Artist Profiles: Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars
All the members of Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars lived in or near Sierra Leone’s capital city before fleeing Freetown during the country’s decade-long civil…
Artist Profiles: Omar Pene
Omar Pene (born 1956 in Dakar) is the iconic lead singer of the Super Diamono. He was born in the working class neighborhood of Derkle,…
Artist Profiles: Meta Dia
Born and raised in Dakar, Senegal, Meta Dia grew up listening to the likes of Bob Marley and James Brown as well as local African…
A Memorable Meeting of Ladino and Chamber Music
Fifth House Ensemble and Baladino – Nedudim (Cedille Records, 2016) Two outstanding ensembles representing diverse musical traditions collaborate on Nedudim. Fifth House Ensemble is an…
Rainforest World Music Festival 2016: 25 bands covering all 5 continents!
The annual Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak (Malaysia) is now in its 19th edition, and featured 25 bands from around the planet. The…
Artist Profiles: Juldeh Camara
Juldeh Camara is a master musician from Gambia. He was born in 1966 in Basse, Gambia. Camara is a virtuoso of the ritti, a one-stringed…
Reggae Star Alpha Blondy to Perform at SummerStage in Manhattan
African reggae star Alpha Blondy is set to perform at Marcus Garvey Park in Manhattan on Tuesday, August 16. Admission is free. Since his first…
Length & Time: Murray, Allen, and Carrington
I will be writing a column on Length & Time in music, in each presenting an album and its strategies that pertain to addressing Length & Time. Town…
Jordi Savall Releases Granada 1013-1526
Composer and muician Jordi Savall has a new album titled Granada 1013-1526 (Alia Vox AVSA 9915). The recording features his regular ensemble Hespèrion XXI and…
Fusion without confusion – how world music bands blend multiple influences
The 19th Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in Kuching, Sarawak (Malaysia), regarded as one of the Top 25 music festivals by Songlines magazine, was once…