Terakaft Aratan N Azawad (World Village, 2011) Like their contemporaries Tinariwen, Mali’s Terakaft is comprised of Tuareg rebel souls who traded guns for guitars, finding…
Rock the Caravan
Category: Album reviews
Spectacular Arabian Nights Live
Kristjan Jarvi’s Absolute Ensemble Arabian Nights Live at Town Hall NYC (Enja Records, 2011) Fans of Kristjan Jarvi’s Absolute Ensemble and their previous recordings Absolute…
Grabbing the Bull by the Horns
Ocote Soul Sounds Taurus (ESL Music ESL 175, 2011) Back with album number three, Ocote Soul Sounds (OSS) continue to combine Afro-Latin funk with a…
Afrobeat on the Upswing
Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Egypt 80 From Africa with Fury: Rise (Knitting Factory Records KFR1110CD, 2011) Seun Anikulapo Kuti, son of Nigerian Afrobeat creator and…
Rare Koto and Shamisen Gems
Various Artists Japanese Traditional Music: Koto – Shamisen | Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai (World Arbiter, 2011) Traditional Japanese music buffs should check out the third installment…
Balkan Brass Fury
Fanfare Ciocarlia and Boban & Marko Markovic Orchestra Balkan Brass Battle (2011) Two of the finest brass bands in the world, Romania’s Fanfare Ciocarlia and…
Masterful World Fusion from Malaysia
AkashA Karakoram Highway (2011) Malaysian band AkashA is quickly becoming one of the most interesting bands in the world fusion category. The multiethnic band has…
Sahara Groove 2
Various Sahara Groove 2 (Arc Music) This is a terrific compilation of music from North Africa. The 11 tracks make for over an hour of…
The Return of Kar Kar
Boubacar Traore Mali Denhou (Lusafrica 562492, 2011) Hard to believe it’s been six years since Boubacar Traore’s quietly stunning Kongo Magni CD, but Kar Kar…
Delicious Romp through the New Quebecois Sound
Genticorum Nagez Rameurs (Mad River Records, 2011) Looking to kick up your heels this summer with a little Quebecois flair? Look no further than the…