Sharing is Caring: Part 2

Well, readers, it's a long time coming. I kept promising a sequel to this post,  but a lot of outside influences made it difficult. That, and I'm also a little bit lazy.

In this post, I'll talk about my favorite Rap album, one of my favorite Foreign albums, and my favorite album that fuses two genres. So, seeing as this is long overdue and I'm sure you all are itching for new music, let's get started.


1. Rap: K'naan's Troubadour

 Living in Minnesota has shown me a large swelling of Somali population. I admittedly didn't know a whole lot about Somalia, so when I heard K'naan hailed from there, I simply repeated, "Where?" to which my friend wisely replied "Listen to his words and you'll find out." I was so intrigued by this poet's turn of phrase and ability to rhyme both predictably and unpredictably. Yeah, a lot of you know him from his World Cup smash hit "Wavin' Flag" (this album version is markedly different, and I would argue it's better), but make damn sure that it's not the only song of his you're familiar with. His blend of references to pop culture, other hip hop artists and his hardship in his homeland make each of his songs a bit of a surprise every time I listen to them without losing a familiar feel. With his ability to turn an unfinished rags-to-riches story into a verse full of fable-like morality (with a subtle wink to Muslim faith and Somali culture), I hope K'naan continues to make music-- Especially if it expands on what this album accomplished.

Favorite Tracks:

• America
• ABC's
• Take A Minute
• Bang Bang
• Wavin' Flag

My Favorite Lyrics:
From "Bang Bang", a red-hot love song that drips with summertime attraction, these lyrics always bring someone to my mind who I used to have a thing with. Now it's nothing romantic, but certainly it's always good to remember good times spent with someone close.

"She’s so hot she’s a scorch-ian,
Killing me softly,
Lauryn or Kevorkian,
Couldn’t tell if she’s coo-coo or corky, when
I asked her her name she said “Call me Ten.”
Testing, testing
Things just got more interesting
She’s dressed in a vest pin, double-breasted holster,
A very Western toaster,
She ain’t nothing Kosher.
Ah… she lets me closer.
Hotter than a pepper-crusted Samosa
While I try to keep my composure."

2. Foreign: Gigi Shibabaw/Abyssinia Infinite's Zion Roots

  This is a diamond in the rough that I picked up from my college's limited music library. My college has/had a fairly sizable Ethiopian population, so it's no wonder the library tried to get their hands on some Ethiopian music. The first thing I noticed was that the number of songs in English on this album is exactly 0. So, naturally, I loved it. Each of the songs has a complex rhythm, without sounding busy. It sticks out among a lot of African music because it's more harmony-based, like Western music, rather than putting more emphasis on polyrhythmic structures. In layman's terms, you hear more voice and instruments that can balance out the percussion. It has a nice energy level throughout: Vigorous at times, but this album can relax. That said, the album always stays in motion, and that complex, rhythmic motion is what sells me 100% on this album.

Favorite Tracks:

• Aba Alem Lemenea
• Ethiopia

My Favorite Lyrics:
From "Aba Alem Lemenea", a song I adore for so many reasons, I chose just one word that's repeated numerous times throughout the song. In English, it simply means, "Why?"

"Lemen? Lemen? Lemen?"

3. Fusion of Two Genres, Classical and Metal: Nightwish's Imaginaerum

Okay, so, "fusion" may not be the right word for this album. That's merely because there are very few words for this album: "IT FUCKING ROCKS"  is the phrase that comes to my mind. I've been a fan of Nightwish for years now, especially since their hit release Once, back when they had their old singer, Tarja Turunen. Now, they blown my mind by creating not only an album, but a musical film of the same title that tells the allegorical story of why Tuomas composes for the band, and offers a glimpse into the band's collective imagination. Imaginaerum starts off with the only Finnish song on the album, Taikatalvi, which sounds like a music box's melody gone horribly wrong. From there, the Imaginaerum draws you in deeper, with heavy numbers like Ghost River and I Want My Tears Back, until you hit the climax of the darkest piece, Scaretale, which is reminiscent of Tim Burton-esque horror combined with every nightmare you've ever had, retold in an oddly entertaining way. After that, the album slows down a bit with downtempo songs such as Rest Calm and The Crow, the Owl and the Dove. However, after that, you're reassured that the album can't end so slowly (After all, it's fucking NIGHTWISH), and Last Ride of the Day closes the main part of the album with a powerful chorus promising "Such an incredible high". After that, a short musical number (Song of Myself) follows with a long poem recited by different band members and other unknown voices, questioning what is worth valuing. Finally, the musical score for the film version of Imaginaerum brings the album to an amazing theatrical close. Nightwish has done it again. Onnittelut, Nightwish.

Favorite Tracks:
All of them. Seriously. A few stick out, though.

• I Want My Tears Back
• Rest Calm
• Last Ride of the Day

My Favorite Lyrics:
From Last Ride of the Day, showing what's in store yet despite the fact that it's near the end of the album-- their imagination isn't so limited!

"Once upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of life
the beauty of this ride ahead such an incredible high
It's hard to light a candle, easy to curse the dark instead
This moment the dawn of humanity
The last ride of the day!"

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Thanks for reading. Go forth and do good things, my friends.