The World Music Expo, or WOMEX, is simply put, a great convention. Besides getting to hear some amazing acts from just about everywhere, it's also a very convivial gathering. And although there are numerous great musicians booked into the formal venues, sometimes the freshest experiences come from spontaneous performances at the stands in the trade fair.

So to kick off my WOMEX blog series, here's one such occurrence.

To set the scene: it was almost time for the trade fair to close. There I was, talking to someone in my booth, and suddenly I realized that a young man had sat down on the floor and started playing an instrument that looked like a cross between a steel drum and a flying saucer. I grabbed my Flip camera and caught the moment.

It turns out that the Hang was invented in Switzerland in 2000. So it's just a baby in the world of instruments. And that also means there's plenty of room for the instrument -- and ways of playing it -- to grow. Rafael has a group called The Art of Fusion, (their CD is called "Rhizomism") and I've put his contact info at the end of the vid.

With the feast behind us, and hopefully some well targeted toasts given, the Friday after Thanksgiving becomes a day to recover, relax and gear up for the holiday barrage. This year, as the season bodes poorly for commerce, perhaps it's best to focus on those intangible things that give us great value and joy. Although I have called  your attention to our music documentary Soweto Strings before, I would like to approach its virtues from another angle today. The film, about a classical music school for South African children is noteworthy for the way it shows how music can flourish and change lives no matter where it finds itself. But it is also about a remarkable teacher, Rosemary Nalden.  I have been lucky to have had some inspiring teachers in my life, and she reminds me of them, with her fierce devotion to education, and her delight at the receptive nature of her pupils. So may I suggest, as you watch Soweto Strings this week, that you think on some of the pivotal teachers in your life, and say a private "Thanks" for their efforts.

Every country has its character cliché. Hot Latin temperaments, Asian industriousness, Brazilian sexiness; the list goes on and on. Russia conjures up a ponderous, intellectual penumbra. Okay, maybe for ME that's what it is. Endless days thumbing through Pushkin, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky isn't conducive to dancing a jig, unless it's as a survival mechanism. The music of Moussourgsky and Shostakovich is not a romp in the park. Don't get me wrong, I think these guys are GREAT.  Maybe that's because there's a streak of that old Slavic Doom in my DNA. So if you feel like wallowing in a murky mood, may I suggest you grab a bottle of vodka, pull down the shades, turn out the lights and seek out the video "Belaya Noch" by DDT playing as an interstitial this week. Let it carry your spirit along its alleys, canals, museums, and graveyards. Drink in the waxworks, funerary effigies and angels. Ponder the vanity of history. Then open the window, take a deep breath and have a nice Thanksgiving.

I was very lucky that growing up, my dad loved to bring home all kinds of music. He was what was called, back then, a "hi fi nut," which meant we had the best sound system in the neighborhood. He'd put a record on and crank the speakers up so that the whole house would fill with music. He played classical music, Broadway musicals, and folk music.

One day he brought home a recording that changed my life. It was full of joy and rhythm and beauty. It was Miriam Makeba's "The Voice of Africa."  I had never heard a voice like that, or such melodies. I sang along, I danced, and the music became a part of me. On the jacket of the album I read something about her attitude toward South Africa that I did not understand; I did not know anything about apartheid.

Miriam Makeba passed away on November 10th. She left a legacy of countless recordings, and is considered one of the first "world music" stars. There is no doubt that she paved the way for the careers of the many world musicians that have since graced us with their songs. For my part, I remember the last song on that album my dad brought home. It was called "Qhude" and it's a beauty...if you can find it, give it a listen and think of Miriam, Mama Africa.

WOMEX is now just a fond memory - one of the fondest of which was the Swedish band Väsen who turned in a remarkable performance that was a dazzling display of musicianship. In particular, it was a pleasure to see and hear guest mandolinist Mike Marshall and his interaction with Väsen’s guitarist Roger Talroth. I am now in Torres Vedras, a lovely, small city in Portugal that has hosted an international accordion festival for the past five years. I’m here to observe a residency: accordionists Martin Lubenov (Bulgaria), Renato Borghetti (Brazil), and the Portuguese quartet Dançes Ocultas have been preparing to perform together – not separately, but colaboratively. For the past few days, they have been finding common musical ground and the sounds are very exciting. Each musician brings a different orientation to the project: Borghetti’s music is especially rhythmic, Lubenov’s playing is somewhat linear (though both accordionists can play at breakneck speed), and Ocultas creates highly textured, ambient music, so the potential for a well rounded program is very much there. The purpose of the festival is to see how people from different cultures can be united by a single element - in this case, the accordion. I’ve been promised videotape of the festival, so you will soon see and hear what I’m writing to you about.