Sámi singer Kajsa Balto and the NRK Radio Orchestra bring their unique adaptation of well-known Christmas music – in this first ever Sámi Christmas concert at the Opera House in Oslo in 2024.
Thanks Viola for the heads up. They also recorded this event for a CD – a unique blend of hymns and yoik (a traditional form of song in Sámi music).
https://www.svtplay.se/video/jABYYmA/jul-med-kajsa-balto-och-kork?video=visa
A very special way to finish the year sharing stories and music at YWAM Davao City, Mindanao. What a great week – amazingly creative students, lots of new friends made, eating at night markets, motor bike and tuktuk rides, Filipino style – and a snake popped up at lunchtime! Now the 2 day journey home!
Out in Göttingen, Germany recording Kerst Sikkema, originally from the Netherlands. We met during his visits to the Northumbria Community – and he sang on the Alone and Together recordings. Since then he has continued to write songs, a collection of Daily prayers (called Breeze) and Peace prayers for a community of foreign students, workers and refugees living in Germany. Oh, and the Bratwurst was wunderbar
Thanks Steve Weeks for sending me this wonderful traditional drum and dance from Greece. What a fantastic sound the musicians create. One of the brass players plays the melody and the other just plays a single drone note using circular breathing!
Info – Musicians: Giannis Malamas-zournas, Christos Malamas-zournas, Ilias Dimanos-daouli. From the performance of the Chorostasis entitled “10 Years of Chorostasi-In the Cycle of Time” (Dora Stratou Theatre, 7 and 8 June 2014).
This heart cry comes out of a land that has suffered so much – Mozambique.
What a great week here at YWAM Muskoka, Canada. Wonderful to be back sharing life, stories and music with an amazing group of people. Canada’s First Nation population went through a harrowing time during the season of residential schools. It is wonderful to see this school being run by a First Nations who is bringing a blessing rather than a curse. A true story of reconciliation. Fall is also a beautiful time to be in this land with the trees turning to their magnificent colours.
Just returned from another fantastic recording session in Sweden, working with Viola Grafström and some wonderful singers and acoustic players. Viola’s small studio is in a beautiful location next to a river – and if you are fortunate, in the early evening, you might catch a site of the local beavers passing by.
Thanks Paul for sharing this instrumental version from Jakarta, Indonesia. I bet you didn’t expect to hear this song in 7/8 
May the story of Christmas be a blessing to you all.
Nadolig Llawen – Mele Kalikimaka – Merry Christmas – God Jul – Joyeux Noël – Feliz Navidad – Gezegend Kerstfeest – VESELÉ VÁNOCE – Fröhliche Weihnachten – Prettige Kerstdagen
We want to say a big Thank You to all those who have kept encouraging us with your correspondence, friendship and support throughout the year.
A very special time sharing thoughts and stories from our travels in the nations – in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Met amazing people, ate incredible food, heard stories from people who face intense persecution and enjoyed the wonderful Thai culture. I shared at an international school for a week, a teenagers after school program and a school for underprivileged children. If that was not enough i picked up a couple of new instruments and saw some amazing critters. Very thankful.
Just found this old clip of Mark Riley and band singing Rise Up. We were playing at the 3rd Annual Spring Gala at Plantation Gardens in Poipu, Kaua’i. KUGA was a wonderful hip hop dance collaborative and we were playing for their annual fund raiser.
Saturday was a very special day for Jerry ‘Drumspeaker’ Chapman’s CD release party. People travelled as far as 8 hours away to be here in WA to celebrate. An afternoon feasting together and sharing the songs and stories from the recording. It was a memorable way for people to experience this new music and I was so encouraged by the response. Some great chats afterwards as musicians wanted to discuss with me how I had captured different sounds on the project.
We are excited to announce the release of ‘Wake Up Sleeping Giant‘. We met Jerry in a unique way whilst playing in Canada. I asked one of the organisers as I was setting up equipment if anyone had First Nation drums – he said no, but a voice from the auditorium shouted back, “I have a van full, do you want to borrow some?”. Since then we have spent time with Jerry and his wife Leslie, playing together at various events, learning from each other drum building techniques and dreaming about recording some of his songs. The results can be heard on this new recording released ion January 6th 2024. Jerry is from the Stó:Lō nation and is a drummer, First Nations drum maker and designer, singer and songwriter.
These Things of Love (Hawaii) CD
Original price was: £12.00.£7.00Current price is: £7.00.
The Finer Things in Life (Kevin Prosch & Bryn Haworth)
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Stones of Remembrance (Hawaii) CD
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We Face into The Wind (Northumbria)
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Steps and Stones (Hawaii) CD
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Fragile Warriors (New Zealand)
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Sing to the Well (Tanzania) CD & DVD - 100% sales to Tanzania
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