world fusion | World Music Central

Jorge Aguilar y Sus Embelecos Eres Tú Mi Rosa cover artwork. an illustration of a colombian manseen from the back. He is wearing traditional clothe and a country hat , holding a drum on his shoulder. Pink and orange neon colors.

Colombia Meets Senegal

A band from Colombia’s Caribbean coast, Jorge Aguilar y Sus Embelecos, is joined by Senegalese guitarist Tapha Gaye for “Eres Tú Mi Rosa,” a reconnection…

The cover for Stella by Johan Tobias Bergstrøm presents a night sky above a lakeside community. A dark treeline runs across the horizon and the water reflects small houses with lights. A boat appears in the upper right corner.

Album reviews

Johan Tobias Bergstrom Returns With Jazz-Folk Crossover Album Stella

Madison Quinn February 21, 2026 No Comments Håkon Huldt-Nystrøm Johan Tobias Bergstrom Jørgen Krøder Mathisen Knut Hem Thomas Antonio Debelian world fusion world jazz

Johan Tobias Bergstrom – Stella (Losen Records, 2026) Norwegian guitarist Johan Tobias Bergstrom presents his second album, Stella. Bergstrom is known for a delightful Django…

Sanctuary banner with photos of Director Rhiannon Giddens and the full ensemble

Tour Announcements

Silkroad Sets “Sanctuary” Tour For March 2026

World Music Central News Room February 18, 2026 No Comments Silkroad world fusion world music

Silkroad will launch its next flagship touring program, Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual, on stages across the United States from March 10–28, 2026.…

Aly Keïta - Balafon Evolution cover artwork. A color photo of Aly Keïta wearing sunglasses.

Album reviews

Balafon Goes Chromatic: Aly Keïta’s Balafon Evolution

Tyler Bennet February 16, 2026 No Comments Aly Keïta balafon world fusion world jazz world music

Aly Keïta – Balafon Evolution (One World Records, 2026) Ivorian balafon player Aly Keïta presents Balafon Evolution with his Berlin-based trio. The set connects West…

Two overlapping translucent petals, one deep purple, one red-orange. Centered white text reads: Garden of Silence by Neither You Nor I.

Album reviews

Garden Of Silence Returns With Debut Album Neither You Nor I

Angel Romero February 15, 2026 No Comments Garden of Silence world fusion world music

Garden of Silence – Neither You Nor I (Bazaarpool, 2025) Swiss-based ensemble Garden Of Silence released its debut album Neither You Nor I on Bazaarpool…

Album reviews

Taking the Fifth

Tom Orr February 13, 2026 No Comments Benjamin Charras César Bouteau cumbia François Escojido La Cumbia Chicharra Maxime Marachélian Olivier Boyer Pati Gajardo Romain Davidico Sébastien Ruiz Levy world fusion world music

La Cumbia Chicharra – Quinto Mundo (Music Box Publishing, 2025) Two of the innumerable things I’m no good at are defining what exactly is meant…

Kunbe - Fanga cover artwork. Black and orange geometric patterns.

Album reviews

Kunbe Brings The Power of Afro-Rock Fusion to Fanga

Angel Romero February 12, 2026 No Comments Abdoulaye Koussoubé Antoine Livenais Issa Sory Bamba Jean-Louis Livenais Kunbe Malian music Morissansa Diabaté Sékou Marcel Coulibaly Vincent Livenais world fusion world music

Kunbe – Fanga (Adjololo Records, 2025) Fanga, the second album from Kunbe, continues the collaboration between Malian musicians and the Livenais brothers, longtime figures in…

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 BashElan Hungarian music Roma music Transylvanian music world fusion world 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…

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 Music Hirundo Maris Norwegian folk music Turkish music world fusion world 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…

Periscopi Invertit - Amelia cover artwork. A geometric cover, built from intersecting blocks of blue, red, ochre, and sand tones over a plaster-like surface. Curved arches, semicircles, and layered horizons, arranged in a grid.

Music videos Single reviews

Mallorca Updating

Tom Orr February 4, 2026 No Comments North African music Periscopi Invertit Spanish music world fusion world music

The U.K.’s ever-inventive Periscopi Invertit has another winner in “L’amo de son carabassa,” a folk tune from the Mediterranean island of Mallorca that’s been seasoned…