Bayarbaatar Davaasuren The Art of Mongolian Khoomii (ARC Music, 2015) Sometimes it is not so easy to step out of our comfort zone. That being…
Vocal Exploration Beyond The Familiar
Category: Album reviews
Celebration of Strings of the Mediterranean and Beyond
Efrén López El Fill del Llop (Buda Musique, 2015) Spanish multi-instrumentalist Efrén López has released his first solo titled El Fill del Llop (the son…
Spellbinding Kantele
Vilma Timonen Quartet “Drops” (Bafe’s Factory, 2015) Vilma Timonen Quartet is releasing their third album, Drops later this month. This superb ensemble from Finland fuses…
A Little History of the tritikitixa
Kepa Junkera & Sorginak Trikitixaren Historia Txiki Bat – Una Pequeña Historia de la Trikitixa (Fol, 2014) After several recordings fusing Basque accordion music with…
Interlaced Sufi Musical Soundscapes
Karavan Sarai Woven Landscapes (Narayan Sijan, 2015) Woven Landscapes is an independent release by a project called Karavan Sarai developed by American musical explorer and…
Superb Aka Moon World Jazz Explorations
Cassol, Hatzigeorgiou, Galland & Friends Aka Balkan Moon and AlefBa, Double Live (Instinct, 2015) The double CD set Aka Balkan Moon and AlefBa, Double Live…
The Extraordinary Beat of Polynesia
Opetaia’s Te Vaka Amataga (Warm Earth Records, 2015) Polynesian band Te Vaka continues to delight with its wonderful mix of propulsive Pan-Pacific rhythms, folk-rock and…
Mardis Gras Brasileiro
Nation Beat featuring Cha Wa Carnival Caravan (Nation Beat Music, 2015) Carnival Caravan brings together two hybrid carnival traditions from the Americas, Brazilian maracatú and…
Fresh Bluegrass with an Open Mind
Flatt Lonesome Runaway Train (Mountain Home, 2015) Flatt Lonesome demonstrates that it’s one of the most exciting acts in the current bluegrass scene with its…
Middle Eastern Saxophone Energy
Atlas Maior Keyif (Atlas Maior, 2015) American world fusion band Atlas Maior has released a 3-track EP titled Keyif. The recording features three oud and…