Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| China's Tin Pan Alley - Xinjiekou Street In Beijing | 20241125 |  The original Tin Pan Alley was in Fifth and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, New York, where music publishers set up shop in the late 19th century, attracting songwriters and coming to dominate American popular music. Since then Tin Pan Alley has come to mean a quarter where there are music shops and where musicians gather. Cities all over the globe have Tin Pan Alleys of their own. For instance, if you wanted to buy a bass guitar in London, you'd head to the UK's Tin Pan Alley, Denmark Street. In this week's series of the Essay BBC correspondents from Madrid to Tokyo explore the Tin Pan Alleys of their towns, talking to musicians trying out the instruments before they buy, and to the shopkeepers selling them. They explore the state of the musical culture, and culture more generally, of the countries they are reporting from. The series begins in Beijing where Stephen McDonell visits Xinjiekou Street, where the shops sell Chinese traditional instruments: the erhu, a two string fiddle; the pipa, a pear shaped lute; the guzheng, a zither...and several others. He discovers that there is renewed enthusiasm for them and their music, and meets some musicians playing in a tunnel, not for the acoustic but because, in an odd reversal of the norm, if they play in the street young people object to the noise and shop them to the cops. Presenter: Stephen McDonell Producer: Julian May BBC Beijing Correspondent Stephen McDonell visits the music shops of Xinjiekou Street. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. Xinjiekou Street is Beijing's Tin Pan Alley, a road lined with shops selling Chinese instruments. Stephen McDonell talks to shopkeepers, musicians trying and buying, and listens.
In this week's series of the Essay BBC correspondents from Madrid to Tokyo explore the Tin Pan Alleys of their towns, talking to musicians trying out the instruments before they buy, and to the shopkeepers selling them. They explore the state of the musical culture, and culture more generally, of the countries they are reporting from. The series begins in Beijing where Stephen McDonell visits Xinjiekou Street, where the shops sell Chinese traditional instruments: the erhu, a two string fiddle; the pipa, a pear shaped lute; the guzheng, a zither...and several others. He discovers that there is renewed enthusiasm for them and their music. China has developed economically and become more assertive politically. Is there, perhaps, a corresponding growing confidence in China's musical culture? Presenter: Stephen McDonell Producer: Julian May BBC Beijing Correspondent Stephen McDonell visits the music shops of Xinjiekou Street. Xinjiekou Street is Beijing's Tin Pan Alley, a road lined with shops selling Chinese instruments. Stephen McDonell talks to shopkeepers, musicians trying and buying, and listens. |
| Indonesia's Tin Pan Alley - Tihingan In Bali | 20241129 | Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears... There is an idea that what Caliban is describing is gamelan music, and that Shakespeare had heard accounts of it as he wrote The Tempest from sailors who had recently returned from a voyage to the Spice Islands - Indonesia. The village of Tihingan in Bali is full of noises because the chief occupation there is making gongs for gamelans, the wonderful gong orchestras of Bali and Java. Ade Mardiyati, a journalist who reports for the BBC's Indonesian service, visits Tihingan - Indonesia's Tin Pan Alley - the learn about the craft. Two crucial skills are involved; that of the smith who forges the gongs, and that , the tuner who works them to ensure they give the right note. In a sonically rich essay, recorded while these masters work, Ade explores the past, present and future of gamelan making, and music. Presenter: Ade Mardiyati Producer: Julian May Ade Mardiyati visits the master gamelan makers of Tihingan village in Bali. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. Most working people in Tihingan village in Bali share a vocation - making gamelan gongs. Ade Mardiyati visits the master gong smiths and tuners whose craft dates from the 16th century.
Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears... There is an idea that what Caliban is describing is gamelan music, and that Shakespeare had heard accounts of it as he wrote The Tempest from sailors who had recently returned from a voyage to the Spice Islands - Indonesia. The village of Tihingan in Bali is full of noises because the chief occupation there is making gongs for gamelans, the wonderful gong orchestras of Bali and Java. Ade Mardiyati, a journalist who reports for the BBC's Indonesian service, visits Tihingan - Indonesia's Tin Pan Alley - the learn about the craft. Two crucial skills are involved; that of the pengrajin, the smith who forges the gongs, and that of the tukang laras, the tuner who works them to ensure they give the right note. In a sonically rich essay, recorded while these masters work, Ade explores the past, present and future of gamelan making, and music. Presenter: Ade Mardiyati Producer: Julian May Ade Mardiyati visits the master gamelan makers of Tihingan village in Bali. Most working people in Tihingan village in Bali share a vocation - making gamelan gongs. Ade Mardiyati visits the master gong smiths and tuners whose craft dates from the 16th century. |
| Japan's Tin Pan Alley - Ochanomizu In Tokyo | 20241127 | Ochanomizu means 'tea water' because of its proximity to the Kanda River, which in the Edo period provided water for the Shogun's tea. Now it is a university area - Meiji University, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and Juntendo University all have campuses in Ochanomizu. Phoebe Amoroso reports on the way teahouses have given way to musical instrument shops. There are more than 70 in Ochanomizu's 'Guitar Street' . But you can buy harmonicas and accordions, too. In such a competitive space shops survive by specialising. Almost all the instruments sold are western, but made with Japanese materials, craftsmanship and attention to detail. Presenter: Phoebe Amoroso Producer: Julian May Phoebe Amoroso reports from Ochanomizu in Tokyo, famous for shops selling electric guitars Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. Tokyo based Journalist Phoebe Amoroso visits the famous 'Guitar Street' in Ochanomizu where shop after shop sells a remarkable array of electric guitars.
Presenter: Phoebe Amoroso Producer: Julian May Phoebe Amoroso reports from Tokyo's Ochanomizu, famous for shops selling electric guitars. Tokyo based journalist Phoebe Amoroso visits the famous 'Guitar Street' in Ochanomizu, where shop after shop sells a remarkable array of electric guitars. |
| Spain's Tin Pan Alley - Centro, Madrid | 20241128 | The journalist Guy Hedgecoe, who covers Spain for the BBC, visits Felipe Conde's shop and workshop in Centro, Madrid. Conde is the fourth generation of his family to make classical and flamenco guitars. Many of the great flamenco musicians - Moraito, Paco de Lucia, Tomatito - have played Conde guitars, as have artists from other traditions - Leonard Cohen, Lenny Kravitz, Cat Stevens. And Paco de Lucia gave one to Michael Jackson. Guy meet Antonio Gonzalez, one of Conde's customers, who tell him what qualities he is looking for - and plays. And he watches while Felipe Conde works on a new instrument. Guy explores the state of the craft of making, the art of playing and the place of the classical guitar and flamenco music in Spain, and around the world, today. Presenter: Guy Hedgecoe Producer: Julian May Guy Hedgecoe visits the luthiers of Madrid. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. The luthiers of Madrid have been making classical and flamenco guitars for a century and a half. Guy Hedgecoe visits some of the old shops and workshops to listen and learn.
But Guitarras Ramírez is just one of Madrid's instrument makers: there's Guitarra de Luthier, La Guitarreria Madrid, and Manuel Contreras. The journalist Guy Hedgecoe, who covers Spain for the BBC, visits some of these long-established shops and workshops to listen to their instruments and talk to the makers and players. He explores the state of the craft of making, the art of playing and the place of the classical guitar and flamenco music in Spain today. Presenter: Guy Hedgecoe Producer: Julian May Guy Hedgecoe visits the luthiers of Madrid. The luthiers of Madrid have been making classical and flamenco guitars for a century and a half. Guy Hedgecoe visits some of the old shops and workshops to listen and learn. |
| T\u00fcrkiye's Tin Pan Alley - Galip Dede Street In Istanbul | 20241126 | Galip Dede Street in Istanbul used to be famous for its antique, philatelic and book shops. But over the past 30 years more and more music shops have opened and now the street has more than 30. Esra Yalcinalp talks to the shopkeepers who sell instruments of all kinds, all the orchestral instruments. Here, too, she finds musicians who might buy a bağlama or saz, like a mandolin with a very long neck, and a kemençe or lyra, a bowed instrument, used in Ottoman classical and Turkish folk music. She gets a demonstration of the different rhythms a master can play on the darbuka, the goblet shaped drum used in Turkish classical music. She meets, too, a French musician seeking strings for her Syrian oud. Can she find these in Galip Dede? Of course. No problem. There is a problem, though - tourism. It's driving up rents and driving out specialist music shops, which are replaced by hotels and T shirt shops. Presenter: Esra Yalcinalp Producer: Julian May BBC T\u00fcrk\u00e7e journalist Esra Yalcinalp visits Galip Dede Street, Istanbul's Tin Pan Alley. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. Esra Yalcinalp, who works for BBC Türkçe, visits Galip Dede which over the last three decades has become in Istanbul's Tin Pan Alley, with more than 30 shops selling instruments.
Esra finds that the shops attracts musicians who play outside, and that Galip Dede is a very loud street. She seeks out, too, the instruments Istanbul is famous for, cymbals, which are made in the city. Presenter: Esra Yalcinalp Producer: Julian May BBC T\u00fcrk\u00e7e journalist Esra Yalcinalp visits Galip Dede Street, Istanbul's Tin Pan Alley. Esra Yalcinalp, who works for BBC Türkçe, visits Galip Dede, which over the last three decades has become Istanbul's Tin Pan Alley, with more than 30 shops selling instruments. |