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The single cover for Anywhere the Wind Blows by Missy Raines & Allegheny features a painted landscape with rolling hills in shades of orange, gold, and teal. A red heart-shaped balloon floats above, its string curving down toward a small, solitary red house nestled among the hills. The song title is written in a curved, handwritten-style font, while the artist names appear in clean typography. Featured guests Laurie Lewis, Kathy Kallick, and Ellie Hakanson are listed beneath.

Music videos

Wind at Their Backs: Missy Raines & Allegheny Breeze Into New Song

Missy Raines & Allegheny, fronted by Grammy-nominated bassist and vocalist Missy Raines, have announced their upcoming album Love & Trouble, due May 2. The project…

Visa For Music 2025 banner. A purple colored collage of photos of various artists.

Events Showcases

Morocco’s Visa For Music Showcase Deadline Extended for 2025

World Music Central News Room March 29, 2025 No Comments Middle Eastern music Moroccan music Morocco North African music Rabat world fusion world music

The application deadline for Visa For Music 2025, the leading showcase and professional market for music from Africa and the Middle East, has been extended…

The poster for Music Village 2025 features an illustration of a seated figure with long, flowing hair shaped like a circular halo. The figure appears to be meditating or opening a book. The event details are presented above the artwork, listing the workshop periods from August 18 to September 14, 2025, in Agios Lavrentios, Mt. Pelion, Greece.

Events

Greece’s Music Village Reveals 2025 Folk Tradition Workshops

World Music Central News Room March 29, 2025 No Comments Greece Greek music Music Village world fusion world music

Music Village returns for its 19th edition in Agios Lavrentios, Mt. Pelion, Greece, continuing its tradition of artistic collaboration in a setting renowned for its…

The single cover for Leavin’ by Vickie Vaughn features the artist straddling a large upright bass, which bears her name. Dressed in a magenta outfit with red and green cowboy boots, she gazes directly at the camera.

Music videos

Bass Instincts: Vickie Vaughn Steps Into the Spotlight With “Leavin’”

World Music Central News Room March 29, 2025 No Comments Bluegrass Vickie Vaughn world music

After a decade-long hiatus from solo recording, two-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year Vickie Vaughn returns with “Leavin’,” her first release under her own…

Competitions

Cajasol Announces International Flamenco Symphony Composition Contest

World Music Central News Room March 28, 2025 No Comments Cajasol International Flamenco Symphony Composition Competition Concurso Internacional Cajasol de Composición para Flamenco Sinfónico Flamenco symphonic flamenco world music

The Cajasol Foundation, in collaboration with the International Chair of Symphonic Flamenco and the Rafael Orozco Conservatory of Music in Córdoba, have announced the First…

Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino live in 2015 - Photo by De Pinto

Tour Announcements

Tarantella Takes America: Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino’s 50th Anniversary U.S. Tour

World Music Central News Room March 28, 2025 No Comments Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino Italian music pizzica taranta world music

(Headline image: Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino live in 2015 – Photo by De Pinto) Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (CGS), Italy’s longest-running traditional music ensemble, will mark its…

The cover art for Ashby Frank’s The Bug features an anthropomorphic bug wearing aviator goggles and a leather jacket, driving a car down an open highway. The background is a flat peach-orange, with minimal line art suggesting motion and a distant horizon. The title and artist's name are handwritten in a casual script.

Music videos

Bluegrass Bug: Ashby Frank Puts the Pedal to the Mandolin

World Music Central News Room March 27, 2025 No Comments Ashby Frank Bluegrass world music

Ashby Frank reimagines “The Bug,” originally recorded by Dire Straits in 1991 and later a Top 20 country hit for Mary Chapin Carpenter in 1993,…

Andy Leftwich Highland Rim single cover. A photo of Andy Leftwich playing mandolin.

Music videos

Andy Leftwich Goes Bananas on “Highland Rim”

World Music Central News Room March 25, 2025 No Comments Andy Leftwich Bluegrass world music

Andy Leftwich returns with “Highland Rim,” a high-energy instrumental that highlights his virtuosity alongside some of bluegrass’s finest musicians. Following his soulful interpretation of “Talk…

The album cover for Laye Laye by Elana Sasson features a black-and-white photograph of a woman seen from behind. Her dark hair is braided into two plaits, and she wears a sheer, floral-patterned garment draped over her shoulders.

Music videos

Elana Sasson’s “Laye Laye”: a Reimagining of a Traditional Kurdish Lullaby

World Music Central News Room March 23, 2025 1 Comment Elana Sasson Kurdish music Matthieu Saglio world music

Elana Sasson’s latest single, “Laye Laye,” featuring French cellist Matthieu Saglio, is a reimagining of a traditional Kurdish lullaby. Released on March 21, 2025, it…

The single cover for Things Have Changed by Benson features a rustic, weathered wooden house with a metal roof, surrounded by overgrown grass and lush green trees. The setting is bathed in warm, golden sunlight.

Music videos

Picking Up the Past: Benson Revives a Harley Allen Classic

World Music Central News Room March 21, 2025 No Comments Benson Bluegrass world music

Bluegrass duo Benson, featuring award-winning banjoist Kristin Scott Benson and renowned mandolinist Wayne Benson, launch their 2025 releases with a fresh take on Things Have…