Femi Kuti No Place for My Dream (Knitting Factory Records, 2013) Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and singer Femi Kuti, one of the sons of legendary Afrobeat pioneer…
Thought-provoking Afrobeat
Category: Album reviews
Zingaros present an Irresistible Fusion of Tango and Gypsy Music
Zingaros Gitango (ARC Music, 2013) Pairing the rowdy good fun of gypsy music with the lush poignancy of Argentinian tango, Zingaros’s second recording Gitango is…
Karmix: Kuon Ganjo, Urban Lounge and Fusion
Claude Challe Karmix: Kuon Ganjo (Worldwide Records) The driving force behind the Buddha Bar brand has put together yet another superb compilation of urban lounge…
Flavorful Kachupada
Carmen Souza Kachupada (Harmonia Mundi / Galileo-MC, released in Europe in 2012, rest of the world in 2013) Portuguese singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Carmen Souza…
Prime Puente Packaged Perfect
Tito Puente Tito Puente – Quatro: The Definitive Collection (Sony Music Latin, 2013) It’s become shopworn to describe any worthy experience as an honor and…
Preciously Rooted to the Earth
Etran Finatawa The Sahara Sessions (Riverboat Records/World Music Network, 2013) Recorded in the Saharan desert with only an animal skin tent for shelter, the Niger…
Splendid Oana Cătălina Chiţu
Oana Cătălina Chiţu Divine –Romanian Songs from the repertoire of Maria Tănase (1913-1963) (Asphalt Tango Records, 2013) Berlin-based Romanian singer Oana Cătălina Chiţu uses her…
The Journey of a True Balladeer of Irish folk
Noel McLoughlin Home Is the Rover – Traditional Songs from Scotland & Ireland (ARC Music, 2013) ARC Music’s offering Home Is the Rover – Traditional…
Buika’s Bravest Record
Buika La Noche Mas Larga (Warner Music Spain, 2013) Vocalist Concha Buika, along with pianist Ivan “Melon” Lewis and percussionist Ramon Porrina, tosses convention out…
Garifuna Music as a Living Musical Form
The Garifuna Collective Ayo (Stonetree/Cumbancha, 2013) It’s been some six years since Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective introduced the world music community to the…