Bokanté receive two Grammy nominations for latest album ‘History’
The album has been shortlisted for ‘Best Global Album’ and 'Best Engineered Album (non-classical...
Tue, 14 November 23
Ashkhabad
Ashkhabad is the capital of Turkmenistan and its cultural heart. The city's finest musicians have come together and called themselves Ashkhabad, a word which derives from the Persian language and means 'city of love. '
The Orient has always been a cultural melting pot and so is the music of Ashkhabad. Atabai Tsharykuliev (vocals, tar), Gassan Mamedov (violin), Sabir Rizaev (clarinet, soprano saxophone, serp, nagara), Kurban Kurbanov (accordion, piano) and Khakberdy Allamuradov (dep, serp, nagara) play an exciting mixture of traditional Turkmenian music infused with elements from Persia, Azerbeidjan and Turkey. They have been influenced by everything they’ve ever heard: from the sounds of the desert to jazz and rock.
When John Leckie – best known as a producer of guitar rock bands – first heard Ashkhabad, he was struck by their musical mastery and by the heartfelt beauty of their music. He knew instantly he had to go into a studio with them.
The result is a completely acoustic recording – truly unplugged. It captures the intensity of feeling and the romanticism of Ashkhabad’s music.
Atabai Charykuliev, whose image featured so strikingly on the cover of City of Love, died in Ashkhabad in March 2009.
Releases
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City Of Love
Ashkhabad take their name from the capital city of their home state of Turkmenistan, formerly a part of the Soviet Union. With violin, keyboards, accordion, clarinet, saxophone and percussion, City of Love ranges from wildly romantic melodies to the vibrant folk music of their roots.
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A Week Or Two In The Real World
Various Artists
This album is the second of two volumes of music culled from the legendary Real World Recording Weeks of 1991 and 1992. It features fascinating musical encounters between established and lesser-known artists from across the world.
Further reading
Mari Kalkun nominated for 3 Estonian Music Awards
The award nominations are in recognition of her album Stories of Stonia, released Summer 2023.
Wed, 24 January 24
Track of the day: ‘AmmA’ by Bab L’ Bluz
'AmmA' draws on music from north-east Morocco and influences from Tunisia and Algeria.
Fri, 08 March 24
A Tribute to Ernesto ‘Teto’ Ocampo (1969-2023)
Sidestepper's Richard Blair remembers his late bandmate Teto.
Tue, 23 January 24