A Year of Diverse Musical Moments

The 2001 world-music year started relatively inauspiciously. No surprise there; American music listeners tend to focus on familiar sounds and familiar languages rather than venture into new and challenging musical landscapes. The exceptions tend to be those ensembles that can offer infectious, easily accessible rhythms--the Gipsy Kings, for example--or moody, atmospheric soundtracks (try Enya).

The Grammy for world music was awarded to the great Brazilian bossa nova singer-guitarist Joao Gilberto. Justified though the honor may have been, it hardly reflected the enormous diversity of choices available from younger, more adventurous artists from every part of the globe.

Add to that the fact that a quick look at the international and world music listings reveals an equally narrow perspective. For example, Yahoo’s top 10 international music favorites at the moment include two Andrea Bocelli albums, a pair of Ricky Martin CDs, a couple of Marc Anthony releases and the Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out.” Billboard’s presumably more musically knowledgeable listings from mid-December included a CD from a single authentic world-music diva, Cesaria Evora (“Sao Vincente Di Longe”); a pair of releases (one a remix of the other) from Gilberto’s daughter, Bebel Gilberto; the Gipsy Kings’ “Somos Gitanos”; and, yes, the Baha Men again.

Depressing? Well, sure, and there’s no doubt that the category generally described as world music--that is, the 88% or so of recorded music that is not American and British pop or European classical--is largely a niche market, in terms of sales and popularity. But it would be even more bothersome if listings of this sort reflected a genuine inability to find and experience world music in its infinitely varied forms.

Fortunately, that’s not the case. Although 2001 was not an overall superlative year for hearing world music in concert, there were plenty of impressive individual moments. And most of the credit for bringing first-rate world music programs to the Southland has to go to the Hollywood Bowl’s summer world music series, the Skirball Center’s well-planned and imaginative concerts, and the marvelous free series offered throughout the summer by Grand Performances at the California Plaza.

Among the year’s standout memories (in no particular order):

* Two brilliant gypsy ensembles--Fanfare Ciocarlia (at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts) and Taraf de Haidouks (at El Camino College’s Marsee Auditorium)--whipped through irrepressibly rhythmic music, proving that it’s possible to play fast and from the heart at the same time.

* Gal Costa and Lila Downs at the Greek Theatre. Two generations of divas on the same stage--Costa, the great Brazilian veteran of the Musica Popular Brasileira movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s, and Downs, nominally Mexican American and superb with roots music from south of the Rio Grande, but capable of performing brilliantly in virtually any style.

* Djavan, yet another veteran Brazilian star, was in full flower at the Hollywood Bowl, his ebullient performance an interesting contrast to a more low-keyed, inner-looking appearance at Largo by young Brazilian singer Moreno Veloso (son of the legendary Caetano Veloso), in the early stages of what may be an important career.

* A flurry of important African artists arrived throughout the year, the range of their styles only hinting at the continent’s astounding array of music. Among them, the singular Baaba Maal at the Hollywood Bowl, defining what a world music concert can be in its most entertaining manifestation; the long-lived Super Rail Band from Mali--the incubator for, among others, Salif Kaeta--at Grand Performances; and, at the same venue, the charismatic French Tunisian singer Amina, applying her visceral performing qualities to a North African-styled variation on the Billie Holiday-associated standard “My Man.”

* The Celtic group the Chieftains surfaced in Cerritos, once again proving their ability to put together an immensely entertaining show by concentrating on traditional material, and occasional guest stars (in this case, Natalie MacMaster and Joan Osborne), and tossing in some spirited step dancing.

* On the Indian music front, the pickings were first-rate. The Skirball Center offered an electrifying evening featuring violinist Shankar and tabla player Zakir Hussain. It was made even more exciting by the presence of the legendary sitarist and teacher Ravi Shankar in the front row to stimulate adventurous improvisational exploration from players who were either students or relatives. Also at Skirball, the too rarely heard singer Shweta Jhaveri positioned her precise soprano lines above an accompaniment teeming with elements of jazz and Indian classical rhythms.

The year was further favored by the arrival of two wonderfully charismatic and utterly idiosyncratic artists, the ineffable Evora from Cape Verde (at the Hollywood Bowl), and Italian singer-pianist Paolo Conte (at Royce Hall), applying his gruff, world-weary voice to a collection of songs that could have served as the soundtrack for a film by Fellini. (Unfortunately, the world music presence in the UCLA performing arts program--usually a bountiful source of choices--was slimmed down considerably under a new regime.)

An appearance by North African artists Cheb Mami and Rachid Taha at Grand Performances in July, less than two months before the violence of Sept. 11, was one of the last events showcasing artists from what might be generically identified as the Islamic countries. A number of scheduled dates by other artists were canceled in the days following the attacks.

Not surprisingly, many Muslim performers (as well as non-Muslim artists) continue to be reluctant to risk the transportation hassles, and anticipate (justified or not) encountering potentially hostile audiences. Sales of recordings by Arab acts--generally among the most popular world CDs--have dropped off dramatically, and some American supporters of Middle Eastern music have reported receiving hate calls.

That, of course, is a shame, since the circumstances of the post-Sept. 11 world suggest that this is a time in which we should be learning more, not less, about the rest of the world in general, and about the world of Islam in particular. Music can provide an insightful and unthreatening entree into those unfamiliar territories.

Don’t-Miss World Music CDs of 2001

There were dozens of albums worth having, but here are a few I continue to revisit:

* Chava Alberstein, “Foreign Letters” (Rounder). A singer who combines qualities of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, Alberstein, known for her liberal views, emphasizes love songs and inner feelings in a collection that includes songs in Hebrew and Yiddish. Alberstein sings beautifully, despite the feeling of uncertainty that underlies the CD’s seeming optimism.

* Cristina Branco, “Post Scriptum” (Harmonia Mundi ). It never went away in Portugal, but fado is definitely back internationally in the hands of artists such as Branco, Misia and Dulce Pontes. Her hauntingly intimate interpretations capture the contradictions between love and heartbreak that are at the heart of fado.

* Cherish the Ladies, “The Girls Won’t Leave the Boys Alone” (Windham Hill). A lovely set of traditional tunes from a gifted band of female instrumentalists, with guest appearances by Tom Chapin, Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, the Clancy Brothers and others.

* Lila Downs, “La Linea” (Narada). Fifteen songs, including some originals, largely focused on the hardships experienced by Mexican immigrants who cross the border (“La Linea”) into the U.S., sung with passion and musical versatility.

* Gigi, “Gigi” (Palm Pictures). The Ethiopian-born singer has the sound and look of an emerging star. Her performance, in an album produced by Bill Laswell, with guest appearances by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Pharoah Sanders, includes a gripping set of passionate songs sung in her native Amharic language.

* Baaba Maal, “Missing You” (Palm Pictures). The sound of Maal’s penetrating voice, soaring above a caldron of acoustic sounds, is one of the glories of African (in this case, Senegalese) music. Aided by the presence of Maal’s longtime close friend, guitarist Mansour Seck, it is a classic outing, up close and personal.

* “Mondo Greece,” “Mondo Africa,” “Mondo Persia,” etc. A continuing series of survey-like recordings from Miles Copeland’s Mondo Melodia label. The emphasis on the world-beat aspects of music from the various cultures is strong, but the set offers a quick-take overview that can serve as an introduction to a deeper musical journey.

* Taraf de Haidouks, “Band of Gypsies” (Nonesuch), and Fanfare Ciocarlia, “Iag Bari” (Piranha Music). Look out for these guys. As noted above, they spread spirit and life wherever they go. If you missed their live performances, here’s an only slightly less invigorating opportunity to experience their work.

* Caetano Veloso, “Omaggio a Federico e Giulietta” and “Noites do Norte” (both on Nonesuch). The great Brazilian singer-songwriter doesn’t know how to make a bad album. The first of these sterling efforts is a tribute to Federico Fellini and his wife, Giulietta Masina; the second explores, in a colorful collection of timbres, Veloso’s continuing fascination with his country’s complex national identity.