Armagh Pipers Club announced the details of the 16th William Kennedy Piping Festival which will take place in Armagh (Northern Ireland) from the 12th - 15th November, 2009. Highlights include a special concert with Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and friends, which will feature recently composed and arranged work for piano, uilleann pipes and orchestra, and the Armagh debut for Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny’s supergroup Mozaik.

Serart

Serart Deluxe Edition

The Serart album, featuring Arto Tuncboyaciyan and Serj Tankian, was originally released in 2003. Now it is back in a deluxe 2-disc version featuring additional tracks and a DVD. The album brings together two highly creative musicians. Tuncboyaciyan is one of the busiest musicians in world music. He has worked as sideman for numerous top jazz musicians. Tuncboyaciyan has also collaborated with Flamenco luminary Gerardo Núñez, Turkish singer Sezen Aksu, Turkish multi-instrumentalist Omar Faruk Tekbilek and Greek singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki. Serj Tankian is the vocalist and keyboardist of rock band System of a Down.

Two extraordinary world music artists from North-Africa (the Maghreb), Algerian-born Idir and Morocco's Najat Aatabou, will share a bill in "A Night in the Maghreb," a concert on July 18 at Avery Fisher Hall that will introduce the world-renowned pop performers to an American audience for the first time. Both artists have Imazighen (Berber) roots which have influenced their musical style and expression. Paris-based Idir-born in the Kabylia region of Algeria-has been at the forefront of socially and politically relevant French-Algerian music since the 1970s. Najat Aatabou is a powerful vocal artist, one of the few, female Chaabi singers performing today, whose music merges Imazighen and Arab influences, and carries a strong feminist message that draws wide audiences at home and abroad.
 

Beata Söderberg

Bailata (World Village, 2008)

Swedish Classical music cellist Beata Söderberg fell in love with tango while she was living in New York. In the United States she began to collaborate with New York-based tango musicians. Beata Söderberg's interests included traditional tango, the music of legendary tango innovator Astor Piazzolla's and Tango Nuevo, which represents new forms of tango. Soon, Söderberg started writing music and recording albums. Bailata is her latest recording, which showcases a richly melodic form of instrumental tango where the cello plays the leading role.

The 12th edition of the Rainforest World Music Festival is less than two weeks away. The 2009 edition, held July 10 to 12 in Sarawak Cultural Village (Sarawak, Malaysia), has programmed once more an extraordinary line-up of global talent. This year's program includes well-known bands such as the Saint Nicholas Orchestra from Poland, Poum Tchack (France), Dazkarieh (Portugal), Inti-Illimani (Chile), Jouhiorkesteri (Finland), Moana  & The Tribe (New Zealand), Muzsikás (Hungary), Noreummachi (Korea), Sekaa Jaya Jenggala (Indonesia), Red Chamber (Canada/China), Zawose Family Africa (Tanzania), Oudaden (Morocco), Jeff and Vida band (USA). They will be joined by some of the finest Malaysian bands like AkashA, Asika, Kinabalu Merdu Sound and Lan-e Tuyang.

Gambian musician Juldeh Camara and British rock guitarist Justin Adams will be touring north America to support the release of their new album titled Tell No Lies (Real World Records, 2009).

07/10/2009, Fri
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal Jazz Festival
# For tickets visit the website or contact Ticketpro, www.ticketpro.ca / 1.866.908.9090.

WOMEX 09 announced today the first list of artists selected to showcase in Copenhagen this Fall. "We are extremely happy to announce the first WOMEX 09 Showcases," said a press release. "We will be releasing the artist's names in three sittings, but would like to send you some of the first who are already confirmed."

"We'd like to thank the seven Samurai for the hard and dedicated work they have put into this year's selection from over 760 proposals."

Samurai (judge in WOMEX lingo) Michael Orlove, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, says: "I am very satisfied with what we ended up with. The programming is incredibly varied with some real discoveries for WOMEX attendees."