Brazil Gone Batty
Bat Makumba Boteco (Bat Makumba Records 665744 10052-4) San Francisco-based Bat Makumba (named after a Caetano Veloso song) here follow up their debut with another…
Niyaz Will Celebrate in 2009 New Album Release in Los Angeles
On February 7, the Persian electro-acoustic sensation Niyaz does a hometown record release party in Los Angeles at the El Rey Theatre in support of…
Kora Master in the Spirit
Youssoupha Sidibe Xelcom (Self-released, 2008) Senegal’s Youssoupha Sidibe has played his kora (21-stringed West African harp) alongside artists as varied as Matisyahu, Bela Fleck, India…
Chicha Rebound Continues
Juaneco y su Combo Masters of Chicha Vol. 1 (Barbes Records BROO20, 2008) The 2007 compilation Roots of Chicha brought long-overdue wider recognition to a…
Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago Introduces World Music Wednesdays: Winter/Spring 2009
Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago introduces a new series called World Music Wednesdays, which replaces the previous format of Peña, Afrofolk, and…
Breaktronics
XKollective Electric Flowers (Flexitrax, 2008) To get an idea of the sound of British trance outfit XKollective, think of a combination of South Asian fusionist…
Bluegrass Supergroup Blue Highway Announces Winter 2009 Tour
Blue Highway, one of the most influential groups in contemporary bluegrass, was recently nominated for five awards by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass…
Artists Celebrated Human Rights Day 2008 in Stockholm
On the 10th of December, the Sweden branch of Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI-S) presented an opportunity to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Universal…
Ladino Voices
The exploration of Sephardic music is taking musicians in new directions. US-based Gerard Edery’s latest recording is a fascinating collaboration with Lithuanian singer Maria Krupoves,…
Far Reaching Influence of Arabic Music
Jill Turner discovers some gems in the cleverly crafted Putumayo compilation, Acoustic Arabia but remains confused by its title. Choosing to stay mainly, to the…