From Olivier Messiaen to Radiohead, many musicians have been inspired by the ondes martenot. Often described as the prequel to the synthesiser, the electronic keyboard can produce a huge range of fascinating sounds – from the soothing to the sinister – yet the instrument itself remains somewhat marginal and misunderstood. Ondiste Christine Ott is determined to change that.
This edition of World Tracks was first broadcast in January 2010. To read the full article in our archives, click here.
In a new feature, Daniel Brown names World Tracks top ten for the month. Keep listening to RFI and you should hear them on our airwaves:
1) Live, Vieux Farka Touré (Six Degrees Records), Mali.
2) Jamm, Cheikh Lo (World Circuit), Senegal.
3) The Roots of Chicha 2: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru, (Crammed Discs), Peru.
4) Cantendia a Deus, Elena Ledda (Sard Records), Sardinia.
5) Baba Toulenga : In My Father’s Shadow, Diom De Kossa (Talik Records), Côte d’Ivoire/Norway.
6) Swazi Soul, Bholoja (Sheer Sound), Swaziland.
7) Sin Rumba no hay Son!, Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro (World Village), Cuba.
8) The Sound Of Famara, Famara (N-Gage Productions), Switzerland.
9) La Bodega, Toto La Momposina (Astar), Colombia.
10) Smod, Smod, (Because Music), Mali.
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