{"title":"International","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"secret-museum-of-mankind-guitars-vol-1-prologue-to-modern-styles","title":"Secret Museum of Mankind - Guitars Vol. 1: Prologue to Modern Styles","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCurated by 78rpm record collector Pat Conte, The Secret Museum of Mankind - Guitars Vol. 1: Prologue to Modern Styles, is the first new volume in the legendary series since 1998. It is also the first volume of the Secret Museum to focus on a specific instrument, the guitar. This new Secret Museum volume seeks to show the diverse range of guitar sounds and styles developed and practiced across the globe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Secret Museum of Mankind - Guitars Vol. 1: Prologue to Modern Styles presents guitar and guitar related music, recorded across the world from Spain, to Papua New Guinea, Greece to Ghana to India and more. The collection is drawn from Conte’s pioneering and remarkable personal collection of 78-rpm discs, recorded in the 1920’s-1950’s.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47653174706394,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/a2103489772_16.jpg?v=1772901980"},{"product_id":"nippon-girls-2-lp","title":"Nippon Girls 2 LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFew guessed it would become one of our top sellers of recent years, but that's exactly what happened to 'Nippon Girls'. with that in mind, we've commissioned international girl-pop authority Sheila Burgel to compile a follow-up volume. Former Tokyo resident Sheila also provides the notes, which expertly guide US through our second journey into the wild world of female pop and beat, Japanese style. The collection is available in 24-track CD and 12-track 180 gm red vinyl LP formats. The CD's 20-page booklet and the LP's heavy-duty gatefold jacket are sumptuously illustrated with rare items from Sheila's collection. Leaving no stone unturned on her quest for groovy sounds, the LP version alone includes compelling tracks by Kayoko Ishuu, Reiko Mari, Mari Henmi, Katsuko Kanai, Akiko Wada, Akiko Nakamura, Kemeko Matsudaira, the Peanuts, Kazumi Yasui and cover girl Chiyo Okumura, none of whom featured on the first volume.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47667569066202,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/R-6187262-1413226682-4258.jpg?v=1773324088"},{"product_id":"francoise-hardy-tous-les-garcons-et-les-filles","title":"Francoise Hardy - Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eBetween 1962 and 1966, Françoise Hardy released one French-language album per year. Each, strictly speaking, was eponymously titled and each was collected from a series of contemporary four-track, seven-inch, picture-sleeve EPs–pop music’s main format in France, known as le super 45.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"release-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"release-description-complete\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween 1962 and 1966, Françoise Hardy released one French-language album per year. Each, strictly speaking, was eponymously titled and each was collected from a series of contemporary four-track, seven-inch, picture-sleeve EPs–pop music’s main format in France, known as le super 45. In them, we see the maturing of one of the decade’s most singular talents– a pop singer with the heart of a chanteuse, a singer-songwriter in an age before such a thing was known, and a style icon who valued privacy and modesty. Remastered from the original tapes, we present the first five Françoise Hardy albums in their original French format, on deluxe LP and CD.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaised by her mother in Paris, Hardy’s upbringing was strict, and she was, she notes today, “a very, very shy person.\" Records and Radio Luxembourg provided escape and inspiration–her two loves were Chanson Française, the Gallic style of Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour, and rock‘n’roll. The Everly Brothers, she says, were a “lightning bolt.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSent to The Sorbonne to study political sciences, Hardy instead pursued a career as a singer, auditioning for a number of labels before Johnny Hallyday’s Disques Vogue snapped her up, intending to market her as a female rocker–the track “Oh Oh Chéri” here gives you a window into their vision. Hardy had other ideas and was determined to record her own songs, written in French, too. The runaway success of one of her own tracks, the iconic “Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles,” proved Hardy right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardy soon captivated the rest of the world–she was immortalized in 1964 in a poem by Bob Dylan, she associated with The Stones, and dined with Beatles Paul McCartney and George Harrison. She also soon gained more creative control over her music, and she now distances herself from these early recordings where this was not the case. “Even if I had been able to say something about the production,” she says now, “maybe I would have been listened to, but I didn’t know anything.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the album’s title track, Hardy sang about being a soul in torment, and this is the Hardy that emerged–a complicated, pensive outsider, part pop singer, part chanteuse, and utterly unique.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd she will forever personify a particularly French brand of cool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"release-description-toggler release-description-less text-uppercase mt-1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47713921302746,"sku":null,"price":21.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/tmp_2F1448301562760-4etii4xglst0rudi-fcead7c553ffcfe717aee4b0432bda47_2FFDR614web_974x_56c4ec02-5b22-4e45-bbb9-0d2063137755.webp?v=1774713864"},{"product_id":"brazilian-guitar-fuzz-bananas-lp","title":"Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe heaviest, rarest, and best Fuzz-Psych-Funk 45's from Brazil. Complied by Brazilian Vinyl Archaeologist Joel Stones.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47715586441434,"sku":null,"price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/a534917309_1x1_700.avif?v=1774815494"},{"product_id":"aurita-y-su-conjunto-chambacu-lp","title":"Aurita Y Su Conjunto - Chambacú LP","description":"\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eHEAVY COLOMBIAN CUMBIA FRONTED BY A SIX YEAR OLD SINGER.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eThe great AURITA CASTILLO, the young queen of Cumbia from the legendary Chambacú neighborhood. Little is known about Aurita other than her cutting some killer records for Discos Fuentes in Medellin in the 1960s. Her recordings with an uncredited backing back are some of the heaviest and most perfect cumbias of the era - ripping electric and acoustic guitars, snapping thundering drums, dark clarinet melodies and Aurita’s amazing voice commanding the show. This is the first reissue of these songs outside of Latin America, and a long overdue celebration of the very talented Aurita Castillo and her band. This is\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ea novelty record - this is a heavy cumbia record with great vocals that happen to come from a very young and very tough lady.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eAurita’s repertoire included versions of famous Colombian songs by Pedro Nel Isaza, Pedro Jairo Garces (Los Golden Boys) and other composers \/ session musicians, in addition to popular twist and novelty songs, but this compilation is primarily her deep cumbias and porros, mostly in a minor key, with a few surprises. It is hard to believe such a young singer could be this powerful, emotive and confident, but here we are. Musically, the band is top tier and rides a perfect line of tight and loose, fleshing out each arrangement with subtle harmonies, flourishes and exclamations, without ever delving into boring saxophone solos or pointless showboating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eHighly recommended for fans of A Orillas Del Magdalena and Remolino de Oro, The Original Sound of Cumbia, as well as Skatalites and other instrumentally-beautiful Caribbean and Latin American ensembles, Balkan brass music, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eRemastered by Tim Stollenwerk and pressed on heavy 160 gram vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eLicensed from Discos Fuentes, Colombia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e12” 160 gram black vinyl LP, with heavy tip-on, color jacket.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47843514024154,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/MRI131web.jpg?v=1778184631"},{"product_id":"mdou-moctar-ilana-the-creator-lp","title":"Mdou Moctar - Ilana (The Creator) LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBlistering and hypnotic, 'Ilana (The Creator)' (2019) marked the beginning of a new chapter for Mdou Moctar. It is the Nigerien guitar hero's first album recorded with a live rock band and perfectly captures the heavy, psychedelic sound - part Tuareg desert blues, part ZZ Top - that the quartet had honed through endless touring and which would come to explosive fruition on 'Afrique Victime' (2021) and 'Funeral For Justice' (2024). 'Ilana' was the first step and it's songs remain setlist standbys for the quartet's soaring performances.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47914778394842,"sku":null,"price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/a2861811812_1x1_700.avif?v=1779749218"},{"product_id":"gal-costa-gal-costa-lp","title":"Gal Costa - Gal Costa LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA lot changed between Gal Costa's pleasantly straightforward 1967 debut \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDomingo\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and her eponymous follow-up two years later. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDomingo\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, also a debut for young songwriter Caetano Veloso, offered airy, fairly standard bossa nova sung ably by Costa. Within months, though, Costa and Veloso found themselves alongside Os Mutantes, Tom Zé, and Gilberto Gil recording Tropicália: Ou Panis et Circencis, the unofficial manifesto of the Tropicalismo movement, diving headfirst into avant-garde experimentalism, psychedelia, and politically charged dissent against Brazil's military dictatorship. Costa's self-titled Tropicalismo debut is cut from the same cloth, opening with a flutter of psychedelic echo that dissolves into lush strings and lighthearted organ on \"Nao Identificado,\" easing the listener into her velvety voice and a bold new sound.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48179918438618,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/gal-costa-gal-costa-self-titled-vampisoul-records-vinyl-lp-vampisoul-records-good-taste-records-6818993.webp?v=1783617996"},{"product_id":"emahoy-tsege-mariam-gebru-lp","title":"Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe second LP compendium of Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru’s early solo piano works, recorded throughout the 1960s – finally available again. Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru is a true original – her compositions and unique playing style live somewhere between Erik Satie, Debussy, liturgical music of the Coptic Ethiopian Church, and Ethiopian traditional music. It is some of the most moving piano music you will ever hear!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese original compositions, performed by Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru herself on solo piano, were originally self-released in Germany in small editions as fundraisers for orphanages, support organizations for widows of war victims, and other philanthropic causes. We are humbled and proud to present this album in collaboration with the EMAHOY TSEGE MARIAM MUSIC PUBLISHER and Foundation, and to assist in continuing her life-long mission of using music as a vessel to care for those who have been abandoned by society, or harmed by strife.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48250077216986,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/MRP-099_cover.jpg?v=1784587066"},{"product_id":"jacques-dutronc-il-est-cinq-heures-lp","title":"Jacques Dutronc - Il Est Cinq Heures LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe second studio album by French artist Jacques Dutronc. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48250099400922,"sku":null,"price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/71Ebwy8IPaL._SL1500_1300x_51fb2a73-a2c3-49dd-a16e-b63b43b7cbb6.webp?v=1784587482"},{"product_id":"les-filles-de-illighadad-at-pioneer-works-lp","title":"Les Filles De Illighadad - At Pioneer Works LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLes Filles de Illighadad comes from the village of Illighadad in a remote region of central Niger. Like many of the villages in the area, its borders are loosely defined, owing to the largely pastoral population. It rests on the shore of a seasonal pond that swells during the rainy season. The center of town has a well, some small houses, and a school. But most of Illighadad’s people live in the surrounding scrubland desert, in tiny patched roof houses or temporary nomadic tents, hidden among the trees.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLes Filles de Illighadad (“daughters of Illighadad”) was founded in 2016 by solo guitarist Fatou Seidi Ghali and renowned vocalist Alamnou Akrouni. In 2017 they were joined by Amaria Hamadalher, a force on the Agadez guitar scene, and Abdoulaye Madassane, rhythm guitarist and a son of Illighadad. Les Filles’ music draws from two distinct styles of regional sound, ancient village choral chants and desert guitar. The result is a groundbreaking new direction for Tuareg folk music and a sound that resonates far outside of their village.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTo emerge from this small village to perform on stages around the world is no small feat, and is a testament to the band’s unique sound. But their home is more than their narrative. Illighadad is central to everything about the band, from their repertoire\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e, the way they perform, the poetry they recite, even the way they sing. Music has always traveled in the Sahel, from poetry recited by nomads, scratchy AM radio broadcasts, to cell phone recordings sent over WhatsApp. Yet even today each village has its own style. When Les Filles perform, they play the music of Illighadad.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the heart of Les Filles’ music is the percussion and poetry of tende—a term used for both the instrument and the type of music— whereby a mortar and pestle are transformed into a drum, and women join together in a circle, in a chorus of singing, chanting, and clapping. Sometimes it’s music for celebration, sometimes it’s music to heal the sick, sometimes it’s poetry of love. But it’s always music of people, where the line between performer and spectator breaks down. To be a witness is to be a participant, to listen is to join in the collective song.\u003cbr\u003eIt’s precisely this collectivism that makes the recording “At Pioneer Works” seem so natural and timeless. Recorded in the Fall of 2019, “At Pioneer Works” finds the band at the height of their touring career. Over two sold-out shows, the band brought Illighadad to New York, their first performance in the city. Speaking of the night, The New Yorker's music critic Amanda Petrusich writes: “The crowd in Brooklyn was entranced, nearly reverent. Les Filles’ music is mesmeric, almost prayer-like, which can leave an audience agog... whatever rhythm does to a human body—it was happening.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere’s something bittersweet that it’s the sound of Illighadad that has propelled Les Filles’ to travel so far and so often. Playing on a stage 5000 miles from home, their performance evokes the village with a heavy ever-present nostalgia. In singing the songs of Illighadad, Les Filles’ invite the audience to share in the remembrance, to hear the poetry and driving tende, to stumble out into a night lit by a faint moon, joining in chants that carry over the nomad camps, in a call to come together and sing under the stars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- Christopher Kirkley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48250100351194,"sku":null,"price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/3951417-2693944.jpg?v=1784588243"},{"product_id":"brij-bhushan-kabra-shivkumar-sharma-hariprasad-chaurasia-call-of-the-valley-lp","title":"Brij Bhushan Kabra \/ Shivkumar Sharma \/ Hariprasad Chaurasia - Call of the Valley LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShivkumar Sharma, the guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra, and flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia were all aged about 30 when they made \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCall of the Valley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Shivkumar Sharma, who had made his first solo album in 1960, was responsible for establishing and popularizing the instrument in Hindustani classical circles. Kabra was also having to prove himself because of the guitar's Western and Indian popular music associations Chaurasia's problem was the wide popularity of the bansuri -- a bamboo transverse flute -- and his need to establish himself with the instrument. In 1967, the concept behind this album was as revolutionary as it was traditional. Conceived as a suite, they used their instruments to tell the story of a day in the life of a shepherd in Kashmir using ragas associated with various times of the day to advance the dramatic narrative. If the newcomer buys only one Indian classical recording, it should be \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCall of the Valley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCall of the Valley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is considered Kabra's most beloved recording. It is certainly his most popular globally. Newly remastered for this edition. Limited edition pressing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48337948475610,"sku":null,"price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/ECSD2382LP_PROD.webp?v=1786646171"},{"product_id":"evinha-cartao-postal-lp","title":"Evinha - Cartao Postal LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReissued here for the first time, Cartão Postal is one of the best and most sought-after Brazilian funk-soul albums from the early '70s. It includes some outstanding up-tempo gems like Marcos and Paulo Sergio Valle's \"Que bandeira,\" and the stellar \"Esperar Prá Ver,\" co-written by Evinha's brother Renato Corrêa who also happened to be a member of the Golden Boys. This is a classic Brazilian soul-funk title, right up there with all the greatest albums of the genre. Remastered from the original tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl. This release is part of a new reissue series that will include many other outstanding Brazilian classics. Cartão Postal was originally released on Odeon Brazil in 1971, a few years after Evinha started her solo career. From 1961 to 1968 she was a member of Trio Esperança, alongside her brothers Mário and Regina. In 1969 Evinha won first prize at the Festival Internacional da Cançao Popular and her discography for Odeon took off. Cartão Postal, her third solo album, comprises some outstanding gems. \"Só Quero\" emanates samba soul sounds while songs like \"Por Mera Coincidência\" or \"Rico Sem Dinheiro\" resemble what Trio Esperança was doing at the time: vocal-driven groovy jams spiced with celestial strings arrangements and heavy-duty drums and basslines, which is not surprising since they both worked with the same producers and arrangers, as they were all Odeon artists. Ridiculously rare and expensive now, and at the top of many collectors' wants lists for decades, it's finally reissued here after years unavailable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48338427085018,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/4392279-3304238_500x_7cc5023c-9e98-4eb4-98a0-4c076fe913ab.webp?v=1786653707"},{"product_id":"v-a-wedding-songs","title":"V\/A - Wedding Songs","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith a mix of modern and traditional instruments these fourteen songs go through the progression of an Ethiopian Amhara wedding sung in Amharic. With the trio of singers, Lemma G. Hiwot, Zenebech Tesfaye, and Selamawit G. Selassie, alternating turns at the microphone, and sharing call and response duties, a relentless frenzy of hand clapping incites dancing and smiles. The consumption of tedj (honeywine) and the swirling love of a wedding was captured in the studio with euphoric energy to take away to play over and over again when the festivities are over. With hand screened covers and an insert of wedding photos accompanying the liner notes, this is the next best thing to an invitation to the real thing. Originally released on Philips Ethiopia in 1973. A co release with Mitmitta Musika of Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48338518671578,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/R-3652514-1338976513-9312.jpg?v=1786654776"},{"product_id":"v-a-elders-of-the-begena-the-harp-of-david-in-ethiopia-lp","title":"V\/A - Elders of the Begena: The Harp of David in Ethiopia LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElders of the Begena: The Harp of David in Ethiopia\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003edocuments one of the world’s most ancient and spiritually resonant musical traditions. The begena—a large ten-string lyre associated with King David—has been used for prayer, meditation, and religious reflection in Ethiopia for thousands of years. These recordings present master players whose music is inseparable from devotion, silence, and contemplation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecorded in Addis Ababa in 1999 and 2008 by\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePit Budde\u003c\/strong\u003e, the album offers an unfiltered and deeply intimate listening experience. The low, buzzing resonance of the begena and the restrained, meditative vocal delivery create a powerful sense of stillness and focus. As explained by master musician\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlemu Aga\u003c\/strong\u003e, the instrument carries a unique ability to quiet the listener and invite reflection, transcending cultural and geographic boundaries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTracklist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTafese Tesfaye – About The Suffering Of Christ\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdmassu Fikre – The Futility Of Life\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeyoum Mengistu – Went To Hermitage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlemu Aga – The World Is A Place Of Rest\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeyoum Mengistu – Worship For Peace\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTafese Tesfaye – In The Name Of The Father\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide B\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlemu Aga – The Sacred Names Of The Begena\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeyoum Mengistu – Unwillingly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdmassu Fikre – Sunday Night (The Resurrection)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlemu Aga – Cry Of Praise And Adoration To God\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdmassu Fikre – The Praise Of The Lord\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTafese Tesfaye – The Praise Of The Virgin Mary\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLabel\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeath Is Not The End\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2LP\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48338532794586,"sku":null,"price":38.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/elders-of-the-begena-the-harp-of-david-in-ethiopia.jpg?v=1786656290"},{"product_id":"sharhabil-ahmed-habibi-funk-013-the-king-of-sudanese-jazz","title":"Sharhabil Ahmed - Habibi Funk 013: The King Of Sudanese Jazz","description":"\u003cp\u003eHabibi with their 13th release and it is from Sharhabil Ahmed, the actual King of Sudanese Jazz (he actually won that title in a competition in the early 1970s). Sonically it sounds very different from what Jazz is understood to sound like outside of Sudan. It's an incredible unique mix of rock'n'roll, funk, surf, traditional sudanese music and influences from Congolese sounds. Original copies of Sharhabil recordings are often hard to find, so great they will now be widely available.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSharhabil was born in 1935 and he is the founding father of the Sudanese Jazz scene. His aim was to modernize Sudanese music by bringing it together with western influences and instrumentation like he summarized it himself in a 2004 interview for \"Al Ahram Weekly\": \"[...]Haqiba music, you know, was traditional vocal music with little accompaniment beyond a tambourine. When our generation came in the 1960s, we came with a new style. It was a time of worldwide revolution in music. In Europe, the rhythms of swing and tango were being replaced by jazz, samba, rock- and-roll. We were influenced by this rejuvenation in Sudan, too. I started out by learning to play the oud and traditional Sudanese music, and got a diploma from the music institute of Khartoum University. But my ambition was to develop something new. For this, the guitar seemed like the best instrument. Western instruments can approximate the scales of Sudanese music very well. After all, a lot of Western music is originally from Africa. I have absorbed different influences, from traditional Sudanese rhythms to calypso and jazz, and I hold them together in my music with no difficulty.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48338547376346,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/a3893589837_1x1_700.avif?v=1786656824"},{"product_id":"etran-de-lair-no-1-lp","title":"Etran de L'Aïr - No. 1 LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe name Etran de L'Aïr translates to \"the Stars of the Aïr,\" the mountainous region of Northern Niger. They are based in the town of Agadez, an urban center renowned for the electric guitar and the Western named \"desert blues.\" In the Sahara, this electric guitar genre is intertwined with social function. It's a lucrative commerce, and gigging bands make their living in weddings, baptisms, and political events. Etran de L'Aïr is one of Agadez's longest playing groups on the circuit. Yet they are also a band that has remained on the fringes, stars of the Agadez working class.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe history of Agadez is a series of invasions and conquerers each leaving their mark on the town. Founded in the 14th century as a Tuareg city, it was later conquered by the Songhai Empire. Subsequently, Hausa culture worked its way North, and the city became an important crossroads of trans-Saharan trade. In the 19th century the city became part of the French colonial empire. This patchwork influence continues today, with Chinese made goods flooding the market, immigrants passing by on their trek North, and a massive US military base a stone's throw from town. Suffice to say, modern Agadez is a multi-cultural city.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEtran de L'Aïr play a style that captures the\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003econtemporary sound of Agadez, incorporating vastly different musics into their repertoire. While Tuareg guitar follows a predictable format, Etran breaks convention and throws a third guitar into the mix. The two lead guitars solo on top of one another, in constant dialogue, with a crashing response from the drum. There is a bubbly underwater warble that emerges from reverb and crackly amps. It's electric party music, surf rock, from a place that is all beach. They differentiate themselves from the other wedding bands: \"We play our own folklore, not like the other artists in Agadez. Our music is based around traditional Takamba...and we listen to a lot of Malian music. Not Tinariwen, but musicians like Ali Farka Touré and Oumou Sangaré.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEtran de L'Aïr is not just a musical group, but a family collective. The group was formed in 1995. Agadez was much smaller then, few homes were electrified, and guitars were rare. \"When we first started to play in weddings,\" Abindi explains \"we only had one acoustic guitar, and for the percussion, we hit a calabash with a sandal.\" As new technology found its way to Agadez, they band adapted, amplifying the acoustic guitar with a transducer microphone, acquiring electric guitars, and finding a drum set. As the family grew, so did the band, integrating the younger siblings into the musical group.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is an established hierarchy in Tuareg society, and this is reflected in the wedding scene. The best wedding contracts are awarded to musicians with social standing, tribal affiliations, and family connections. Suffice to say, Etran does not belong to the upper class. \"They make music for people who don't have money,\" says friend Madassane. \"If a wedding can't afford the expensive musicians, they hire Etran.\" So while the band continues to gig constantly, outperforming all other bands in Agadez, they still find themselves in dire straits, confined to a DIY aesthetic of out obligation. Their drum kit is dented and the cymbals are cracked, with bites taken out of them. The amplifiers could just have well have been excavated from desert sands. Nevertheless, the band not only makes the equipment work, they make it sound amazing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is Etran's debut record. They claim to have written over 40 songs, but none of them have been released until now. This session was recorded live, outside of their family compound in the outskirts of Agadez. The impromptu performance drew the entire neighborhood out of their houses - eliciting the audible clapping, shouting, and ululation. It is here as it was played, outside, with all the enthusiasm and passion of an evening at the end of the raining season one day in Agadez.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48364466929882,"sku":null,"price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/a1778595907_1x1_700.avif?v=1786816787"},{"product_id":"joseph-spence-bahaman-folk-guitar-music-of-the-bahamas-vol-1-lp","title":"Joseph Spence - Bahaman Folk Guitar: Music of the Bahamas, Vol. 1 LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRecorded in 1958 and released on the Folkways label in 1959, this album introduced American listeners to Joseph Spence’s unique guitar and vocal styles. These field recordings by musicologist Sam Charters capture Spence in a relaxed, expansive mood—only one of the six selections in the set is under five minutes in length. Spence’s guitar style was due in part to the D tuning of his bass string, which produced a lower bass sound. Whereas many critics have called Spence’s vocal style unorthodox, they have found his guitar playing spontaneous and iconic. Some music critics have gone so far as to refer to him as the “Thelonious Monk of folk guitar.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe vinyl reissue of Music of the Bahamas, Volume 1 includes Sam Charters’ liner notes. This reissue is part of Folkways Records’ 70th anniversary celebration series, revisiting some of the most iconic and influential albums released on the record label.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bramble","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48365906362586,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0803\/1361\/4554\/files\/a1347194516_1x1_700.avif?v=1786819709"}],"url":"https:\/\/bramblewv.com\/collections\/international.oembed","provider":"Bramble","version":"1.0","type":"link"}