accordion | World Music Central

Antti Paalanen - Photo by Kimmo Kansala. Paalanen playing accordion in a field.

Artist Profiles

Bellows To The Metal: Antti Paalanen’s Breathbox Revolution

(headline image: Antti Paalanen – Photo by Kimmo Kansala) Antti Paalanen, born in 1977 and raised in Southern Ostrobothnia’s pelimanni heartland, builds a roaring engine…

Flaco Jiménez - Flaco's Amigos album cover. A photo of Flaco holding an accordion.

Obituaries

Flaco Jiménez, Grammy-Winning Conjunto Accordionist, Dies at 86

World Music Central News Room August 7, 2025 No Comments accordion conjunto music Tejano music Tex-Mex world music

Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez, the influential accordionist who brought conjunto music from the dance halls of San Antonio to stages around the world, died on July…

The album cover for Värttinä – Kyly features red geometric folk motifs arranged symmetrically on a dark, textured blue wood background. The band’s name and album title appear in red gothic lettering.

Charts

Värttinä Tops the Transglobal World Music Chart for July 2025

World Music Central News Room July 1, 2025 No Comments accordion Adrian Raso Aïta Mon Amour Aleksand Saya Alune Wade Ammar 808 Anouar Brahem Asil Ensemble Benedicte Maurseth Boubacar Traoré Brighde Chaimbeul Camille Saglio Charles Maimarosia Constantinople Elana Sasson Evoéh Q-Art Famo Mountain Fanfare Ciocarlia Francis Bebey Hamid Drake Hawa iZem Jeremie Diarra jouhikko Jules Maxwell Kaabi Kouyaté Kankou Kouyate kantele Karoliina Kantelinen Kassé Mady Diabaté Kin'Gongolo Kiniata Lamia Bedioui Lassi Logrén Lina Los Pirañas Luizga Madalitso Band Majid Bekkas Mara Aranda Mari Kaasinen Mari Kalkun Matthieu Saglio Matti Laitinen Mehmet Polat Quartet Mikko Hassinen Mustafa Said Neba Solo Nguyên Lê Nidia Góngora Park Jiha Primavera en Salonico Sami Galbi Sarera Savina Yannatou Songhoy Blues Stefano Saletti Susan Aho Trio Da Kali Värttinä Vesevo Vincent Boucher Votia world music Zingarua

The album Kyly by groundbreaking Finnish band Värttinä reached the number one spot of the Transglobal World Music Chart for the month of July 2025.…

Charts

Värttinä Surges to the Summit of World Music Charts Europe for July 2025

World Music Central News Room July 1, 2025 No Comments accordion Ammar 808 Barbora Xu Brighde Chaimbeul Camille Saglio Danças Ocultas Elana Sasson Finland Finnish music Grecia Albán Groupa Hamid Drake jouhikko Jules Maxwell Kadialy Kouyaté kantele Karoliina Kantelinen Lassi Logrén Lina_Majid Bekkas Mandé Sila Mari Kaasinen Matthieu Saglio Matti Laitinen Mikko Hassinen Natalia Lafourcade Nguyên Lê Oktopus Rodrigo Leão Salif Keita Sofia Leao Susan Aho Urna Chahar-Tugchi Värttinä Votia world music

The album Kyly by Finnish folk stars Värttinä Secured the coveted top position of World Music Charts Europe for the month of July 2025. Kyly…

Yeison Landero - Photo by Alex Guete. Yeison Landero playing the acordion.

Artist Profiles

Accordionist Yeison Landero Carries the Torch of Colombian Cumbia

Angel Romero June 15, 2025 No Comments accordion Colombia Colombian music world music Yeison Landero

(headline image: Yeison Landero – Photo by Alex Guete) Yeison Landero was born in San Jacinto, Bolívar, a town located in the Montes de María…

Yegor Zabelov - photo by Ana Maria Dinis. Zabelov on stage with his accordion and effect pedals.

Artist Profiles

Exceptional Accordionist Yegor Zabelov

JGurski June 15, 2025 No Comments accordion Belarus Belarusian music world fusion world music Yegor Zabelov

(headline image: Yegor Zabelov – photo by Ana Maria Dinis) Belarusian musician Yegor Zabelov is widely recognized as one of the most innovative accordionists in…

Artist Profiles

Pushin’ Bellows: Jorge Arribas Blends Tradition, Therapy, and Folk Innovation

Angel Romero May 20, 2025 No Comments accordion Castilian folk music Celtic music Jorge Arribas Spanish music world music

Spanish musician Jorge Arribas began his musical studies in 1992 at the Conservatorio de Valladolid, earning degrees in accordion and flute. From the start, he…

Rémi Geffroy - Carrefour des Anges © Jouch. This album cover shows a child wearing a red coat walking along a reflective shoreline, with their back to the viewer. The sky above is a gradient of light blue. Both the sun and the moon are visible simultaneously, side by side. The title, "Carrefour des Anges," is handwritten beneath the artist's name, Rémi Geffroy, which appears in a clean, elegant font at the top of the cover. The title translates to "Crossroads of Angels."

Album reviews

Rémi Geffroy’s Carrefour des Anges Embraces Innovation

Madison Quinn January 19, 2025 No Comments accordion French music Rémi Geffroy world music

Rémi Geffroy – Carrefour des Anges (CVE Prod, 2025) Rémi Geffroy’s Carrefour des Anges is the sixth offering from the virtuoso diatonic accordionist and composer.…

Airboxes – Confluence cover artwork. A coastal landscape.

Album reviews

The Riveting Accordion Confluence of Airboxes

Sonia Keller May 22, 2024 No Comments accordion Airboxes Belgian folk music world fusion world music

Airboxes – Confluence (Trad Records, 2024) Airboxes is the name of a Belgian folk duo that specializes in innovative squeeze box music. Composers Guus Herremans…

Album reviews

Altan Unveils Extraordinary Tribute to Donegal

Angel Romero March 14, 2024 No Comments accordion Altan bouzouki Celtic music Ciarán Curran Clare Friel Dáithí Sproule fiddle Graham Henderson guitar Jim Higgins mandolin Mark Kelly Martin Tourish Steve Cooney viola world music

Altan – Donegal (Compass Records, 2024) Altan has just released an album titled Donegal that celebrates the cherished Irish county where the band was formed.…