Batata y Su Rumba Palenquera Radio Bakongo (Network 24.127, 2003) About 300 years ago, a group of escaped African slaves barricaded themselves in a safe…
Colombia Goes African
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.
Abundant Latin Heat From Two New Rough Guides
Various Artists – The Rough Guide to Latin Jazz (RGNET 1089 CD, 2003) Various Artists – The Rough Guide to Salsa De Puerto Rico (RGNET…
Mali’s Blind Couple- Great Match, Great Music
Amadou and Mariam Wati (Circular Moves CIM 7011, 2003) Known as “The Blind Couple of Mali” when they first began to make a splash in…
Bhattacharya Plus Brozman Equals Guitar Greatness
Debashish Bhattacharya and Bob Brozman Mahima (Riverboat Records/World Music Network TUGCD1029) American acoustic guitarist Bob Brozman certainly has a knack for wonderfully unique collaborations. I’m…
Puerto Rico meets Brazil by way of Jamaica
Bayanga Bayanga(RAS Records 06076-89603-2, 2003) RAS Records, known as one of the finest reggae labels, steps a bit off their beaten path with this disc.…
Reggae Remake is in the Pink
Easy Star All-Stars Dub Side of the Moon (Easy Star Records ES-1012, 2003) I first learned of this project while interviewing Eric Smith of Easy…
Klezmatics on the Rise
The Klezmatics Rise Up! Shteyt Oyf! (Rounder Records 11661-3197-2, 2003) The venerable Jewish roots music called klezmer has seen peaks and valleys of popularity, and…
Don’t Pardon My French
Various Artists French Caribbean (Putumayo PUT 211-2, 2003) Musically, some Caribbean islands bear strong marks of having been former colonies of Spain, England or The…
Good Weed Indeed
Yerba Buena President Alien (Razor and Tie 7930182894-2, 2003) It’s easy to like a band whose name means “good weed.” Truly, it appears that some…
Original Masters of Ska Show Their Love
The Skatalites From Paris With Love (World Village 468017, 2003) No matter how much ebb and flow there is in the popularity of ska, the…