Xavier Quijas Yxayotl Aztec Dances (Canyon Records CR-7045) Mexican-born flute player Xavier Quijas Yxayotl continues to tap into the ancient yet strangely refined sounds of…
New Old Sounds from Xavier Quijas Yxayotl
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.
Baka Beyond – A Celtic Heart With the Beat of an African Drum
Baka Beyond East to West (Narada World 72435-43725-2-0) It’s been a decade since Baka Beyond’s Spirit of the Forest, a landmark collaboration in which eclectic…
New Gypsy Music Releases- Different Approaches, Both Hit the Mark
Besh o Drom – Can’t Make Me! (Asphalt Tango Records CD-ATR 0203, 2003) Jony Iliev and Band – Ma Maren Ma (Asphalt Tango Records CD-ATR…
Classic Dub Reissues Strip Reggae to the Roots
Augustus Pablo – Rockers Meets King Tubbys in a Fire House (Shanachie SH 45055, 2003) Ja-Man All Stars – In the Dub Zone (Blood and…
Reconfigured Burning Sky Should Still Score with Native American Music Fans
Burning Sky Spirits in the Wind (Canyon Records CR-7047, 2002) Pared down to the duo of Aaron White and Kelvin Mockingbird (both of whom are…
Live Releases by Masters of Roots Reggae
Burning Spear- Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2001 (Burning Music Productions BM 314, 2002) Culture- Live in Africa (RASCD 3270, 2002) Burning Spear and Culture…
The Maytones: Their Greatest Hits
The Maytones Their Greatest Hits (Heartbeat 11661-7575-2, 2002) For whatever reason–maybe because they didn’t sport dreadlocks or have a militant name–the Maytones tend to be…
South African Choral – Songs of the Alexandra Youth Choir
South African Choral Songs of the Alexandra Youth Choir (Naxos World 76025-2, 2002) Even in the darkest days of apartheid, some of the most defiantly…
Reves D’Oasis – Desert Blues 2
Reves D’Oasis – Desert Blues 2 (Network 22.762, 2002) The first volume of this series, 1996’s Ambiances du Sahara, was a sprawling treasure chest of…
Salif Keita – Moffou
Salif Keita Moffou (Universal Music 8527, 2002) From his days as featured singer with the Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs through his high-profile solo career,…