The Venus & the Sky Turn to Clay album is the first totally instrumental release of Makana, a young Hawaiian maestro of slack key guitar.…
View More Hawaiian Guitar Virtuoso Makana Releases Instrumental CDCategory: Album reviews
Tinariwen’s Desert Blues, a Force of Nature
Tinariwen Imidiwan: Companions (World Village) The desert blues men and women of Tinariwen are back with their latest CD Imidiwan: Companions, set for release October…
View More Tinariwen’s Desert Blues, a Force of NatureVital DVD Ouled Bambara: Portraits of Gnawa
Ouled Bambara: Portraits of Gnawa (Twos & Fews, 2009) The CD and DVD set Ouled Bambara: Portraits of Gnawa reveals the creatively rich lives and…
View More Vital DVD Ouled Bambara: Portraits of GnawaFunky Tejanos
Brownout Aguilas and Cobras (Six Degrees, 2009) In Austin (Texas) there is a thriving musical scene that includes musicians who are taking Hispanic Texan music…
View More Funky TejanosAfrobeat Explorers Aphrodesia Release Precious Commodity
Aphrodesia Precious Commodity (Shackrobeat Records, 2009) Precious Commodity, the latest recording by Aphrodesia takes American Afrobeat into exciting new explorations. While the Afrobeat rhythms, powerful…
View More Afrobeat Explorers Aphrodesia Release Precious CommodityBack to the Mountain
Eddie Palmieri Vamonos Pa’l Monte (Fania, 2009) Vamonos pa’l Monte (Let’s go to the Mountain) is the reissue of a fabulous recording by Eddie Palmieri,…
View More Back to the MountainUmami by Murat Ses
Murat Ses Umami (Clou Records Clou-008 and on digital portals iTunes, aol.de, etc) ’Umami’ is a Japanese word meaning "savory" thus applies to the sensation…
View More Umami by Murat SesRocksteady: The Roots of Reggae
Various Artists Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae (Moll-Selekta, 2009) The idea of a Buena Vista Social Club-style reunion of reggae legends is so screamingly obvious,…
View More Rocksteady: The Roots of ReggaeKhaled’s Electrifying Vibrancy
Khaled Liberté (Wrasse Records) Khaled, the King of Raï, is back with an emotional explosive collection of songs. Liberté, set for release on August 25…
View More Khaled’s Electrifying VibrancyPiranha Remixed
Dunkelbunt Raindrops and Elephants: Piranha Re: Interpretations (Piranha, 2009) German DJ and remixer Dunkelbunt (Ulf Lindemann) was asked by Berlin-based Piranha Records to remix some…
View More Piranha Remixed