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Monday, August 17, 2026

World Music Central

Your Connection to traditional and contemporary World Music, including folk, roots, global music, ethno and crosscultural fusions
World Music Central
Your Connection to traditional and contemporary World Music, including folk, roots, global music, ethno and crosscultural fusions
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  • Album reviews

    Polyphonic Vocal Group, Kitka Celebrates 45th Anniversary with Kolo

    Kitka – Kolo (Six Degrees Records, 2026) The legendary multigenerational women’s polyphonic vocal group, Kitka has a brand-new album titled Kolo. This lovely, exquisite and…

    Madison Quinn August 16, 2026 No Comments
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  • Album reviews

    Chamber Folk Act Medusa Quartet’s Debut Inspired by Japanese Kintsugi

    Medusa Quartet — Weaving Gold in Broken Places (self-released, 2026) Weaving Gold in Broken Places is the first full-length album by Toronto chamber-folk ensemble Medusa…

    Tyler Bennet August 15, 2026 No Comments
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  • Album reviews

    The Many Faces of Karsh Kale’s Dust

    Karsh Kale – Dust (Six Degrees, 2026) Karsh Kale returns in 2026 with Dust, his first full-length solo album in a decade. Tthe project expands…

    Madison Quinn August 14, 2026 No Comments
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  • Album reviews

    Purple With Purpose

    I’m the first to admit that I have no clear definition for the term “world music.” I do, however, know that longstanding band Ancient Future…

    Tom Orr August 12, 2026 No Comments
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  • Album reviews

    Elena Moon Park Announces Nothing Is Ordinary, A Collaborative All-Ages Album

    Elena Moon Park – Nothing Is Ordinary (Adhyâropa Records, 2026) Elena Moon Park’s third all-ages album, Nothing Is Ordinary, brings together reimagined folk and children’s…

    Madison Quinn August 11, 2026 No Comments
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Featured News

  • Hanoun Brass Band From New Orleans to Palestine cover artwork
    Music videos Single reviews

    Second Line Levantine

    Tom Orr August 15, 2026 No Comments
  • Rhiannon Giddens Freight Train video cover artwork. An image of Giddens holding a banjo.
    Music videos

    Rhiannon Giddens Revisits Elizabeth Cotten’s “Freight Train”

    World Music Central News Room August 13, 2026 No Comments
  • Rootless Dam Mast Qalandar cover artwork. A cover featuring repeating red floral motifs, stretched out arms touching each other, and yellow-pink lettering reading “DAM MAST QALANDAR.” A central pink starburst contains the artist name “ROOTLESS,” all set against bright blue and lavender geometric shapes.
    Music videos

    Rootless Connects Romani and Punjabi Traditions on “Dam Mast Qalandar”

    World Music Central News Room August 7, 2026 No Comments
  • Donguille.pe No Vuelvo Atrás cover artwork. The album cover features a hand-drawn illustration of a person playing a classical guitar, with the figure formed almost entirely from repeated black typography spelling the artist's name. The guitar is lightly tinted in pink, while scattered musical notes float around the musician.
    Music videos Single reviews

    Forward Ever

    Tom Orr August 6, 2026 No Comments
  • Mairi McGillivray - 'S Mòr mo Chùram cover artwork. Mairi wearing a white dress standing in a grass field.
    Music videos

    Mairi McGillivray Unveils ‘S Mòr mo Chùram

    World Music Central News Room August 5, 2026 No Comments
  • Gráinne Brady The Highest Blossom cover artwork. Tree branches with flowers.
    Music videos

    Irish Folk Fiddler Gráinne Brady Presents “The Highest Blossom”

    World Music Central News Room August 4, 2026 No Comments

The cover for Mosaico shows a forest scene filled with twisting orange and yellow trees around a glowing sun. Green vines and purple flowers add contrast, while the lower half reveals water reflecting the light. The artists’ names sit at the top right, with the album title printed vertically along the left.
New CDs and digital releases

Confortini & Mackenzie to Unveil Brazilian Mosaico on March 2026

World Music Central News Room February 12, 2026 No Comments Brazilian musicFrancesca ConfortiniRyan Mackenzieworld music

Vocalist Francesca Confortini and arranger Ryan Mackenzie are set to release Mosaico (Tessera Records) on March 20, 2026. The album is a Brazilian-focused project that…

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Rafael Amador - Photo by Mario Pacheco
Obituaries

Rafael Amador, Co-Founder Of Pata Negra and Key Figure in Nuevo Flamenco, Dies at 65

World Music Central News Room February 11, 2026 1 Comment FlamencoPata NegraRafael Amadorworld music

(headline image: Rafael Amador – Photo by Mario Pacheco) Rafael Amador, the Seville-born guitarist, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the band Pata Negra with his…

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View More Rafael Amador, Co-Founder Of Pata Negra and Key Figure in Nuevo Flamenco, Dies at 65
Two men in suits stand waist-deep in the sea, facing away from each other. One wears a strange helmet and holds a device, while the other carries bright cleaning gloves. Centered text above them reads “Wallbreaker” with the artists’ names beneath it.
Music videos

Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell Roll Out “Wallbreaker”

World Music Central News Room February 11, 2026 No Comments Arthur CoatesCeltic musicKerran CotterellScottish musicworld music

Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell are a powerhouse folk duo that combines spirited Scottish fiddle fire and English guitar with driving foot percussion and soulful…

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A photograph of an unfinished multi-story brick building with arched windows and a red-tiled roof under a blue sky crossed by power lines. Handwritten white text reading Bashel Án floats above the structure, while Titkon appears in the lower corner.
Album reviews

BashElan’s Titkon Weaves Hungarian folk, Balkan rhythms, and Roma traditions

JGurski February 11, 2026 No Comments BashElanHungarian musicRoma musicTransylvanian musicworld fusionworld music

BashElan – Titkon (Fonó, 2025) BashElan, a stellar young ensemble led by founder Zsombor Herédi, crafts its cathartic sound from traditional sources. The group mixes…

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La Machine - Les Rodeurs album cover artwork. A field of bright green grass stretches across the foreground, meeting a distant modern city skyline under a cloud-dotted sky. Centered at the top, red typography reads “La Machine – Les Rôdeurs,” with a small decorative emblem between the words.
Music videos Single reviews

Welcome to the Machine

Tom Orr February 10, 2026 No Comments French musicLa Machineworld music

Built around the dual droning sounds of bagpipes and hurdy gurdy, “Vous qui n’avez pas d’amants” by France’s La Machine combines tradition and a kind…

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Hirundo Maris – Looking for New Horizons cover artwork. An illustration of a sailboat.
Album reviews

Hirundo Maris: A Fusion of European and Ottoman Early Music Traditions

Madison Quinn February 10, 2026 No Comments Early MusicHirundo MarisNorwegian folk musicTurkish musicworld fusionworld music

Hirundo Maris – Looking for New Horizons, Book I (Seyir Müzik, 2025) Looking for New Horizons is the lovely debut album by Hirundu Maris, a…

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A seascape at sunset fills the background, with dark clouds breaking to reveal light over distant rocky islands and calm water. Centered on top sits a metallic compass emblem that doubles as a stylized cross, marked with cardinal directions and circular geometric details. The band name “Alta Forma” arcs around the emblem. Along the bottom, the title Trajectory appears as spaced letters inside small compass-like circles, with the artists’ names, Antoine Fafard, JK Harrison, and Todd Sucherman, beneath it.
Album reviews

Alta Forma Returns With Trajectory: Big Ideas, Sharp Turns

Angel Romero February 9, 2026 No Comments Alta FormaAntoine Fafardjazz fusionjazz-rockJK Harrisonprogressive rockTodd Sucherman

Alta Forma – Trajectory (Timeless Momentum, 2025) Innovative British progressive rock band Alta Forma reunites songwriter-collaborators JK Harrison, Todd Sucherman, and Antoine Fafard. These new…

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Gryphon - Midnight Mushrumps cover artwork. A photo of the band.
Artist Profiles

Origins of Gryphon: A Fusion of Early Music, Folk, and Rock

Angel Romero February 9, 2026 No Comments English Folk musicfolk-rockGryphonprogressive folkprogressive rockworld music

Gryphon’s formation in early 1972 was the culmination of years of musical experimentation. Founding members Richard Harvey and Graeme Taylor first met at Tiffin Boys’…

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A modern cover with a light gray background and black typography. The names Gerardo Frisina and Luzia Dvorek appear at the top, while the title “Meu Canto feat. Toco” sits on the right beside the Schema Records logo. Overlapping red and gray rectangles fill the center, layered with black palm tree silhouettes.
Music videos

“Meu Canto”: Brazilian Flavors by Frisina, Luzia Dvorek, and Toco

World Music Central News Room February 9, 2026 No Comments Brazilian musicGerardo FrisinaLuzia DvorekTocoworld music

Gerardo Frisina (Italy) reunites with Brazilians Luzia Dvorek and Toco on the new track “Meu Canto,” released via Schema Records. The collaboration follows the trio’s…

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Ali Farka Touré - Niafunké cover artwork. Ali Farka Touré playing guitar in a home studio.
Album reviews

Ali Farka Touré’s Niafunké Brought Desert Blues Back Home

Madison Quinn February 9, 2026 No Comments Affel BocoumAli Farka Tourédesert bluesDjeneba DoukoureFatoumata TraoreHamidou SareHamma SankareMalian musicSouleye Kaneworld musicYoro Cisse

Ali Farka Touré – Niafunké (World Circuit Music, 1999) Malian guitarist and singer Ali Farka Touré released Niafunké on World Circuit Music in 1999, a…

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Recent Posts

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  • Manolo Sanlúcar Flamenco Guitar Institute Launches in Seville with Juan Carlos Romero as Artistic and Academic Director

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