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Written Then, Heard Now: Reimagining Old Texts Through Global Songs

On her album <em>Dallëndyshe</em>, Albanian singer<em> </em>Elina Duni takes up folk songs once used as propaganda by the Communist regime in her home country and reimagines them as modern-day jazz.
Nicolas Masson
/
Courtesy of the artist
On her album Dallëndyshe, Albanian singer Elina Duni takes up folk songs once used as propaganda by the Communist regime in her home country and reimagines them as modern-day jazz.

Words don't have to stay on the page, and music doesn't have to stay in the time of its creation. The four artists collected by DJ Betto Arcos, a frequent All Things Considered guest who hosts Global Village on KPFK in Los Angeles, know this.

On this visit to the program, Arcos showcases musicians from Algeria, Mali, Italy and Albania who have infused historic poems, stories and folk tunes with new music and new meaning. Hear the conversation with host Arun Rath at the audio link, and listen to the songs below.

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