fRoots Critics Poll Announces Winners of World Music Albums Of The Year

The fRoots Critics Poll Albums Of 2009 winners were exclusively revealed last night on BBC Radio 3’s World On Three by Lopa Kothari and fRoots magazine editor Ian Anderson.  Album Of 2009 was Staff Benda Bilili’s Tres Tres Fort (Crammed), while the Best Re-issue/ Compilation and Best Packaged Album vote both went to the Topic Records 70th Anniversary set Three Score & Ten – A Voice To The People.

Every year since 1986 (when the first winner was Paul Simon’s Graceland) fRoots has polled experts in the UK and abroad to decide the Album Of The Year in folk, roots & world music. With over 300 writers, broadcasters and activists on the panel, it is established internationally as the most extensively researched and prestigious annual poll of its kind. When the BBC instigated their Awards For World Music in 2001, the fRoots Critics Poll was incorporated into them as the Album Of The Year. It’s "The best researched guide to the key world roots albums of the year" (BBC Radio 3).

The BBC ceased its Awards For World Music after 2007, and so the fRoots Critics Poll Albums Of The Year continue in their own right as the de facto flagship industry awards. They have wide support including from all the previous partners in the BBC Awards and since last year have Amazon.co.uk as retail partner.

New Albums Of 2009 winners

1. Staff Benda Bilili – Tres Tres Fort (Crammed)
2. Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba – I Speak Fula (OutHere)
3. Oumou Sangare – Seya (World Circuit)
4. Martin Simpson – True Stories (Topic)
5. The Unthanks – Here’s the Tender Coming (EMI/Rabble Rouser)
6. Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara Tell No Lies (Real World)
7. Tinariwen Imidiwan: Companions (Independiente)
8. Jackie Oates – Hyperboreans (Unearthed/One Little Indian)
9. Khaled – Liberté (Wrasse)
10. Spiro – Lightbox (Real World)

Reissues and Compilations of the Year 2009

1. Three Score & Ten – A Voice To The People (Stern’s)
2. Franco & Le TPOK Jazz – Francophonic, Vol. 2 (Stern’s)
3. Various – Panama! 2: Latin Sounds, Cumbia Tropical and Calypso Funk on the Isthmus 1967-77 (Soundway)
4. Various – Legends of Benin (Analog Africa)
5. Chris Wood – Albion- An Anthology (RUF)
6. Woody Guthrie – My Dusty Road (Rounder)
7. Peter Bellamy – Both Sides Then (Topic)
8. Richard Thompson – Walking on a Wire: Richard Thompson (1968-2009) (Shout Factory)
9. Various – Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Ghanaian Blue 1968-1981 (Soundway)
10. Various – Tumbélé: Biguine, Afro and Latin Sounds from the French Caribbean, 1963-1974 (Soundway)

Best Packaged Album of the Year 2009

1. Three Score & Ten – A Voice To The People (Topic)
2. Woody Guthrie – My Dusty Road (Rounder)
3. Franco & Le TPOK Jazz – Francophonic, Vol. 2 (Stern’s)
4. Jon Boden – Songs from the Floodplain (Navigator)
Various – Ghana Special (Soundway)
Various – Legends of Benin (Analog Africa)

All the winners to date can be found at http://www.frootsmag.com/pollwinners

The BBC radio program can be heard for the next week on the BBC iPlayer via bbc