This is my sixth time at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching/Sarawak, one of the top 25 world music festivals across the planet! 20…
16th Rainforest World Music Festival, Malaysia: Collaboration, Creativity and Community!
Author: Madanmohan Rao
Madanmohan Rao is an author and media consultant from Bangalore, and global correspondent for world music and jazz for World Music Central and Jazzuality. He has written over 15 books on media, management and culture, and is research director for YourStory Media. Madan was formerly World Music Editor at Rave magazine and RJ at WorldSpace, and can be followed on Twitter at @MadanRao.
World music bands address their role in social change, cultural preservation and creativity
One of the many interesting features of the Rainforest World Music Festival in Malaysia is the daily press meets featuring groups of musicians and the…
Mohsen Sharifian: Taking traditional music from Iran to new collaborative heights
Mohsen Sharifian is a musician and composer from Iran, and heads the troupe Lian Band. He has spent the last two decades immersing himself in…
Karmix: Kuon Ganjo, Urban Lounge and Fusion
Claude Challe Karmix: Kuon Ganjo (Worldwide Records) The driving force behind the Buddha Bar brand has put together yet another superb compilation of urban lounge…
Sakifo Music Festival 2013: A Celebration of Indian Ocean Music!
This is my first time in the amazing tropical island of Reunion, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, close to Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar…
Bollywood: Seriously Good Music
Various Artists Bollywood: Seriously Good Music (Petrol Records, 2007) Petrol Records has done it again with their “Seriously Good Music” series of world music compilations…
Sensuous and Seductive O Mar
Maria Teresa O Mar (Harmonia Mundi) Wow! What a lovely sensuous and seductive album this is! Of course it has to be from a female…
The Fado of Francisco Fialho
Francisco Fialho Portugal: Best of Fado (ARC Music) A former member of the Portuguese group Raizes do Fado, this acoustic album showcases vocalist Francisco Fialho.…
Sunshine Arabia 2008
Various Artists Sunshine Arabia 2008 (EMI) This is an excellent compilation of contemporary Arabic sound, with 18 tracks covering a lot of musical texture. Our…
Manav Gangwani’s Passion
Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan Manav Gangwani’s Passion (Music Today, 2009) Fashion designer Manav Gangwani’s Passion is labelled as a unique “fashion extravaganza,”…