Stirring Afrobeat Celebration
Femi Kuti Africa for Africa (Knitting Factory Records KFR1113CD, 2011) With Africa for Africa , Nigerian Afrobeat star Femi Kuti shows us why he is…
LA Phil to Present Big in Japan: Yellow Magic Orchestra & Cibo Matto at Hollywood Bowl
The biggest names in Japanese pop music are set to gather for this once-in-a-lifetime concert on Sunday, June 26, spanning genres and generations. Electro-pop pioneers…
Bobby Sanabria & Friends to Celebrate 100th Birthday of Mario Bauza in New York on June 18th
Havana to Harlem: 100 Years of Mario Bauzá, a special tribute concert to the “Godfather” of Afro Cuban Jazz – Mario Bauzá on Saturday, June…
Sierra Nevada World Music Festival 2011 Begins Next Weekend
The Sierra Nevada World Music Festival kicks off next weekend, June 17-19, at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds located in Boonville, California. Sierra Nevada features 3…
Extraordinary Persian Alchemy
Loga Ramin Torkian Mehraab (Terrestrial Lane Records/Electrofone, 2011) Multi-instrumentalist Loga Ramin Torkian has been one of the leading figures in the North American world music…
Crossroads of Indian classical music, jazz, chillout and funk
Prem Joshua and Band In Concert (Music Today/White Swan) This is an excellent album right at the crossroads of Indian classical music, jazz, chillout and…
Lushly Sentimental Essence of Mediterranean Music
Amina Alaoui Arco Iris (ECM Records, 2011) Recently, I happened upon a BBC conversation where the commentator was discussing comments made by the Trinidadian-British writer…
Klezmer Band She’koyokh Releases Buskers’ Ballroom
Buskers’ Ballroom is the second album from London’s acclaimed She’koyokh Klezmer Ensemble. She’koyokh chose to name the album Buskers’ Ballroom to reflect the diversity of…
Journey Around the Sun
Strunz & Farah Journey Around the Sun (Selva SV-CD 1016, 2011) It’s taken guitar duo Strunz & Farah four years to record a new album…
Ghana’s Rocky Dawuni wins “Best African Artist” Award at International Reggae & World Music Awards 2011
“The new kinds of fusion in reggae which I see now are the integration of traditional African instruments.” Ghana’s reggae star Rocky Dawuni won the…