After a best mate of mine introduced me to Fela Kuti’s works I’ve been real interested in hearing music from other cultures you don’t hear much stuff from. Doesn’t have to be traditional music styles (love it when genres and cultures fuse together, like Masayoshi Takanaka taking influence from Brazilian music), but I’d love to hear that as well!
Brazil isn’t an obscure country, but there’s an indigenous band called Uakti that builds their own instruments. It’s some of the most unusual music I’ve heard. They also have some classical albums, and one by Phillip Glass that I like to listen to when I’m coming down from a trip.
They are very famous but it seems their country is rarely thought or discussed.
The Hu from Mongolia are great. A combination of traditional Mongol folk music, modern metal and famous for their Mongolian style gutteral singing.
Great thread this, loads to check out.
I’ll recommend Songhoy Blues from Mali, and Gaspar Nali of Malawi, both excellent.
Ariesta Birawa Group
There is a kora player from Mali called Ballaké Sissoko who makes really cool and chill music. I only heard about him because of a news article about the TSA destroying his instrument. I googled him after I had read his article and really liked his music, even though I didn’t even know what a kora was before.
There’s this british band, that dabble in many different styles. Not many people heard of them. Probably because they haven’t released any new music in a while, and it feels like they haven’t toured in FOREVER!!!
But it’s this little niche band, called The Beatles.
Do you think they have a chance of break through?
If you’re into metal, here are a few bands renowned for mixing cultural music with heavy metal off the top of my head:
Norway - Ulver (They have possibly the most varied discography in all of music, but their first album is a mix of black metal and Norwegian folk music, and their second is entirely Norwegian folk music)
Brazil - Sepultura (From Arise to Roots they started incorporating a lot of Brazilian musical ideas)
Romania - Negura Bunget (They’re the only reason I know what a nai is)
Kenya: Just a Band. Funky, rocky at times, just great music.
Iran: not a band, but a movie representation of the scene. No One Knows About Persian Cats. I have a personal connection to this movie; if you watch it, let me know and I’ll fill you in (not publicly though, you’ll understand why).
Cambodia: Reign in Slumber. Metal. Changed singers (new one is from the Philippines), still great.
Vietnam: Cut Lon. Metal. Used to dress in hilarious Pikachu balaclavas. Fun, loud, entertaining.
Belarus: Molchat Doma. Gloomy. Oppressive. Wonderful. Makes me think of the Soviet Union in the 70s (not that I was there or alive then).
Really digging Reign in Slumber. Thanks for the recommendation.
On the topic of Asian metal, Voice of Baceprot just played the Glastonbury festival, which is pretty awesome. All-female Indonesian band.
Also, the dude who works at the gas station down the street introduced me to Minerva, a Bangladeshi metal band.
Sweet! Also check Doch Chkae (like a dog), also Khmer metal (and all Cambodians).
Baceprot, listened to them a few months back and, while nice they’re getting coverage, it didn’t grab me. Hoping they mature well in the coming year!
Oh, and check After God also (Khmer). Drummer turned singer, just released an EP (YouTube I think).
Bragolin - Into those woods
(Netherlands)
How could I forget Cesaria Evora?!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kadril
Belgian folk groupSpecifically: https://www.discogs.com/release/6421340-Kadril-La-Paloma-Negra
made with the band Alumea.Review: https://www.rootsworld.com/reviews/kadril-alumea.shtml
This two-disc set is a studio version of a concert program produced jointly by Galician family combo Alumea and Flemish folk-rock band Kadril, inspired by Flemish pilgrims in Galicia. The results are peculiar but satisfying.
I wish I could find the KCRW episode about this album. That’s (I think) how I heard about it.
The Mongolian metal band The Hu fuse tradition instruments with metal styling and a badass attitude that Genghis would approve of
Also their name is great.
And they will finally play their homeland for the first time since making it!
If you like The Hu check out Uuhai and Batzorig Vaanchig.
Thinking of Asian metal related music reminded me of Senyawa who are from Indonesia
Great band, on the more experimental side of things
The Hu at this point might be more famous than the country they’re from (which to be fair, isn’t THAT obscure, but how often DO you think of Mongolia?)
Ah yes the band that gave me tinnitus. Wonderful to see live just make sure you have earplugs and not get stuck by the crowd next to the speakers with two beers and a deaf sound engineer.
Loop Experience ones are good. Otherwise, tissue.
A group called Otyken. They are a Siberian/Russian folk music group
Highasakite - Norway
I’m a big fan of Tinariwen who are from Mali
Also: Toe from Japan
Also also: yin yin from the Netherlands
And in a similar vein: l’eclair from Switzerland
Also tbh, if you want a great selection of eclectic artists from all over the world, look up a playlist of artists playing on the West Holts stage of Glastonbury for any given year—when I’m at the festival it’s always my go to stage if I’m feeling like trying something new and it’s rarely disappointed me
Toe are lovely, I’ve been listening to their live album (currently in Japan too).
I came here to suggest Bombino, who is Nigerien but part of the same Tuareg desert blues genre. That stuff is excellent
