Wazimbo and the Orchestra Marrabenta Star de Mocambique - "Nwahulwana". Recorded in 1988, "Nwahulwana" ("Nightbird") is the sound of Wazimbo and a glittering, echoing guitar. This is the pop music of Mozambique, albeit at its most rested, thoughtful extreme. Mixing Portuguese fado and early alt.rock, the Orchestra Marrabenta Star de Mocambique is at home with a wide range of sounds, but here things have time to glimmer and fade: Wazimbo has a voice like wheat and heartbreak; his ballad floats out of an orange sunset and then falls back into it. Perhaps he's immolated, perhaps he tumbles through it, perhaps he appears on the other side of the horizon - somewhere kinder, happier.
Wild Colonials - "Charm". From one of the great forgotten releases of 1996, this is folk-rock with a squawking fiddle and Angela McCluskey's fine, cigarette-stained voice. The band zags towards the choruses, spruces surging from the ground, guitarists treading carefully in plain brown shoes. Things burst open: snowdrops, buttercups. Things burst into flames. We dive through wet green leaves as McCluskey declares her indisputable truth: "I'm freezing to death in the warmth of your arms / I'm wasting my charms." Pop music for a forest on fire.
Posted by Sean at April 21, 2004 12:38 AMI've always loved that song "Charm," and even bought a Wil Colonials CD. The CD turned out to be a disappointment, but I still love that song.
Posted by Lauren at April 22, 2004 12:08 PM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
