AM Foreign World Cup: Quarter Finals

[Stephan]

We're down to the final 8 songs. It's been a fantastic journey through the entire world, starting out with 16 songs from 16 different regions, and now all the songs remaining fit into a single week. Fitting, perhaps, since you could listen to these songs all week and never get tired. The songs remaining were nominated by Dan M (1), Miguel (1), nicolas (1.5), Henrik (2, both nicolas and I nominated a song for him), and Stephan (2.5 (no cheating, I promise)).The true best of the best, the creme of the crop, crème de la crème:

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo sèw

Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui
Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme
Various Artists - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain)

Bracket 6.4
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata
Jacques Brel - Vesoul

[Henrik]

This will be very interesting. I don't know if there's a favorite to win the game. (I don't even know which is my own favorite, actually.)

The songs remaining were nominated by Dan M (1), Miguel (1), nicolas (1.5), Henrik (2, both nicolas and I nominated a song for him), and Stephan (2.5 (no cheating, I promise)).

Stephan, I tried to understand this, but I failed. I remember that you nominated "Vague", a song I would have picked if you hadn't. Is that one of my 2? Which is the one nicolas nominated for me then? "Yumeji"? nicolas discovered that song long before me. On the other hand, if I remember correctly, I myself nominated "Yèkèrmo sèw". And what's up with those half nominations?

Wait a second! You mean Vague + Yèkèrmo sèw + Yumeji = 0.5 + 1 + 0.5 = 2 for me and hence the half nominations for the two of you? Well, thanks but I'm not sure why you gave me this special treatment. Probably most of these finalists had multiple fans already during the nomination phase.

[Moonbeam]

I feel like a chump for missing out on most of this. Now that my thesis has been submitted, I have a bit more free time.

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va: Gorgeous song that gripped me immediately. 8/10
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo sèw: There's a mystery in those horns and that rhythm that is so enticing. 8.5/10

Will vote in the other matchups later.

[Stephan]

The songs remaining were nominated by Dan M (1), Miguel (1), nicolas (1.5), Henrik (2, both nicolas and I nominated a song for him), and Stephan (2.5 (no cheating, I promise)).

Stephan, I tried to understand this, but I failed. I remember that you nominated "Vague", a song I would have picked if you hadn't. Is that one of my 2? Which is the one nicolas nominated for me then? "Yumeji"? nicolas discovered that song long before me. On the other hand, if I remember correctly, I myself nominated "Yèkèrmo sèw". And what's up with those half nominations?

Wait a second! You mean Vague + Yèkèrmo sèw + Yumeji = 0.5 + 1 + 0.5 = 2 for me and hence the half nominations for the two of you? Well, thanks but I'm not sure why you gave me this special treatment. Probably most of these finalists had multiple fans already during the nomination phase.

Yeah, that wasn't the most well thought out thing I've ever done, but you got it right. It's just that you had given your preference to both those songs in the original nomination topic, and nicolas nominated a couple of songs in other people's names. But yeah, the 'real' nominating numbers are: Dan M (1), Miguel (1), Henrik (1), nicolas (2), and Stephan (3)

[Honorio]

Quarter finals? So this means that we have right now the four big finals of every continent!


Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va (Tunisia, 2006)
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo Sèw (Ethiopia, 1974)
Africa's big final includes two instrumental songs containing sounds that usually one don't associate with Africa. Both artists had notable jazz influences (their styles are defined on Rateyourmusic as Arabic Jazz on Brahem page and Ethio-Jazz on Astatke's) but both got obvious African roots that surfaces brilliantly on their music. The decision between these two musical gems is difficult, I'm glad to see Anouar Brahem getting so far but my vote goes to Mulatu Astatke probably because of his sound simultaneously adventurous and warm.


Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo vengo aquí (Cuba, 1996)
Ástor Piazzolla - Oblivion (Argentina, 1984)
A tough American final between Cuba and Argentina and their most characteristics styles, the Son Cubano and the Tango Argentino. And probably with the two most important names (well, Piazzolla if we talk about instrumental tango, Carlos Gardel was undoubtedly the king of vocal tango). The Compay Segundo song is awesome (I won't complain if it finally wins) and I would have preferred to have "Libertango" but my vote anyway goes to the suggestive "Oblivion."


Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme (Japan, 2000)
Gamelan Gong Kebjar Unknown Ensemble - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain) (Indonesia, 1969)
Classy against crude, rehearsed against improvised, classic against roots. On the basis of these options I just wrote probably I should have voted for the Gamelan song but listening again to the Umebayashi music piece I got trapped again by its beauty.


Bracket 6.4
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata (Bulgaria, 1975)
Jacques Brel - Vesoul (Belgium, 1968)
The last three times I voted against "Vesoul" (it faced wonderful songs like "La marine," "Les bourgeois" and "Entre dos aguas") so now it's a pleasure to vote for it. In fact I won't mind seeing Brel getting to the big final. Moreover, and given the fact that this is a Word Music Poll, "Vesoul" could be one of the Brel's song closer to a traditional sound, courtesy of this frantic accordion. But the Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices is wonderful also…

[Stephan]

I haven't commented in a long time, but the top 8 warrants some comments.

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo sèw
I think Honorio has already said all there is to say about these two songs, and I'm also following suit on the choice. That does mean I'm voting against my own song, but that's what makes this game so great.

Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui
Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion
As it should be, almost all of these matchups are painfully close. I'm going with Compay, but another day it could have been Astor.

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme
Various Artists - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain)
I honestly don't know which song I like more, but I'm going to stick with Golden Rain and it's beautiful madness.

Bracket 6.4
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata
Jacques Brel - Vesoul
Both the strongest bracket and the easiest choice for me. They're both great songs but the voices of Bulgaria sweep me off my feet every time.

[nicolas]

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va (159)
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo sèw (67)
"Vague" was be higher than "Yèkèrmo" in my song list but now things have changed. Both excelllllllllent instrumentals, but the Mulatu song has something magic in its tempo and tone (something I'd call golden or coppery, shiny round and hot)


Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui (36)
Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion (210)
I like Oblivion, with just a little reservation (about the strings that are sometimes on the verge of syruppy) while Yo Vengo Aqui is absolutely flawless IMO.

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme (105)
Various Artists - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain) unranked but still great
Yumeji may not be very Asian (it sounds classical and also tzigan sometimes) but I always melt when I hear this.

Bracket 6.4
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata (193)
Jacques Brel - Vesoul (21)
"Vesoul" is my favorite of all the tournament. You might want to see this video of Brel rehearsing the song. Looks like the song structure was made up in the studio before the recording. He says "I don't know how I'm gonna do it I got 3 verses" and tells his accordion player "you put everything you want, you put even too much". There is also this funny version made for French TV

Waiting forward to doing the Latinafrican and Eurasian semi-finals

[Miguel]

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va

Bracket 6.2
Ástor Piazzolla - Oblivion

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme

Bracket 6.4
Jacques Brel - Vesoul

[Michel]

Bracket 6.1
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo sèw

Bracket 6.2
Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme

Bracket 6.4
A difficult choice

[Moonbeam]

Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui: 5
Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion: 7.5

Despite loving almost everything about Latin American culture, the music almost always does nothing for me. So while I can appreciate the skill in a song like "Yo Vengo Aqui", it doesn't register with me. The lilting nature of "Oblivion", however, has an impact!

Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme: 8
Various Artists - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain): 8

Talk about a contrast in styles! The delicate, lush beauty of "Yumeji's Theme" is so enticing, but the jubilation of the cacophonous "Hudjan Mas" is too exciting to lose here.

[Dan]

I listened to these 8 songs earlier this week, but it was so difficult to make a choice in most of the brackets that I decided not to vote immediately. Today I listened to the songs again, and I had the same (slight) favourites in each bracket than earlier this week, so I'm just gonna go with that...

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo sèw

Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui
Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme
Various Artists - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain)

Bracket 6.4
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata
Jacques Brel - Vesoul

[Kingoftonga]

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va

Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui

Bracket 6.3
Various Artists - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain)

Bracket 6.4
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata

[Henrik]

The softer picks all the way...

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo sèw

Last week I voted for Dounia over Vague, although I had Vague higher in the last all-time poll. Yèkèrmo sèw was higher than Dounia (between Vague and Dounia), but this week I'm going with the poll order, I really loved the sound of Vague this week. It couldn't be closer though.

Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui
Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme
Various Artists - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain)

The only easy choise for me this week.

Bracket 6.4
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata
Jacques Brel - Vesoul

[Poliuks]

Now I know many of this songs by heart, but it doesn't necessarily make choices easier. On the other hand, I hesitated surprisingly little this week - all the picks were pretty convincing.

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo sèw

Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui
Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme
Various Artists - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain)
I will be happy with the either to go further - they are so different in style, but similar in greatness.

Bracket 6.4
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata
Jacques Brel - Vesoul

[jamieW]

The first two brackets were surprisingly easy for me (even with the huge admiration I have for the songs I didn’t vote for). The second two were absolutely brutal; and, even after listening to each several times, I’m still uncertain (which is obvious by my indecision in the last matchup).

Bracket 6.1
Winner: Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo sèw

Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui
Winner: Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme
Winner: Various Artists - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain)

Bracket 6.4
Pass: I simply cannot choose between these two wonderful songs.
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata
Jacques Brel - Vesoul

[DaveC]

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va

Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui
Last week I surprised myself by voting for Vague over Dounia. This week Oblivion somehow sounded too polished when played back-to-back with Yo Vengo Aqui. So another last minute reversal.

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme

Bracket 6.4
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata
Another very difficult choice, but this vocal is just so resolute.

[Stephan]

The results:

Bracket 6.1
Anouar Brahem - Vague / E la Nave Va - 6 [2]
Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo sèw - 6 [4]

Bracket 6.2
Compay Segundo - Yo Vengo Aqui - 5
Astor Piazzolla - Oblivion - 7

Bracket 6.3
Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme - 8
Various Artists - Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain) - 4

Bracket 6.4
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Pritouritze Planinata - 4
Jacques Brel - Vesoul - 5