March 3-7
This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Saint Kitts and Nevis
Sugar City Steel Orchestra (6:42) (edited from film found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjY0W57N3Oo) As in other Caribbean nations they love steel band in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Here's a band from Nevis playing 2024 Carnival.
Big Drum (1:37) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Egu9oTuL_8) Big drum is a traditional dance and instrument originating in Africa found in a number of Caribbean nations including Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Contenda-Icons (7:12) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smgCUz1cznw) In many of the nations that do Carnival there is a Road March Competition. The winning song is played at stops along the parade route for the Carnival. Here is some footage from the 2021 competition.
Infamus-Love St Kitts (3:13) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt1dWdIy9SY) This has the feel of one of those tourism-sponsored songs and videos but I do like how these pieces show the landscape and people of the places we journey!
March 10-14
This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Timor Leste
A Traditional Bidu and Tebe Tebe Dance (2:55) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmBXxhz2b_g) A traditional dance of the Bedu and Malaka people.
NYX 15-Matawen (4:33) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT44kmeuoYU) This is a popular band from Timor Leste. They speak Fetun and Portuguese in Timor Leste (as well as other Austronesian languages). This song appears to be sung in Fetun.
Liberdade-Dili Allstars (3:40) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5CzzKfbsVo&list=RDEMAl0mnpU4gZZdTblKhnTOaQ&start_radio=1) I found a lot of music from Timor Leste based on their independence movement waged first against Portugal and then Indonesia. It is a young country only having achieved independence finally in 2002 (it was known as East Timor up until then). Here is a popular reggae and ska band composed of Australian and East Timorese musicians.
Abito Gama-Doben (5:51) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBtJdBDMprk) Abito Gama is a popular enough musician from East Timor/Timor Leste that I found plenty of videos of folk from Timor Leste covering his songs and posting. His videos are older so I think he mostly recorded before independence. 'Doben has nit mural rai' means 'Do well my beautiful land' so I get a sense of that independence movement again.
March 15-30-Spring Break-Have a Great Break
March 31-April 4
This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Vanuatu
kastom tanis (custom dance) (4:45) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK47BK79uG8) Kastom is a pidgin word for custom-this is a customary communal dance and song still popular in the rural areas of Vanuatu.
Slit Gongs (2:02) (edited from film found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-xhL6lcSfM) Slit gongs are an ancient symbol of Vanuatu. I found videos of beautifully carved and painted large slit gongs in museums around the world but chose a portion of this video where we can see them being played.
Vanessa Quai-Life is Good (4:37) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMWKqqFXQB0&list=RDEMdVuZjdsDw5zAW_lhJ1XWLA&index=2) Vanessa Quai is a well known singer from Vanuatu. There's a definite reggae influence here as it is very popular on Vanuatu.
String Band (3:22) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fflTcW47Mo4) A popular form of music in Vanuatu is the string band-guitar, ukulele and rhythm.