Bunong Singalong

We are heading back to Cambodia today, more specifically to Mondulkiri Province, home of the indigenous Bunong people. 

In 2017 Les Cartes Postales Sonores, a label that specialises in field recordings of indigenous music, issued a compilation titled "Bunong Pop Songs". It is available on Bandcamp on a "name your price" basis.

Like many field recordings, none of the performers are identified. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it is great that their music is being brought to a wider audience. On the other, not crediting any of the artists by name has a whiff of exploitation about it. Let's hope they were at least paid.

The album is dedicated to Lok Ta, evidently one of the leading lights of the Bunong music scene who died in 2016. It is not mentioned whether Lok Ta features on the album but the musicians provide a fine tribute, as these snappily titled tracks show:

"▲ 1" - Groovy Bunong Man

"▲ 5" - Groovy Bunong Woman

Here's a video featuring the mbuat, a traditonal Bunong instrument that resembles bamboo bagpipes. Go on, you know you want to.

Kingston Cowboys

Today we feature a magnificent seven reggae artists who chose to name themselves after screen cowboys. "Why?", I hear you ask. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

You have to concede that their respective nom de plumes sound much more impressive than Norval Headley,  Anthony Waldron, Devon Perkins, Gregory Williams, Joseph Sterling and the brothers Robert and Wade Brammer, to give them their real names.

"Call The Police" - John Wayne

"Fish Tea" - Lone Ranger

"Spot And Beat The Banker" - Lee Van Cleef

"Poco Man Jam" - Gregory Peck

"Nice Up The Dance" - Josey Wales

"Caroline" - Clint Eastwood

"Midnight Cowboy" - Trinity

They Are The Mirror Men

While I was in Cape Town recently I picked up a CD reissue of the first two albums by local lads Falling Mirror - "Zen Boulders" (1979) and "The Storming Of The Loft" (1980).

Falling Mirror were two cousins, Allan Faull and Neilen Marais (a.k.a. Neilen Mirror), aided and abetted by South African Svengali producer Tully McCully and the occasional hired hand. Their series of albums in the first half of the 1980s stood out as being more interesting than most of the local scene at the time.

We have a track apiece from both albums for you together with their biggest (and I think only) hit - the title track from their 1986 concept album about a man hooked on prescription drugs who has an unhealthy obsession with the counter assistant at his local pharmacy. Based on a true story apparently (and alarmingly). 

"Archie & Juggie Went Down To The Store" - Falling Mirror

"I Wish I Was A Purple Door" - Falling Mirror

"Johnny Calls The Chemist" - Falling Mirror 

I can't find any Falling Mirror videos on YouTube so here are some other mirrors of a similar vintage instead.

Friday Book Club

Regular readers may recall that last year we ran a short series of posts featuring the stars of the golden age of Cambodian pop, an age brought to a shuddering and tragic halt by the Khmer Rouge.

Inspired by listening to the likes of Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Sereysothea, one of my late Christmas presents to myself was a copy of "Away From Beloved Lover" by Dee Peyok. 

In the book she tracks down some of the survivors of the golden age and tells their stories. In the course of doing so she also provides a history of Cambodian music and insights into what life was like under the Khmer Rouge regime. It was a fascinating read and I would heartily recommend to anyone with an interest in Cambodian music or the country's recent history.  

Having bought the book because I enjoyed vintage Cambodian music, after reading it I thought the next obvious step should be to listen to some newer stuff. A bit of searching on Bandcamp uncovered some very good records. Top of the pile was "Cambodian Women Of Song - The Demos".

The album is credited to Julien Poulson and Professor Kinski. The Prof is a German producer based in Phnom Penh while Julien P was a founder member of the late lamented Cambodian Space Project, who knocked the likes of Dengue Fever into a cocked hat. 

While they may be the brains behind the project, the real stars of the show are the three featured vocalists - Nang Yeye, Tep Modyka and Sochi (the last of whom co-wrote all the songs with Julien P). Here are two tunes that feature all three of them, but I could have chosen almost any track on the album. Every one's a winner.

"If You Hear This Song (feat. Nang Yeye & Tep Modyka)" - Julien Poulson & Professor Kinski

"Honey In The Jungle (feat. Sochi)" - Julien Poulson & Professor Kinski

Let's round the week off with some fun and frolics from Mr Poulson's old band.

David Lindley RIP

I was sad to hear that we lost David Lindley last Friday at the tender age of 78.

Having started out in Kaleidoscope (the American one) in the 1960s he quickly established a reputation as a sideman and multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, working with the likes of Bob, Bruce, Dolly, Rod the Mod and many people who need surnames, most frequently Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Warren Zevon.

He also made a series of tasty little albums in his own right in the 1980s fronting his band El Rayo-X. Here are a couple of album tracks followed by a 90 minute live concert from 1982. Sit back and enjoy.

RIP Mr Lindley.

"Tuber-Cu-Lucas And The Sinus Blues" - David Lindley & El Rayo-X

"I Just Can't Work No Longer" - David Lindley & El Rayo-X

Hippies And Poppies

Four songs linked in three pairs today - two Molinas, two hippies and two poppies (Les Fleurs De Pavot means "the poppy flowers" in French as I am sure you know).

CCR will need no introduction, the others may. Les Fleurs were a short-lived French garage band from the late 1960s. Nicolás Molina hails from Castillos in Uruguay. This track is from his 2019 album "Querencia" and clocks in at over nine minutes for you long song fans. 

"Querencia" is available on a 'name your own price' deal from Bandcamp. Also available on Bandcamp is Kalbells' 2021 album "Max Heart", one of my favourite albums of that year and much plugged here at the time.

"Molina" - Creedence Clearwater Revival 

"Los Ultimos Hippies del Verano" - Nicolás Molina 

"Hippies Nous Voila" - Les Fleurs Des Pavot

"Poppy Tree" - Kalbells

And now, more Kalbells!

Bubbling Up

I returned from my fortnight's holiday in South Africa a couple of days ago clutching a small number of local CDs which I will share with you over the days and weeks to come.

We will start with a couple of tracks from "Bubblegum Celebration", a compilation released 20 years ago celebrating the local pop music of 30-40 years ago. It includes tracks by Tsonga stalwarts Peta Teanet and Paul Ndlovu and big stars of the time like Yvonne Chaka Chaka, as well as a few lesser known gems like today's selections.

If you like the Kamazu track you might want to check out a compilation of his work that bears its name, released by the Afrosynth label a few years ago and available on their Bandcamp site.

"Nomalisa" - V-Mash

"Korobela" - Kamazu