Foreign Policy Blogs

Fulbright+Flamenco+Hip Hop = Granada Doaba

granadadoabaWhile roughly 300,000 people around the globe have participated in the Fulbright Program, named after internationalist Senator William J. Fulbright,  since its inception in 1946, it’s probably safe to say that researcher Canyon Cody’s collaboration with producer/rapper Gnotes is the first project to fuse hip-hop with Spanish Andalusian flamenco.

The vibrant, 14 track record, Granada Doaba, was recorded and produced in Granada, and funded entirely by a Fulbright Grant.  It features 16 musicians from around the world who currently reside in the Spanish city.

It is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD HERE.

This was one of my favorite records of 2009.  Haunting vocal chants, syncopated hand-claps and illustrious guitar chords fuse seamlessly with a fine selection of true-school hip-hop beats behind them for a very special listening experience.  Even more enjoyable knowing that U.S. tax dollars helped fund the duo’s (known collectively as “Gnawledge”) efforts.

 

Author

Robert Nolan

Robert Nolan is Editor-in-Chief of New Media at the Foreign Policy Association and a writer and producer of the Great Decisions Television Series on PBS. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Zimbabwe and graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, he has interviewed numerous heads of state, Nobel Prize winners, artists and musicians, and policymakers.