With a set of chromatic handpans leading the way and shifting rhythms zapped electronically, “Turkish Kawabanga” by an Israeli quartet called Floating Sheep is wonderfully…
Panning in the Right Direction
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.
Double D
Combining retro soul with his own Brazilian roots, Bruno Del Rey makes “Dança Derradeira” a perfect old and new match.
Brandishing a Brass Spear
His name will clue you in as to his instrument of choice, and Jb Trombone does a choice instrumental version of Burning Spear’s reggae classic…
Start the Day Right
Based in Sweden but rooted in Latin America, a band called Serayá starts “Las Madrugadas” (“early mornings”) as a slow ballad before kicking it into…
A Different Kind of Dutch Treat
Blending instrumentation and inspiration mainly from Armenia and Iran, a Netherlands-based duo called Hamraaz sound nothing short of exquisite through all six minutes of “Abar…
What Friends Are For
“Cumbia de los Amigos” by Cuba’s Orquesta Failde is as joyous an example of the classic Colombian-born style as one could ask for, complete with…
Women in Solidarity
France’s Manzel Loomaa is joined by Régine Lapassion for “Fanm,” a celebration of femininity on which their mutually edifying vocals are supported by a lively…
Beyond Bolero
Blending the rhythm of bolero with jazz intricacy and the relaxed feel of Parisian café music, “Quiero” by sultry-voiced Guatemalan singer Amelia Rivera is a…
Samba Royalty
As reigning king of a self-explanatory genre called sambasoul, Brazil’s Wesley Noog proves his claim to the throne on “Pródigo,” a charmer with layers of…
It Takes All Kinds
A multinational band called Womankind delivers “Apaga La Luz,” a smooth but sizzling Latin-flavored track celebrating the virtues of the fairer gender.