world fusion | World Music Central

The two musicians stand against a blue metal wall adorned with a geometric border. One holds a trumpet, the other a traditional string instrument.

Album reviews

Rabab Meets Trumpet: Sangat Intertwines Sikh & Sufi Lines

Sangat – Sangat (2025) Afghan American rabab virtuoso Qais Essar and Sikh American trumpet player-singer Sonny Singh released their joint debut album Sangat recently. The…

A swirl of deep blue and violet surrounds a burst of orange, with scattered black marks. The lower right corner presents the artist’s name, Shane Shanahan, above the title Audacity (Live) in modern lettering.

Album reviews

Shane Shanahan’s Audacity (Live) Rallies An All-Star Ensemble

Madison Quinn December 6, 2025 No Comments Shane Shanahan world fusion world music

Shane Shanahan – Audacity (Live) (Bright Shiny Things, 2025) Percussionist Shane Shanahan released Audacity (Live), a project that highlights his cross-cultural collaboration. These stem from…

A riverside scene fills the cover, where two people travel in a long wooden canoe across still greenish water. Soft reflections ripple beneath them, and a tree-lined shore stretches in the distance. Yellow lettering announces Djékady above and Benkan below.

Album reviews

Djékady’s Innovative ‘Benkan’ Intersects Malian Heritage and American Roots

Angel Romero December 5, 2025 No Comments Djékady world fusion world music

Djékady – Benkan (Bright Shiny Things, 2025) Benkan introduces Djékady, a superb six-piece ensemble co-led by Malian balafon maestro and singer Balla Kouyaté and American…

A weathered man in a wide straw hat sits against a sun-bleached green wall while sipping coffee from a white cup. The title Latin Café 2.0 and the artist name “Malamañoso” appear in stylized lettering on the left.

Music videos Single reviews

Tasty Menu

Tom Orr December 3, 2025 No Comments Latin American music Latin jazz Malamañoso world fusion world music

An array of Latin American music styles are seamlessly fused on “Latin Café 2.0,” a cool/warm/hot piece of work by Malamañoso out of Italy.

The cover of Sanctuary by the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra features an upward view of a massive tree, its twisting branches stretching toward the sky. Set against a deep purple border.

Album reviews

Charming Cross-Cultural Teamwork, Chicago Immigrant Orchestra’s ‘Sanctuary’

Angel Romero December 2, 2025 No Comments Chicago Immigrant Orchestra world fusion world music

Chicago Immigrant Orchestra – Sanctuary (Wahdude Music, 2025) Chicago Immigrant Orchestra has released Sanctuary, an eclectic, boundary-blurring album focused on preserving folk songs rooted in…

ODUCHU — Nostalgia cover artwork. The album title and artist in white lettering over a green background.

Charts

Tuvan Duo ODUCHU Tops 2025 Russian World Music Chart

World Music Central News Room December 2, 2025 No Comments Alexandra Arbatskaya Alexey Kruglov Anna Hoffman Arkady Kirichenko Arkady Shilkloper Chuvash band DIVA Ensemble “Lestvitsa”"Ensemble Krasnaya Gorka Folk Ensemble “Ere-Chuy”Ivan KIT Karina Kozhevnikova NUKER Nytt Land Oduchu PEVCHAYA Pyotr Talalay Russian music Sergey Letov Tatyana Kalmykova Tatyana Molchanova Trio “Zalessky Jazz”Tuvan music Vladimir Volkov world fusion world music Zhenya Wind

The Russian World Music Chart (RWMC) has announced its Top 10 Russian world music albums of 2025. Nostalgia by ODUCHU took the No. 1 spot.…

The Yenbett album cover by Noura Mint Seymali features a red background with a black-and-white photo of Seymali at center, performing and holding her ardin. The image is framed in a decorative, arch-shaped border. The album title appears in Arabic at the top, with Seymali’s name in Arabic script below.

Charts

Noura Mint Seymali’s Yenbett Hits No. 1 On Transglobal Chart

World Music Central News Room December 1, 2025 No Comments Noura Mint Seymali Transglobal World Music Chart world fusion world music

Noura Mint Seymali’s Yenbett has climbed to the top of the Transglobal World Music Chart for December 2025t. The album’s sound features ardin-driven tradition and…

Charts

Noura Mint Seymali’s Yenbett Tops Europe’s World Music Charts

World Music Central News Room December 1, 2025 No Comments Noura Mint Seymali world fusion world music

Mauritanian griot Noura Mint Seymali has reached No. 1 on the World Music Charts Europe for December 2025 with her new album Yenbett. The record…

A pair of dancers move across a dancefloor in Descarga Valenciana, surrounded by swirling confetti, warm orange light, and a cheering crowd. Musicians with congas and other percussion line the edges.

Music videos Single reviews

In a Jam and Loving it

Tom Orr November 26, 2025 No Comments Afro-Cuban jazz Cuban music Evan Luna Latin jazz world fusion world jazz world music

My very rudimentary knowledge of Spanish is at least enough to grasp that a descarga is a musical jam session with distinct Cuban roots. Drummer…

Making The Accordion Great Again: Liberty Bellowsexhibiiton - Photo by Angel Romero. Various accordions on display.

Articles

Squeezeboxes Across Borders: The Accordion and Its Diaspora

Angel Romero November 23, 2025 No Comments accordion bandoneón Brazilian music Cajun music Celtic music concertina Spanish music tango vallenato world fusion world music Zydeco

(headline image: Making The Accordion Great Again: Liberty Bellows exhibition – Photo by Angel Romero) Few instruments move as fluidly through working-class dance halls, classical…