Omara Portuondo – Gracias (World Village/Montuno WVF 479021, 2008) Buena Vista Social Club – At Carnegie Hall (World Circuit WLWCD080, 2008) Ah, the Buena Vista…
Enduring Cuban Legacy
Category: Album reviews
Powerful and Fearless English Folk
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset The Bairns (Real World Records, 2008) Alternating between hauntingly lovely and delightfully quirky, The Bairns, the second album by Rachel…
Semba Superstar
Bonga Bairro (Lusafrica, 2008) Variously dubbed the Angolan Rod Stewart or Julio Iglesias but who cares, Bonga, the semba superstar is back with remarkably, his…
Refashioning Fado
Mariza Terra (Four Quarters Entertainment/World Connection, 2008) January just got brighter for fado fans with the upcoming January 27th release of Mariza’s Terra, while North…
Remarkable Lani Singers
Lani Singers Ninalik Ndawi (Dancing Turtle Records, 2008) In choosing to use the blue and white striped Bintang Kajora, as the graphic backdrop for their…
Golden Age of Salsa
Various Artists The Rough Guide to Salsa Gold (World Music Network, 2008) Compiled by writer and researcher Pablo Yglesias, Salsa Gold is a fascinating portrait…
Reggae Evolutions
Reggae Jammin Vol. 1 (Tad Records, 2008) & The Ultimate Reggae Dancehall X-Perience 2008 (Tad Records, 2008) Reggae has grown considerably since the days of…
Angelino Dub
Mezklah Bestia Sonika (independent, 2008) California-based Mezklah is one of the few bands in the area that takes Latin American music and combines it with…
Amereggae
Rockamovya – Rockamovya (Young Tree Records YTR-0206, 2008) Scholars Word – Make Way (Scholars Word, 2008) John Brown’s Body – Amplify (Easy Star Records ES-1017,…
Portuguese Explorer
Julio Pereira Geografias (Som Livre, 2007) Mandolinist Julio Pereira is a legendary figure in Portuguese folk music. He is known for his combinations of traditional…