Thomas Mapfumo Rise Up (Real World Records, 2006) This album was originally available in 2005 only as a digital download. My best efforts notwithstanding (having…
The Heights of Mapfumo
Author: Tom Orr
Tom Orr is a California-based writer whose talent and mental stability are of an equally questionable nature. His hobbies include ignoring trends, striking dramatic poses in front of his ever-tolerant wife and watching helplessly as his kids surpass him in all desirable traits.
African Explorers
Euforquestra Explorations in Afrobeat (Euforquestra Productions, 2006) Think hard… when was the last time you heard a bunch of guys from the midwestern US combine…
In the Midnight Hour
Various Artists Midnight in Mali (Stern’s Africa STCD 1102, 2006) No stage would be big enough to hold every single master musician from Mali if…
From the Dawning of the Ska Era
Various Artists Ska Bonanza: The Studio One Ska Years (Heartbeat 11661-7805-2, 2006) The jerky rhythms, choppy melodies and blazing horns of Jamaican ska may have…
Party in Session and in Motion
Various Artists Baila! A Latin Dance Party (Putumayo PUT 251-2, 2006) Musical surprises are always welcome, but never underestimate the value of an album that…
Scorching Seconds
Hossam Ramzy and Jose Luis Monton Flamenco Arabe 2 (ARC Music EUCD 2000, 2006) Perhaps later I’ll be concerned that I haven’t heard the first…
Live and Give
Amparanoia La Vida Te Da (Wrasse Records, WRASS 171, 2006) There’s an interesting disclaimer in the liner notes of this album. “All tracks were recorded…
Double Dose of Half an Island
The Rough Guide to Merengue (World Music Network RGNET 1171 CD, 2006) The Rough Guide to Bachata (World Music Network RGNET 1164 CD, 2006) My…
Chinese Kosher
Metropolis Shanghai: Showboat to China (Winter and Winter 910 111-2, 2005) Zuflucht in Shanghai: The Port of Last Resort – A Film by Joan Grossman…
New Salif Keita Forthcoming and Fabulous
Salif Keita M’Bemba (Universal/Decca, 2006) It’s been heating up Europe for a while, and now M’Bemba, the latest by Mali’s Salif Keita, will finally get…