Various Artists Cuba le canta a Serrat (Discmedi-Blau, 2005) An independent label from Spain has put together one of the most fascinating Cuban albums in…
Cuba Sings to Serrat
Category: Album reviews
Cru Rings True
Seu Jorge Cru (Wrasse Records WRASS 160, 2005) Seu Jorge has been featured in a couple of movies. One was the Brazilian favela (slum) drama…
The Gentle Heart of Mali
Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté In The Heart of the Moon (Nonesuch/World Circuit Records, 2005) Every once in a while you stumble across a…
Habana Ensemble, Cuba’s Supergroup
César López y Habana Ensemble Todo incluido (Latin World Productions/Universal Music Latino 851 720 001-2, 2005) Even though numerous Cuban recordings have made it to…
Jamaican Guitar Great Catches a Wave
Ernest Ranglin Surfin’ (Tropic Entertainment/Telarc CD-83682, 2005) Ernest Ranglin was an accomplished guitarist in his native Jamaica long before there was such a thing as…
Talkin’ Balkan
Various Artists Rough Guide to the Music of Balkan Gypsies (World Music Network RGNET 1159 CD, 2005) I love albums that get right to the…
Milton Nascimento’s Pietá
Milton Nascimento Pietá (Savoy Jazz, 2005) Now available in the US, Milton Nascimento’s latest CD, Pietá, should delight his numerous fans. The album is dedicated…
When Bhangra Meets the The Mighty Zulu Nation
The Mighty Zulu Nation Abantu (Nation Records, 2004) On Abantu, South African group The Mighty Zulu Nation teams up with Aki Nawaz, of Fundamental. Nawaz…
Songs of the Brave
Brave Old World – Dus Gezang Fin Geto Lodzh [Song of the Lodz Ghetto] (Winter and Winter Music 910 104-2, 2005) True to their name,…
Mauritanian Crossroads
Daby Touré Diam (Realworld, 2004) Mauritania is a crossroads of cultures. It connects the Arabic traditions of North Africa (Magreb) with the sounds of the…