Zap Mama and Subhendu Bapi Das Baul unreleased tracks with Madonna

[Bobo 1,218]

Unreleased songs in Madonna's back catalogue are always a source for fascination. For a long time I've wondered about these three tracks. I first read about them in 2007 and no one seems to have ever mentioned them. Did anybody else come across this information on Wiki page for unreleased recordings? Wonder what they sound like if they really exist. Been thinking about it again lately in the build up to the new album. 

For the tracks with Bapi Das Baul, Madonna had asked him if he wanted to work on something for her next album, after coming across his work on a compilation CD she was listening to. 

Although nothing else is known about these collaborations, Madonna's work with him is also mentioned in the book:

Writing the City in British Asian Diasporas

edited by Sean McLoughlin, William Gould, Ananya 

From Wiki:

"(title(s) unknown)", two songs recorded with Belgian-Congolese fusion group Zap Mama mixed by Pairs-based Bengali artist Subhendu Bapi Das Baul says the Screen India June 8, 2001. Plus a third recording is a Madonna guest vocal on a Bapi Das Baul track says the India Today April 2, 2001. Ultimately, Shubhendu ended up cutting not one, but two tracks. So far, these collaborations have not surfaced."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unreleased_songs_recorded_by_Madonna

I also wonder if she did more with Talvin Singh than we know about (NRM and CR). I love those tracks and had always hoped they'd work together on a ballad. Her voice and his music... 

[PlayPause 2,675]

Zap Mama was VERY hip at one point, especially in the NYC / East coast hip hop circles. Their first album was really great and groundbreaking, they kind of got lost in their creativity afterwards. The band barely exists now, they haven't released anything for a decade. The lead singer pops here and there, she made a surprise appearance last year at Erykah Badu's show in Paris but the performance was underwhelming to say the least.

Songs that are more than 15 years old may never surface as long as the artists involved are alive. Songwriting and music trends are so different nowadays that it probably will never be released, they would surely sound very out of place.

Unless M14 is a real World music album, maybe as a reworked version or a remix ?

[Enrico 15,788]

Never heard about these songs before! Interesting!

[Bobo 1,218]

Wow @discohubI didn't actually know anything about them, thanks for that. Yes, definitely, the chances of the tracks ever surfacing are so slim. It was very early days following DWT I imagine, and as we know, the album eventually became American Life with Mirwais. Remember when it was mentioned she wanted to call it Ein Sof? But that was much later in the process, I think. Just interesting to trace the evolution really, even though we're likely to never hear the tracks from these sessions. 

[Bobo 1,218]

@EnricoFor me it was something that immediately stuck out when reading about unreleased stuff back in 2007 because it seems so different to what had been done before, but then again I remember how much she liked Cafe del Mar (circa 1997-1998) and Beuna Vista Social Club (although can't remember the exact sources), so world music and fusion seem to have been something in her peripheral vision for quite a while.

With that in mind, I really can't wait to hear how her current interests are influencing her new sound now. 

[madgefan 10,137]

Interesting, I hope someone could shed some light in this.

[NowRadiate 3,331]

NEVER heard of this before...