Caprixo de Fashion

«Experience is the debut project of the St. Petersburg-based duo Dudubeat. Its members, Karen Sargsyan (duduk) and Arsen Grigoryan (keyboards) brought together in it their love for the traditional melodies of Armenia and the desire to make them more modern, fully preserving the national colors, producing a tasteful blend of live instruments and electronic sounds. Combined with the electronic

«Papaíto (b Mario Muñoz Salazar, 5 Dec. '23, Buena Vista, Cuba, 4 June '00, New York City) Afro Cuban singer/ percussionist/ composer with engagingly poignant voice; worked with cha cha chá creator Enrique Jorrín, others; made films in Mexico and joined Sonora Matancera there, continuing as a member into the '90s; left Cuba for good '60. Sessioned on many recordings, among them Mark Weinstein's

«In the tradition of Bob Marley, Alpha Blondy, and his African griot caste, Tiken Jah Fakoly emerged in the late '90s as Africa's premier social critic through reggae. Born Doumbia Moussa Fakoly (June 23, 1968) into a family of musicians and oral historians known as griots, a role honored throughout Africa, Fakoly took an earnest interest in reggae as a boy growing up in the town of Odienné on

Many thanx to an anonymous Peruvian reader for this post. «Though Novalima was originally started by four Peruvian musicians living in all four corners of the world (Barcelona, Hong Kong, London, and Lima), this experimental music group's membership spans much wider than that. Their sound and goal are much too broad to be thought of in a traditional "credits list" sense. Though the world is

«Fondé en 1999 par Christian Salès, OC vise à promouvoir la culture occitane à travers des créations artistiques. Notre collectif comprend musiciens, danseurs, plasticiens et spécialistes des technologies numériques de l'image et du son. OC collabore à des projets éclectiques de l'audiovisuel au spectacle vivant dans l'esprit d’ouverture occitan. Les créations OC comprennent des musiques, films

«After the debacle that was the making of 1982's Groovy Decay, Robyn Hitchcock briefly retired from music, and when he returned it was with an album that offered a thoroughly uncompromised vision of Hitchcock's imagination. Released in 1984, I Often Dream of Trains was a primarily acoustic set with Hitchcock handling nearly all the instruments and vocals by himself; the tone is spare compared to

«Blues? That’s American Deep South stuff, right? Well, not only. The quest for “authenticity” in music has taken so many spurious turns in recent years that it has perhaps managed to overlook the overarching patterns. It’s these patterns that have made up the blues, that inimitable form of misery set to music that’s as vibrant today as ever. It has a long history – musicologists have traced the

A great instrumental band from Peru, fusing Jamaican ska ad reggae, latin rock, Peruan cumbia, jazz, etc. This is their first CD. Their second work, the equally interesting Cumbia, came out in 2008. «Bareto es una banda instrumental que sigue la tradición de agrupaciones como Black Sugar y los Belkings, que se convirtieron en verdaderos animadores de las fiestas de toda una generación de

«It's not hard to recognize good Middle Eastern music when you hear it: Like effective blues or gospel, the good stuff both weeps and rejoices. In their never-ending quest for the exotic, many Westerners enshrine Middle Eastern melodies in incredibly pretentious surroundings (Brian Eno and David Byrne) or make them as foreign and mysterious as a fictional opium den (Led Zeppelin) or simply treat

«This debut from Doueh and his group is outstanding. His playing is electric in all senses of the word; he effortlessly channels all the power of a sandstorm onto the six strings of his guitar. The recording quality may be patchy but the power of the music still comes through strong. The celebratory nature of the music combined with the skill of the players make this vinyl only release a joy to

«Oliver Mtukudzi is the best-selling artist in his home country of Zimbabwe, Africa. Lovingly called “Tuku” for short, Oliver began recording in the mid-1970s as a member of Wagon Wheels, a band that also featured Thomas Mapfumo. After Wagon Wheels rolled to fame in Southern Africa, Tuku formed Black Spirits, the band that has backed him throughout his career. Tuku has been heavily influenced by

REUPLOAD COMPLETED!!!Thanx to the ExY, Zeporro, Bill, Halfzware, Oisin, Francesco, Prodigal, Ian, Paul and other anonymous readers for their contribution! Last Re-ups: Amaia Zubiria - Haatik (2002)The Steppes - Enquire Within (1989)Sur Sudha Presents: Famous Folk Songs of Nepal - The Himalayan Lores (1996)Yair Dalal & Tarab Ensemble - Azazme (

«When many Americans hear the term "Caribbean music," they tend to think of calypso, soca, and steel drums. But technically, music of the Caribbean also includes everything from Afro-Cuban salsa, Dominican merengue, and Puerto Rican plena to Jamaican ska and reggae. If any label can be counted on to have an eclectic, broad-minded approach to Caribbean music, it's Putumayo; and sure enough,

Abdul Raheem is an international famous jazz musician from Ghana. He played together with Osibisa from 1984 to 1987. Now, he’s living and working in London. «In the early eighties Afro-Funk came to Europe, especially with the group Osibisa, where Abdul Raheem was the singer and trombonist. Already before, he gained not unessential experiences in which he professionally involved in his Black

«Es en la actualidad la más rutilante estrella de la canción ciudadana, la más vendedora, la que más graba, la que más presencia tiene en los escenarios de Buenos Aires. También, la más discutida por los tangueros tradicionales, que consideran que habla en vez de cantar y que representa una mala imitación del "Polaco" Goyeneche de la última etapa. En la vereda opuesta, provoca la admiración de

«Called by some kawkab al-sharq (star of the East) and by others “empress of Arab tunes,” Umm Kalthum, with a voice powerful and clear, can still be heard daily on radio stations in the multitudes of coffee shops and taxis all over the Arab world. Even though she died over two decades ago, her love lyrics, national odes and religious chants continue to affect millions of people. Her audience, as

«Après des études d'Histoire, d'ethnologie et de Sanskrit à Aix-en-Provence, Jan-Mari Carlotti commence à chanter en Provençal avec Mont-Jòia qui participe activement à la renaissance de la chanson et de la musique traditionnelle du Sud-Est (73-83). Responsable des Rescòntres de la Mar (premier festival dédié aux musiques méditerranéennes) il mène plusieurs enquêtes son et vidéo sur la culture

Thanx to all!

«Zap Mama is an all-female a cappella quintet founded by Zaire native Marie Daulne. Daulne's father was killed during the revolution of 1960 while her mother was pregnant with her, so the remainder of the family fled to the forests and found refuge with a tribe of pygmies. Daulne was raised primarily in Europe, but when she heard a recording of traditional pygmy music at age 20, she decided to

These days, sadly, there are not many reasons left to be proud of being Italian.Luckily, however, a few still remain. One of these is surely Emergency. But what is Emergency?Emergency – I quote from the organization’s site – is «an independent, neutral and non-political Italian organization. Emergency provides free, high quality medical and surgical treatment to the civilian victims of war,

«Accompanying her swooping vocals on mbira, a thumb piano consisting of metal strips set in wood, Stella Chiweshe has taken the traditional Shona music of Zimbabwe to the international stage. Chiweshe reached her largest audience when she joined Peruvian vocalist Susana Baca and Tex-Mex singer-guitarist Tish Hinojosa for the Global Diva tour in 1997.One of the few women to play the mbira,

Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

Many thanx to Nestor, who figured out the titles of the tracks of a wonderful Chinese double CD I posted some time ago. Click here:"Gu Yue Xin Yun (Old Music, New Sound) - Chinese Traditional Music"and go to the comments area to see the results. Thanx again!

Produced by Magnús Þór Sigmundsson and Rafin R. Jónsson, Icelandic Folk Music is the instrumental version of Íslandsklukkur.A cd of even more haunting beauty than its predecessor, Icelandic Folk Music features Eggert Pálsson (Bódhran Drum, Percussion), Sigurður Halldórsson (Cello), Útilegumannakórinn (Choir), Birgir Bragason (Contrabass), Rúnar Vilbergsson (Fagott), Dan Cassady (Fiddle), Martial

The first of two twin projects addressing the folk tradition of Iceland, Íslandsklukkur features the following artists: Ýmsir hljóðfæraleikarar, Ómur Íslandsklukkna, Egill Ólafsson, Voces Thules, Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir, Magnús Þór Sigmundsson, Bergþór Pálsson, Kristjana Stefánsdóttir, Sverrir Guðjónsson, Ragnar Davíðsson, Eggert Pálsson. For German speaking readers: click here for more

«Moğollar (The Mongols) was established in December 1967 when Aziz Azmet (vocal, guitar), Murat Ses (hammond organ), Cahit Berkay (guitar, saz, tambur), Hasan Sel (bass) and Engin Yörükoglu (drums) joined forces to rock the Turkish music scene. Less than a year later, Hasan quit and Taner Öngür took his place. In February 1968 they released their first single. They spent the entire year of 1969

Difondo are an experimental band from Sardinia. Himalaya is their last work. Not exactly my cup of tea, but a fine work indeed, quite original and fluent. The group, consisting of Sergio Camedda (sampler, looper, voice, cd players, turntable, sound objects, fx and space controller), Giampaolo Campus (sampler/ looper, synth, drum machine, sound objects, glockenspiel, melodica, fx and space

«Caçuá, a word with Tupi (Indigenous Brazilian Language) origins, is a wicker or vine basket used to carry provisions and is transported by beasts of burden in the inland parts of the Brazilian Northeast.It is also an inspired baião by João Lyra and Maurício Carrilho whose name Caçuá baptizes the second CD by French violinist settled in Rio since 2001, Nicolas Krassik.The mixture of colors and

«After the Ethiopiques series (follow the link for Volume 14), Buda musique launch a new collection dedicated to the Swahili popular music, especially the Taarab, played for more than an hundred years on the eastern coast of Africa. This new collection, A hundred years of Taarab in Zanzibar presents popular Swahili music from the eastern coast of Africa – Lamu, Mombasa, Tanga, Dar es Salaam,

«A CD reissue of a mid-'70s repackaging of Mongo Santamaria's first two Fantasy albums, 1958's Yambu and 1959's Mongo, Afro-Roots is superb Latin jazz. Although these were Santamaria's first albums as a leader, the conga player had already worked with Pérez Prado, Tito Puente, and Cal Tjader, giving him absolutely impeccable Latin jazz credentials to go along with his obviously amazing chops.

As a tribute to Richard Wright, here are the first five Pink Floyd singles (1967-1968), indelebly marked by his highly creative keyboard playing. There's no need to present one by one such classic tunes, I guess. Their titles speak for themselves... So long, Rick (and thanks for all the fish, Douglas Adams would have probably added...)!Tracklist: 1. Arnold Layne

In memory of Richard Wright.

Rale - Rale (1994) Orchestra Makassy - Agwaya (1982) Bustan Abraham - Ashra (2000) No Blues - Farewell Shalabiye (2005)

In my opinion, this Incredible String Band’s final effort was a good album, much underrated at the time of its release. “Maker of Islands” is a wonderful song, not ruined by its sweeping orchestration. “Dreams of No Return” is Robin Williamson at his best. And the epic suite “Ithkos” is a saucerful of surprises (the proto-world Greek intro, nice orchestral passages, even hard rocking bits in a

«Pierre Akendengué is one of African music's great visionaries —a onetime protest singer turned composer turned cult favorite turned cultural minister, Akendengué has always marched to the beat of his own drummer. Born in 1943 in Aouta, Gabon, Akendengué left Gabon at the age of 22 to pursue an Education in France. There he settled in Orléans (and later, Paris), where he took a degree in

«Burhan Ocal's instruments are as diverse as his music. In addition to a wide variety of percussion, such as the darbuka (a vase-shaped drum played with the fingers), he is a highly skilled player on a number of stringed instruments, including the divan-saz, tanbur and oud. His expressive voice adds to the spectrum of musical elements at his command. Since 1977, Burhan Ocal has divided his time

El Bicho - El Bicho VII (2007) The Rough Guide to the Music of Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (2005) Pat Metheny - One Quiet Night (2004) Super Biton - Belle Époque (1999) Raquel Tavares - Raquel Tavares (2006) Putumayo Presents: Nuevo Latino (2004) Yalla - The Beard of the Camel (1996)

Star Band Number One - N°2 de N°1 (2000) Cuarteto Patria & Manu Dibango - Cubafrica (1998) The Rough Guide to Bhangra (2001) I.K. Dairo MBE & His Blue Spots - Definitive Dairo (1996) Les Bantous de la Capitale - 1963-1969 (1993) Cara Dillon - Cara Dillon (2001)

Asiaminor - Sokak Boyunca (1991) African Party Volume 1 (1966-1968) Ghazal - Moon Rise Over The Silk Road (2000) Lynda Lemay - Live (1999) Quartetto Marini - Cantata Profana (1990) Bembeya Jazz National - Authenticité 73 / Parade Africaine (1973) Bevinda - Fatum (1994) Skolvan - Kerzh Ba'n' Dans / Entrez dans la Danse (1991)

Since I'm leaving again for a while, I will answer to your messages and e-mails as soon as I'll be back. Thanx, anyway, and keep writing me. Without your love and appreciation, this blog wouldn't have much sense. Cheers, RaduPlease, report dead links here. Thanx!

«Sokak Boyunca (Along The Street) is the title of a CD by the Turkish group Asiaminor, released by Face Music Switzerland. Contemporary and creative music which is equally characterised by updated traditional ethnic influences and by suspenseful dealing with additional material, for instance from the sectors of jazz, jazz rock and rock, in the meantime has become the trademark of Face Music. The

Hello everybody! I’m leaving for a brief holiday, but I’m not gonna leave you thirsty for music, ‘cause this is a real gem, which I am sure will be in heavy rotation in your mp3 player for the whole summer! So, have fun with the African Party! See ya soon, Radu «In the nineteen-seventies, many quality recordings of classic Congolese bands were issued in the AFRICAN 360 series,

«Westerners have become increasingly familiar with the classical music of India since it first became fashionable in the 60s. But the Persian tradition, without a Beatles/Ravi Shankar collaboration to promote it, has remained a mystery, although it is becoming more recognized. Ghazal creates (or rather, re-creates) a musical bridge between two of the world's most expressive and distinctive

One of my favourite "summer songs".Have fun!

«French Canadian singer/songwriter Lynda Lemay has been a star in her native Quebec since the early '90s, and also has a large following in Europe, where her playful, poignant writing style is appreciated for its compassionate, literate, and often humorous approach to both the large and small requirements of contemporary life. With a novelist's eye for detail and an endearing ability to make

Rachel's – Music fo Egon Schiele (1996) Dazkarieh – Dazkarieh (2002) Iva Bittova - River of Milk (1991)

One of the best female Italian folksingers, here in action with her wonderful vocal quartet, in a more experimental mood. Well worth diggin’it! «Il quartetto vocale nasce nel 1976 con lo scopo di eseguire alcune musiche che avevo scritto con intento polifonico, ma che eseguivo

«During the 1960s and '70s, Guinea's all-powerful president Sekou Toure created a system of state-sponsored national orchestras and instructed them to create modern interpretations of the country's folkloric music. Toure's policy of authenticité forced bands to meld traditional music with the Cuban styles and Congolese rumba popular at that time. Guitarists learned to echo the fluid melodies of

«A French journalist once tagged her the “fada” of the Fado (fairy of the Fado). If Fado may be an important element in her music, she proved through the years that she was quite an unusual singer who found her path and her voice as she built her own world between the realms Portugal of her native land and France the country where she now lives.Well known to the French audience, Bévinda has

«Créé en 1984, a été l'un des moteurs du renouveau de la musique bretonne. Cette période s'impose par le formidable travail de la part des musiciens pour la sauvegarde de la musique traditionnelle en Bretagne, patrimoine alors en péril. C'est dans ce contexte que Youenn Le Bihan tenta une expérience de groupe en invitant deux professeurs du conservatoire de musique traditionnelle de Ploemeur (

«Cutting down the usual mass of music contained in any given Brazilian compilation, and following the more regional focus of the Bahia Rough Guide, this album covers the more urban music of Brazil — the samba, bossa nova, carioco, and so on. Some electronic samba opens the album, followed quickly by a rendition of a classic Gilberto Gil piece. Fusions of samba with electronica, bossa nova with

«Number 2 de Number 1 is the second instalment in the Senegalese salsa/mbalax story of Star Band and Number One de Dakar. Number One were the main rivals to Orchestre Baobab in the 1970s. Both had similar sounds apart from the guitars. Baobab's Barthelemy Attiso is the consummate technician and plays quietly but his understated leads creep up on you till you are totally engulfed in his sound.

«Founded by vocalist and maracas player Maria Emilia Garcia, guitarist Pancho Cobas and the group's first director, Francisco Coba La in 1939, Cuarteto Patria achieved international success after guitarist/tres player and lead vocalist Eliades Ochoa assumed leadership in 1978. Under the guidance of Santiago, Chile-born Eliades Ochoa, the group expanded its early bolero and criolla repertoire to

Many thanx to Mladen from Zagreb for this post!«The composer singer and flutist Tamara Obrovac from the Croatian city of Pula is one of the most impressive artists on the Croatian music scene, and in the past few years she has become very popular due to the influence of the Istrian folk music that has been the creative force of her works. Istria is a beautiful Croatian region, a North Adriatic

«The Rough Guide to Bhangra marks a milestone in the history of Bhangra by bringing together, for the first time ever, most of the key artists and labels onto one CD. Every track is a classic, no padding, no 'fillers', just hit after hit. You don't need to understand the words, just get the vibe. From humble beginnings in the North Indian Punjab region, where Bhangra began as traditional folk

«Attention, groupe mythique! En effet, son histoire commence lorsque six musiciens, auteurs, compositeurs jouant dans diverses formations déjà réputées (Rock-A-Mambo, OK Jazz, Négro Jazz…) à Léopoldville – aujourd’hui, Kinshasa – rejoignent leur Brazzaville originel au début de l’indépendance. C’est précisément le 15 août 1959 que se créent les Bantous de la Capitale qui ne tarderont pas à

Pop music from Uzbekistan! Maybe not a masterpiece, but a curious piece of music indeed! «Yalla, the leading popular music group in the former Soviet central Asian republics, is from Tashkent – the capital of Uzbekistan, one of the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union. The group, whose name is an Uzbek word for a song accompanied by dancing, has become a popular icon in

«This is the perfect chill disc to throw in your musical rotation. A mix and match grab bag of musical styles with one common thread; it's in a Latin groove. The artists span the globe which is what one comes to expect from Putumayo. The styles of music run the gamut of Latin exotica but with an edge of electronica that results in world beats with a modern attitude. It is very exciting to hear

«Raquel Tavares edita um disco homónimo, que marca a estreia de uma jovem fadista genuinamente lisboeta, que tem feito carreira em vários palcos nacionais e europeus e, sobretudo, escola na numa casa de fados lisboeta. A descobrir. Aos 21 anos de idade, Raquel Tavares já venceu a Grande Noite do Fado, em 1997, e actuou em vários palcos nacionais (como o Café Luso) e europeus (Paris, Roma,

Hello everybody!For those who could not download I.K. Dairo's file: as you can see, now the links are working - sometimes it takes time to reupload the file (especially if it's a big one) on fileservers. So, please be patient:)As for the Tapas Box, the Box.net Team says: "the account is currently out of bandwidth. Bandwidth normally resets at the first of the month, but sometimes takes longer. If

«I.K. Dairo is often called The Father of Juju Music. In the 1950s and 1960's Juju was considered music of the 'poorer' people because it wasn't modern enough for the elite of the class-conscious Nigeria. After independence, I.K. Dairo was the chief reason Juju took off. In 1957 I.K. Dairo founded his band, the Morning Star Orchestra, later to become the Blue Spots. He incorporated rhythms from

«Born in 1975 and performing since the age of 14, Cara Dillon has created many opportunities with an almost angelic voice. Born in Dungiven, Ireland, Dillon won the All Ireland Singing Trophy at age 14. She also became vocalist for Oige, an Irish band in her area. In 1995, she became the vocalist for Equation, an Irish "folk super-group" that toured Europe and the Middle East. In July 2001,

«Biton Coulibaly was the founding member of the Segou Bambara empire. This explains why he gave his name to Mali’s most representative Bambara music orchestra. This pentatonic music style with mesmerizing rhythms is very different from the Malenké music Western countries have discovered through Salif Keita or Kassemady Diabaté. The Super Biton was formed just after Mali became indipendent. It

«Pat Metheny by himself with an acoustic guitar – for longtime fans it might not get any better. Always interested in blending jazz with folk and pop, the guitarist does just that, focusing heavily on the folk end of things on One Quiet Night. Featuring a nice afterglow interpretation of Norah Jones' hit "Don't Know Why" and an unexpected reinterpretation of "Ferry Cross the Mersey" which turns

«Elbicho VII is Elbicho’s third album. Two years after their last album and with two golden discs in their pocket, the seven members of Elbicho (hence the name of the album), are back with their peculiar brand of flamenco fusion. 15 new tracks, with a special appearance by Bebe. A new and fresh approach that mixes rumbas, tangos and bulerías with jazz, rock and African and Moroccan rhythms. Their

A video for Miró by Chris Draper. It was made in 1990-91? at the time of the 1st Iraq conflict and was released as a 7" single and film... (More info here)

Some time ago, an anonymous reader (thanx!) left a link for the first Miró album in the comments section of my first Miró post, devoted to their beautiful The Divine E.P. Since it’s a very nice album, worthy of your attention, I thought it deserved a post of its own. «Roderick "Roddie" I. Harris (v,g), nato nel 1963 da madre spagnola e padre inglese, influenze che vanno dalla Incredible

«Dans la lignée un peu bancale de son père écrivain qui s’attache à la description minutieuse et drôle des petits plaisirs quotidiens, Vincent chante les drames familiers de l’existence. Il se situe lui-même dans la lignée d’une tradition qui évolue avec le temps, celle de la chanson à textes estampillée "rive gauche". Sa devise ? Trouver la légèreté en chaque chose…» (Lisez plus) «In the

«How wonderful to finally be able to refer to apartheid, South Africa's former policy of brutally enforced racial exclusion and oppression, in the past tense! However, it is important to never forget how it was back then, and this album provides a virtual time capsule of an audacious period during the long, bitter battle for equality. In the '70s, a white, English-born, South Africa-based singer

«Thierry Robin, known as “Titi”, the self-taught musician born at the end of the fifties in western France, has created a musical world for himself instinctively assimilating elements in response to his need to express himself. The two worlds in which he has navigated daily and that have both directly and deeply influenced him are the gipsy and oriental cultures.Before the World Music trend was

«Definitely the first Lady of rai, Cheikha Remitti was born Saadia in the small town of Relizane in Oran. She was orphaned at an early age and as a young woman, made her daily bread by working as a dancer with a group of cheiks who performed rural music in the streets of Oran. She subsequently began to sing, performing husky and sensuous songs about the hard living and hard loving of the Algerian

«Music is considered a crucial means of communication by the founder of The Armenian Navy Band, Arto Tunçboyaciyan, a percussionist and vocalist of Armenian descent. Arto claims music as his instrument of choice to express his highest aspirations: love, respect and truth. The Armenian Navy Band’s compositions are all originals of Arto Tunçboyaciyan which, he insists, “have the sound of my life”

«Iva Nova was formed in St.Petersburg in 2002, when five young Russian ladies met to create a new collective of musicians. All of them had had vast experience of playing at gigs with various groups and having found themselves to be really kindred souls, they started off their joint career, naturally and courageously combining the tunes and instrumentation of traditional Slavonic music with the

I don’t know much about this rare LP, except that Afro Funk were from Ghana and Body Music was released by Kabana Records in 1973 (presumably, both in their own country and in the UK). It’s a nice example of Afro-funk, anyway, worthy of your attention. Have fun! Link in comments Note: Please, before asking me to reupload a file, check all the host sites – one or two links could still be

«One of Ravi Shankar's first Western recordings – made at London's Abbey Road Studios in 1963 (a full two years before George Harrison was introduced to Shankar's music) and originally released in the U.S. on the tiny jazz-oriented indie World Pacific – India's Master Musician makes some slight concessions toward the untutored Western audience. The liner notes are almost teacherly in their dry

«Fans of Afro-Latin roots music will love this album. Setuagenarian percussionist, singer and songwriter Paulino Salgado “Batata” hails from the village of San Basilio de Palenque, hidden away in an isolated mountain range close to Colombia's Caribbean coast. This is the legendary “village of the Cimarróns”, founded four centuries ago by Africans who had escaped the slave port of nearby Cartagena

A great instrumental album from Brazil, introducing us to the multi-faceted and fascinating sound of the viola caipira, made available by the artist himself in his nice blog Acervo Origens.Bravo, Cacai! «Pernambucano criado em Brasília, Cacai Nunes é parte de uma geração de músicos que vem desenvolvendo uma linguagem musical contemporânea, com a cara de Brasília. A cidade em que se criou

«Hailed throughout Africa as "le Dieu de la Guitare," Nicolas Kasanda was born of Baluba parentage on 7 July 1939 in Mikalayi in the Kasai province of the then Belgian Congo. His father played accordion. In 1950, aged 11, Nico was introduced to Opika Studios by his cousin Tino Baroza and older brother Mwamba Déchaud who were session musicians there. At 14, he joined Joseph Kabaselle's African

«Following the recent eruption of great women singers from Cape Verde, along comes a new sound from a young man named Tcheka. Having penned the opening and closing tracks for Lura's acclaimed debut album, this summer he will tour with the great "barefoot diva" Cesaria Evora, who brought Cape Verde to the world on the waves of her soulful morna. While the world has heard the female voice emanating

«15 musicians from 11 countries and 3 continents, speaking in 8 different languages thrown together to create an absolutely novel music. World Music in the true sense of the word, music from Planet Earth, the globe in its entirety. The Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio represents a unique experience, perhaps the first of its kind. Each musician brought to the orchestra their instruments and personal

«Originally more of a collective than a band, the Barcelona-based flamenco fusion group Ojos de Brujo, which translates to Eyes of the Wizard, came together in the mid-'90s when guitarist Ramon Giménez began playing with likeminded experimental musicians like singer Marina "La Canillas" Abad and percussionist Xavi Turull, trying to find out what kind of sound they could create. In 1999, as an

Piet Mondrian, Still Life with Ginger Jar II. / Stilleven met gemberpot II (1911/12). Oil on canvas, 91.5 x 120 cm. Gemeentemuseum, the Hague, Netherlands.

«The Klezmatics take one of the wildest approaches to klezmer, the traditional dance music of the Eastern European Jews. Although their music is heavily influenced by the recordings of Abe Ellstein and Dave Tarras in the 1940s and 1950s, their lyrics comment on a wide variety of political and social issues and have led the group to be labeled "the planet's radical Jewish roots band." Much of

«Gabin Dabirè è nato a Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso da una famiglia di sangue reale del gruppo etnico Dagari e approda in Europa, prima in Danimarca e poi in Italia, alla metà degli anni ‘70, per completare gli studi superiori. Immediato il suo contatto con un ”area” musicale alternativa europea, le cui vie lo conducono fra il ‘77 e il ‘78 a lunghi soggiorni di studio in India. A Milano nel

«Muziek uit het land van de sneeuw. Puuren zuiver. Helemaal zoals het tot veertig jaar geleden in Tibetgeklonken heeft. Zo willen Namgyal Lhamo, Kelsang Chukie Tethong enTobden Gyamtso van Gang Chenpa – ‘Mensen uit het land van de sneeuw’ – zingen. In het huidige Tibet is dat vrijwel onmogelijk. Veertig jaar Chineseoverheersing heeft haar sporen nagelaten. Daarmee is het traditioneleTibetaanse

«Boubacar Traore has been dodging musical stardom for most of his life. People called him Kar Kar, “a nickname I got from playing soccer when I was young. People would yell 'Kari, Kari' – dribble, dribble – the name stuck with me.” In his youth, Boubacar Traore was known as the Malian Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley. People woke up every day to hear him singing on the radio. His most popular song at

«The Levellers' first full-length release, after a well-received pair of EPs, falls somewhere in between the Mekons in the middle of their political-folky days and the hard-edged trad folk-rock of the Oyster Band, with a foreshadowing of Ani DiFranco's direct folk-punk as well. More rock than folk, but obviously rooted in traditional British folk idioms, A Weapon Called the Word is a tough,

Picture: Mauritz

Juana Molina – Son (2006) Ossian – St Kilda Wedding (1978)

«“Si hay algo especial en Venezuela es que en cualquier reunión aparece un cuatro o una guitarra, alguna tía con talento musical comienza a cantar, las primas le hacen coro, el amigo del amigo toca las maracas, se improvisa, se cuentan anécdotas, chistes, y se forma un alboroto hasta que “el cuerpo aguante”… De este ambiente festivo y alegre está impregnado el disco Trío Acústico Venezolano.

«Thai music hasn't had much exposure on the world stage, but on the basis of the excellent Rough Guide to the Music of Thailand compilation, it's only a matter of time before it emerges as a global force. The emphasis here is on the lukthung and morlam styles, which originated in northern Thailand, illustrated in both traditional and more modern pop forms, but there are also oddities like the

«Au cours des années 90, un courant dit néoréaliste a envahi le paysage musical français en lui insufflant au passage une énergie poétique tout à fait revigorante. Parmi les figures de proue de cette nouvelle vague, est apparu un groupe tout en franchise gouailleuse, la Tordue. C'est autour du quartier de Belleville à Paris que se sont rencontrés les deux premiers membres de la Tordue. Benoît

Photo: RMF

«If you want to know what's rocking the kasbah these days, Arabic Groove is where to start. From Algeria, Morocco, Egypt an other Arab countries we hear the dance-floor grooves and detect the influence of Western pop, notably funk, hip-hop and electronica. This of course makes sense from the Arabic point of view as those artists now get played alongside Westerners. In 1996 Khaled had a number

«Most of the great Afropop styles have grown out of a joining of urban and rural ideas, of indigenous roots and foreign borrowings. The story of Congolese pop music provides a complex and powerful example. By the closing years of the Belgian Congo, the city of Leopoldville (today's Kinshasa) was a place where city boys plucked out highlife songs on box guitars, phonographs and radios played the

The Cracow Klezmer Band – Bereshit (2003) Oregon – Music of Another Present Era (1973) Black Sugar – Viajecito (1970-72)

«“Born in Africa, brought up in America, hip hop has come full circle,” proclaims Daara J on the title track of the group’s American debut album Boomerang (Wrasse Records, 2004) – featuring, among others, Rokia Traoré & Sargent Garcia. Hailing from Senegal, the western-most country in Africa, Daara J must have caught some of the sound waves rolling over the Atlantic from the South Bronx in the

«I've long admired Pressgang for their ability to provide no-holds-barred folk-punk. And this is English electro-acoustic folk-punk with a capital "E" and a capital "NGLISH," the kind of waggish onslaught on tradition that is definitely not for the faint of heart. In fact this album may very well redefine the genre. I am mystified by the lack of attention Fire! has received in both the overseas

«By now anyone even remotely interested in Latin music has heard of (and listened to) the legendary Buena Vista Social Club. Their Grammy award and their well received feature length documentary has catapulted their music from the Hispanic community to mainstream America. BVSC has been described as "not exactly a band but rather a gathering of the nineteen most talented living latin musicians"

«Sali Sidibé is another exponent of wassoulou style of music, predominantly performed by female singers from the South of Mali. In the footsteps of the pioneers Kagbe Sidibé and Coumba Sidibé, Sali became one of the most popular Wassoulou singers in Mali.Her music is somewhat different from that of Oumou Sangaré, but more similar to the style of Nahawa Doumbia since she is using the same didadi

«Enrico Erriquez Greppi, un bilingue dal passato franco lussemburghese, convince A. M. Finaz, rampante chitarrista elettrico, a gettare alle ortiche qualsiasi amplificatore o pedale di sua appartenenza. Questo per la convinzione di Erriquez che sarebbe bello e divertente portare su un palco la stessa atmosfera di festa che si instaura nelle "cantate tra amici", momenti magici in cui stonati e

«In 1951, the father of Bulgarian concert folk music, Philip Koutev, established the Ensemble of the Bulgarian Republic. His goals was to join the rich heritage of his country's solo folk songs with harmonies and arrangements that highlighted their beautiful timbres and irregular rhythms. One year later, the Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir was founded. Then as now, its

«With the passing of trumpet player, saxophonist, and vocalist Emmanuel Tettey "E.T." Mensah on July 19, 1996, at the age of 78, Ghana lost one of its most influential musicians. Respectfully known as "the father of modern highlife," Mensah played a vital role in the evolution of Ghana's music. In the early '90s, Mensah recalled his revamping of highlife, explaining, "We urgently wanted an

«Best known for the shimmering "Under the Milky Way," their lone Top 40 hit, the Australian band the Church combined the jangling guitar pop of '60s icons like the Byrds with the opaque wordplay of frontman Steve Kilbey to create a lush, melancholy brand of neo-psychedelia rich in texture and melody. Formed in Sydney in 1980 by vocalist/bassist Kilbey with guitarist Peter Koppes and drummer Nick

Though they were initially discovered while playing at a small club in Puerto Vallarta, the acoustic duo of Willie Royal and Wolfgang "Lobo" Fink had been influenced by the music of the entire world — Royal, though born in Texas, traveled with his Air Force father to Turkey, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands and France, while Fink, born in Germany, also lived in Spain, Jamaica and Mexico. As such,

«Lo sterminato patrimonio musicale dei paesi dell'Est europeo, le radici e l'immutata carica vitale e spesso eversiva riescono a sorprenderci sempre. Sandy Lopicic Orkestar è nata e cresciuta intorno al suo leader che ha dovuto emigrare per portare avanti il suo progetto musicale e per portarsi dietro un pezzo della sua amata patria. Bosniaco di Sarajevo, si trasferisce in Germania a causa dei

A small tribute to a giant of African music (and not only) «Un album sensible, mariné de douceurs multiples. Un album cuit à point... pourrait-on dire. Le meilleur -probablement- de la part de ce pionnier des sentiers modernes de la musique. En compagnie du quartet Amaya (African Music Yet Authentic), dans lequel on retrouve ses deux surdoués de fils, Toups et Patrick (saxophone,percus, sanza

«Paranda is a musical tradition of the Garifuna, whose ancestry can be traced to West Africans (Ibo, Yoruba, and Ashanti tribes) and the Arawak Indians of the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean. Today the Garifuna live in Belize, where they established communities in 1802 after being first exiled to Honduras from their native St. Vincent, then fleeing Honduras to escape a civil war. Paranda

«In an attempt to preserve the Nepali classical and folk music, Sur Sudha Records is proud to present this collection of popular Nepali folk songs in compact disc for the first time in Nepal. In this collection, all the music collected has been sung and arranged by renowned musicians and singers of Nepal. Nepal is a country with many different communities and different landscapes – from the

Chéri Chérin (Dem. Rep. of Congo), Que nous réserve le 21ème siècle? (2006)

A wonderful band from Niger, which recently I had the pleasure to see live. Enjoy! «Mamar Kassey is a group from Niger that presents original songs and music based on the traditions of the different people of that country, which includes the Sahel, the Peul, the Songhaï, the Djerma, and the Haoussa. As with all African music styles, rhythms, dance, and songs are the heart of this very

A folk-rock classic from UK, and an old favourite of mine. «The Men They Couldn’t Hang were officially formed in early 1984. The founding members were Phil "Swill" Odgers (vocals, guitar), Paul Simmonds (guitar, bouzouki, keyboards) and Jon Odgers (drums) from punk-pop band Catch 22 with Shanne Bradley (bass, flute – former member of Shane MacGowan’s band "The Nips") and Stefan Cush (vocals,

Picture: RMF

«On first thought, one might be hard-pressed to find a common ground between Algerian raï music and Latin jazz. But for the pianist Maurice el Medioni, an Algerian-born Jew who left his home for France decades ago as an exile, and the Cuban-born, New York-based percussionist Roberto Rodriguez, the link connecting North Africa and Cuba is a direct one – by way of Spanish Andalusia. World music

Another incredible album from one of India’s finest bands (in case you missed it, click here for their Kandisa album). Enjoy! «Indian Ocean is a musical ensemble that refuses to pigeonhole itself. Others spend considerable time trying to define their music; the members of the group sidestep that issue politely. Almost every time. But, a few things are certain: their vista is phenomenally wide

«One of multi-instrumentalist and composer Yusef Lateef's most enduring recordings, Eastern Sounds was one of the last recordings made by the band that Lateef shared with pianist Barry Harris after the band moved to New York from Detroit, where the jazz scene was already dying. Lateef had long been interested in Eastern music, long before John Coltrane had ever shown any public interest anyway,

«[…] Dread Beat An’ Blood was Linton Kwesi Johnson’s debut recording, the first time his political poetry had been accompanied by the powerful beats of reggae. This new form of music, revolutionary in terms of language, content and style, came to be known as ‘dub poetry’ and Johnson is still the foremost and most uncompromising practitioner of the art. Using the patois of Jamaican speech, Johnson

«This live recording captures the great Senegalese band around the time of their finest recordings (Amadou-Tilo and Casamance au Clair de Lune) and offers some wonderful performances of their greatest hits, including "Salya" and "Emma." Their accompanying musicians are out in full force; though, with the exception of the occasional cheesy synthesizer fill, they're largely reined in, providing the

«It's hard to imagine a more disjointed upbringing than Kevin Johansen's: the songwriter grew up in Alaska and Argentina (to an American father and Argentinean mother). As an adult he spent a decade in New York City honing his chops and writing. Since moving to Buenos Aires in 2000, he's become one of Argentina's biggest pop stars thanks to a mildly psychedelic American-style folk song sung in

«Amaia Zubiria (San Sebastian – Gipuzkoa, 1947) has a marvelous voice and a deep knowledge of traditional song. Together with Txomin Artola she was a longtime member of the ensemble Haizea, and after persuing solo careers for a number of years they came together again to record the beautiful and interesting ‘Folk Lore Sorta’ series of albums of traditional Basque song. Haatik is decidedly

Picture: RMF

«Formed in 1991 (the same year as Alei Hazayit), Bustan Abraham was the brainchild of Avshalom Farjun, a concert promoter and self-taught Israeli musician. Up to that point Farjun had expressed his interest in music from Turkey, Persia,and India through his choice of foreign musicians to bring to Israel for concerts. Avshalom Farjun sowed the seeds for Bustan Abraham when he brought Krishnamurti

«Following in the footsteps of the legendary Parranderos from the Caribbean coast of Central America, with an enchanting blend of African and Latin acoustic roots, Aurelio emerges as one of the most exceptional Garifuna artists of his generation. Acclaimed for both his preservation and modernization of the Paranda musical tradition, Aurelio's virtuosity is found in his distinctive, penetrating

«[…] The Berlin-based group emerged after the Berlin Wall fell. “It was like someone had opened a hidden door,” explains vocalist and lyricist Kiki Sauer. “New and exciting music from Eastern Europe flooded into town with new grooves. All we could do was listen, learn, and try to find our own musical connections.” The band started with a simple concept, says vocalist and musical mastermind

Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris

«When Abdel Gadir Salim, the exceptional singer, composer and oud (Sudanese lute) player was a student at the prestigious Institute of Music & Drama in Khartoum, he turned for inspiration to the music of his native Kordofan. The province of Kordofan is a desert region to the west of the country, where most of the people are nomadic cattle herders. They came to this part of Sudan from every corner

«Chapa, pintura y lifting: eso hizo Rivero y compañía a sus creaciones desde 1987 a 2002. Como toda cirugía, algunas parecen necesarias, otras ayudan un poco y hay las que pasan inadvertidas. Además de estas 10 intervenciones “mecanicoquirúrgicas”, La Tabaré, creó dos temas nuevos y versionó un tema de Sumo y otro de Viglietti. El disco arranca con “Kafkarudo”, un éxito a primera vista – evítese

Guido Daniele, Elefante (2006)

«One of a handful of Afro beat/Afro jazz compilations put out by British promoter and DJ Ross Dewbury, Club Africa features an infectious blend of '70s cuts informed by Fela's groundbreaking Afro roots and jazz blend. High profile moments come courtesy of Mandingo, Peter King, and Miriam Makeba, revealing the collection's cross-cultural bent in the process. In fact, a good amount here is global,

«Along with his brother, Suleyman, Kudsi Erguner is one of the top players of the ney, a Turkish reed flute. In addition to his own recordings, Erguner has performed with Peter Gabriel, Maurice Bejart, Peter Brook, Georges Aperghis, Didier Lockwood and Michel Portal. His compositions and collaborations have been heard in the films, The Last Temptation Of Christ and Meetings With Remarkable Men,

«The three original members of Chambao – La Mari, El Edi, and Dani – made waves in the world music scene with their new brand of flamenco, called flamenco chill, which combined the passion and vocal style of traditional Andalusian flamenco with elements of electronica, specifically chillout. Formed in the early morning hours of the 2001 summer solstice in Malaga, Spain, Chambao first appeared to

Chéri Chérin (Dem. Rep. of Congo), L'Esclavagisme (2006)

Here's a great collection of late 70's-early 80's Senegalese urban music from the authoritative Dakar Sound series. This fourth volume features great tracks from Canari de Kaolak, Royal Band, Number One of Dakar and Takarnasse, all of them doing "their thing". So, don't expect westernized sounds or "commercial" arrangements. This is pure afro-caraibic music at its best. Enjoy!For more info about

Guido Daniele, Aquila (2001)

«The driving force behind the nueva canción movement, singer Mercedes Sosa was born and raised in Tucumán, Argentina, beginning her performing career at age 15 after taking top honors in a radio station amateur competition. A rich, expressive vocalist and a gifted interpreter, Sosa was dubbed "the voice of the silent majority" for her choice of overtly political material, and alongside artists

«Easily one of the best and most distinctive combos of the neo-psychedelic crop, combining a subtly baroque musical sensibility with an ability to pull off ambitiously original arrangements and production ideas. The Steppes capture the essence of vintage psychedelia without sounding pretentious or unduly derivative. The band's albums have steadily grown more accomplished and impressive, Enquire

«With an instrumental virtuosity and unique vocal style, D'Gary has successfully brought the musical traditions of Madagascar to the international stage. His 1991 album, Malagasy Guitar/Music from Madagascar, was produced by American guitarists Henry Kaiser and David Lindley, and served as an introduction to his musical mastery. In a review of the album, Puncture, wrote “(This) is an album for

«In late 2004, the Dutch production company Oost-Nederland commissioned a three-day exchange between Haytham Safia, guitarist Ad van Meurs and double-bass player Anna-Maarten van Heuvelan. The result was a subtle and profound conversation between classical Oriental music and American folk-blues. The tradition of folk tales inspired by the likes of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger finds a strong

«Reinterpreting songs from centuries-old songbooks, Luar Na Lubre has brought the musical traditions of Galicia, a Celtic region in northwestern Spain, to the international stage since 1986. The recipients of the Ideal award as Best Galician Folk Group awarded by the region's leading newspapers, El Ideal Gallego, the band continues to reinvent the music of their homeland. Formed in 1986 in the

Romuald Hazoumé (Benin), Ati (1994)

«Despite recent forays onto the North American concert stage under the leadership of guitarist Djelima Dytounkara, the Super Rail Band's seminal role in the development of modern Malian music is today largely forgotten. They may be credited as an early launchpad for the careers of Salif Keita and Mory Kante, but their importance is deeper than that: as the first high-profile Malian band to

«I have always tried to work on as many styles and genres of music as possible, from Ozzy Osbourne to Tears for Fears, there has always been something new to learn and enjoy from a complete change of style. The Ulytau project was sent to me by producer Tabriz Shakhidi from Russia and I immediately enjoyed their fusion of Hard Rock and traditional styles. The twisted combination of screaming rock

«While there are a few handfuls of albums of Mongolian music, and older targeted albums for particular nations, this is more of a rarity: an album covering the music of Central Asia as defined essentially by the 'Stans' of the former Soviet Union: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikstan. The music on Rough Guide to the Music of Central Asia ranges from the classical traditions

Chéri Samba (Congo), Mama Mbangala au repos, 2007

«While the African music scene is currently dominated largely by men, there has never been any stigma to speak of against women performing (with the possible exception of some of the North African Islamic nations). The catch is that women tended historically to spend less time playing instruments in favor of other portions of the rituals and work, and stayed primarily within the vocal field as a

«Mich Gerber nous délivre un premier album unique. Une musique venue d'ailleurs qui ne se danse que sur la Lune comme dirait l'autre... Des parcours languinant de contrebasse mélancoliques, une rythmique mi-percu mi-contrebasse sacadée. Le tout vous faisant "tripper à mort". Des airs orientaux, tribaux, pour ce Suisse dont l'avenir était les grands orchestres symphoniques. Un revirement total

Since a reader from Argentina requested me to post some Modena City Ramblers music, I’m very happy to anticipate the post of these “Appunti Partigiani”, which I had planned to post on the 25th of April in concomitance with the Festa della Liberazione, the Italian feast day celebrating the liberation of Italy from the German army at the end of World War II. I hope you’ll appreciate these songs of

«Dopo il mercato centrale di Kasavubu, Matongé è il cuore pulsante di Kinshasa, città di 4 milioni di abitanti [nel 1978] suddivisi in 400 etnie, capitale di un paese grande quattro volte l’Italia che ha conosciuto grandi sconvolgimenti sociali e una lunga dittatura. […] Matongé è la valvola che lascia sfiatare il vapore, una zona d’ironia libera per non impazzire. La musica zairese contemporanea

Another great offering from one of Indonesia’s finest bands, Sambasunda, this time playing with salsa and «salse» (Sundanese word for “people who usually like to relax”). To learn (and listen!) more about this amazing band, search for their Berekis album here on Babe(b)logue. Otherwise, you can read the interview with Bpk Ismet Ruchimat from Sambasunda realised in January 2002 by Judith

«Even when you consider the cultural cross-pollination that goes on in large metropolitan areas, L.A.'s Dengue Fever had perhaps the strangest genesis of any band in recent memory. It's left-field enough for a group of white musicians to cover psychedelic rock oldies from Cambodia, but finding a bona fide Cambodian pop star to front the band – and sing in Khmer, no less – is the kind of

Just in case you missed it so far... Enjoy!Learn more:http://www.freerangestudios.com/

«[…] Nato a Matadi nel 1930, [Joseph Kabaselé] frequenta i corsi di musica dei cori cattolici, come quasi tutti gli artisti del Congo belga. […] Bocciato in terza media per cattiva condotta, nel 1949 l’adolescente Kabaselé entra a far parte di un gruppo vocale, La voix de la concorde, poi si lascia alle spalle le canzoni religiose per dedicarsi alla rumba afrocubana, uno stile musicale ricco di

Thomas Mapfumo - The Chimurenga Singles 1976-1980 (1984)

For YouPicture: Noel G.-S.

«While bossa nova certainly had its moment in the sun in the U.S., it seems to have enjoyed an even greater impact in Japan – check out any of the superb Café Après-midi compilations for proof of the continuing Japanese obsession with vintage bossa beats, or better still check out Tokyo Bossa Nova Lounge, a fantastic collection of Japanese originals from the 1960s. The sound and vibe are so close

«Pink Martini was the brainchild of classically trained pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale and vocalist China Forbes; fusing a vast array of influences spanning Cuban jazz to music hall to film scores, the group honed an exotic sound which led to their 1997 debut LP, Sympathique. The group's sophomore effort, Hang on Little Tomato, emerged seven years later, followed by Hey Eugene! in 2007. Pink

«The band Farmers Market was formed in Trondheim during the fall of 1991. All members where students of the Jazz Department at the Conservatory of Trondheim. At first Farmers Market started out as a free-jazz quintet, but soon found itself heading in a completely different direction; towards Bulgarian folk-music. Since then, this Bulgarian music, with its odd meters, oriental scales and

Argentinian rock band Los Guruses kindly offers their 1996 album. Thanx, guys! «Hace muchísimos años, en una diminuta aldea de la lejana provincia de Santa Fe, llamada Casilda por sus habitantes y por otras personas, la Mala Suerte de la Música se anotó un garbanzo, tras lo cual sonrió malignamente, como es su costumbre. Unió a un grupo de individuos de dudosa calaña, comportamiento vagamente

«The background of the African Jazz Pioneers stretches back to the 1950’s, when jazz was the fashion and big bands were the name of the game.The late Ntemi Edmund Piliso, leader and founding member of AJP, nourished the group from their humble roots to their current international acclaim. In the early 1950’s Bra Ntemi and his Alexandra All Star band hit the cutting edge of South Africa’s music

«The culmination of indigenous Chinese cartography is found in the contributions of Chu Ssu-Pen and his successors who, beginning in the Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1260 -1368), established a mapping tradition that provided the basis of China's cartographic knowledge which was not seriously challenged until the early 19th century. The Mongol conquests, besides promoting the unification of Asia and

«There's a quiet, contemplative side to African music, and it is from this lineage that Geoffrey Oryema's music emerges. Although his musical roots lie in Uganda, his work has been inspired by a myriad of influences, including those from other regions of Africa, a complete understanding of Western pop music and the need to define his own unique musical identity. Singing in both English and Acholi

«This is the first comprehensive single-disc collection of the various popular and folk styles from the Central American region of the world. Included on this album's 17 selections are representative tunes of the styles of Guatemala (marimba), Belize (brukdown), Nicaragua (trova), Honduras (punta), and countless variations incorporating reggae, salsa, son, cumbia, and local styles. The performers

Elle est parisienne, elle est pas presentableElle est pas jolie,elle est pas moche non plusElle est pas a gauche, elle est pas a droite… (Louise Attaque, Léa) «French folk-rock quartet Louise Attaque emerged as one of the most successful new acts of their generation via their award-winning 1997 debut LP. Singer/guitarist Gaëtan Roussel and bassist Robin Feix first met as school children,

«This has to be one of the seminal series of recordings of what has come to be called "world music." When Trevor Herman collected and released these albums of South African township music from the 1980's on his Earthworks label, it pretty much created the genre with music that demanded a bin of its own in the record store. Here was a rock solid collection of folk, jive and groove that told the

«Nigeria's King Sunny Adé and his 20-piece African Beats hypnotize audiences with juju --deeply layered, percussive groove music. Juju started in the '20s as local bar music and developed over the years absorbing new technologies and influences. In the '50s, amplification made it possible to combine acoustic elements, such as guitar melodies and solo singing from the older palm wine music, with

Courtesy: Cri & Chris

«Theodorakis et Livaneli ont initié l'Association d'Amitié Gréco-Turque en 1987, à un moment où les armées des deux pays étaient face à face, prêtes au conflit militaire.Comme premier artiste grec, Theodorakis a alors donné des concerts publics en Turquie - ensemble avec Livaneli - et a exigé à plusieurs reprises une Confédération Gréco-Turque d'après le modèle scandinave.Livaneli a enregistré un

Courtesy: JTC

A (lost) masterpiece of British Folkedelia, in the vein of Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers and Nick Drake, and still one of my favourite albums from the 80’s. «The Great Indoors is an album of songs released in 1986 on the Bam Caruso lable. Although out of print it is still available second hand on LP and CD.Extracts from reviews at the time of release: “The best sixties-style psychedelic

A masterpiece of Italian rock. « Singer, lyricist, guitarist and pianist. Eugenio Finardi was born in 1952 in Milan, the son of an Italian sound engineer and an American opera singer who had come to Italy to sing at the LA SCALA Theatre in Milan.His first recording experiences came early in his childhood when he sang in children’s’ records and in recordings of American classics for the

«Amy Denio, Wadi Gysi, Mitch Gerber and Will Dowd in a post- (ec) Nudes. More 'acoustic' and much less experimental than the (ec) Nudes, but smoothly listenable. Well recorded and the addition of contrabasse is a plus. Usual good performance from Tone Dog Dowd.» (Chris Cutler, Squidco) «Strange and experimental but full of hooks--that defines almost everything Amy Denio touches, and certainly

«Carnival, the ecstatic release of carnal desire in the days leading up to Lent, has a long history. With its roots firmly buried in the Dionysian festivities of ancient Greece, the celebration was appropriated by the Romans for their Bacchanalian homage and then adapted by Roman Catholics to fit pre-Ash Wednesday festivities. Celebrated by Catholics and Bacchanalians alike, contemporary carnival

«The old meets the new, and Northern & Southern Sudan are united, briefly, in this fine offering. Abdel G. Salim is one of the old-guard Sudanese oud players from even before the civil war. That war put an end to most of the music in the country and is still going on in the worst display of international ineptitude in the face of genocide since Rwanda. Salim suffered more than being silenced when

Footage from the documentary Lektionen in Finsternis (Lessons of Darkness) by Werner Herzog showing some of the destruction and enviromental issues that followed after Desert Storm in 1991.The destruction seen is mainly caused by the heavy air and artillery bombardment from allied forces. The enviromental issues "Oil spill/fires" were caused by the burning oil wells sat on fire by the retreating

«Ilham commence à jouer à 12 ans comme guitariste. Il forme sont premier groupe ‘Twisters’ dans les années 60, le premier en Irak à incorporer des instruments modernes (guitar, piano, bass&piano) à la musique arabe. Une expérience plutôt mal accueillie par les médias de l’époque qui l’accusent de dénaturer la musique traditionnelle. Quelques années plus tard, il quitte Bagdad pour l’Angleterre où

«Every summer in the far north of Norway, in the land of the midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle, a unique music and culture festival is held in the municipality of Gáivuotna (Kåfjord), a few hours drive from the city of Tromsø. This festival, called Riddu Riđđu (which means, roughly, “storm off the water”), celebrates the music and culture of the Sami, the indigenous people of northern

«Presenting hits from 10 countries African Rebel Music – Roots reggae and dancehall gives a first insight into the new reggae dancehall movement in Africa (24 page booklet). So far only two reggae artist have had real international success: Lucky Dube and Alpha Blondy. A new generation has long arrived but although many of them are stars at home and regulars in their local charts, this

A love song of sparkling beauty...

«In the mid 90s, Max Masri (synths and programming – in his teens one of the last disciples of the legendary tango maestro Virgilio Expósito) went back to Buenos Aires from Germany after sharing interesting experiences with argentine emigrants and, because of that, brought the idea to create a new musical language, blending tango and modern sounds.In late 1998 he started working with Diego S.

Le rappeur sénégalais Awadi se fait, dans sa chanson « Sunugaal », la voix des immigrés clandestins qui tentent, au péril de leur vie, d’atteindre les côtes des îles Canaries. Pour la première fois, son titre est mis à la disposition des auditeurs sur son site Internet. Une première pleine de succès pour le chanteur.Listen to the song/Watch the video (use IE browser) : http://

«Lo spirito del maloya si colloca tra nostalgia e speranza, malinconia e collera, umanità rubata e felicità possibile. Le sue parole e le sue melodie in tonalità minore sono come i bagliori di uno specchio frantumato. Una poetica caratterizzata da voci lancinanti sostenute da strumenti rurali: il rouleur (tamburo di basso che si suona a cavalcioni) e il bobre (arco musicale). Il kayamb, che

«Altan has long been one of the most consistently thrilling of the current crop of traditional Irish groups, and it's difficult to pick a single highlight from their catalog. But if pressed, many fans and critics would pick either Harvest Storm or the equally fine Red Crow. Although the program is a fairly typical collection of traditional reel sets, jigs, Gaelic songs, and slow airs, every track

Angelique Kidjo - Oremi (1998)

«The late Horace Swaby, a.k.a. Augustus Pablo, was one of the canonical figures of Jamaican reggae and dub music. From the moment he emerged on the scene as a teenager with his hit single "Java" to the classics he cut with his influential Rockers band and label, Pablo made the melodica, an obscure mouth organ of European origin, an indispensable part of the reggae sound. That instrument's

Photos: Gilles

Recorded in the Netherlands in 1997, while the group was touring in Europe, Anoush features Muradian Ensemble interpreting a nice selection of Armenian folk dances. Band leader Hratchja Muradian plays kamantcha, while the other group members play kanoun, doudouk, clarinet, zurna, oud, accordion and dehol. Guest soloist Liudvig Garibian improves the musical quality of the wind instruments.

«Hugh Masekela has an extensive jazz background and credentials, but has enjoyed major success as one of the earliest leaders in the world fusion mode. Masekela's vibrant trumpet and flugelhorn solos have been featured in pop, R&B, disco, Afropop and jazz contexts. He's had American and international hits, worked with bands around the world, and played with African, African-American, European and

«In 1980 a 15-man band from Dar Es Salaam got together in a Nairobi studio for some young Brits who wanted to cash in on the Afropop boom that was happening thanks to King Sunny Ade. Mzee ("Elder") Makassy was the leader and principal vocalist of the band named after him; Tshimanga Assosa of Maquis Original contributed singing and songwriting skills. (The songs are in Shona, Swahili and Lingala.)

«To kick off this Mike D-produced East meets West extravaganza, Bhagavan Das offers the appropriate homage to Lord Ganesha, remover of obstacles and bestower of blessings. He is the first to be worshipped by dictate of his father Lord Shiva. It must be said that the words sound oh so much more sacred in the authentic Sanskrit rather than English. For instance, no one ever mistook "you have a big

«If you are into fiddle / guitar duos this one is a must! The duo Haugaard & Høirup (Harald Haugaard, violin, viola; Morten Alfred Høirup, guitar, lute and vocals) belongs certainly to the top of the creme of Danish music playing musicians. Both musicians are well known faces in the scene: Harald has played /plays in DUG, Dk-Locomotiv, Sorten Muld, Puls and Serras; Morten in Danish Dia Delight,

«Aprile 1980: lo Zimbabwe proclama l’indipendenza nazionale. Per festeggiare l’evento, Thomas Mapfumo e il suo gruppo, The Blacks Unlimited, vengono raggiunti nientemeno che da Bob Marley e dai suoi Wailers a Salisbury, in un Rufaro Stadium strapieno! […] Thomas Mapfumo incarna i sette anni di lotta nell’allora Rhodesia […] contro il potere coloniale bianco che, alleato al Sudafrica, si era

Roferu, Cuideiru (1994)

A masterpiece of Asturian folk, and a personal favourite of mine. «Llan de Cubel ye ún de los más veteranos (dende 1984) y el de mayor repercusión, internacional de los grupos del folk asturianu. El so nome ta sacáu del Picu Llan de Cubel ente los conceyos de Cuideiru y Pravia. La so música ta basada nel repertoriu tradicional asturianu (popular y ensin autor reconocíu). El so soníu ye

«Foday Musa Suso is a Mandingo (West African tribe) griot (hereditary musician and cultural curator) who can trace his hereditary lineage back to the first performer on the 21-string kora lute. After a traditional apprenticeship in Africa, he came to the US in 1977 and formed The Mandingo Griot Society to bring his native sounds to a new, receptive audience. The group included Adam Rudolph (who

«If Dread Beat An' Blood brought Johnson and initial flush of notoriety, then Forces of Victory was the record that cemented his growing reputation as a major talent. Bovell and the Dub Band swing hard on this set, especially on the album's opening track "Want Fi Goh Rave." This contains some of Johnson's most memorable songs/poems, such as the heartfelt prison saga "Sonny's Lettah" and the

«Both of these two energetic violoncellists (and singers) come from Northern Moravia, where they were passing by each other while studying at the Ostrava Conservatory. They met in Brno during their musicology studies at the Philosophical Faculty. Andrea (born in 1972) was at that time featured in the band BOO and in the international music-dance formation Rale, while Dorota (born in 1975) was

«This recording arrives freighted with legends. The members of Tinariwen belong to the Touareg, the romantic indigo-clad North African nomads of the Sahara desert whose men veil. They were fighters in the Touareg insurgency against the Malian government, which lasted from the 60's to the mid-90's. In military camp in Libya, they were exposed to Bob Dylan and Bob Marley, and picked up electric

Won't you please help me to put out the candle?Just click on the image!

«Hi Radu,We are WE’RE LATE FOR CLASS, an independent improv band that gives away our music. We’ve just released our 20th post, A Collection, and it features our best work from the last year.We’re writing you in hopes that you might post our new album on your fine blog. It would mean a lot to us to reach your wider audience... and to just be acknowledged by other bloggers like yourself would be a

Photo: JTC

Another fine contribution from Chris (aka Avantgarterbelt). Many thanx! «Mode Plagal, a pioneering jazz-folk Greek fusion group offering a unique approach to traditional music, has created a signature sound both familiar and refreshingly new, that has led to their album topping many lists of the best recordings of 2001 in Greece. This is a work produced with great care, with an international

«Compilers Alan Bishop and Mark Gergis (of American bands Sun City Girls and Neung Phak, respectively) use the word "groove" advisedly in the title of their new release. Molam: Thai Country Groove from Isan doesn’t have a single cut that would fit in on a collection of funk dusties, but a great number of these rustic tracks definitely impart head-nodding bliss. The term molam represents a group

Photo: MauritZ ®

Some time ago, Francesco (many thanx, although regrettably belated!)from Sardinia sent me this beautiful album by the sadly late Maria Carta, one of the best interpreters and innovators of Sardinian folk music. Somehow, the files got lost in the vaults of my hard disk. Now, prompted by another reader from Sardinia who sent me a picture of his beautiful land, at last I managed to find it. So here

Another fine contribution from Tobi (Thanx again!). «At first blush, adding Roswell Rudd to a group of native West African musicians might seem, well, stretched. Surprisingly, though, it proves a remarkably impressive combination — in large part due to the simple melodies, the opportunity for the trombonist to stretch out, and the quality of the band. Curiously, although recorded in Mali,

«Fino ai primi Anni Settanta, strutture e strumenti musicali etnici erano presenti solo in un certo tipo di jazz o di musica contemporanea. John Coltrane impiegava moduli africani e asiatici nelle sue composizioni per sassofono, pianoforte, contrabbasso e batteria. Charlie Mariano e Yusef Lateef usavano strumenti e scale melodiche etniche in abbinamento con il piano, la batteria ecc. Anche gruppi