Salif Keita M’Bemba (Universal/Decca, 2006) It’s been heating up Europe for a while, and now M’Bemba, the latest by Mali’s Salif Keita, will finally get…
New Salif Keita Forthcoming and Fabulous
Category: Album reviews
BeauSoleil with a sneak preview of new album
by Susan Budig It must be the air of Louisiana that transports their sound with consummate clarity because I hear Jimmy Breaux lay down powerful…
Occitan Beats, Tarantella Power and Beyond
Lesser known than the music of powerhouse countries like Ireland, the UK and Spain, Italy is, nevertheless, a land of rich musical traditions. These are…
Divine Madness
Sussan Deyhim Madman of God (Crammed Discs craw 22, 2006) The Sufi are a minority sect in the Muslim world, their belief in music and…
SGAE Releases its Annual Compendium of Spanish Roots Music
Various Artists SGAE es: Raíces, Alternativo, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Urban – six album boxed set (Iberautor/SGAE, 2006) Every year, the Fundación Autor and SGAE release…
World Beat at its Best
Natacha Atlas Mish Maoul (Mantra Recrodings / Beggars Group MNTCD 1038, 2006) The queen of world music is back with an superb recording that shows…
Drums and Dreams
Nii Tagoe – African Roots (ARC Music EUCD 1981, 2006) Shaman’s Dream – African Dream (Sounds True M1014D, 2006) Recordings based around African percussion are…
A Musical Balancing Act
Sara Tavares Balancê (Times Square Records TSQ-CD-9054, 2006) Let me first disclose that I haven’t the computer knowhow to type this album’s title with the…
Vem, Sacred songs from Armenia
Lucineh Hovanissian Vem, Sacred songs from Armenia (Studio SM /Abeille Musique) “VEM” means rock in Armenian. The name of the album concerns the site where…
Lila’s Cantina
Lila Downs La Cantina (Narada 09463-34248-2-1, 2006) Where her last two releases combined the confessional intimacy of Mexican folkloric music with global seasonings, Lila Downs‘…