By: Rafael Lam

 

The full-length film Orquesta Aragon: La Charanga Eterna (Aragon Orchestra: The eternal Charanga), by filmmaker Ileana Rodriguez had its premier at the Luisa Cinema of Cienfuegos, just when the great orchestra from this city arrives at its anniversary number seventy and in the middle of the Benny More International Festival of Folk Music.

We could enjoy this material for more than two hours in which we found the memory of the most famous and important orchestra of the Cuban music and culture. Our eyes filled with tears on seeing the idols of our youth. It is the Eternal Charanga, the one that all Cubans followed, as a retaining wall before the invasions of foreign bands and rhythms.
 

 

Reggae in Babylon (1978) will be released on DVD in June 2009. Reggae in a Babylon is the acclaimed documentary by Wolfgang Buld that captured the birth of the British Reggae. This DVD includes several sensational songs.

 

In the late 1970's the young, gifted and black generation of Thatcher's Britain fused the Revolutionary zeal of Punk with their Rastafarian roots to create a new sound system that defined their struggle. Reggae was the savior in their modern 'Babylon' and this acclaimed film charts the birth of urban British Reggae.

A live DVD by Anthony B will be released this month in North America. Anthony B Live presents a stunning performance at the 1st Annual Reggae Rising Music Festival in Humboldt County, California. The concert is woven together with exclusive interview footage of Anthony discussing the topics of the songs with intimate revelations as to his message. It’s a night concert set on the legendary California Redwood Forest, and was captured using 8 HD cameras, and 48 tracks of audio - which have been remastered into Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. The video is directed by Luke Archer, edited by Christopher Jenkins, and produced by Natural VIP. It is presented by Reggae Rising, the Dimmick Ranch, and Natural VIP.
 About:
 
 Draped in the rich colors of African cloth, his trademark staff in hand, and his dreadlocks wrapped regally on his head, Anthony B embodies all that it is spiritual and proactive about Reggae music. This artist has been steadfast in his mission to represent the poor and oppressed, using sharp lyrics to confront political injustices and bring the issues of the people to the forefront. In the process, he has raised the quality of performance standards and lyrical content for the industry, through the release of 10 albums, over 1000 singles and appearances on over 100 albums in the last 13 years.

Live – Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a new DVD by one of South Africa's best known musical exports. For more than three decades, the story of Ladysmith Black Mambazo has been just as much about physicality and choreography as it has been about brilliant vocal harmonies. For this Grammy-winning a cappella group that merges South African music and dance traditions with Christian messages of compassion, love and global harmony, the music alone is only half the story. Simply put, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has to be seen to be understood.

From Mambo to Hip Hop: A Bronx Tale is an hour-long documentary that tells a story about the creative life of the South Bronx, beginning with the Puerto Rican migration and the adoption of Cuban rhythms to create the New York salsa sound; continuing with the fires that destroyed the neighborhood but not the creative spirit of its people; chronicling the rise of hip hop from the ashes; and ending with reflections on the power of the neighborhood's music to ensure the survival of several generations of its residents, and, in the process, take the world's pop culture by storm.

 

A new DVD,  Greatest Hits Live,  captures the experience of a live performance by Conway Twitty. Throughout his career transformation from rock ’n’ roll teen idol to country music superstar, Conway Twitty’s rich, down-home voice has spoken to the souls of music fans for over five decades. The smoothest of country’s balladeers, with a record-setting 40 #1 hits, Twitty is the true embodiment of country music.
 
 This never-before-released, rare performance was caught on video in 1993, and has since been in the possession of the Twitty family. Experience the hits from “Hello Darlin’” to “Desperado Love” as Conway belts out the favorites.

Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music Of Islam is a ground-breaking & critically acclaimed documentary exploring the different regional practices within Sufism and its myriad styles of music. The film is now available on DVD. Sufi Soul: The Mystic Of Islam was filmed in four different countries, Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco & Syria, and directed by renowned TV documentary maker, music journalist and Songlines editor Simon Broughton. The video features musical performances from Youssou N’Dour, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida Parveen and Sain Zahoor.

The documentary Gypsy Caravan, which came out in 2006, is now available on DVD. Gypsy Caravan is an uplifting and moving film which explores the music, lives and heritage of 5 distinct Gypsy bands from around the world as they unite for the World Music Institute’s "Gypsy Caravan" 6-week concert tour across North America, selling out shows and astounding every audience they meet.

 

Their musical styles range from flamenco to brass band, Romanian violin Balkan pop, Indian folk, raga and jazz. With fire in their bellies and soul in their voices, they present an explosion of song and dance that celebrates the diversity of the Romani people and the best of Gypsy music.