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Majoye Hajary – Raga Joy

Majoye Hajary – Raga Joy (Ragas In Thumri Style, 1967)

The word raga comes from the Sanskrit verb ranj, meaning to please. According to Indian myth, any raga worth its salt will soften the heart, stir the emotional fibers of the soul, and transport humans to a higher and nobler state. Majoye Hajary attempted to please the bored youth of India by modernizing the raga with her innovative thumri style.  Thumri comes from the Hindi verb thumuknaa,  which means “to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle.”

Horácio Reynaldo e Conjuto

Horácio Reynaldo e Conjuto – Eu…

A native of Angola, Horácio Reynaldo spent the majority of his life in Portugal making music with his supporting band, The Camundongos. Most of his recordings were lost in the Chiado Fire of 1988 when the historic Valentim de Carvalho Record Company building was consumed to the ground. The fire was Lisbon’s worst disaster since the earthquake of 1755.

Luckily this particular record was resting peacefully in aisle 4 at Discoteca Cretcheu, a record store in São Bento, in the heart of Lisbon’s Cape Verdean community. The store was founded by Bana, the famous Cape Verdean singer who was over 7-feet tall. Discoteca Cretcheu also had a brief stint as a record label, during which Bana was able to persuade his long-time friend Horacio Reynaldo to record “Cominho Longe”, a version of Caesária Evora’s classic “Sodade”.

Horácio Reynaldo e Conjuto – Cominho Longe

David Dor – Saperi Tama

David Dor – Saperi Tama (1977)

The roots of Mizrahi (or “oriental”) music in Israel date back to the 1950s and the mass influx of immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East, each with its distinct religious music as well as its favorite Arabic music. The result was fusion music far ahead of its time, and by the 1960s, Tel Aviv’s Yemenite quarter was home to a brand new sound.  

The son of Yemeni immigrants, David Dor’s star began to rise at an early age. In addition to his widely hailed personal appearances in nightclubs he performed throughout Europe and eventually became a star in Mexico of all places. In the 1970’s he released several albums of haunting and classic Jewish Yemenite melodies. 

Ahouva Ozeri – I Ran To The Sea

Ahouva Ozeri – I Ran To The Sea (1976)

In traditional Mizrahi households, a music career was equated with prostitution, and many families forbade their daughters from performing. Ahouva Ozeri, a Yemenite-Ethiopian Israeli singer who became popular in the 1970s, mastered an Indian string instrument called bulbul tarang and helped pave the way for women in Mizrahi music. 

The Becky Ryan Edition – The Dimension of Pure David

The Dimension of Pure David. (Not by the Becky Ryan Edition.)

This one is for my friend David (from the Bronx!), for no particular reason except to celebrate his charming existence, utilizing Fred Weinberg’s “1958 Revisted” from his 1970 album The Weinberg Method of Non-Synthetic Electronic Rock and Guyok’s “Sisi Ma Sisi Batai” which can be found on The Secret Museum of Mankind Vol. 4.

New Earth Rhythm Band – Pork Butts

New Earth Rhythm Band – Pork Butts

The New Earth Rhythm Band was one of nearly two thousand unsigned bands who submitted a song to Chicago’s WKQX radio station to be considered for their hometown album in 1978. Calling the song “Pork Butts” was a bold strategic move concocted by percussionist Roel Trevino, who was certain it would make their submission stand out amidst the hundreds of songs with “love” in the title. Their tape did stand out, not because of any ham-assed gimmicks, but because of the music, which one amused judge described as Kool & The Gang meets “Peaches In Regalia”.

Rick Bonfim – My Life Has Taken A New Way

Rick Bonfim – My Life Has Taken A New Way (1978)

At the tender age of 15, Rick Bonfim was ordained and appointed to his first church in Brazil. Just when he was about to give his inaugural sermon, his parents packed up and moved the family to the U.S.A. Rick wasn’t about to give up on religion, however, nor did he forget to bring his guitar. After earning degrees in Psychology, Divinity, and Guitaritry from just about every university within the state of Georgia, Rick was ready to officially begin his careers in music and ministry. At press time, Rick has recorded and produced 13 albums, including four in Portuguese, and the Rick Bonfim Ministries is thriving in both the USA and Brazil.