Otis Redding The Best: See & Hear (Shout Factory, 2009) Shout Factory has released a two-disc set by Otis Redding, one of the influential legends…
Soul Satisfaction
Category: Album reviews
Extraordinary Folktronica
Valravn Koder på snor (VME, 2009) Self described as Danish/Faorese folktronic, Koder på snor, the second release by the group Valravn, is a musical fantasy…
A Slice of Spain
Various Artists Putumayo Presents: España (Putumayo, 2009) Putumayo’s most recent release focuses on the music of Spain. The compilation’s producer has chosen to focus on…
Cuba in a Funk and Funky
Si Para Usted: The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba, Vol. 2 (Waxing Deep Records WAX003, 2009) When Castro’s Cuban regime was at its most repressive,…
A Passage From India
Kailash Kher and Kailasa Yatra (Nomadic Souls) (Cumbancha CMB-CD-14, 2009) My office mate, who was born and raised in India and revisits there yearly, smiled…
Afghan Rising Stars
Various Artists Afghan Star (Silver Screen Records, 2009) The soundtrack to the film Afghan Star, a documentary following four contestants participating in Afghanistan’s television’s talent…
Lushly Smooth
Ithamara Koorax and Juarez Moreira Bim Bom: The Complete Joao Gilberto Songbook (Motéma Music, 2009) In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Brazilian guitarist João…
The Grand Sonero Dominicano
Puerto Plata Casita de Campo (Iaso Records, 2009) Dominican musician Puerto Plata is a relatively undiscovered gem. He is finally getting well deserved international recognition…
From the Well of Cuban Soul
Alex Cuba Agua del Pozo (Caracol Records, 2009) Cuban singer-songwriter Alex Cuba (Alexis Puentes) has gained quite a good reputation in North America with his…
Ukrainian Diaspora
The Ukrainians Diaspora (Omnium, 2009) The Ukrainians are back with Diaspora. The album showcases their accordion-driven Eastern European sound which blends folk music from Ukraine…