Various Artists Smooth Africa II: Exploring the Soul (Heads Up HUCD 3077, 2003) Yeah, I know. An album with “smooth” in the title fills your…
Fear Not The Smooth
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.
Saucy In Any Language
Various Artists Salsa Around the World (Putumayo PUT 213-2, 2003) Salsa (the music, not the condiment) has become one of the most recognizable and popular…
Second Generation, First-Rate Reggae
Morgan Heritage – Three In One (VP Records VPCD 1656, 2003) After bringing reggae to the punk rock massive with their participation in the Warped…
Klezmer Gypsies Take The Stage
Les Yeux Noirs Live (World Village 4680190, 2003) Led by classically-trained violinists Eric and Olivier Slabiak, Les Yeux Noirs created one of last year’s more…
Colombia Goes African
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…
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…