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Wednesday, August 19, 2026

World Music Central

Your Connection to traditional and contemporary World Music, including folk, roots, global music, ethno and crosscultural fusions
World Music Central
Your Connection to traditional and contemporary World Music, including folk, roots, global music, ethno and crosscultural fusions
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  • Album reviews

    Frederico7 Builds a Brazil Beyond Borders on ‘Brasileirôu’

    Frederico7 – Brasileirôu (Lion’s Lair Records, 2026) On Brasileirôu, Frederico7 treats Brazil as an inner geography. On its 12 songs, the Brazilian-born songwriter brings together…

    Angel Romero August 19, 2026 No Comments
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  • Album reviews

    The Rabab Remembers the Future: Sareban’s Echoes in the Weave

    Sareban – Echoes in the Weave (Worlds Within Worlds, 2026) On Echoes in the Weave, Swiss-born Afghan rabab player Mathieu Clavel, who records as Sareban,…

    Tyler Bennet August 18, 2026 No Comments
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  • Album reviews

    Polyphonic Vocal Group, Kitka Celebrates 45th Anniversary with Kolo

    Kitka – Kolo (Six Degrees Records, 2026) The legendary multigenerational women’s polyphonic vocal group, Kitka has a brand-new album titled Kolo. This lovely, exquisite and…

    Madison Quinn August 16, 2026 No Comments
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  • Album reviews

    Chamber Folk Act Medusa Quartet’s Debut Inspired by Japanese Kintsugi

    Medusa Quartet — Weaving Gold in Broken Places (self-released, 2026) Weaving Gold in Broken Places is the first full-length album by Toronto chamber-folk ensemble Medusa…

    Tyler Bennet August 15, 2026 No Comments
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  • Album reviews

    The Many Faces of Karsh Kale’s Dust

    Karsh Kale – Dust (Six Degrees, 2026) Karsh Kale returns in 2026 with Dust, his first full-length solo album in a decade. Tthe project expands…

    Madison Quinn August 14, 2026 No Comments
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Featured News

  • Hanoun Brass Band From New Orleans to Palestine cover artwork
    Music videos Single reviews

    Second Line Levantine

    Tom Orr August 15, 2026 No Comments
  • Rhiannon Giddens Freight Train video cover artwork. An image of Giddens holding a banjo.
    Music videos

    Rhiannon Giddens Revisits Elizabeth Cotten’s “Freight Train”

    World Music Central News Room August 13, 2026 No Comments
  • Rootless Dam Mast Qalandar cover artwork. A cover featuring repeating red floral motifs, stretched out arms touching each other, and yellow-pink lettering reading “DAM MAST QALANDAR.” A central pink starburst contains the artist name “ROOTLESS,” all set against bright blue and lavender geometric shapes.
    Music videos

    Rootless Connects Romani and Punjabi Traditions on “Dam Mast Qalandar”

    World Music Central News Room August 7, 2026 No Comments
  • Donguille.pe No Vuelvo Atrás cover artwork. The album cover features a hand-drawn illustration of a person playing a classical guitar, with the figure formed almost entirely from repeated black typography spelling the artist's name. The guitar is lightly tinted in pink, while scattered musical notes float around the musician.
    Music videos Single reviews

    Forward Ever

    Tom Orr August 6, 2026 No Comments
  • Mairi McGillivray - 'S Mòr mo Chùram cover artwork. Mairi wearing a white dress standing in a grass field.
    Music videos

    Mairi McGillivray Unveils ‘S Mòr mo Chùram

    World Music Central News Room August 5, 2026 No Comments
  • Gráinne Brady The Highest Blossom cover artwork. Tree branches with flowers.
    Music videos

    Irish Folk Fiddler Gráinne Brady Presents “The Highest Blossom”

    World Music Central News Room August 4, 2026 No Comments

Derya Türkan & Sokratis Sinopoulos - Soundplaces cover artwork. a photo of the two artists side by side, looking to the right, holding their musical instrument.
Album reviews

Soundplaces Weaves a Bowed Dialogue Across the Aegean

Tyler Bennet June 23, 2025 No Comments Greek musickamanchalyraTurkish musicworld fusionworld music

Derya Türkan & Sokratis Sinopoulos – Soundplaces (Seyir Muzik, 2020) Soundplaces, the 2020 release by Derya Türkan and Sokratis Sinopoulos, offers a contemplative, transcultural conversation…

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Koko Taylor - Crown Jewels covr artwork. A photo of the artist performing live, holding a microphone.
New Releases

Crown Jewels Anthology Celebrates Koko Taylor’s Legacy

Angel Romero June 22, 2025 No Comments bluesKoko Taylorworld music

Alligator Records is set to release Crown Jewels, a new compilation that features some of the finest performances by the legendary Koko Taylor, known worldwide…

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A solitary boat floats on abstract, windswept waters in this watercolor cover. Soft blue, brown, and white brushstrokes.
Music videos

A Parting Song: Mike Vass Sets Sail With “Leaving St. Kilda”

World Music Central News Room June 22, 2025 No Comments Celtic musicMike VassScottish musictenor guitarworld music

Scottish composer Mike Vass draws inspiration from history in “Leaving St. Kilda,” a solo tenor guitar piece rooted in his time as artist-in-residence at the…

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Kolintang class in middle school. As a regular curriculum in some schools in Indonesia, it is a way to pass the technics of playing the instrument through generations. Photograph: Julius Widjojono © Manado Independent School, Indonesia, 2023.
Articles

Kolintang: The Wooden Wonder of Minahasa

Angel Romero June 21, 2025 No Comments IndonesiaIndonesian musicIntangible Cultural Heritage of HumanityKolintangworld musicxylophone

(headline image: Kolintang class in middle school. As a regular curriculum in some schools in Indonesia, it is a way to pass the technique of…

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The album cover for Music from Macbeth by Gaelynn Lea features a central illustration of a lantern with a burning fire inside, set against a radiant red and pink background. The title is stylized in hand-drawn white lettering, with a Celtic-inspired border of thistles, skulls, and knotwork.
Album reviews

Gaelynn Lea’s Haunting Macbeth-Inspired Album Takes the Stage

Angel Romero June 21, 2025 No Comments Celtic musicGaelynn Leaworld music

Gaelynn Lea – Music From Macbeth (self-released, 2025) Gaelynn Lea, the American violinist, composer, and disability rights advocate, rose to prominence after winning NPR Music’s…

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The single cover for Inmigrante Y Qué? by Yeisy Rojas features a young woman gazing pensively through a chain-link fence at night. Dramatic lighting casts the fence’s shadow across her face.
Music videos Single reviews

It Begs the Question

Tom Orr June 21, 2025 No Comments Cuban musicworld musicYeisy Rojas

With immigration being the hot button issue it is nowadays, Cuba’s Yeisy Rojas brings her own take on it into focus via “Inmigrante y qué?”…

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Babel Music XP 2025 banner
Showcases

World Music Showcase Babel Music XP Opens 2026 Artist Call

World Music Central News Room June 21, 2025 No Comments Babel Music XPglobal musicworld fusionworld music

Babel Music XP, an international showcase and professional springboard for emerging world music artists, has officially launched its call for participants for the 2026 edition.…

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The album cover for Leave a Light On by Volume Five depicts a warmly lit cabin on a grassy hillside under a star-filled night sky.
New CDs and digital releases

Volume Five Keeps It Lit

World Music Central News Room June 21, 2025 No Comments BluegrassVolume Fiveworld music

Bluegrass mainstays Volume Five return with Leave a Light On (Mountain Fever Records), a tightly crafted album that bridges traditional roots with contemporary storytelling. The…

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The cover of Midnight Fire by Matt Wallace features a stylized campfire blazing under a luminous full moon. Surrounded by tall pine trees and dramatic clouds, with a retro, illustrated aesthetic. The title and artist’s name appear in bold, white lettering at the bottom.
Music videos

Bluegrass Burns Bright: Matt Wallace Rekindles “Midnight Fire”

World Music Central News Room June 20, 2025 No Comments BluegrassMatt Wallaceworld music

Matt Wallace returns with “Midnight Fire,” a spirited new single released on Huckleberry Records. Originally recorded by Steve Wariner in the 1980s, the song is…

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The album cover for Contrasts by Marcos Valle features a close-up of the artist's face, partially obscured by concentric ripple-like lines in warm orange and cool blue tones. Wearing sunglasses and a white shirt, Valle appears on the left side, while the album title is positioned to the right in geometric fonts.
Album reviews

Marcos Valle’s Contrasts Returns Modern Bossa Nova in Style

Angel Romero June 20, 2025 No Comments Brazilian musicMarcos Vallesambaworld music

Marcos Valle – Contrasts (Far Out Recordings, 2025 reissue) Originally released in 2003, Contrasts marked a pivotal moment in Marcos Valle’s late-career resurgence. It combined…

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Recent Posts

  • Laura Itandehui to Make NYC Debut at Public Records
  • Frederico7 Builds a Brazil Beyond Borders on ‘Brasileirôu’
  • The Rabab Remembers the Future: Sareban’s Echoes in the Weave
  • Old Town School of Folk Music Reveals World Music Wednesday Schedule for Fall 2026
  • Pippa Reid-Foster Turns a North Atlantic Voyage Into The Excelsior Suite
  • Seville’s Lope de Vega Theater Rejoins La Bienal with Major Flamenco Premieres
  • Polyphonic Vocal Group, Kitka Celebrates 45th Anniversary with Kolo

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