Renowned Singer Susana Baca Named Peru’s Minister of Culture
Peru’s president elect Ollanta Humala had named Afro-Peruvian innovator Susana Baca new Minister of Culture. She replaces Juan Ossio. The Ministry of Culture was created…
Joropo Dynamos
Cimarrón ¡Cimarrón! Joropo Music from the Plains of Colombia (Smithsonian Folkways Records SFW40557, 2011) Cimarron is one of the leading exponents of Colombian musica llanera,…
Gal Costa Receives 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from The Latin Recording Academy
Brazilian star Gal Costa is one of the recipients of the The Latin Recording Academy’s 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award. One of Brazil’s most popular singers,…
Amira Kheir Releases View From Somewhere
Sudanese – Italian singer songwriter Amira Kheir’s new album, View from Somewhere, is inspired by traditional Sudanese singing and instrumentation, blended with elements of Jazz…
A Giant of Haitian Music Lénord Fortuné ‘Azor’ Dies at 46
Haitian master drummer and singer Lénord Fortuné, also known as Azor, died July 16. He was 46. Azor was given a state funeral and he…
Rock the Caravan
Terakaft Aratan N Azawad (World Village, 2011) Like their contemporaries Tinariwen, Mali’s Terakaft is comprised of Tuareg rebel souls who traded guns for guitars, finding…
The Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration: A Classic Bluegrass Tribute Out on August 23
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Monroe’s birth, on August 23 Rounder will release a 2-disc 28-track set titled The Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration: A…
Post Rainforest World Music Festival: On to Kuching
After covering the 2011 Rainforest World Music Festival, members of the music and travel media were offered the possibility of extending their stay in Sarawak…
Spectacular Arabian Nights Live
Kristjan Jarvi’s Absolute Ensemble Arabian Nights Live at Town Hall NYC (Enja Records, 2011) Fans of Kristjan Jarvi’s Absolute Ensemble and their previous recordings Absolute…
The Latin Recording Academy Announces 2011 Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Latin Recording Academy announced this week that the late Joe Arroyo (who died this week), Gal Costa, José Feliciano, Alex Lora, Les Luthiers, Rubén…