# field recordings of "world music"



## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I want to explore the world's folk music a bit more in the future. What are your favorite recordings in this genre? 

I've really enjoyed the Nonesuch albums that I have - one of gamelan, one of the music of Iran.


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## dgee (Sep 26, 2013)

I'm fairly new to this too - so a cheeky placeholder for me so I remember to come back. I have the nonesuch gamelan recording and have also enjoyed noh and gagaku recordings from Japan (can't remember specifics)


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## randy woolf (Jun 7, 2014)

i don't know much about the 'world music' that i like...i just buy things that grab my attention. and some of my compositions are based on samples of vietnamese music, tibetan, etc. having said that...vietnamese music is amazing, so many very different traditions in one country. the smithsonian collection is very good. some of it sounds very african, or even african american!

http://www.folkways.si.edu/music-of-vietnam/world/album/smithsonian

[i use samples from this in my piece 'Mekong Delta Blues"].

there is a lot of wonderful music in central asia, not that well known. Alim and Fargana Qasimova, a married couple, alive and working today, are fantastic. check out their tracks on "Music of Central Asia, Vol. 6: Spiritual Music of Azerbaijan" [also from smithsonian].

and finally, armenian music....very sad most of the time, really lovely, and an amazing combination of the musical cultures near armenia...jewish music, arabic, russian, kazakh. anything with Djivan Gasparyan is great.

http://www.amazon.com/Will-Not-Sad-This-World/dp/B000002LHE


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

science said:


> I want to explore the world's folk music a bit more in the future. What are your favorite recordings in this genre?
> 
> I've really enjoyed the Nonesuch albums that I have - one of gamelan, one of the music of Iran.



'An Anthology of South Indian Classical Music' by VA
'Amok!, Tire Fire' by Evan Ziporyn 
'Call of the Valley' by S. Sharma & H. Chaurasia


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

If that Nonesuch Explorer disc is _Golden Rain ~ Field Recordings of Gamelan music and the Ramayana Monkey Chant by David Lewiston_ -- it is one of the best field recordings of about anything I've heard. A treasure.

The _UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music of the World,_ if still available in some form or another, that was another tremendous set of recordings. Chinese court music, etc. ... all the very real deal.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Go check out Arany Zoltan on YouTube. He plays folks music from various places in Europe and the Middle East, as well as medieval music. Personally I just love his work.


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

From a historical perspective, and not one for listening enjoyment, I recommend Béla Bartók's Turkish Folk Music Collection (Hungaroton Classic HCD 18218-19). This is a two CD set that gives an overview of Bartók's contribution to ethnomusicology. Since it was originally recorded on rotating cylinders that have deteriorated over time, the fidelity is not the greatest. However, it is genuine folk music, and has not been altered or made more palatable for modern audiences.


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

Another favourite of mine is - Kabuki & Other Traditional Music performed by the Ensemble Nipponia and produced by David Lewiston (Nonesuch Explorer Series 266108-2). Very traditional Kabuki music, although there has been some adaptations to appeal to non-musicologists (like myself)!


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

Nonesuch was a great label of ethnic art and folk music. As PetrB already mentioned, the UNESCO series (issued by Auvidis) is exceptional. Another label is Haus der Kulturen der Welt. I am not sure if they are still around on CD. Yet another great one is CMP Records. Again, I am not sure they are still around. Furthermore, Radio-France has one of the finest ethnic labels, Ocora, and much of it is either still in print or is regularly reissued. Golden Horn issue some fine Turkish and Middle Eastern art and traditional ethnic music. Rounder Records, too. Smithsonian Folkways, too (I have never had any of theirs, but they have quite an extensive catalogue). Wergo has a line of world music called Welt Musik (it also says Spectrum below the Wergo name), but I have not seen very many of them. A particularly fine label from Switzerland is VDE Gallo. I have a number of theirs and they are all treasures. How could I forget Lyrichord? Also: Traditional Crossroads... Hannibal Records, a sub-label of Rykodisc... Doublemoon... World Arbiter... Celestial Harmonies...

These are the ones in my collection (mostly present, a few past).

Now, you do say "field recordings". _Most_ of the recordings on the aforementioned labels (in my collection) are authentic studio performances by living masters of the art; they are not field recordings as such, since they are not recorded outdoors in local village settings and the like.

I confess that I am not particularly fond of folk music and never have been. I know these labels because of my interest in ethnic art music, particularly and pretty much exclusively the art musics of Japan, China, Korea, Bali, Turkey, Iran, Arabia, India, and, to a lesser extent, the gypsy (folk) music of the Balkans.

There is a gypsy band of the Balkans that deserves mention here: Taraf de Haïdouks. Some of their albums would qualify as field music, in the strict sense. I highly recommend them. They have released numerous albums.


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