Argentina – Entre Rios, ‘Cerca y Extrao’
Despite gaining popularity in South America via a beer commercial, ‘Indietronica’ unit Entre Rios have an impressive catalogue of albums that centre round the combination of mellow, minimalist beats with Isol’s (also an author of Argentinian children’s books) smooth Latin vocals. Could almost be a precursor to current favourites Chvrches and London Grammar.
Iran – Hypernova, ‘American Dream’
Rock music may be illegal in their native Tehran, but after moving to New York Hypernova have been free to merge the classic NY indie sounds of We Are Scientists and The Strokes with a Paul Banks-esque baritone. The track of choice adds another layer of prevalence and suitability for an alternative anthem – countries like Iran need more artistic trailblazers like Hypernova who stand-up against oppressive regimes in favour of a more liberal existence.
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Plavi Orkestar, ‘Ljubi se istok I zapad’
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Yugoslavia, has a surprisingly rich history of alt bands, spanning from folky rock to prog metal. Plavi Orkestar sit somewhere in the middle, and after forming in 1983 have been one of the most popular bands in Bosnian music. Their pop-rock style might come across as slightly watered down to Western ears, but if Plavi Orkestar has contributed to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sense of cultural cohesion then that is something to be celebrated.
Nigeria – Fela Kuti, ‘Water Get No Enemy’
So it seems Afrobeat, under the innovation of Fela Kuti in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, was a striking combination of Jazz, Funk and traditional Nigerian music. It sounds, somewhat unsurprisingly, awesome.
Alex Cheah
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