Tande-La - The Creole Choir of Cuba

Tande-La - The Creole Choir of Cuba
Album:  Tande-La (2009) / RealWorld Records






The Creole Choir celebrate the history of their Haitian descendents enslaved to the Caribbean from West Africa. The Creole Choir were founded in 1994 during the 'Special Period' when the Cuban economy fell into a black hole following the end of the USSR and of Soviet support for the revolution. Food was short while homes and work places often went dark due to lack of electricity. It was at this difficult time that members of the Professional Choir of Camagüey who were descendents of Haitians, decided to re-forge the resistance songs and laments of their forebears. Lead by their Choir Director Emilia Díaz Chávez, Grupo Vocal Desandann, as they are called in Cuba, revived the songs of their ancestors for modern times. Desandann literally means 'descendents' and as the choir say: "For us music is like food, it feeds the spirit and is a major inspiration for everyday life".


The Creole Choir describe each of their songs as being 'like a small film' filled with vitality, humour and compassion. They tell stories of survival despite abject poverty, of heroes who defied colonial masters, of ghosts at the crossroads, of enduring love, of homesickness for family, of abandonment but never loss of hope, mother's laments and prayers, of the desire for freedom. With irresistible melodies driven by richly textured harmonies, shifting Caribbean rhythms with a very original root bass sound, this is impassioned singing by a unique group.


** taken from the CD sleeve.

Ahemedo - Aynur Dogan

Ahmedo - Auynur Dogan.

Album: Kece Kurdan (2004)

A tribal Kurdish song, (re)sung by Aynur Dogan. 

Not much information is available about the song as such other than that it is a regretful toned song about the sins of the forefathers specifically talking about the oppression of the Kurds by the Turks!!

 Aynur Dogan, a corset wearing, nomadic looking, husky voiced  curly haired Kurdish beauty was elevated into the global stage when she got featured in a Music Documentary on the music of Istanbul called "Crossing The Bridge: The Sounds Of Istanbul". That`s where i came across this piercing voice that set me on a hunt.... which led me to her and the history of the Kurds !  

Her Album "Kece Kurdan" was banned in Turkey as it was supposedly to contain lyrics that "incites women to take to the hills and promote division". The ban was latter removed in 2005.  

Ahmedo - Tribal Kurdish Song  (the original version) as sung in the hills of Turkey !!