Happiness is GDP

 

The image of a blind Bhutanese musician playing an erhu-like bowed instrument is forever engraved in my mind. A couple of years before this dreadful pandemic, I was lucky enough to enter the Kingdom of Bhutan, and while I had no idea what to expect, I almost went nuts. Probably the most fascinating place I've ever been, in every aspect. On the musical side, it naturally shares many similarities with Nepalese music, because, Buddhism, but keeping their own thing as well.

pw: spooked

the b section of inner urge.

 

beautiful late nite ecm jazz from the 70s.

smoke through glass.

 

80's food court jazz for the flips.

No shipwreck is an island

Greetings anonymous friends and jefe/amigo Ryan. It's been ages since my last contribution here, and although I've been absent for no specific reason, it was jefe who inspired me to come back to this great club, as I've been planning to share this album since forever.

Portugal was the very first western country to ever reach Japan, which resulted in a curious and long relationship, for better or for worse. There's a famous story that Tempura was actually a Portuguese dish, changed and adapted over the centuries.

All this to say that Enka and Fado, even if not directly related, are a match as tasteful as shiso leaves with Portuguese flour drowned in boiling oil. And there's no better proof of concept than this Naomi Chiaki album, full of Fado songs translated and adapted to Japanese. What a better place to sing about the sea than on an island?