A Pocket Guide to World Music

Edition 1 –  Brasil and Colombia

This first programme includes Clive’s favourite pieces by Gilberto Gil, Sergio Mendes, Carlos Vives and Shakira; and styles like Cumbia, Vallenato and Samba-Reggae. He also plays a Brazilian-influenced tune by his own group, Symbiosis (featuring flautist John Hackett) and some natural sounds he recorded in the Amazon region of Colombia.

Find full details of the music played by searching for the playlist: A Pocket Guide to World Music on Apple Music (which best supports the artists!) or Spotify.

Edition 2 –  Around Africa

Music from around the Africa continent, including Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Cape Verde and South Africa, and featuring pieces by Fela Kuti; King Sunny Ade; Miriam Makeba; Ladysmith Black Mambazo and many more. Also includes an African-influenced work by presenter Clive Williamson’s own group Symbiosis, with John Hackett on flute.

Edition 3 –  India & East Asia

Highlighting music from India, Japan, Tibet, Tuva and China, and including artists: The Beatles; Ravi Shankar; actor Saeed Jaffrey and exiles Yungchen Lhamo and Sainkho Namtchylak. New music from Anoushka Shankar and includes two world-influenced pieces by presenter Clive Williamson’s own group Symbiosis.

Edition 4 –  Exploring Europe

Devon-based music producer and sound designer Clive Williamson shares some of his favourite music from Europe, including pieces from France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Portugal. Featured artists include Kraftwerk; Vicente Amigo; Yves Montand; Kroke from Poland (using a clock as a metronome!); Dutch singer Mathilde Santing and Portugese ‘fadista’ (Fado singer) Carminho. Nearer to home, we also hear emerging Irish singer Fintan McKahey, a Spanish-inspired guitar piece by Clive’s group Symbiosis, and a tribute to the Totnes trio ‘Jambones’.

Edition 5 –  World Fusions

In this programme: music which combines influences from two or more countries or genres. Devon-based music producer and sound designer Clive Williamson shares favourites from his iPod and discovers new music too, including work by Tito Puente, Gotan Project, Deep Forest, Nat ‘King’ Cole and Zap Mama. There’s reggae from Ivory Coast, bossa nova from Spain and salsa sung in French…
Find full details of the music played by searching for the playlist: A Pocket Guide to World Music on Apple Music (which best supports the artists!) or Spotify.

Edition 6 –  A Woman’s World

This edition highlights music from women performers, with a selection of presenter Clive Williamson’s favourite female world artists, including Celia Cruz, Ofra Haza and Angélique Kidjo. Features music from France, Colombia, Africa, Israel and Palestine.

Find full details of the music played by searching for the playlist from symbiosis: A Pocket Guide to World Music on Apple Music (which best supports the artists!) or Spotify.

Edition 7 –  North America

This week: Songs and sounds from the Arctic Circle to the Mexican Border. Presenter Clive Williamson explores a wealth of music covering French and English-speaking Canada; Inuit Throat-Singing; and a diverse range of American genres from Blues and Bluegrass to Zydeco. Features music by Leonard Cohen, J.B. Lenoir, Ella Fitzgerald and First Nations artists.

Edition 8 –  Down Under

After a few months hibernating, ‘A Pocket Guide to World Music’ is back on Soundart Radio with a new programme featuring music and some nature sounds from Down Under. Australian and New Zealand artists will include: Crowded House; Lorde; My Friend the Chocolate Cake; Australian Aboriginal singers Archie Roach & Gurrumul; and a beautiful lullaby from Māori musician Whirimako Black. (Presented by Clive Williamson from the UK relaxation music group, Symbiosis.)

Nature Sounds by Symbiosis

Edition 9 –  The Caribbean

A musical trip round the Caribbean islands, which are home to an amazing diversity of musical styles and talent! Presenter Clive Williamson plays calypso, reggae, ska, soca, son and more… and features inspiring artists including Bob Marley, the Buena Vista Social Club, Gloria Estefan and Luis Fonsi. Get ready for summer by enjoying examples of some great Latin-tinged dance rhythms: bachata from the Dominican Republic; merengue; salsa; and zouk from Guadeloupe.
Programme notes:
The ‘delightful’ Jamaican calypso from the James Bond film ‘Dr. No’ is actually about three assassins!
The track by Zouk Machine is called: Maldòn
The total land area of all the Caribbean islands is only approximately 91,300 square miles… slightly less than the U.K.!(approx. 94,000 square miles)

Edition 10 –  Central & South America

¡Hola – Aquí tenemos musica del mundo! In this programme, ‘A Pocket Guide to World Music’ visits Central & South America. Presenter Clive Williamson features some of his favourite Latin music, including the amazing Argentinian singer Mercedes Sosa; panpipes from Peru; harp from Venezuela; a touch of Tango; and rock from Mexico’s Maná. Also includes artists from the Andes, Guatemala, Uruguay and a ‘lucky dip’ from Colombia and Brasil including Juanes and Bebel Gilberto.

Edition 11 – Hawai’i and Oceania

This month, ‘A Pocket Guide to World Music’ visits Hawai’i and Oceania. Presenter Clive Williamson has just spent the English ‘summer’ dreaming of sunshine and white sandy beaches while enjoying some great new sounds and some old favourites from across the Pacific region. Includes songs from Jack Johnson, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole (“Iz”) and Olivia Foa’i. There’s music from Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Papua New Guinea, as well as Polynesian artists from the ‘Moana’ soundtracks.

Programme Notes: The track by Vallé is called “Uh Oh”; the Pacific Ocean sounds are “The Peaceful Pacific (Kaikoura, NZ South Island)” from ‘At Peace with Nature’ by Clive Williamson & Symbiosis.

Find all the music from this and Clive’s other shows on Apple Music (which best supports the artists!) or Spotify by searching for the playlist A Pocket Guide to World Music.

Edition 12 – Frame Drums with Glen Velez

This Frame Drum Special features an archive interview with virtuoso American percussionist Glen Velez. After many years working with composer Steve Reich, Velez chose to down-size and become an expert at playing all the drums in the tambourine family. Frame drums have traditionally been used by cultures all over the globe and during the programme he demonstrates drums from Ireland, Egypt, Africa and Central Asia as well as playing the mbira. We hear tracks from his albums including ‘Ramana’; ‘Doctrine of Signatures’; Internal Combustion’ and ‘Assyrian Rose’; and the discussion with presenter Clive Williamson includes the history of the frame drum and the gradual exclusion of women as percussionists in society: something which Glen Velez is keen to highlight and to change!

During the programme Glen Velez demonstrates the Bodhran (Ireland); the Riq (Egypt); the Mbira (African thumb piano) and the Doyra (Central Asia incl. Afghanistan, Uzbekistan). The ’New York Improvisation’ by Glen and Clive was played on a Remo ‘Glen Velez Signature Series’ Bodhran and a small Bansuri flute from Music Inn World Instruments in New York.

The programme ends with ’Snake Charmer” by Symbiosis, with John Hackett on flute and Clive Williamson playing a large Mickey Hart frame drum from Manny’s Music in New York.

Apple Music and Spotify Playlist: “A Pocket Guide to World Music”
(NB Does not include all Glen’s work, much of which was played from the presenter’s music collection.)

Edition 13 – Voices of the World

For thousands of years, singing has been an important element of human society and community. It has been an essential part of our ceremonies; praise; story-telling; work; artistic expression; and cultural identity. This edition highlights “Voices of the World” and features different styles of singing from Africa, the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and more. Musician and sound designer Clive Williamson presents some of his favourite vocal music, including: Black Umfolosi; Eddie Jefferson (USA); Lenine (Brasil); The Fisherman’s Friends and Whirimako Black (NZ); and examples of Inuit voice games, and overtone and throat singing from Tuva.

For more details, search for ‘A Pocket Guide to World Music’ on Apple Music or Spotify, for a playlist of over ten hours of great World Music from the programmes.

Clive is a member of the UK group Symbiosis, making music and recording natural sounds specially for relaxation, wellbeing and media soundtracks.

Edition 14 – Hidden Gems

This month’s ‘A Pocket Guide to World Music’ breaks the mould as Clive Williamson presents some of his all-time favourite tracks that have ‘slipped through the cracks’ on the programmes so far. Listen out for: Latin grooves from Santana and Lenine (Brasil); salsa from Colombia’s Sonora Carruseles; and European loungers: Serge Gainsbourg; Zuco 103; and De-Phazz. Other ‘hidden gems’ from Clive’s iPod come from Peru, New York and Totnes!

For more details, search for A Pocket Guide to World Music on Apple Music (which best supports the artists!) or Spotify for a playlist of over ten hours of great World Music from the programmes.