You can hear the Gregorian chants now, can’t you?
If you’re an avid reader of A Red Lip And A Nude Shoe then you know that I was an odd kid (and not much has changed in adulthood haha!) so it should come as no surprise that I would flick over to SBS and watch the test pattern (remember those days?) now and then because they used to play the best World Music as a soundtrack! It was all so new age and I loved it! I’m not sure if I was a hippy in former life or my parents burnt “incense” on a regular basis but I was enthralled by those 90s Euro dance beats overlaid with pan pipes, Gregorian chanting, wind chimes and what sounded to me like dolphins mating!
In the early 90s World Music was all the rage, the world was in turmoil (what’s new?) and people just needed a little music to soothe their ails. Enya was on point and at the head of her game (and this song is by far HER BEST!!) but there were loads of bands that were ready to come and steal her flower crown! I was super into learning about new music and was hungry to listen to anything and everything. There may have been a period there were I was listening to Tibetan monks chanting but we’ll overlook that shit for now! At that stage in my life there were two definite stand outs on the World Music stage; Deep Forest and Enigma.
Deep Forest and their song Sweet Lullaby completely had me hooked from the get go. To this day when I hear it (usually at a day spa) I just want to flick someone the peace sign and chant OM until I reach a state of transcendence. I had dubbed the debut CD from Tez (see I wasn’t the only weirdo) and I thought it was the coolest song ever and would play this on repeat. I’m surprised I never learnt how to play the pan pipes through osmosis!
This album should have been called “Pan Pipes For Days!”
Now, if you’re a sucker for Gregorian chanting like me (something about those old school Catholic masses) then you would have loved Enigma and their classic Sadeness Part 1. So much angst, loads of sexual overtones and pan pipes for DAYS! I just loved that it was so different to anything I had ever heard before and a little taboo. For me, Enigma was the epitome of the 90s and the crazy music I would listen to. Without them I don’t think I would have had an appreciation for other dance music and its sub genres.
I must admit I don’t listen to this style of music at all any more but while writing this post I had the music on in the background and it really was soothing and my shoulders were definitely getting into it! Maybe it’s time I discovered who the new artists of the World Music scene are. Any suggestions?
Categories: Music
A Red Lip And A Nude Shoe 
Absolutely love Enya!
She’s pretty rad isn’t she?!
New to your blog but this post has instantly got me hooked AND I have Sweet Lullaby stuck in my head now #90skid
Oh yay! Welcome Beth!! Hope you don’t hate me now, had Sweet Lullaby stuck in my head all last week, it’s pretty amazing 😊😊