Click here to go to Taarab playlist Welcome to the tropical paradise island of Zanzibar – the ‘Spice Island’ – just off the coast of Tanzania. Monsoon winds have brought seasoned traders from distant lands to do business on the island. They come from as far afield as the Arabian peninsula, India and even China….
Tag: africa
When was yodelling invented?
Yodelling. The sweet sounding, “variations upon the tones of a jackass”, (according to Sir Walter Scott.) What is it and why do we do it? The Collins dictionary defines it as, “the practice of singing with an abrupt change in register from the chest to falsetto.” Basically, switching between your chest voice (low pitch) and…
Why do people think Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil at the crossroads?
“Early this mornin’ when you knocked upon my door, And I said ‘Hello, Satan. I believe it’s time to go. Me and the Devil, walking side by side..” – Me and the Devil Blues, Robert Johnson. You’ve heard the story, or some version of it. The legendary Blues singer Robert Johnson went to the crossroads at…