It’s that time of year again where the warm, rich tang of a pint of Guinness, the sharp lushness of Irish whiskey and the bright,…
Celtic Music Selections for St. Patrick’s Day 2014
Author: TJ Nelson
TJ Nelson is a regular CD reviewer and editor at World Music Central. She is also a fiction writer. Check out her latest book, Chasing Athena's Shadow.
Set in Pineboro, North Carolina, Chasing Athena's Shadow follows the adventures of Grace, an adult literacy teacher, as she seeks to solve a long forgotten family mystery. Her charmingly dysfunctional family is of little help in her quest. Along with her best friends, an attractive Mexican teacher and an amiable gay chef, Grace must find the one fading memory that holds the key to why Grace’s great-grandmother, Athena, shot her husband on the courthouse steps in 1931.
Traversing the line between the Old South and New South, Grace will have to dig into the past to uncover Athena’s true crime.
Hassan Hakmoun Possessed by Electrifying Energy
Hassan Hakmoun Unity (Healing Records, 2014) Hassan Hakmoun says of his latest recording, “Music is universal. It’s the way people can relate to each other…
Tinariwen Loves all the Deserts
Tinariwen Emmaar (Anti/Epitaph, 2014) Hardcore Saharan blues fans will know Tinariwen by such recordings as Tassili, Aman Iman: Water Is Live, Imidiwan: Companions, Amassakoul, The…
Finding the Underlying Unity in American Roots Music
Dirk Powell Walking Through Clay (Sugar Hill Records, 2014) If you crossed a kick ass honky-tonk with a backwoods bayou bar, a country church and…
The Sophisticated Cross Pollination of The Souljazz Orchestra
The Souljazz Orchestra Inner Fire (Strut, 2014) Slipping into a wonderland mix of soul, jazz, Latin, Caribbean and Afrobeat sheer yumminess, Canada’s The Souljazz Orchestra…
Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate Find Common Ground
Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate Faya (Cumbancha, 2014) Due to the ubiquitous use, and sometimes overuse, I imagine that there’s some record exec sitting behind…
Stunning Pieces that Bring to Life the Shades of Flamenco
Amir John Haddad 9 Guitarras (Galileo Music Communication, 2013) Every once in a while, one hears of a news story about the relationship between a…
The Potent and Enchanting Music of Sukhawat Ali Khan
Sukhawat Ali Khan featuring Deepak Ram Laaj (Casa Ganesh Records, 2014) Steeped in a sultry mysteriousness Laaj, or Divine Grace, is the latest offering by…
World Music Tribute to Bob Dylan
Various Artists From Another World A Tribute to Bob Dylan (Buda Musique, U.S. release: 2014) Music is a tricksy, crafty art. Don’t let anyone tell…
Eggun Packs a Punch
Omar Sosa Eggun The Afri-Lectric Experience (Ota Records, 2013) Musician, composer and arranger Omar Sosa has wowed fans with such releases as Alma, Calma and…