Sámi singer Kajsa Balto and the NRK Radio Orchestra bring their unique adaptation of well-known Christmas music – in this first ever Sámi Christmas concert at the Opera House in Oslo in 2024.
Thanks Viola for the heads up. They also recorded this event for a CD – a unique blend of hymns and yoik (a traditional form of song in Sámi music).
https://www.svtplay.se/video/jABYYmA/jul-med-kajsa-balto-och-kork?video=visa
A very special way to finish the year sharing stories and music at YWAM Davao City, Mindanao. What a great week – amazingly creative students, lots of new friends made, eating at night markets, motor bike and tuktuk rides, Filipino style – and a snake popped up at lunchtime! Now the 2 day journey home!
Out in Göttingen, Germany recording Kerst Sikkema, originally from the Netherlands. We met during his visits to the Northumbria Community – and he sang on the Alone and Together recordings. Since then he has continued to write songs, a collection of Daily prayers (called Breeze) and Peace prayers for a community of foreign students, workers and refugees living in Germany. Oh, and the Bratwurst was wunderbar
Thanks Steve Weeks for sending me this wonderful traditional drum and dance from Greece. What a fantastic sound the musicians create. One of the brass players plays the melody and the other just plays a single drone note using circular breathing!
Info – Musicians: Giannis Malamas-zournas, Christos Malamas-zournas, Ilias Dimanos-daouli. From the performance of the Chorostasis entitled “10 Years of Chorostasi-In the Cycle of Time” (Dora Stratou Theatre, 7 and 8 June 2014).
This heart cry comes out of a land that has suffered so much – Mozambique.
What a great week here at YWAM Muskoka, Canada. Wonderful to be back sharing life, stories and music with an amazing group of people. Canada’s First Nation population went through a harrowing time during the season of residential schools. It is wonderful to see this school being run by a First Nations who is bringing a blessing rather than a curse. A true story of reconciliation. Fall is also a beautiful time to be in this land with the trees turning to their magnificent colours.
The txalaparta is a specialized Basque percussion instrument made of wood or stone. Juan Mari Beltran was born in Donostia-San SebastĂán and is one of the most prominent figures in this Basque folk music. He started playing the clarinet at the age of 11 and also played another interesting Basque wind instrument, the txistu. At the age of 16, he became a member of the folk music ensemble Argia. During his musical life he has worked with many folk musicians, including “txalapartarik”, or txalaparta artists.
Just returned from another fantastic recording session in Sweden, working with Viola Grafström and some wonderful singers and acoustic players. Viola’s small studio is in a beautiful location next to a river – and if you are fortunate, in the early evening, you might catch a site of the local beavers passing by.
Thanks Paul for sharing this instrumental version from Jakarta, Indonesia. I bet you didn’t expect to hear this song in 7/8 
Another upgrade happening now!!!!! Check out the video. It is amazing how music connected us to this Tanzanian village over 20 years ago. Last year, due to storms and 16 years wear and tear, Mnase medical dispensary got a new roof and windows. This year the inside roof panels where the leaks had damaged ceilings have been repaired and everything has been painted, and soon they will have new seating, curtains and a flat screen TV in the waiting room for patients’ education on health, news and entertainment.
The first set of pictures are before the work was completed – showing the years of wear and tear. Door handles broken, seats worn out, leaks from storms damaging ceilings and paintwork crumbling. The second set – the work being carried out and the third set after the repair work. Very exciting to see it all looking as new.
One of the first Latin rhythms I had to master as a young drummer when playing cabaret nights, was the bossa nova. Developed in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s in Rio de Janeiro, the literal Portuguese translation is “new trend” or “new wave”.
Known by some as the “Father of Bossa Nova” Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto was pivotal in coming up with this original take on samba. His classic 1964 recording with Stan Getz, titled Getz/Gilberto, brought bossa nova to a worldwide audience and the magazine Rolling Stone included the recording in its best albums of all time.Â
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