Tomoko Sugawara Along the Silk Road: Ancient and Modern Music for the Kugo (Motema Music, 2010) The type of harp that Tomoko Sugawara plays on…
Delicate Beauty Recovered
Category: Album reviews
Spirited San Patricio
The Chieftains San Patricio (Blackrock Records/Hear Music HRM-31321-02, 2010) The Chieftains’ latest recording, San Patricio (Saint Patrick in Spanish), celebrates the music of Mexico and…
The Original Country Music
Willie Nelson Country Music (Rounder Records, 20120) Whether you’re looking to two step across the carpet, have a good nostalgic weep into your beer or…
Ancient Indulgence Made Modern
Gaida Levantine Indulgence (Palmyra Recordings, 2009) It was overlapping pre-dawn calls to prayer from the mosques of Damascus and the sounds of Arabic pop on…
Buoyant Banjo
Evie Ladin Float Downstream (Evie Ladin / Evil Diane, 2010) The sound of the banjo remains an acquired taste, even given a recent resurgence in…
Alluring Spider Dances
Various Artists Taranta Nights 2 (Italian World Music (IWM 252 , 2009) Unfortunately, "O Sole Mio," "Mambo Italiano" or some other equally cheesy pop song…
Western Pyrenees Reconfigurations
Xarnege Ixo-sho (Pyrene Pyr-003, 2009) The new album by Xarnege continues the fascinating explorations of the ancient land of Vasconia which includes the current Basque…
Into the Django Swing
Wedeli Köhler Swing and Folk (Jazzpoint Records, 2010) Lingering over that second pot of coffee while brushing the croissant crumbs from your chin and smudging…
Rocking the House Again
Afro-Rock, Volume 1 (Strut 059CD, 2010) I reviewed this collection back in 2001 when the site you’re looking at was called World Music Portal and…
Enter the Dragon
Byron Lee & the Dragonaires The Man & His Music (17 North Parade VP4165, 2009) Many a ska, calypso and reggae purist has dismissed the…