Zap Mama ReCreation (Heads Up International, 2009) Lush and exotic, Zap Mama’s latest, ReCreation, is yet another dishy blend of eclectic world music compositions swirling…
Zap Mama’s Recreation
Category: Album reviews
Samba, Strictly Speaking
Various Artists Far out: Strictly Samba (Far Out Recordings FAR0137, 2009) Samba is truly Brazil’s signature sound, but even a collection like this, with a…
Tailor Made
Victor Deme Victor Deme (Chapa Blues/Makasound, 2008) Growing up in Burkina Faso, Victor Deme dabbled in his father’s tailoring business and more seriously pursued his…
Thunderous Mantras
Jai Uttal Thunder Love (Nutone Records, 2009) American musician Jai Uttal released several landmark world beat albums that combined traditional Indian music with western elements.…
Irresistible Confetti
Jamie Laval and Ashley Broder Zephyr in the Confetti Factory (independent, 2007) Sparkling with all the bright flash and the dizzying giddiness of a giggle…
Nagore’s Luminous Delights
Various Artists Nagore Sessions (Earth Sync, 2009) Richly worked productions and deliciously exotic compositions are the hallmarks of recordings by arranger and producer Patrick Sebag…
Fania Fire
Fania All Stars San Juan 73 (Fania/Emusica, 2009) From the Fania vaults comes this small treasure. San Juan 73 is a previously unreleased live recording…
Hoodio Hopping
Hip Hop Hoodios Carne Masada: Quite Possibly the Best of Hip Hop (Jazzhead, 2009) The name of this collective, Hip Hop Hoodios, is…
Nomadic Chalaparta
Oreka TX Nomadak Tx (World Village, 2009) In 2006, two musicians from San Sebastian in Spain’s Basque country, Harkaitz Martínez and Igor Otxoa (who use…
Nigeria’s Definitive Golden Age Revisited
Nigeria 70 – The Definitive Story of 1970s Funky Lagos (Strut Records STRUTO35CD/LP, 2009) Strut Records is one of those labels that have a knack…