WFHB FireHouse Broadcasting

Marta Gomez

Entre Cada Palabra

Since graduating from Berklee College of Music, “this young singer-songwriter not only traverses a whole range of Colombian cumbias and bambucos, Argentine zambas, Cuban sones and Peruvian landos but she also writes the kind of melodies and refrains that translate across whatever language she is singing in.” (www.martagomez.com)  Gomez is featured on Putumayo’s Women of the World Acoustic.  This album is instrumented acoustically, which creates a humble listen.  Sleeve houses translations of her beautiful poetry.  Lotus 2008 Artist!   

comments / tracks  of interest: 

#1: story of a wylie blackbird

#2: about a woman who dances & sings while collecting coffee in the mountains

#9: son

#11: popular ranchera

#14: the river will keep your secret

Etran Finatawa

Desert Crossroads

From Africa’s landlocked Niger, 1 of 3 of the financially poorest countries in the world, Etran Finatawa (translating to the stars of tradition) “calls the world to respect multiculturalism & diversity.”  11 different ethnic groups live in Niger, some are sedentary, some nomadic.  The band represents Tuareg &Wadobe, whose roots are of a nomadic lifestyle.  Desert Crossroads is an album about rapture & change & the fear of losing society’s age-old traditions.  The Desert is seeping into what green space exists in the Sahara & Sahelian plains, threatening culture.  Etran Finatawa tour complex rhythms & hypnotic blues sound around the world to share experiences of, “pain, lament, and longing for better days.” 2008 Lotus Artist!

comments / tracks  of interest: 

#1: respect your mother

#4: rhythm sounds like it’s skipping (it’s not)…a quick track

#6: “beauty of the desert”

#8: acoustic guitar and vocals

*#9: poses a cultural question

#11: a song about respecting animals

#13: traditional song highlighting gourd drum & vocalizations

#14: for the youth, to not forget

#15: traditional healing song