Nasri (Assala Nasry) - Syria
 
  I think we first heard Asalah Nasri's music in Morocco and had someone jot down the name for us in Arabic. Some months later, perhaps in Jordan, we picked up this tape.
 
  info:
  arabia.com
  audio:
  www.arabicnetwork.com
  02.A.6. Wail Jessar (Wail Jessa)- Lebanon
 
  no information found
  02.A.7. Said Abu M'Itik - Jordan
 
  Heading out for a night under the stars in Wadi Rum, this tape was our soundtrack. Said Abu M'Itik was a friend of Absalom, our guide. One morning in Amman, a helpful tape stall owner promised to track down a copy of the tape for us. By that afternoon, it was ours.
  no additional information found
  02.A.8. Raed Koobbha - Palestine
 
  We picked this one up in the Arab quarter of the old city in Jerusalem.
 
  no information found
  02.B.1. Erkan Ogur & Ismail H. Demircioglu - Turkey
 
  "The innovative guitar playing of Erkan Ogur has played an influential role in the evolution of contemporary Turkish music. Initially trained in the classical oud, a six-stringed fretless lute, and the tambur, an eight-stringed fretted lute), Ogur has adopted the instrumental techniques of Turkey's music to the fretless guitar. His custom-designed guitars and use of the e-bow have given his music a distinctive microtonal sound. According to ttp:www.nbci.com, Ogur is "probably the only fretless guitarist to utilize full chords." In a mid-1990s, Ogur described the goal of his compositions and improvisations as a way to "move through the colors and layers of my music." A graduate of the State Conservatory of Turkish Art Music, which he attended from 1980 to 1984, Ogur has continued to explore a diverse approach to his music. His album, Telvin, was recorded in collaboration with Dutch experimental jazz trumpet player Eric Vloeimans." -- allmusic.com
 
  info:
  members.dencity.com/metestudio
  purchase:
  www.istanbulshotels.com/kalan.htm
And I quote, "The contributions of Kalan Music to our musical life maybe best explained with the word "distinction". For years, it stands as asource we cannot give up, against the worthless, forgeting and low-level results of populist advance byproducing which its colleagues didn't or couldn't manage. So what results in this difference is the non-abondanable "line" that must be underlined."
  02.B.2. Erkan Ogur & Okan Murat Ozturk - Turkey
 
  see 02.B.1.
 
  While in the Cappadocia region of Turkey we stayed in the town of Göreme. One afternoon after returning our rented motorbike we still had some energy and decided to hop a dolmus to the city of Nevsehir. We were in search of tapes. We found a good shop and started listening to stuff. We scored a nice pile of tapes but they came at a high price. We'd stayed too long and had missed the last bus back to Göreme. The taxi was quite pricey.
  02.B.3. Brader - Turkey
 
  no information found
  02.B.4. Hekimo - Turkey
 
  We bought this tape in Diyarbakir which is considered the capital of Kurdish Turkey. Many of the most popular musicians in Turkey are Kurdish but the oppresive political climate has prevented them from singing in the Kurdish language. Hekimo, we were told, were based outside of Turkey (somehwere in Europe) and their tapes were smuggled into the country.
 
  no additional information found
  02.B.5. Selda Bagcan - Turkey
 
  We first heard this tape in Diyarbakir but it was pretty popular throughout Turkey. We picked up a copy in Istanbul.
 
  audio:
  www.hut.fi
  purchase:
  www.turadyoshop.com
www.gwpost.com
  02.B.6. Selda Bagcan - Turkey
 
  see 02.B.5.
  02.B.7. Xale Zulfekar - Turkey
 
  Here's another one that we got in Diyarbakir. We were really challenging this particular shop owner to come up with stuff we liked. The language barrier didn't help things. He was most sympathetic however and even ordered in tea for us.
 
  no information found
  02.B.8. Xale Zulfekar - Turkey
 
  see 02.B.7.
  02.B.9. Eyal Golan - Israel
 
  Finding interesting Israeli music was tough. It tends to be pretty watered down. Eyal Golan is one of the better pop music stars.
 
  info:
  israeliculture.about.com
  audio:
  sephardiconnect.com
  purchase:
  www.gemm.com
www.jewishmusic.com
www.israeldirect.co.il
www.jerusalemgifts.com
  02.B.10. Eyal Golan - Israel
 
  see 02.B.9.
  02.B.11. Zahava Ben - Israel
 
  Along with the Eyal Golan tape, we got this one in the old city in Jerusalem. Most of the tape shops in the old city - whether they carry Arab or Jewish music - are in the Arab quarter.
 
  audio:
  sephardiconnect.com
  purchase:
  www.gemm.com
www.jewishmusic.com
songsearch.com
www.israeldirect.co.il
www.jerusalemgifts.com
  02.B.12. Latifah (Latifa) - Tunisia
 
  For the most part we bought tapes from the countries we visited. In the Arab world however the music tends to transcend national boundaries. Egyptian artists, for instance, were especially popular in Jordan and in the Arab parts of Israel. The Tunisian singer Latifah was popular throughout these countries as well.
  info:
  www.geocities.com/ewissam
latifafan.homestead.com
  purchase:
  www.gemm.com
www.aramusic.com
www.songsearch.net
  02.B.13. Ehab Tawfik (Ehab Tawfic) - Egypt
 
  This song and the next I just had to include because we heard them so often. These were mega-hits of the moment in Egypt, Jordan and in the Arab areas of Israel.
 
  purchase:
  arabia.com
www.aramusic.com
  02.B.14. Ehab Tawfik - Egypt
 
  see 02.B.13.
  03.A.1. Kohinoor Langha & Party - India (Rajasthan)
 
  We bought a few tapes of Rajasthani music in Jaipur. At most shops there they wouldn't break open the plastic and let us audition them but we found this one guy who was accomodating and gave him all our business.
 
  no information found
  03.A.2. Mansoor Khan Langa & Pathan Khan - India (Rajasthan)
 
  This track and the next one come from two different tapes. Well, at least the covers are different. As it turns out, the only difference in the material is that the two sides of the tape are swapped! We bought one in Jaisalmer and one in Jaipur.
 
  purchase:
  www.indiaclub.com
  01.A.3. Mansoor Khan Langa & Pathan Khan - India (Rajasthan)
 
  see 01.A.2.
  03.A.4. Samandar Khan - India (Rajasthan)
 
  Here's another that we picked up in Jaipur. It's a local Jaipur production from 1998.
 
  no information found
  03.A.5. Begum Akhtar - India
 
  Begum Akhtar is widely known and you should be able to find her CDs. This track comes from a Best Of (Golden Moments) tape of ghazals (Urdu love poems set to music). We bought it along bustling Free School Street in Calcutta (now Kolkata!).
 
  info:
  www.saregamaindia.com
www.fabmart.com
www.outlookindia.com
  purchase:
  www.induslive.com
www.gemm.com
  03.A.6. Hariharan and Zakir Hussain - India
 
  Another tape of ghazals - this one a bit more modern. Hariharan is well known within India while Zakir Hussain is probably the most well known tabla player in the world. Zakir Hussain's father was Alla Rakha - the great tabla player who died while we were in Sikkim (although we didn't hear about his pasing until months later when we reached Taiwan).
 
  info:
  allmusic.com
  Hariharan
  www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/3458
  jukebox.indiatimes.com
  Zakir Hussain
  www.eyeneer.com
  purchase:
  www.gemm.com
ubl.artistdirect.com
  03.A.7. Shubha Mudgal - India
 
  A shop owner in Chowringhee in Calcutta hipped me to this one. In addition to the singer Shubha Mudgal, other noted artists included in this production are the sarangi master Ustad Sultan Khan and the singer Sukhwindara Singh.
 
  info:
  www.rajshri.com
www.dhadkan.com
  purchase:
  www.gemm.com
ubl.artistdirect.com
  03.A.8. A.R. Rahman - India
 
  The predominance of film music in India is well known. A.R. Rahman is the reigning heavyweight is this insanely popular genre. When a film is hot in India, so is the soundtrack. Taal was the most popular film when we arrived in India and the selected cut is taken from its soundtrack.
 
  info:
  www.rahmanonline.com
www.arrahman.com
imusic.artistdirect.com
  purchase:
  www.gemm.com (AR Rahman)
www.gemm.com (A.R. Rahman)
ubl.artistdirect.com
  03.A.9. Manna Dey - India
 
  Manna Dey (born: Prabodhchandria Dey) is one of India's most influential vocalists. The nephew of singer and star of India's New Theater, K. C. Dey, Dey has successfully balanced fast tunes, romantic ballads and solemn hymns. Although his deep voice prevented him from securing lead roles in theatrical performances, Bey has proven himself an extremely eclectic vocalist. Dey grew up singing Baul songs, Rabindra-sangeet and Khayyal. A graduate of Vidyasagar College in Calcutta, Dey elected to devote his attentions to singing rather accepting a career as an attorney. -- allmusic.com
 
  info:
  sprocket.colorado.edu
  audio:
  www.ganguly.de/mannadey
  purchase:
  http://www.khazana.com
  03.A.10. Kishore Kumar ∓ Asha Bhosle - India
 
  Two of the greats of Indian singing, singing together. Work by both should be readily available.
 
  info:
  Kishore Kumar
  allmusic.com
  www.yoodleeyoo.com/
  Asha Bhosle
  allmusic.com
  www.indianmelody.com
  03.A.11. Khagen Mahonta - India (Assam)
 
  This track and the next one come from a compilation tape called "Folk Songs of Assam". We bought it in Shillong - the capital of the northeast state of Meghalaya - after having just returned to India from Bangladesh.
 
  no information found
  03.A.12. Sneho Lata Das - India (Assam)
 
  see 03.A.11.
  no information found
  03.A.13. Banajit - India (Assam)
 
  We bought this one in the dreary capital city of the northeast Indian state of Assam - Guwahati, where it was locally produced. It's a compilation of various artists.
 
  no information found
  03.A.14. Rameshar ∓ Dhanada Pathak - India (Assam)
 
  This one was also purchased in Guwahati and it was also locally produced.
 
  no information found
  03.B.1. Dota Roy - Bangladesh
 
  All the tapes from Bangladesh were purchased in Dhaka. We really scored there as these are excellent tapes and - with the exception of Dolly Sayantani - are extremely difficult to find outside of Bangladesh. We had the luxury of staying with friends who live in Dhaka and were able to listen to tapes on their stereo - then go back and buy more. I love the covers - check out the scans. [to come]
 
  no information found
  03.B.2. Baul Halim - Bangladesh
 
  see 03.B.1.
  no information found
  03.B.3. Kala Mia - Bangladesh
 
  see 03.B.1.
  no information found
  03.B.4. Mansoor Ali - Bangladesh
 
  see 03.B.1.
  no information found
  03.B.5. Sahidul Islam - Bangladesh
 
  see 03.B.1.
  no information found
  03.B.6. Dolly Sayantani (Doly Shayontoni) - Bangladesh
 
  audio:
  www.banglaradio.com
  03.B.7. Dhungkar Tsering & Dhungkar Kyi - China (Tibet)
 
  I'm very sorry that China is under-represented in this series. All the tapes that we bought in Yunnan - mostly Naxi music - are out there some place in a box trying desperately to reach us. The tapes we've chosen to include here were purchased in Xiahe, in the province of Gansu. This is a largely Tibetan area and the music represents that.
 
  no information found
  03.B.8. Dhungkar Tsering & Dhungkar Kyi - China (Tibet)
 
  see 03.B.7.
  no information found
  03.B.9. Daowa Dolma - China (Tibet)
 
  see 03.B.7.
  no information found
  03.B.10. Daowa Dolma - China (Tibet)
 
  see 03.B.7.
  no information found
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