Violinist husband, poet wife weave music magic

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Lonny Shavelson profiles a unique husband and wife musical duo: an Irish violinist and a Sri Lankan Tamil poet. Their music is rooted in common experiences of exile and immigration. Download MP3

Video: O’Riain and Sundaralingam at the California Institute of Integral Studies

Traditional Jewish tunes get Afro-Cuban redux

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For our Global Hit Monday, we’re playing a fusion of sorts, a mix of the pounding, hip-swaying drums of Afro-Cuban jazz and lilting New York Jewish tunes, from the mid-1900s. Lonny Shavelson went to a concert in San Francisco featuring just that musical mashup. (Photo: Lonny Shavelson) Download MP3

• Video: See Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen transition from traditional to a jazz re-make
  
• Celebrating the seder with Rabbi Leo Trepp
• The Garifuna: African influence in Central America

Celebrating the seder with Rabbi Leo Trepp

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Rabbi Leo Trepp is 97 years old. He now lives in San Francisco, but he grew up in Germany. In fact, he is the last living rabbi who led German-Jewish communities during the Nazi holocaust. Lonny Shavelson sent us a radio report and a short video on Rabbi Trepp.
(Photo: Lonny Shavelson) Download MP3

• Video: Rabbi Trepp celebrates a family seder

The Garifuna: African influence in Central America

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The story behind today’s Global Hit starts on the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent. In 1635, two slave ships wrecked there, and the African slaves escaped to freedom. They mixed in with the native Caribs, giving birth to a new Afro-Caribbean culture – the Garifuna (Gareefoonah). In the centuries since, the Garifuna migrated and founded villages along the Caribbean coast of Central America. Later today, Lonny Shavelson will have a report from Guatemala. (Photo: Lonny Shavelson)

• Video: The Garifuna of Guatemala
• Marco Werman: The Garifuna Women’s Project (2008)

Septeto Nacional

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The Cuban musical sound – el son Cubano – was born in the 1800s. It mixes instrumental styles from the Spanish conquest with the tones and rhythms of descendants of African slaves. That son Cubano evolved into a music we now think of as from all of Latin America – salsa. But as reporter Lonny Shavelson found out at a rare U.S. concert of the Cuban band Septeto Nacional, some Cuban musicians want the credit for salsa back. Download MP3

• Video: Septeto Nacional playing Echale Salsita
• Septeto Nacional’s website

The Mohan Veena instrument

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Vishwa Mohan Bhatt was playing world fusion music even before it had a name. To play his unique eastern-western style, the Indian musician invented an instrument – the Mohan Veena. It’s a guitar modified to play like a sitar, sarod, veena, and guitar, all at once. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt recently toured the US and Lonny Shavelson caught up with him in Hayward, California. Download MP3

• www.mohanveena.com
• Watch a video

Festival of Harps

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Recently, some 40 international harpists and groups of harpists gathered in Oakland, California. The idea behind this Festival of Harps was to move harp music beyond its traditional conventions. That wasn’t hard to do, given that the harps included everything from the African kora, to the Celtic harp, to the Paraguayan harp. Lonny Shavelson will have our story later today. Also, be sure to click below for Lonny’s video of a rehearsal session. Download MP3

• Watch Lonny’s video
• More on the Festival of Harps

Celebrating Coltrane’s Birthday

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Today marks the 83rd anniversary of the birth of American jazz giant John Coltrane. In the course of his all-too-short career, Coltrane incorporated sounds from across the globe into his music. Tonight, The Asian American Orchestra in San Francisco will honor Trane by playing his music with an international twist. Lonny Shavelson has the story. Download MP3

• Lonny’s video of the Coltrane rehearsal
• More information on The Asian American Orchestra
• The Official John Coltrane Website

Delhi 2 Dublin: An Indian/Irish mash-up

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Delhi 2 Dublin, based in Vancouver, joins Irish fiddles with Indian tablas, sitars with electric guitar in a free-flowing mix of Indian bhangra and Irish jigs. Lonny Shavelson caught up with them in front of an up-and-dancing audience of more than 10,000 in San Francisco’s Stern Grove. >>> Click here to see Lonny’s video of a Delhi 2 Dublin concert.

Global Hit: Dehli 2 Dublin

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The band Delhi 2 Dublin lives up to its name with its combination of Indian bhangra and Irish jigs. Reporter Lonny Shavelson caught up with them at a gig in San Francisco.

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Dehli 2 Dublin

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The name pretty much says it all. The band “Delhi 2 Dublin” plays a free-flowing mix of Indian bhangra and Irish jigs. It’s a blend of Irish fiddles and Indian tablas, not to mention sitars and electric guitars. Throughout the summer this Vancouver-based band has been playing concerts from Canada to California. Reporter Lonny Shavelson recently caught up with them at a gig in San Francisco.