The Soundtrack to a Real World

First published in Songlines Magazine issue 151, October 2019.



In a scene dominated by a plurality of smaller record labels – which often burn bright and fast – there are few world music labels as respected and long-lived as Real World Records, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019.

The label has always had strong ties with its sister organisations, the WOMAD festival and the Real World Studios. When the label started back in 1989, it was to coincide with the opening of the state-of-the-art recording studios in the idyllic village of Box in Wiltshire, which became a haven for some of the best musicians in the world to record, experiment and collaborate. Label manager Amanda Jones recalls: “We had a vision of a kind of ‘in sessions’ record label – taking the opportunity of artists coming into the UK for WOMAD to record live albums in the huge, wonderful ‘Big Room’ studio. This led to a vision for a record label that worked together with artists from all corners of the world – without a specific genre in mind; bringing together musicians who share an empathy with music in general, rather than simply a shared cultural background.”

The success of this vision is evident not only in the quality of Real World’s 200-plus releases, but also the sheer talent contained within – world-beating artists such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Misty in Roots, Terem Quartet, Afro Celt Sound System, Totó La Momposina and Thomas Mapfumo all made Real World Records their home. But the label’s philosophy has been to always take risks. “We were happy to support artists and music that are potentially challenging and will never reach a really significant wider audience, as well as those we feel should cross over with a much bigger appeal. Our expectations of commercial success vary a lot.” That’s why you can scroll through the catalogue and discover albums by still-little-known musicians – the Tsinandali Choir of Georgia, say, or Bhutanese Buddhist priest Lama Gyurme – and still be guaranteed of hearing a gem. “In some small way we have helped to introduce to a wider audience inspirational and beautiful music that may never have been heard.”

To celebrate their 30 years, Real World have remastered and re-released two albums by Khan – his first WOMAD performance in Live at WOMAD 1985 and his second collaboration with Canadian producer Michael Brook in Night Song – alongside a compilation, Worldwide: 30 Years of Real World Music, but you can be sure they’re not looking back for too long. Speaking of future plans, Jones simply says, “Keep on keeping on. [We’ll] embrace the wonderful music that comes our way and support it as well as we can, battle the current challenges of running a record label and continue to be brave and take risks in choosing the projects we support.”


Photo: Real World Records discography, by York Tillyer.

Sinkane - Dépaysé

First published in Songlines Magazine issue 151, October 2019.

Sinkane
Dépaysé
City Slang (41 mins)

Sinkane’s Ahmed Gallab was born in London to Sudanese parents, moved to Omdurman at age five and then eventually to the US; it’s a story that will be familiar to millions in diaspora communities around the world.

Gallab’s contemplations on his identity as an Amreekee-Sudani (Sudanese-American) are the theme that runs through Dépaysé. His lyrics ponder of his place in a world full of unities and divisions that come in these times of Trump’s Muslim ban and the recent overthrow of Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir; despite these weighty topics, the feeling is one of cautious positivity and hope.

This theme of multi-identity isn’t just expressed in words. Sinkane’s overall sound is one of indie rock and pop, but there are nods to Sudanese music ingrained throughout the album. This usually comes in the subtle forms of polyrhythmic percussion, pentatonic scales and occasional Arabic refrains, but some tracks, such as ‘Stranger’ and ‘Ya Sudan’, are full-on tributes to the music of Gallab’s parents’ generation. It’s sort of like if Vampire Weekend were obsessed with vintage Sudanese pop rather than Congolese soukous.

The result is compelling on each level: the lyrics are thoughtful and insightful, and the music turns them into feel-good summer anthems.

Attarazat Addahabia & Faradjallah - Al Hadaoui

First published in Songlines Magazine issue 151, October 2019.

Attarazat Addahabia & Faradjallah
Al Hadaoui
Habibi Funk (36 mins)

Al Hadaoui was the debut album of Attarazat Addahabia, recorded in 1972 but for some reason never released – now we get to hear it in all its glory. The group are from Casablanca, Morocco and their music is a mix of psychedelic and experimental rock and funk that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in the San Francisco or Los Angeles of the same time period. Of course, they also bring in a unique African flavour to it.

The title-track opener shows this off the best: it starts with that recognisable rhythm of the Gnawa played on the qaraqab (metal castanets) before they’re joined by bluesy-funky electric guitar (which is stunning throughout the album), Afro-Latin percussion, an all-female chorus and eventually Faradjallah’s charismatic vocals. If it weren’t for the Arabic language, you could even be forgiven for thinking this record came from Nigeria or Cameroon, such is the importance of its large and interlocking percussion section.

A great thing is that the band obviously don’t take themselves too seriously, making this record is a lot of fun – keep an ear out for the track ‘Aflana’, based on Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’ – and that helps to bring it all to life and really drive home that 70s sound.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook - Night Song

First published in Songlines Magazine issue 151, October 2019.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook
Night Song
Real World Records (48 mins)

Night Song was the second time that Pakistani devotional qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan had worked with Canadian producer Michael Brook. Although their first album Mustt Mustt was a huge hit, it came with a fair slice of controversy for its hack-and-slash remixes of Khan’s deeply religious poetry. Night Song came out six years later, in 1996, with much more careful and collaborative production, but less fanfare. It’s often overlooked in Khan's discography and that's a real shame, so it's great that it’s being reissued as part of Real World Records’ 30th anniversary.

Brook’s production is very sympathetic, adding his own elements of chilled-out electronica, prog rock, dub and West African music around Khan and his musicians. The result is less bombastic than its predecessor, and more subtle. Stand-out tracks such as ‘Sweet Pain’, ‘Lament’ and ‘My Heart, My Life’ work so well because they ebb and flow in the same manner as qawwalis while tuning into a completely different vibe.

To produce Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is to gild refined gold, but of anyone, Brook probably did it best, and this album is proof of that. Now’s a perfect time to listen to it with fresh ears.