19 December 2009
Contemporary and classic tracks from around the world. Playlist at bbcworldservice.com
Charlie pays tribute to some of the outstanding musicians who passed away in 2009.
Les Paul was not only an accomplished guitarist and inventor of the eponymous guitar, he was also an early pioneer of multitrack recordings. Fellow American Snooks Eaglin was also a guitarist, a virtuoso on both the 6 and 12 string versions, blessed by an encyclopaedic musical memory and an aficionado of radio: his nickname was derived from a popular 1940s programme. Willy DeVille of Mink DeVille fame and Claude Jeter who fronted the Swan Silvertones in their heyday also left this year for the Great Jukebox in the Sky.
Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa鈥檚 legacy is best summed up in the words of her pianist and musical director, Popi Spatocco: 鈥淎t the time of the dictatorship, Mercedes was the underground reference point for a ton of people who weren't allowed to express their own ideas and convictions." Staying in Latin America, Orlando 鈥楥achaito鈥� Lopez (pictured below with his band) hailed from a famous Cuban musical dynasty and his bass playing anchored not just the Buena Vista Social Club recordings but also the Cuban National Symphony as well as Orquesta Riverside.
It鈥檚 no exaggeration to say that the sarod player Ali Akbar Khan was one of India鈥檚 greatest musicians. He was not only a supreme virtuoso and a gifted composer but also a powerful advocate for north Indian music in the West, particularly in the 1950s. Son of another acclaimed musician, Ustad Allauddin Khan, Ali Akbar Khan was known for his absolute concentration in performance and uncompromising standards. "I started to learn this music at the same time I began to talk," Khan once told music writer Don Heckman. "So it is as natural to me as speaking. It's not something I have to think about any more than I have to think about the words I'm saying."
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Music Played
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Les Paul & Mary Ford
How High The Moon
USA
- The Very Best of鈥�.
- Capitol.
- E-ST 23321.
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Snooks Eaglin
Alberta
USA
- That's all Right.
- Original Blues.
- OBCCD 568-2.
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Ali Akbar Khan & Asha Bhosle - Tarana (in Adana)
India
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Mercedes Sosa
Zamba a Monteros
Argentina
- Escondido En Mi Pais.
- Polydor.
- 533031-2.
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Mink DeVille
Spanish Stroll
USA
- Mink Deville.
- Raven.
- RVCD-59.
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Orlando 鈥淐acha铆to鈥� L贸pez
Wahira
Cuba
- Cachaito.
- World Circuit.
- WCD061.
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Claude Jeter and the Swan Silvertones
Singing in MySoul
USA
- Swan Silvertones.
- Vee Jay.
- NVG-2.
Broadcasts
- Sat 19 Dec 2009 23:32GMT蜜芽传媒 World Service Online
- Sun 20 Dec 2009 14:32GMT蜜芽传媒 World Service Online
- Mon 21 Dec 2009 03:32GMT蜜芽传媒 World Service Online