Various Artists Reggae Gold (Hip-O Records/Universal Music, 2005) The songs on this 2 CD set will take you back to the Golden Age of reggae…
Memorable Reggae Classics
Category: Album reviews
Dream Walkers and Global Rockers
Kan’Nal Dreamwalker (Physiks Records [no number], 2005) Difficult to label yet strangely compelling because of that very difficulty, the music of Kan’Nal is a tightly…
Souad not so sad
Souad Massi – Mesk Elil (Universal Music France, 2005) A softer, more centered Souad Massi greets us upon our entry to this, her third album.…
Salif keeps up the momentum
Salif Keita – M’Bemba [Ancestor] (Universal Jazz, 2005) Salif Keita’s Soro is one of the few Afro-fusion releases to truly cross over into the mainstream.Soro…
Kiran, Ghazals To Die For
Kiran Ahluwalia – Kiran Ahluwalia (Triloka Records, 2005) It’s a long time since we’ve heard ghazal in a crossed-over format as good as this. The blend…
Reshaping of South African Classics
FJ & Living Souls Ambient Africa (Eagle Records ER20079-2, 2005) In 2003, Mike Howell and Brian Adams, both of Eagle Records, got the bright idea…
New York Soul Collective Crosses Boundaries
Si*Se More Shine (Fuerte Records, 2005) More Shine is the second album by one of the most creative bands that have come out of New…
Chichi Peralta Returns Mixing Caribbean, African and Brazilian Beats
Chichi Peralta Mas que suficiente (Venemusic, 2005) Dominican world music percussionist Chichí Peralta has created a rich fusion of sound colors. Mas que suficiente is…
Traore’s Trials and Treasures
Boubacar Traore Kongo Magni (World Village 468051, 2005) Boubacar “Kar Kar” Traoré was a musical star in Mali by the time that country became independent…
Another World Is Possible: Artists with a Conscience
Various Artists Another World is Possible (Uwe, 2004) This attention-grabbing hard cover book and CD collection is for those individuals with a social conscience. The…