World Music Cup: Groups C & D, Match 1

[Jeff]

Welcome to match one for groups C and D.

Listen to all of the songs at least once and select the two in each group that you most prefer.

If there is a problem with any of the links (e.g., region locks, dead links), please mention it in a post below and do not vote for that group until you have heard each of the songs.

Voting for this session ends 20 January at approximately 11:59pm UTC / 6:59pm EST. After votes have been tallied the nation in each group with the most votes receives 3 points, the nation with second-most votes 2 points, third-most votes gets 1 point, and the last-placed nation 0. Nations that finish tied divide the points of their positions.

Note that voting for groups A & B remains open until 17 January.

Group C
GHANA
K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas – Hwehwe Mu Na Yi Wo Mpena
Ghana must begin with some highlife, a genre that originated in Ghana in the early 1900s and conquered West Africa during decolonization. Highlife became a confluence of Caribbean (rumbas), American (funk and soul in particular), and Ghanaian music styles. K. Frimpong is one of my favorite musicians of the genre and this is my favorite song of his. - Jeff

JAMAICA
Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari – Lumba
Nyabinghi is a sacred Rastafarian music characterized by ritual drumming and chanting that has its origins in drum ceremonies held by African slaves. Count Ossie's band The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari kept the traditional drumming and chanting, but added horns and various other instruments bringing it more inline with reggae.

ISRAEL
Mor Karbasi - Ladrona de Granadas
This is a singer of Sephardic music in the Ladino language. Sephardic Jews were expelled from Spain in the late 15th century, but you can still hear that mixture of Middle Eastern and Spanish roots. - bonnielaurel

RUSSIA
Bi-2 i Chicherina - Moy rok-n-roll
[This] is actually a collaboration between two different artists, the band Би-2 and the singer Чичерина. I think it's a very poignant piece with heartfelt vocals and some cool strings. It's more of a pop ballad than a rock song, though both are rock musicians. - BITUSSR

Group D
GERMANY
Ludwig Van Beethoven - Symphony 9, 2nd movement (complete), Molto vivace
Not even in the top 3000. - luney6

ARGENTINA
Carlos Gardel - Yira… Yira…
Verás que todo es mentira / Verás que nada es amor / Que al mundo nada le importa /
Yira... yira...
You'll see that everything is a lie / You'll see that nothing is love / That the world
doesn't care / Round… and round… - Honorio

SOUTH KOREA
Nam June Paik – Hommage a John Cage
Nam June Paik was probably the most significant Korean visual artist of the late 20th century; he was also an acclaimed composer. Here's his most famous piece, written in tribute to one of his major influences.

ENGLAND
Spiers & Boden/Bellowhead - The Outlandish Knight
Dummy-team submission by bonnielaurel.

[luney6]

Group C - Russia and Ghana

This group was a lot stronger than both of the groups last week, at least for me. All of the tracks were pretty good, but
I really liked these two. The one from Ghana reminds of Fela Kuti at times, and the violins (I think) in the one from Russia are really good. For me, Jamaica would probably come third. Really strong group, overall.

[bonnielaurel]

C Ghana and Israel

Ghana seems rather close to the afrobeat/afrofunk from Nigeria in the seventies. Mor Karbasi is an example of Sephardic music in the Ladino language. "Ladrona de granadas" means "female thief of pomegranates".

D Germany and England

It's hard to compare Beethoven to folk musicians, but I could hardly leave him out. This movement was the first to use the timpani as melodic instruments. Spiers & Boden (later: Bellowhead) bring a pure English folk ballad.

[luney6]

Group D - Germany and England

Germany was locked in, but I was about to give it to South Korea until I heard the opening of England's piece. Argentina was not bad, but it didn't stand a chance. Frankly, the South Korea piece seems more inspired by Diamanda Galas than by John Cage, unless I'm missing something?

[spiritualized]

Group A : Ghana & Russia - Jamaica is sadly really not up to standard, with all the great music coming from this country. Israel stood a chance until I heard Russia. Ghana indeed is a very strong contender, great rhythm & melody.
Group D : Germany (one fine piece of classical rock music) and England. Not a huge fan of "folk" music as such, I find it a bit pretentious. But South Korea ? Who are they kidding ?

[BITUSSR]

For Group C I'm definitely going with GHANA and RUSSIA. Jamaica was close, too. In Group D you have to go with GERMANY and ENGLAND, I think. Can't really think of a good reason to vote against Beethoven and the English track really picks up steam in the second half, good stuff.

[Jeff]

Group C: Ghana and Russia
I like all of the songs in this group. I hate voting for my own 'team,' but have to if I'm being honest about which of these I prefer. The other vote goes to Russia in an upset, its strings winning me over (I assumed I would be picking Jamaica constantly in this group and I assumed others would be too; wrong on both counts, though that might change in the second match). Again, I really like Israel and Jamaica as well and I would have voted for at least one of the two in any other group so far.

Group D: South Korea and England
My ears are more attuned to modern composition than the classical period, which is why South Korea gets one of my votes over Beethoven. England gets the other as I'm a little bit in love with the vocals and that moment when the brass comes in. I'm definitely looking into other music from these guys.

Frankly, the South Korea piece seems more inspired by Diamanda Galas than by John Cage, unless I'm missing something?

You should listen to some of Cage's tape music compositions if you haven't already. Stuff like Rozart Mix and Williams Mix sound similar to what Paik is doing here.

[luney6]

Frankly, the South Korea piece seems more inspired by Diamanda Galas than by John Cage, unless I'm missing something?

You should listen to some of Cage's tape music compositions if you haven't already. Stuff like Rozart Mix and Williams Mix sound similar to what Paik is doing here.

I see. Thank you. I hadn't heard these before.

[Honorio]

Group A: Ghana & Israel
Group B: Argentina & Germany

[jamieW]

(Again, I've listed my favorite from each group first.)

Group C: Russia and Ghana (What a strong group!)

Group D: Germany and England (Very tough to choose between England and that great experimental track from South Korea.)

[DaveC]

Group C: Jamaica & Ghana

Very hard choices here as all four songs are strong. (Love the song that comes next on the youtube mix for K Frompong: Kyenkyen Bi Adi M'awu)

Group D: Germany & England

I didn't participate in the classical poll due to the relatively narrow range of my classical listening, but The 9th would have been a lock at #1 on the symphony list. It feels a bit like cheating here, but I can't vote against it.

[Jeff]

Voting for these groups ends in 25 hours.

[Dan]

Group C:
Ghana & Israel

Group D:
Germany & Argentina