July 1999

Kandia Kouyate -- Banning Eyre reviews the first international release by Malian singer Kandia Kouyate. She is a "griot" singer, entrusted with the oral history of her people. On this wide-ranging recording, Kouyate sings some traditonal material, but also shows off her powerful voice in her first departure into dance and pop music. (3:30)

East of Eden -- In 1952, John Steinbeck published a novel called "East of Eden," a book that he hoped would serve as the crowning event of his lifetime as a writer. Our book reviewer, Alan Cheuse has been revisiting some American prose classics this summer and has finished his re-reading of East of Eden. (3:00)

From Senegal to Setesdal -- Banning Eyre reviews a new CD called From Senegal to Setesdal, featuring musicians from Norway and West Africa. Norwegian traditional singer Kirsten Braten Berg and Senegalese kora player Solo Cissokho met backstage at a music festival and found that their music had a lot in common. (4:00)

Hemingway -- Alan Cheuse, who teaches writing at George Mason University in Virginia, reviews the posthumously published novel/memoir of Ernest Hemingway. (2:30)

A Wish -- Banning Eyre reviews the new CD A Wish by Hamza El Din. Hamza is a Nubian musician, from southern Egypt. His village was flooded in 1964 when the Aswan High Dam was completed. Although he has lived in the US since that time, he has continued to play the traditional music of Nubia. On this gorgeous recording, he sings and plays both drum and oud, and invites an array of select musicians to accompany him. (4:30)

Chemical Brothers -- Charles de Ledesma reviews the latest CD from the Chemical Brothers, called Surrender. It's in the same vein as their previous two albums -- rich, multi-layered, electronic dance music, with many high-profile guest vocalists including Bernard Sumner from New Order and Noel Gallagher from Oasis. The Chemical Brothers are credited as the pioneers of "electronica," and Ledesma says this CD once again proves their talent for pushing electronic dance music in bold new directions. (4:00)

The Reason for Wings -- Reviewer Alan Cheuse examines The Reason for Wings, a novel by Joyce Reiser Kornblatt about several generations of a Jewish family. (2:15)

Sushi 4004-- Music reviewer Will Hermes takes on a tour of pop music in Japan. A new compilation called Sushi Four-Thousand-Four, is full of sweet, hi-tech clubpop music. Some is very good, and some fairly frivolous. (4:30)

Police and Thieves-- Alan Cheuse, who teaches writing at George Mason University in Virginia reviews Police and Thieves, by San Francisco writer Peter Plate. It's a novel about the underclass of one of the city's grittiest neighborhoods, the Mission District. (2:00)

Natasha Atlas-- Charles de Ledesma reviews a new CD from Egyptian singer Natasha Atlas, called "Gedida". She lived in Britain for a number of years, performing with the band Transglobal Underground. Now she's moved back to Cairo, and is integrating Egypt's indigenous music into her own brand of Western dance music. (3:30)

Glorious World -- Tom Moon reviews the song Glorious World by Jack Logan from his new CD Buzz Me In.

3 Leg Torso -- 3 Leg Torso is a trio of musicians based in Portland, Oregon, that plays an interesting blend of classical, improvisational, folk, and rock musics. The instruments are an unusual combination, too: accordion, violin, and cello. The group has released its' first CD, called 3 Leg Torso. (7:45)

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