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…
Festival on the Niger 2009 Lineup
The 5th edition of the Festival on the Niger will be held in Segu (Segou), Mali, January 28 through February 1. The 2009 edition will…
The Magic of Legendary Latin Rock Fusion Band Azteca on CD and DVD
One of the more unusual reunions of a 1970’s music act happened on September 15th 2007 at the Hollywood Key Club – legendary Latin Rock…
Found Horizon
Various Artists Sound of the World Presents Beyond the Horizon (Warner Classics and Jazz 5144288632, 2008) It’s always a pleasure to see and hear what…
War of the World
War – Greatest Hits Live (Avenue Records R2512351, 2008) War- a world music band? I’d testify to it in a court of law. Their mixture…
Mezklah Bassist Juan Carlos Ramirez Critically Injured in a Car Crash
At approximately 2:00 PM Saturday, on December 6, Mezklah bassist and keyboardist Juan-Carlos Ramirez was involved in a major car accident in Downtown Los Angeles.…
Afrobite
Chopteeth Chopteeth (Grigri Discs GRIGRI001, 2008) An “Afrofunk Big Band” is how this Washington D.C.-based collective refer to themselves and that label alone was enough…
Guitar Journeys
Quite a few guitar albums make it to World Music Central’s inbox. I need to begin with one of the most pleasant guitar surprises I’ve…
Mali Koura, the New Album by Issa Bagayogo Released in the UK
Mali Koura, the new album by Mali’s Issa Bagayogo, was released in the UK yesterday (8 December 2008) on Six Degrees Records. It was amongst…