Groundation Upon the Bridge (Young Tree Records YTR-1230CD, 2006) Remember concept albums? Well, Northern California reggae band Groundation apparently does, and they’ve made a very…
Unabridged Reggae
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.
Unbeatable Bokoor
Various Artists Bokoor Beats: Vintage Afro-beat, Afro-rock and Electric Highlife From Ghana (Otrabanda Records OTBO8, 2007) British musician and music scholar John Collins’ affinity for…
Gimmie That Old Time Juju
King Sunny Ade – Gems from the Classic Years 1967-1974 (Shanachie SH66041, 2007) Sometime in the summer of 1983 I walked into Main Street Records…
Afro-Latin Round Trips
Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca – Isabela (Mopiato Music MOPI-2, 2007) Papa Noël – Cafe Noir (Tumi Music TUMI 141, 2007) With the symbiosis between…
20 Years on the Circuit
World Circuit Presents … (World Circuit WCD 076, 2007) Ibrahim Ferrer – Mi Sueño (World Circuit WCD 077, 2007) If you only own one CD…
A Reggae Look and Listen
Luciano – Live in San Francisco (2b1 Multimedia TBO 2067, 2006) Morgan Heritage – Live in San Francisco (2b1 Multimedia TBO 2089, 2006) San Francisco’s…
The Allure of Lura
Lura M’Bem Di Fora (Times Square Records/Four Quarters FQT-CD-1801, 2007) Her original aspiration was to be a dancer, so it comes naturally that Lura’s music…
Come to the Water
Tinariwen Aman Iman: Water is Life (World Village 468067, 2007) I first saw Mali’s Tinariwen live in April of last year, at the Houston International…
A Shot of the Hard Stuff
Various Artists The Rough Guide to Salsa Dura NYC (World Music Network RGNET1177CD, 2007) Not a lot of background information is necessary when reviewing a…
Where Fado is at and Where it’s Been
Mariza Concerto Em Lisboa (World Connection/Times Square Records, TSQCD9060, 2007) Mozambique-born and Portugal-raised, Mariza has become arguably the most popular fado singer on the planet.…