Category: Mixtapes

Monday Mixtape #7: Azeri Music

This Saturday was Music Freedom Day, a day to remember the plight of musicians in countries where singing the wrong songs can get you locked up and your music banned from the airwaves. I had the pleasure of meeting Azeri singer Cirttan a.k.a. Azer Mamedov. Cirttan reminded me that even countries that we regard as free can have a very bad human rights track record. Azerbaijan is a newly formed “democracy” with ambitions of joining the EU. As last year’s winner it will hold this year’s Eurovision Song Festival. In the mean time artists like Cirttan flee the country because singing his songs have been made impossible. The specific song that got him into trouble was one he wrote about the president (Who’s never named, but everyone knows the title Mister Necessary refers to the president of Azerbaijan, who routinely says in his speeches his government will do this or that if it is “deemed necessary”).

For an interview with Cirttan go to the great News and Sounds blog of Charlie Crooijmans

It is no wonder a country like Azerbaijan uses music both to propagate its innocent and modern face and at the same time censors its musicians: it is a country with an incredibly rich and old musical tradition, mixing its native Caucasus music with Turkish, Persian, Russian and European influences. We’ve selected only a few songs for you to enjoy and as every week it was hard to leave some of our favorites out, but if there are songs you would like to share, leave them in the comment section!

Vaqif Mustafazade / Baki Gecelerli

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kWgS4zW1U]

Vagif Mustafazede was one of the pioneers of Azeri piano music, mixing traditional scales and rythms with Jazz music. Sadly this was done in a time when the Stalinist regime had outlawed Jazz music as a Western perversion. He did not live long. Vaqif died from a heart attack after a performance in Tashkent when he was only 39 years old. His legacy is not only the music he created, but also his daughter Aziza, who is now one of the most popular Azeri artists in the world, continuing the musical experiments her father started

—

Azeri Lullaby / Sövkət Ələkbərova

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cO9DVcjbxU]

Some years ago a russian TV animation series was produced based on lullabies from around the world. This performance by Sövkət Ələkbərova is already perfect, but the animation is a great compliment to the song.

—

Flora Kerimova / Sen Baxsan

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4flXtd3faaY]

When I spoke to Cirttan he wanted both Azeris and non-Azeris to know there’s more to Azeri Music than the traditional Mugham scales. Too true, enjoy this classic Jazzy-Rock by Flora Kerimova

—

Googoosh / Ayriliq

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jaDCUsjjR8]

The region of Azerbaijan is much bigger than the current borders of the country. A large part of Iran is also called Azerbaijan and many Azeris are sad a border lies between the two parts. In fact the biggest diva of Iranian music, Googoosh, is Azeri, and while most of her songs are in Persian her rendition of the Azeri song Ayriliq is the reason many Iranians know to sing at least one song in the Azeri language. Ayriliq means seperation, and while it can refer to the seperation of friends or lovers, for many Azeri it is the about the borders that separate contact between people of one region.

—

Vefa / Bayati Shiraz

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcxWavI6JIU]
The last performance in our list is a real tour-de-force. In 30 minutes the young singer Vefa shows all the nuances of traditional Azeri music from mournful laments to powerful rhythms. Her voice emulates the bends of birds’ songs as can only be found in Persian and Azeri music and here and there she flirts with the instruments in their melodies. The performance also shows that after more than a century of Russion influence instruments such as the accordion and the clarinet mesh perfectly well with the centuries old instruments such as the Tar and Qanun.

 

Monday Mixtape #6: Romanian Gold

For this week’s Mixtape we go to the incredibly rich musical soil of Rumania. Enjoy the songs of bands that became known during the Balkan music craze that swept the world a few years back but also a few gems that remained hidden.

—
Taraf de Haiduks / Rustem Si Suite
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loZd4dPow4A]
The group Taraf de Haiduks, or band of brigands, come from the village of Clejani where for decades they’ve been visited by musicologists who recorded their virtuoso performances. After appearing in Tony Gatlif’s film Latcho Drom they became known to the world. Everyone from Yehudi Menuhin to Johnny Depp wanted to be their friend. One of the most touching recorded moments is in the documentary Gypsy Caravan:  the old father of the main violinist of the band had just passed away, and all the musicians gather to pay him a final tribute, his son frantically playing away until the morning comes.
—
Fanfare Ciocărlia / Asfalt Tango
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NbFsMDHfVs]
Ciocărlia is the Rumanian word for skylark, it is also the name of a popular band that was formed out of local wedding performers who were prompted by a French producer to become fixed band that can tour the world. Together with Serbia’s Boban Markovic Orkestar they are the ambassadors of the Gypsy Brass genre, a type of music that was formed when many Roma musicians served in the Ottoman and Austrian armies and adapted the brass instruments to their own music.
—
Gica Petrescu / Pietra Pietra
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HM7Oyro-38]
It doesn’t take a lot of searching to find that music from Romania is more than the (great) Gypsy tracks played in Balkan Beats parties. Especially in the fifties and sixties amazing tracks were produced and Romanians have been luckily uploading many of the old songs to the internet. Gica Petrescu has been singing actively until his death 6 years ago when he was 85! Here is his rendition of the song Pietra Pietra.
—
Maria Dragan / Foaie Verde Bob Naut
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqidckKwe8I]
Maria Dragan is not from Rumania, but from neighbouring Moldova, a tiny Romanian speaking country that has been separated by centuries of history. Despite the current borders many Moldovans and Romanians celebrate each other’s artists as their own. Maria Dragan’s home village has honored her by organizing a yearly Maria Dragan folk music festival.
—
Maria Tanase / Lume Lume
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79QVepeBrWA]
It is only fitting to end our Romanian Mixtape with a song by Maria Tanase, the great diva of Romanian song. She was hated by the fascists who destroyed her first recordings and stopped her from singing, and during the war Maria Tanase never stopped defending and praising her Jewish friends. In the song Lume (world) she sings of our being as an old friend who pains you, but you never tire of her:
Oh world, sweet sister
When will I have enough of you?
When I give up bread for Lent
And the glass gives up on me…?
—
That’s the music for this week, we hope you enjoyed it!

Monday Mixtape #5: Dutch HipHop

When Mezrab started the storytelling nights almost eight years ago it was a conscious decision to hold the first ones in Dutch. Though people speak good English here producing art in your native tongue is something else. But imagine us having to convince the Dutch about the beauty of their language! Today half the singles in the charts are in Dutch when we grew up many people were convinced their own language was not beautiful enough to write with, tell stories in or use to sing. In those days a pop song or a rap track in Dutch was an act of rebellion, swimming upstream and remolding the clay of “Nederlands” into new forms and shapes. To celebrate how far “Nederhop” has come and for your Monday afternoon amusement we bring you the dopest tracks in the genre:
—
Extince / Kaal of Kammen
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCq-ZvlMcDU]
Extince was one of the first to rap in the Netherlands, though not in Dutch initially. When he did start his producing Dutch tracks the Amsterdam group Osdorp Posse dissed him for trying to cash in on what they had started. This track is his response to them, showing with lyrical virtuosity and mastery of the funk that while not the first he is indeed greatly fun to listen to.
—
Opgezwolle Eigen Wereld: 
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpaFm6ipT9Y]
Zwolle is a tiny town in the Netherlands, but it’s been a breeding ground for crazy rappers. Opgezwolle (literally “Swollen Up”, but an obvious reference to their home town) create their own world, not only the title of this track, but showing how far removed they are from the rest of the world by the style of their music and a brilliant trippy videoclip.
—
De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig / Watskeburt?!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjER3EX948w]
In 2005 the hit of the summer was this nonsensical number filled with made-up words. Ironically the song that parodies many HipHop conventions launched the careers of three rappers who never managed to replicate their first success. The producer of this Amsterdam group is none other than Bastian, a musician who deserves a whole Monday Mixtape list to himself.
—
Duvel Duvel / Wie is ut?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQLlJJuwjGI]
It’s no coincidence the rappers of the group Duvel Duvel don’t appear in the clip. When the advertising agency Habbekrats decided to make the clip for the single they didn’t have permission to make one. Since their clip was cooler than what most other labels were producing, it not only became the official clip for the group, but it also gave Habbekrats the chance to collaborate with other Hiphop artists.
—
Dio ft. Sef / Aye
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmVDr93UJQQ]
The clip of this Dutch track, also produced by Habbekrats, is an homage to the roots of Hiphop. Created to look like it was shot in the 80ies with the technology then available (and by accident taped over a German porn film). Honestly, with tracks like this Dutch Hiphop firmly places itself among the best of the world. Enjoy!

Music Monday #4: Arab Fusion

This week’s Monday Mixtape brings you something very special. Fusion songs from the Arab world. Though the word fusion is very popular in the world music scene, we at the Mezrab think it only works when it’s not a bad fit between two different styles but when it creates something new and intense. When you listen to a song and can’t imagine it’s components ever having been separate that’s the type of fusion music that works.
—
Anouar Brahem / The Astounding Eyes of Ritax

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvca5hD2wbk]

When Tunisian Oud player Anuoar Brahem learned everything there was to learn about Arabic classical and folk music his thirst for musical knowledge was not satisfied. He immersed himself in Jazz and over the years created his own delicate sound. Contemplative and enchanting, enjoy one of the masters of the Oud.
—
Rabih Abou-Khalil / Tsarka!
Also mixing his Oud with Jazz is the virtuoso Rabih Abou-Khalil. Where Anouar frequently looks for fragile beauty in his music, Rabih is masterful at mixing the power of Jazzy and Arabic Rythms and dazzling melodies.
—
Ibrahim Maalouf / Beirout

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x821uJ1Q0ME]

Ibrahim comes from an incredibly talented family. He’s the nephew of the great Lebanese writer Aamin Maalouf and his own father designed the 4-valve trumpet, an instrument that allows the player to play the oriental “quarter” notes not found on most regular European instruments. Ibrahim plays Classical, Jazz, Hip-hop, you name it, but when he incorporates his oriental roots in his music he really grabs you by the heartstrings. The song Beirout was inspired by a trip back to his home town and still seeing the scars of war. Take your time to listen to this song and dream away with the clip that accompanies it, all the way to the powerful climax.
—
Tinariwen / Chet Boghassa
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrSWSsZ90gc]
Though many Touareq artists would object to being included in a list of Arab artists, it would be a shame to skip the funky tracks of Tinariwen in this week’s Mixtapes. The music is born out of ancient songs and rythms of the nomads of the Mali, Algeria, Libya, mixed with a healthy dose of American Rythm and Blues coming back to its African roots. The discovery of Tinariwen had a funny effect, record labels suddenly were looking in all these countries for any nomad with an electric guitar or bass to sign up on their label, and while some of the “newly discovered” funky nomads don’t sound too bad, none beat the original Touareq musical rebels.
—
Souad Massi / Le Bien et le Mal
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3i4nqrEsNc]
Musically Souad Massi is not as innovative as the previously mentioned artists, but when someone sounds as good as she does there’s no need to be. What she delivers is a pile of great songs written for guitar and her angelic voice. Her music is also very much connected to the old Mezrab, where Mama Mezrab would often put on her CD on quiet days.
—
Bendaly Family / Do you love me?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7F40MVG0Wc]
Saving the best for last, this one is a bit of an internet sensation: the Lebanese Bendaly Family. They mix their Arabic Schlager with beatles era rock ‘n roll. I don’t really know what else to write that does justice to the brilliance of this song. Just listen to it, it will brighten up your week!

Music Monday #3: Rod Ben Zeev’s Top Five

Rod Ben Zeev is not only one of Amsterdam’s most talented improv actors, he’s also the initiator of one of Mezrab’s hottest nights, the “My Real Story” second Friday of the month storytelling event. Since he’s traveling the world for a while and we do miss him, we’ve asked him to give us his favorite pieces of music. Not only did he take time off from trekking the Australian desert to write this, he showed us that he’s a man with big cojones. Who else would dare to include the Backstreet Boys in his top 5? Enjoy!

—

5. I Got a Man! / Positive K.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvYIpa1Ulvw&w=420&h=315]

This Positive K duet cracks me up while I’m dancing which cracks other people up. So it’s just a good time all around. I always wanted to tell someone: “Are you a chef? Cause you keep feedin’ me soup!”
—
4. Too Much Love Will Kill You / Queen
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKFEjZ98Q4s&w=420&h=315]
Freddy is amazing. Never try to Karaoke anything by him if you’re not a professional. This song always makes me break down on the inside. It’s so beautiful and represents all the beauty about being passionate about something you love.
—
3. Breathe Me / Sia
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSH7fblcGWM]
I recently “discovered” this song because I watch Six Feet Under and this is the soundtrack to the most incredible montage I have ever seen in the final episode of the show. I don’t think you need to watch all 63 episode of the show to appreciate the layering of this but it’s a nice payoff if you do.
—
2. I Want it that Way / Backstreet Boys
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBlCtqsat-w&w=420&h=315]
Yes, I know I’m publicly saying that I love this Backstreet Boys song. But who doesn’t, really. When I listen to this ballad, I’m just like the Chinese boys doing the video with so much emotion in their dorm room. It’s a guilty pleasure like so many other songs we love so let’s just admit it and end all this war and hunger.
—
1. Graceland / Paul Simon
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fS_7Yp0hY&w=420&h=315]
This is Paul Simon’s title song from my favorite album… ever. It takes me back to a time when I was a kid in the back of my dad’s Citroen, singing along to the entire album on long drives and dreaming of being able to sit in the front seat one day. I realized that dream and my new dream is to sing the entire album in a live concert in front of real people.

Music Monday #2: Revolution Playlist

Mezrab maitre d’, Sahand Sahebdivani, brings us this week’s Music Monday Mixtape. He’s chosen the theme of “music for the revolution”.

Sahand says:

Revolutions are fought with blood and tears, but also with the creativity of artists. There isn’t a struggle that doesn’t have songs to stir the emotions, and urge young and old to join the fight and not to despair, even if the situation seems hopeless. With the Middle East in turmoil Mezrab brings you our personal pick of songs of defiance to start your week with.

—

Egypt / Ya El Meydan / Cairokee

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umlJJFVgYVI]

Tahrir Square, or simply “the Square” (El Meydan) has become the symbol of the Egyptian revolution. It gave the world a great visual image of the struggle. Al Jazeera cameras showed us day and night how people gathered on the square to camp and shout slogans, share food, sing songs and even get engaged and married, all the time while risking attack by police and military (and in one instance thugs on the backs of horses and camels). A year has passed since Mubarak was driven off, but many Egyptians unsatisfied with how the revolution has progressed so far, have taken to the Square again.

Ya El Meydan (Oh Square!) is a song about the hopes and dreams of a nation, wrapped in a love song for a square.

—

Syria / Yalla Get Out Bashar! / Ibrahim Qashoush

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xCS8SsFOBAI]

When Ibrahim Qashoush, fireman, part-time poet and father of three wrote this energetic, emotional and sometimes funny song against the rule of Syria’s Basher Assad he had no idea it would become the anthem of a revolution that’s still ongoing today. The government’s response was brutal. Qashoush reportedly was found with his throat cut and his vocal chords ripped out. His song’s still sung however, wherever people gather to protest.

—

Kurdistan / Kine Em? / Sivan Perver

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5wtlIaMseQ]

Kine Em? Who Are We? asks Sivan Perver, the voice of a struggle that’s centuries old. In the song he gives the answer himself: a lively volcano, fire and dynamite in the face of our enemies: corrupt Shahs, Mullahs and military Juntas. It’s a powerful image, seeing him perform in front of a sea of listeners.

—

Iran / Agha Negah Dar! (Hey Man, Pull Over!) / Kiosk

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmH6JxEiIu8]

For Iran, the country we know best, it was hard to pick a revolutionary song. When in 2009 the people took to the streets to contest the crooked elections the scenes were similar to what people remembered of the 1979 revolution. Subsequently the songs they sang at protests where the same as a generation before, bearing titles like “Winter has come to an end”, “Bird of Spring” and “Come join this road”, While they evoke memories for Iranians, the songs might not be so exciting to listen to by someone who doesn’t understand the language. Instead we’ve picked one of the works of Kiosk, a band that comments current affairs in clever lyrics mounted on a musical style everyone can relate to.

—

Iran / Allah Allah / Saman Arbabi Remix

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfcHBtZYj4A]

The final song is a very personal choice and one that’s very hard to listen to by anyone who grew up in Iran. It also needs some context: The most popular Iranian television show of the moment is Parazit, An Iranian “Daily Show” recorded in the US which comically comments on Iranian politics. When the Iranian government started beating up, arresting and killing protesters in 2009 the guys from Parazit made one of their least funny but most powerful episodes, one in which they directly talked to the militias, asking them to think about their revolutionary ideals, and how they feel about them while beating up old men and women and young boys and girls. This episode opened with the song Allah Allah, a song that was blasted over the airwaves almost daily by the religious regime in the early years of the revolution. By mixing this propagandistic song with images of the revolution and a hypnotic groove Parazit producer Saman Arbabi has created a strange but powerful song that reminds us of the cyclical nature of revolutions.

Make sure to listen to this with your speakers full blast.

Music Monday #1: Julia’s Top Ten

Who’s old enough to remember making mix-tapes for the boy or girl you have a crush on? There’s a delicate art to it. You don’t want to be too obvious in your choices, but also not overly pretentious. You want the mix to be cool, yet sensitive. On Mondays, we’re going to relive those days by giving you a load of our favorite songs to start your week with. And we’re not doing it alone. We’re asking some of our regulars and people we admire to send in their lists.

When Julia walked into the Mezrab a few years ago to write an article about us for a local paper we knew we wanted her to stay. She had short hair, great tattoos and told us her Masters degree was in feminism in cult vampire films. Ever since she’s been a member of the team, making sure the website is updated, information is sent out and coming up with plans for new events. Currently she’s planning her second trip to the Philippines, where she will help exploited workers in the garment industry to tell their own stories.

JULIA SAYS:

This is my top 10 of youtube songs at the moment.

If youtube was even more expanded it might have looked a little different with for example Shirley Collin’s ‘Hares on the mountain’ or Elizabeth Cotton’s ‘Jesus lifted me’. All strong women making beautiful songs with a bite. Of course you’d have to place them in time since wearing worker’s pants as a woman in the 50’s was already quite daring and progressive.

Peggy Seeger – Gonna Be An Engineer

So let’s start with this song then. Peggy Seeger ( sister of Pete Seeger) was a American folk singer and activist from the 50’s. She was married to folk singer, activist and songwriter Ewan MacColl. She identifies as bisexual and written an essay about it (Voices of Bisexuals Around the World).Great, feminist song of a very special lady.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCRRe72mwwY&w=560&h=315]

Elizabeth Cotten – Freight Train

She was an American blues and folk musician, singer and songwriter Her self-taught left-handed guitar style (holding a right-handed guitar upside down) become known as “Cotten picking”. Amazing woman played the guitar till she died..

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6PA3_xeDI8&w=560&h=315]

Daniel Johnston – The Story Of An Artist

Very special person with a sad song, also a little funny at the same time and recognizable and cliché and…. If you have time watch this documentary about him: ‘The Devil and Daniel Johnston’

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_RbSAwMa3U&w=560&h=315]

Diamanda Galas – Let My People Go

American musician, AIDS activist and philosopher. Listen to this amazing dark song based on and old American Negro Spiritual called ‘Go down Moses’. Now, Diamanda made it into something different:  “ the eight legs of the devil now, are crawling up my spine”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6NOeHm0ru8&w=560&h=315]

Current 93 – A Gothic Love Song

To follow up the sudden darkness in this list; a gothic, sad and actually quite depressing song by the fanstastic Storytellers of Current 93.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln5A1o-0x4A&w=560&h=315]

Low – La La La Song

Now we’re into love songs anyway, so here’s another one. I think it’s the most intimate and daring lovesong I know to open to the world. Don’t think I could ever do that but happy to be able to listen to this one from Low.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPvYFZfnKWg&w=560&h=315]

Amanda Palmer –  Vegemite (The Black Death)

Strong woman, good performer and so so funny!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVKPrQv1H8I&w=560&h=315]

The Secret Sisters – Why Dont You Love Me

These sisters are so cute and lovely. I missed them playing in Paradiso this year, such a shame

I love to sing this song and overdo it 😉

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Ew-GN8HS0&w=560&h=315]

Yarah Bravo – Bluebird

This little lady started as a surprise act of underground hiphop master DJ Vadim but soon enough left her tracks in hiphop-land and blows you away from stage. Look at her! http://www.britishhiphop.co.uk/features/articles/yarah_bravo_-_biography.html

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gBBKxdMMhI&w=560&h=315]

Wanda Jackson – Fujiama Mama

Last year I went to see this woman playing at Patronaat in Haarlem. She’s74(!) years old and I was blown away! She told the audience about her first tour after highschool together with Elvis. They were both ‘spoiled brats’ as she said and went on their first date together. Isn’t that great?! Listen to this very very cool song of this rockin momma:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVs3iwkAP0k&w=560&h=315]