World Music Central presents the best picks of 2007 selected by our editors at World Music Central, our sister Spanish-language site Músicas del Mundo and special guests from the world music professional community.
Not all picks are world music, but what else would you expect from a collective of open minded people used to breaking barriers.
We begin with our special guests this year:
Andrea Sbaragli (A Sound Foundation/Bras.It, Italy)
- Orquesta Imperial – Carnaval só Ano Que Vem (Totolo, 2007)
- Radiohead – In Rainbows (2007)
- Beatrice Antolini – Big Saloon (Pippola, 2007)
- Mutantes – Live at the Barbican Theatre 2006 (Luaka Bop, 2007)
- Tinariwen – Aman Iman: Water is Life (Ponderosa, 2007)
- Shantel – Disko Partizani (Crammed/Essay, 2007)
- The Shins – Wincing the Night Away (Sub Pop, 2007)
- Adjagas – Adjagas (Ever records, 2007)
- Orchestra Baobab – Made in Dakar (World Circuit, 2007)
- Seu Jorge – América Brasil, o Disco (EMI, 2007)
Gerald Seligman (WOMEX, Germany)
Top Ten of 2007, in alphabetical order…
- Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective – Wátina (Stonetree/Cumbancha)
- Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba – Segu Blue (Outhere)
- Hazmat Modine – Bahamut (Barbés/Jaro)
- Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch, Fats Kaplin & Lucas Kane: Kane Welch Kaplin Dead Reckoning Records)
- Mayra Andrade – Navega (Sony/BMG, Sterns)
- Radiohead – In Rainbows
- Taksim Trio – Taksim Trio (Doublemoon)
- Timo Alakatila & Johanna Juhola – Vapaassa Tilassa (Texicalli)
- Various Artists – Authenticité – The Syliphone Years (Sterns)
- Various Artists – The Very Best of Ethiopiques (Manteca)
Dore Stein (Tangents Radio, KALW, San Francisco, USA)
My top whatever for the moment. Not necessarily in order although Arto probably is my overall favorite for second year in a row. (loved 2006’s Love Is Not In Your Mind)
2007 Tangents Top Whatever
- Arto Tuncboyaciyan and the Armenian Navy Band – “How Much Is Yours? (Svota Music)
- Taksim Trio – Taksim Trio (Doublemoon)
- Kiran Ahluwalia – Wanderlust (Times Square)
- John Danley – Amber Dispositions (A Priori) *
- Bettye LaVette – Scene of the Crime (Anti)
- Sabahat Akkiraz “Turku Hayattir” (Akkiraz)
- Ellen McIlwaine “Mystic Bridge” (EMM) *
- Mavis Staples – We’ll Never Turn Back (Anti)
- Tinariwen – Aman Iman (World Village)
- Selim Sesler – Anatolian Wedding (Doublemoon)
- Floratone (featuring Bill Frisell)- Floratone (Blue Note)
- Malouma – Nour (Marabi)
- Son de la Frontera – Cal (World Village)
- Kroke – Seventh Trip (Oriente)
- Fave Sampler: Various Artists – Homegrown Istanbul / Volume 1 (Doublemoon)
- Fave Compilation: Jeff Buckley – So Real: Songs from Jeff Buckley (Columbia/Legacy)
- Favorite 2005 release that I heard for first time in 2007: Sui Vesan – Merging with the Brook (World Village)
- Favorite obscure tune from a label sampler: Jerónimo “Disponible en cd” (cd title is for real) “Fenómenos del Corazón (Producciones PyP)
* released ’06 but heard in ’07
David McLoughlin (BM&A, Brazil/Ireland)
- Bruna Caram – Essa Menina
- Dudu Lima – “20 anos de pura música: Ao vivo”
- Fabiana Cozza – “Quando o céu clarear”
- Fernanda Takai – “Onde brilhem os olhos seus”
- Lanny Gordin – Duos
- Luciano Mello – “Universo Barato”
- Montage – “I Trust My Dealer”
- Siba e a Fuloresta – “Toda vez que eu dou um passo / O mundo sai do lugar”
- Various – “Dolores: A Música de Dolores Duran”
- Yamandu Costa – Lida
And here is what our editors and collaborators came up with:
Tom Orr (World Music Central, USA)
- Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective – Wátina (Cumbancha)
- Tinariwen – Aman Iman: Water is Life (World Village)
- Corey Harris – Zion Crossroads (Telarc)
- Malouma – Nour (Marabi)
- Colombiafrica / The Mystic Orchestra – Voodoo Love Inna Champeta Land (Riverboat Records)
- Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca – Isabela (Mopiato)
- Jose Conde y Ola Fresca – (R)evolucion (Pipiki/Mr. Bongo)
- Gaudi + Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Dub Qawwali (Six Degrees)
- Benjamin Escoriza – Alevanta! (Riverboat Records)
- Zanzibara, Vol. 3 – Ujamaa: The 1960s Sound of Tanzania (Buda Musique)
Yvonne Mitton (World Music Central/FRoots, UK)
- Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara – Soul Science
- Benjamin Escoriza – Alevanta!
- Nomadiqa – Sans Frontieres
- Ozomatli – Don’t Mess With The Dragon
- Vieux Farka Toure – Vieux Farka Touré
- Seth Lakeman –Poor Man’s Heaven
- Asian Dub Foundation – Time Freeze: the best of Asian Dub Foundation
- Cor De La Plana – Tant Deman
- Son De La Frontera – Cal
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Ilembe – Our Tribute To King Shaka
Patty-Lynne Herlevi (World Music Central & Cranky Crow Whole Music, USA).
“This year I am listing the 10 most listened to CDs in my collection. I don’t really have favorites, but instead I experience moods and cravings for certain types of music or certain artists. The following CDs represent what I currently crave.”
- Sharon Burch – Touch the Sweet Earth (Canyon Records)
- Mary Youngblood – Feed the Fire (Silverwave)
- Lo’Jo – Boheme de Cristal (World Village)
- Lo’Jo – Mojo Radio (World Village)
- Rolf Lislevand – Nuove Musiche (ECM)
- Madeleine Peyroux – Careless Love (Rounder)
- Nawang Khechog – Universal Love (Sounds True)
- Samite – Embalasasa (Triloka)
- Jean-Paul Poletti & Le Choeur de Sartene – Terra Mea (Universal France)
- Cristina Branco – Sensus (Decca/Universal)
Pablo Rego (Músicas del Mundo, Argentina/Spain)
- Calima – Azul (EMI)
- Pablo Ziegler & Quique Sinesi con Walter Castro – Buenos Aires Report (Zoho Music/Music Words)
- Luar NaLubre – Caminos Da Fin Da Terra (Warner Spain)
- Caetano Veloso – Cê (Nonesuch)
- Chris Stout – Devil’s Advocate (GreenTrax)
- Omar Sosa – Promise (Otá Records)
- Chick Corea with Bela Fleck – The Enchantment (Concord Records)
- Herbie Hancock – River: The Joni Letters (Verve)
- North Gregg – The Roseland Barndance (GreenTrax)
- Teresa Salgueiro – Voce e Eu (EMI)
Susan Budig (World Music Central, free lancing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
- Lucky Dube –Respect (Gallo Record Company, 2006)
- BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet – Live in Louisiana (Way Down in Louisiana, 2006)
- Darol Anger and Mike Marshall with Vasen – Mike Marshall & Darol Anger with Väsen (Adventure Records, 2007)
- Brenda Weiler – End the Rain (Speakerphone Records, 2007)
- The Wailin’ Jennys – Firecracker (Red House, 2006)
- Cirque du Soleil – Delirium (Cirque du Soleil, 2006)
- Bruce Molsky – Soon Be Time (Compass Records, 2006)
- Z-Plus – Critical Condition (KLAG records, 2007)
- Dhafer Youssef – Divine Shadows (Jazzland Recordings, 2006)
- New Riverside Ramblers – Les Grands Bois (Indie, 2007)
- Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective – Wátina (Cumbancha, 2007)
Rafael Mieses (Músicas del Mundo, USA)
- Papo Vázquez & Pirates Troubadours – Papo Vazquez Pirates Troubadours From The Badlands (Pícaro Records)
- Juan Luis Guerra – La Llave De Mi Corazon (Emi Televisa Music)
- Pablo Aslan – Buenos Aires Tango Standards (Zoho Music)
- Charlie Hunter – Mistico (Fantasy Records)
- Roberto Fonseca – Zamazu (Enja/Justin Time)
- Arturo Stable – Notes on Canvas (Origen Records)
- Caetano Veloso – Cê (Nonesuch)
- Gonzalo Rubalcaba y Francisco Cespedes – Con El Permiso De Bola (Warner Music)
- Michel Camilo – Spirit of the Moment (Telarc)
- Stanley Clarke – The Toys of Men (Heads Up)
Angel Romero (World Music Central / Músicas del Mundo, USA)
- Tinariwen – Aman Iman: Water is Life (World Village 468067, 2007)
- Espliego – Cortes de Amor (Factoría Autor, 2007)
- Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – Raising Sand (Rounder Records, 2007)
- Colombiafrica / The Mystic Orchestra – Voodoo Love Inna Champeta Land (World Music Network TUGCD1035, 2007)
- Son de la Frontera – Cal (Nuevos Medios/World Village, 2007)
- SonDeSeu – Trastempo (Fundación SonDeSeu, 2007)
- Various Artists – The Rough Guide to Flamenco (World Music Network RGNET1189CD, 2007)
- Ozomatli – Don’t Mess With The Dragon (Concord Music Group, 2007)
- Sukhawat Ali Khan – Shukriya (Megawave, 2007)
- Unnaddarè – Kalsa (Megasound, 2007)
- Temple of Sound – Globalhead (Namaste/Koch, 2007)
- Joe Zawinul – Brown Street (Heads Up/Intuition, 2007)
- Changuito – Telegrafia Sin Hilo (Cacao, 2006), received in 2007
- Various Artists – Sufi Music from India (ARC Music, 2007)
- Acetre – Dehesario (Nufolk/Galileo Music, 2007)
- Lisa Gerrard – Silver Tree (High Wire Music, 2006), received in 2007
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
