Folklore Urbano – Dance Baile (Chonta Records Chon 001, 2005) Chonta Records, a new record label based in New York, has certainly made a great…
Grooving with Afro-Colombian Cumbia
Category: Album reviews
New CD by O-Hum: Persian Underground Rock Music
Rock music, Persian classical music instruments and modes, studio sound wizardry, with lyrics by two of the most prominent figures of Persian classical literature, Hafez…
Addis Odyssey
Ethiopiques 20 – Either/Orchestra Live in Addis (Buda Musique 860121, 2005) The impact of Buda Musique’s Ethiopiques series cannot be overstated. Since the initial volumes appeared…
Child Soldier’s Hope for Peace
Emmanuel Jal and Abdel Gadir Salim Ceasefire (Riverboat, 2005) There used to be a lot of rappers from the world music realm that were just…
Kora Pioneer Madina N’Diaye Releases Debut Album
Madina N’Diaye’s first album will be available in January 2006 in the UK and US, on the Sound of World label (distributed by Harmonia Mundi).…
World Music Rocks The Kasbah
Author: Yvonne Mitton Various Artists – Rock The Kasbah (EMI 864 7912, 2004) Compilation albums can sometimes be a bit of a risk, and in…
With a Bang
Zarbang Persian and Middle Eastern Percussion (ARC Music EUCD 1969, 2005) I first heard of the percussion-oriented group called Zarbang some months ago and became…
A Musical Journey Across North Africa
Cheb I Sabbah – La Kahena (Six Degrees Records 657036111127, 2005) You don’t need to know how to speak the language to understand that the…
Weinstein Digs Ever Deeper
Mark Weinstein Algo Más (Jazzheads JH 1148, 2005) Mark Weinstein isn’t likely to be the first name on anyone’s list of Latin jazz legends. Still,…
A Powerful blend of Flamenco and Hip Hop
Zur Sale el Sol (Chivo Records, 2005) Hybrid music is the rage in Spain this decade. Zur is the latest name to add to the…