Sploty by Warsaw Village Band & Bassałyki is the top album on World Music Charts Europe for the month of February 2025.
The Warsaw Village Band (Kapeli Ze Wsi Warszawa) has long embraced musical collaboration, combining diverse influences beyond conventional genres. In 2022, this approach led to the creation of Bassałyki, a project spearheaded by musician and producer Mariusz Dziurawiec (Mario Activator). Known for his work in dub and electronic music, Dziurawiec has been a core member of the Warsaw Village Band for over two decades.
For Bassałyki, Dziurawiec brought together a team of experienced musicians and producers, including Grzegorz Rytka, Michał Marecki, and Jerzy Markuszewski. The project reinterprets Warsaw Village Band’s traditional repertoire through ethno-dub arrangements while introducing new compositions. The addition of Paweł Mazurczak’s bass guitar and dub influences expands the band’s sonic palette, alongside an enriched percussion section featuring Piotr Gliński’s baraban drums, Maciej Szajkowski’s frame drum, and shamanic percussion elements.
Traditional Polish acoustic instruments—fidel, dulcimer, violin, and hurdy-gurdy—are played by Magdalena Sobczak-Kotnarowska, Sylwia Świątkowska, and Ewa Wałecka. The horn section includes Miłosz Gawryłkiewicz on trumpet and Grzegorz Rytka on tenor and baritone saxophone, incorporating influences from jazz, blues, Afrobeat, reggae, and world music.
Michał Marecki, a composer and sound designer, contributes electronic textures and ambient arrangements, utilizing both analog and digital instruments. Jerzy Markuszewski provides a rhythmic foundation that enhances the project’s trance-like energy.
At its core, Bassałyki is a fusion of folk traditions and contemporary sounds, driven by rhythm, atmosphere, and collective synergy.
February 2024 Chart
- Warsaw Village Band & Bassałyki – Sploty – Karrot Kommando
- L’Alba – Grilli – Buda Musique
- Mostar Sevdah Reunion – Bosa Mara – Snail Records
- Momi Maiga – Kairo – Segell Microscopi
- Nfaly Diakité – Hunter Folk Vol. 1: Tribute To Toumani Koné – Mieruba
- Al Andaluz Project – The Songs Of Iman Kandoussi – Galileo
- Amparo Sanchez – Ritual Sonoro – Mamita
- Aboubakar Traoré & Balima – Sababu – Zephyrus
- Ildikó Kali – Jore Jore – Self-Released
- Loya – Blakaz Antandroy – Lézard Zébré
- Mari Boine – Alva – By Norse Music
- Baba Zula – Istanbul Sokaklari – Glitterbeat
- The Baltic Sisters – Värav – Varti – Vartai – CPL-Music
- L. Shankar & Abhijit Banerjee – Full Moon – X Dot 25 Music
- Libérica – Alé – Iberian Chants – Segell Microscopi
- Various Artists – Zanzibara 11, Congo In Dar: Dance No Sweat – Buda Musique
- Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra – Tension – Batov Records
- Peter Somuah – Highlife – ACT
- Nesrine – Kan Ya Makan – ACT
- Songhoy Blues – Heritage – Transgressive Records
More information about the chart at wmce.de
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central