King Selewa & his Calypsonians Calypso: Back to Mi Home (ARC Music EUCD 2231, 2009) Calypso music has been a vehicle for shrewd social commentary,…
The New Calypso Royalty
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.
In Passing
Kenyatta “Culture” Hill Pass the Torch (Tafari Records 1046, 2007) The sudden 2006 death of Joseph Hill, leader of roots reggae harmony trio Culture, robbed…
Rekindled Ska Fire
Blue Riddim Ska Inferno (Markosa Records 2010, 2009) The idea of a white reggae band is one that would raise no eyebrows nowadays, but such…
Taking Tanzania’s Temperature
Various Artists Zanzibara, Vol. 5: Hot in Dar – Le Son de la Tanzanie 1978-1983 (Buda Musique 860184, 2009) During the late ‘70s and early…
Strides of March
March Fourth Marching Band Rise Up (MarchFourth Music, 2009) You can pretty much forget everything you think you know about how a marching band should…
Jazz Planet
Putumayo Presents: Jazz Around the World (Putumayo PUT 296-2, 2009) I can’t define jazz any more than I can define world music, so the many…
In the Biguine-ing
Tumbélé: Biguine, Afro and Latin Sounds from the French Caribbean, 1963-1974 (Soundway SNDWCD017P, 2009) While the slickly produced sounds of zouk became wildly popular in…
We Three Strings
Les Triaboliques rivermudtwilight (World Village 468088, 2009) Justin Adams, Lu Edmonds and Ben Mandelson could have all been content in their careers as successful UK…
Clubbing In Dakar
Daby Balde Le Marigot Club Dakar (World Music Network/Riverboat Records TUGCD1052, 2009) Daby Balde’s debut CD from a few years ago remains one of the…
Don’t Need No Cure For The African Blues
Samba Toure Songhai Blues: Homage to Ali Farka Toure (World Music Network/Riverboat Records TUGCD1054, 2009) The words were right there, in smallish print on the…