World Music

I think I have always liked experiencing new things, not just in music. As a kid I got interested in all sort of other-worldy things like extra-terrestial life, mysteries of life and world. Magic. Parapsychology. I liked things that were out of the ordinary.

When it comes to music, I quickly got interested in different music genres. After listening to Vaya con Dios, I discovered wordbeat, the mixture of ethnic sounds and contemporary pop music. These were late 1990s, so this music was thriving.

I think the first artist of this genre that I got to know was Khadja Nin. Her song Sambolera Mayi Son was quite popular on Polish radio, and I decided to get her album. I may go back to this artist later on, today I want to focus on this music in general and highlight some key artists, of course in the usual my humble opinion context.

While it all started with Khadja Nin, I think my first more thorough encounter with this music was the compilation album World Music (BMG Poland 1998). It offers a selection of sixteen songs from artists playing a mix of ethnic sounds with a more contemporary vibe. When I heard it, it was like a new door opening to a fascinating new world of music.

Track listing:

(https://www.discogs.com/Various-World-Music/release/4912123)

1	–Enigma	Beyond The Invisible	5:00
2	–Deep Forest	Marta’s Song	4:13
3	–Khadja Nin	Sambolera Mayi Son	4:31
4	–Pangea	Memories Of Pangea	3:49
5	–Sacred Spirit	Legends	7:03
6	–Beautiful World	In Existence	4:17
7	–Lokua Kanza	Wapi Yo	3:02
8	–Bill Whelan	Riverdane (Remix)	3:47
9	–Wes	Awa Awa	4:28
10	–Christine Lauterburg	Yokamata	3:26
11	–Adiemus	Adiemus	3:48
12	–Orpheum	The Passion	3:51
13	–Cesaria Evora	D’Nhirim Reforma	5:37
14	–Declan Masterson	The Hazel Woods	2:49
15	–Ofra Haza	Show Me	3:43
16	–Clannad	I Will Find You	5:16

This very compilation started my love for the following bands / projects: Clannad, Enigma, Deep Forest and Sacred Spirit.

I’m going to write a bit more about these artists and their music in the future posts.