Bel, Bel…
M’Bilia Bel – Belissimo (Sterns AfricaTCD1098, 2004) M’Bilia first came to prominence in the 1970s as vocal sidekick and wife of the top Zairian [Congolese]…
Ecstatic Voices
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain, The Very Best of (Wrasse Records WRASS 139, 2004) There can be no doubt that the collective voices…
Stringed to perfection
Three violins playing in perfect synchrony are always a delight to the ears. When the artistes are Sneha, Ramya and Kaushik it is like the…
Cold Blow these Winter Winds: A Celtic Celebration of Christmas
Danbury, Connecticut, USA – Cold Blow these Winter Winds (Green Linnet #1229) is a new holiday album featuring a star-studded line-up of traditional musicians from…
A Different Kind of Blue
Various Artists Blues Lounge (Putumayo PUT 229-2, 2004) The art of mixing roots music from various sources with modern electronica has really taken off lately,…
Merlefest 2005 Announces Stellar Partial Line-Up
Wilkesboro, North Carolina, USA – Ticket sales for MerleFest 2005 will begin on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 at 2:00 PM EST. Wilkes Community College will…
Jembe Legend Papa Ladji Camara, dead at age 81
Papa Ladji Camara, Lyrichord recording artist and world renowned drummer who many believe is responsible for introducing the Western world to the Jembe, has passed…
Children of the Earth
The Juan L. Sánchez Ensemble Hijos de la Tierra (Música Cosmopolita, 2004) Juan Sánchez is a Spanish singer-songwriter based in California, who collaborates with musicians…
The Greek underworld: original roots to revival sounds
The Rough Guide to Rebétika [rebetika is also known as rembetika and rebetiko] showcases some of the best rebétika artists from its early roots to…
New Release by Easter Island Band Matato’a
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA – Hailing from Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Matato’a‘s fifth album, Tatoo, celebrates the ancient and the new. Matato´a, “the watching eye…