Branko Mataja
It’s musicians like this that make me so grateful that reissue labels like Numero Group exist. Mataja’s approach to the guitar would be novel and exciting if he realeased it today, let alone fifty years ago. It’s not as if he’s going to be topping billboard charts anytime soon, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who never would have heard of him without a reissue. Really phenomenal stuff
California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties Collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell
An amazing collection of folk music recordings and other materials collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell using New Deal funds. 35 hours of recordings in many languages. Absolutely incredible. Lot’s to sift through, but here is some good laughter on this one and a beautiful photograph of Mary Goshtigian playing the oud.
Music
Huw Marc Bennett’s album Tresilian Bay is an absolute banger. He put out this one in 2016 that I also loved.
El Hilo
Escuché a un episodio de éste podcast que me impresionó mucho. Trata de la situación actual en El Salvador. Hay un líder autoritario que a la vez ha conseguido bajar la taza de homicidio dramaticamente y encarcelado a miles de personas en condiciones miserables. Lo bueno y lo malo se narra con fuerza igual y se te pinta una cuadra de la complejidad que casi nunca veo en cualquier media popular. Recomendo mucho.
The Quiet Luxury of Language
