Thanks for choosing KTK airlines!
If you're into great music, no matter where or when it's been recorded then you're at the right place! Grab a drink,
take a seat, fasten your seatbelt. The pilot and the crew wish you a nice trip:
Far out, far east or somewhere else...


3/25/2013

KTK32: SONGS OF THE MAORI

Maori woman with the traditional Moko tattoo
Ladies & gentlemen, I hope you had a great time for our first week with the maori people of New Zealand and that you did not get too scared with their virile way of welcoming. This week we'll go for something totally different with the SONGS OF THE MAORI, THE MANIAPOTO VOICES (Zodiac ZLP 1036 from 1966).


Imagine what would have happen if the Andrews sisters where born in a Maori village In New Zealand... I'm pretty sure they would have become singers! Well, that's pretty much the same story for the Hikuroa sisters. Kay, Kelly, Laura and Hinerangi are four Maori sisters from the Ngati Maniapoto tribe who kept the family traditions of singing and recorded this very sweet lp.


Today, we got 15 gorgeous bittersweet folk songs with mostly vocals, some light strings and a hint of piano to enhance their goodness. It seems like the sisters ever released some more songs as the back cover mention another Zodiac ep: THE MANIAPOTO VOICES, EPZ 139 that I'd love to ear. If you got more from them, please let me know!

traditional Maori tattoo
Not only those four sisters did their best to produce a gorgeous record but they been really great about the cover as they choosed a photo of their grand mother proudly wearing the traditionnal moko tattoo to illustrate their music. What a great way to show respect to their traditions and cultural background. ENJOY!


01 TE ATAIRANGI
02 KA MARANGI TE WAI
03 TU MOKE MOKE
 04 ETE IWI E
05 TE MARAMA ITE PO
06 PATERE TAINUI
07 REO KARERE
08 HOKI MAI
09 MANU RERE
10 TUREITI ETE IWI
11 TIARO TANUMIA
12 HINEMOA
13 KAREWA
14 FAREWELL TO WANA-I-RANGI (lament)
 15 NOW IS THE HOUR (po ata rau)

3/19/2013

KTK31: HAKAS IN HI-FI

Ladies & gentlemens...

Our crew hope you enjoyed the stay in the Antilles. Today, we arrive in New Zealand and guess what? It seems like we're not the first to arrive here. About 650 years ago, the Maori people arrived here after a long boat trip, all the way from the Hawaiian islands (while some others prefered to stay in Tahiti or other south Pacific islands).


Even if the Te Aute Maori Club are nice people they welcome us today with some powerfull (yet scary) Haka war dances and agressive loud vocals. HAKAS IN HI-FI (Viking records VE61 from the mid 60's) is a good way to start our journey in new Zealand's traditionnal and folk music with probably the most famous traditionnal dance worldwide because of the famous All Blacks rugby players who keep their traditions of glorious Maori warriors.

the All Blacks performing the Haka
On this trip, we'll mostly get some Viking records productions. They did a pretty good job to promote the polynesian and maori cultures since the late 50's with a serious amount of editions and re-editions (of Tahitian records) in New Zeland and Australia. We'll get some traditionnal games songs, some very sweet folk songs and we'll also visit a local church to enjoy some women choir... A great program for the next few weeks!


SIDE 1
01: HAKA WHAKAARA
Utaina and Kamate
02: PATI PATI
03: KAANGA KOPIRO
SIDE 2
01: HAKA - KURA TIWAKA
02: PAIKEA
03: RINGA PAKIA
ooOoo
performered by:
Te Aute Maori Club



Thanks for flying
with KTK

3/11/2013

KTK30: TRINIDAL CAVALIERS (SOUVENIR)

 Ladies & Gentlemen...
This week we'll end our little trip around Carribean island / West Indies, following the trails of Alan Lomax and enjoying a seasonal treat with the great party at the carnival of Trinidad...


The program for today: Costumes, parade, huge crowd and off course music with the steel orchestra TRINIDAD CAVALIERS "SOUVENIR ALBUM"  (Calypan 008 [PRP 156] 1971).
As in many other places, the carnival of Trinidad borrows it's music from various registers such as classical or popular music and mostly focus on dancy rythm with heavy drum bands based on home made steel instruments and inspired by traditionnal african tribal music. It's funny to see on this photo how Esso used it to promote their compagny:

a traditionnal steel band and a surprising sponsored record
The record we got here is steelband music from Trinidad recorded in the early seventies by the Trinidad Cavaliers to promote the carnival during a tour of the band in Canada. The cover is pretty great, including many photos of the band with the party atmosphere and also reminding the shape of a steel drum.


01 AQUARIUS
02 WINE, WOMEN & SONG
03 YELLOW BIRD
04 THEME FROM LOVE STORY
05 EINE KLEINE
06 I LOVE PARIS
07 SWAN LAKE BALLET
08 St THOMAS GAL
09 NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN
10 GALLOPADE




A great vintage documentary about Trinidad's carnival

3/04/2013

KTK29: LES ANTILLES part2

Ladies & gentlemen...
It seems like you enjoyed our first 2 weeks around... Today, we'll continue our little visit of the Caribbean islands, focucing more on the music from Martinique. Not much more things to add that would not be an echo from last time... So, less blah blah, more cha cha!

traditionnal dress from Martinique
Today again, get ready to dance with some spicy 70's tunes from Guadeloupe, Saint Lucia and for the biggest part: Martinique (7 songs out of 9). LES ANTILLES (Carabine 49540 from 1976, second Lp of a 2 Lp's set) is a great occasion to continue the party!

guadeloupean women
What an awesome amount of influences we got here: Indian spices, various Latin American and African music styles and French Kreyol for the lyrics. 09 songs. As last time: great vocals, lots of drums, sax, trumpets, funky bass...


MARTINIQUE
01 BALANCE MESDAMES (G. Coldold)
02 AKA AKI (G. Coldold)
03 MOSAIKO BOOKELOS (J. Vigilant)
04 REVISION PUISSANCE "8" (J.Rebus)
GUADELOUPE
05 MOIN MANDE OU DOUDOU (Pierre Labor)
St LUCIA
06 MOIN ENVI DANSE (Davidson Riviere)
MARTINIQUE 
07 MADJOUMBE (R. Rimbaud)
08 EN BAS MALAVOI (R. Rimbaud)
 09 O.K (J.C. Artigny)



All the photos comes from the great vintage black beauty photo blog... 
It's really worth a visit!