What is on the playlist

This week the playlist has been curated with:

1. High Heels by Trevor Duncan, performed by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Andrew Penny
   • Trevor Duncan was a British Broadcasting Corporation sound engineer for many years and became a self-taught composer. Known for his light classics, his March from the Little Suite he composed became the signature tune for a long-running British television series: Dr Finlay’s Casebook.
   • Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra is well-known for its work with the Naxos record label and this track was recorded by them with Andrew Penny M.B.E. conducting.
2. Evening Gown by Mick Jagger
   • A love song by the rocker Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, this song is about love and growing old disgracefully.
3. Gowns of Dark by Joel Lyssarides
   • Swedish pianist Joel Lyssarides – his last name reflects his Greek heritage – has become well-known across Europe for his jazz recordings. He studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and has played with many notable musicians including Anne Sofie von Otter, the Swedish mezzo-soprano.
4. Prove Them Wrong by Baba Harare
   • A Zimbabwean musician, Baba Harare (real name: Braveman Chizvino Mwanza) is known for his humorous and social conscious dance tunes in the Jiti style.
5. Volver a los 17 by Violeta Parra
   • The Chilean composer, ethnomusicologist, artist, and singer-songwriter Violeta Parra was a pioneer of Nueva Canción Chilena (the Chilean New Song), the reinvention of Chile’s folk music. She also took a serious interest in arpilleras and exhibited her own works in Chile and in Paris. This song is a celebration of youth (“Being 17 Again”) and celebrates love and emotion, even though she committed suicide in 1967 at the age of 49. The video at the foot of this article is of Violeta Parra performing her most famous composition.
6. Fully Fashioned by George French
   • George French, composer of music for production libraries (stock music for use in films and the media), penned Fully Fashioned. The music has been used on the animation “SpongeBob SquarePants” in an episode of Series 3 called “As Seen on TV”.
7. Fashion Dread by L.A.B.
   • The New Zealand band L.A.B. comments on those who use the visible features of Rastafarianism, such as dreadlocks, as fashion statements without understanding cultural and spiritual importance and respect.
8. Yarn by Sebastian M Bach
   • Sebastian M Bach is a sound designer who hails from Poland. This soundscape uses an old piano to create an ethereal and gentle nostalgia.
9. Ndoona Iwe by Feli Nandi
   • This is another Zimbabwean artist. Born Felistus Winnie Chipendo, Feli Nandi sings this joyful love song and, lucky us, we can watch it on YouTube!
10. Maori Action Song by Bill Wolfgramm and His Islanders
    • A Tongan-born musician known for his lap steel guitar playing, Bill Wolframm emigrated to New Zealand and set-up this band. The group performed regularly in Auckland in the 1950s. The Maori Action Song was performed by Daphne Walker, a New Zealand singer, and backing singers Georgina and Ann. The song contains references that nowadays we consider offensive.
11. Décimas a la Arpillera by Abel ivroud
    • Décimas are a form of Spanish poetry that became popular in Latin America. The poems are octosyllabic (8 syllables per line) and made up of ten lines with the form ABBAACCDDC, forcing brevity and creativity. They are often used for political commentary or to describe the struggles of daily life. This piece from Argentinian poet Abel Ivroud uses the form to speak about Chilean resistance textiles “Arpillera”.