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World Music Central Unveils Top 2025 World Music Albums

World Music Central News Room January 2, 2026 No Comments

World Music Central announces the list of top 20 world music album for 2025, listed in random order.

Best of 2025

Gao Hong and Zhou Xiaoxia – Prelude to the Divine Realm – Naxos World

This album cover features an elegant, circular watercolor painting of a serene mountain landscape, framed by blossoming cherry branches. The background is a rich blue with subtle textural details, and the text "Prelude to the Divine Realm: Pipa and Guqin" is displayed at the top in a classic serif font. The artists' names, Gao Hong and Zhao Xiaoxia, are written at the bottom. Chinese characters on the right.
Gao Hong and Zhao Xiaoxia – Prelude to the Divine Realm


Trio da Kali – Bagola – One World Records

Trio Da Kali - Bagola cover artwork. A color photo of the trio outdoors with clouds in the background.
Trio Da Kali – Bagola

Flook – Sanju – Flatfish Records

The album cover for Sanju by Flook features a minimalist and elegant design. A delicate arrangement of white roses and slender, twisting branches stands against a stark white background. The typography is bold and modern, with "FLOOK" in a geometric gray font and "SANJU" in red.
Flook – Sanju


Frigg – Dreamscapes – Bafe’s Factory

The album cover for Frigg – Dreamscapes features a painted forest scene. Colorful tree trunks in shades of turquoise, magenta, and orange rise through a landscape of rolling hills, blending purples, greens, and warm earth tones.
Frigg – Dreamscapes


Savina Yannatou & Primavera en Salonico with Lamia Bedioui – Watersong – ECM Records

The album cover for Watersong by Savina Yannatou, Primavera en Salonico, and Lamia Bedioui features a mist-shrouded seascape with choppy waves under a grey sky. The minimalist text, set in clean, modern font, floats above the ocean.
Savina Yannatou, Primavera en Salonico, Lamia Bedioui – Watersong


Dunja Knebl & Roko Margeta – Fauna – Geenger Records

Dunja Knebl & Roko Margeta – Fauna


Grecia Albán – Nubes Selva – Folkalist Records

The album cover for Nubes Selva by Grecia Albán features a collage that combines Andean and Amazonian motifs. At the center, the artist stands partially obscured by lush tropical leaves, dressed in woven patterns. Surrounding her are embroidered clouds, a jaguar, religious iconography, and folkloric imagery, all framed by tapestry-like borders. The title and artist's name appear vertically along the sides in colorful lettering.
Grecia Albán – Nubes Selva


Alaa Zouiten – Aficionado – Flamenco Moro – Alaa Zouiten

Alaa Zouiten - Aficionado - Flamenco Mor cover artwork. Zouiten holding an oud with monumental Granada in the background,
Alaa Zouiten – Aficionado – Flamenco Moro


Mádé Kuti – Chapter 1: Where does Happiness Come From? – LegacyPlus Records

Mádé Kuti – Chapter 1: Where does Happiness Come From?


Samsara’s Edge – Samsara’s Edge – X DOT 25 Music

Samsara’s Edge – Samsara’s Edge


Radio Tarifa – La Noche – Buda Musique

The album cover for La Noche by Radio Tarifa features a painting dominated by black and gold brushstrokes with hints of red. The dynamic figure at the center is set against a beige grid-like background. The left side displays the text “RADIO TARIFA” and “LA NOCHE” in bold white and orange lettering on a solid black panel.
La Noche by Radio Tarifa.


Saha Gnawa – Saha Gnawa – Pique-Nique Recordings

The album cover features geometric Arabic calligraphy in black against a light background, creating a block-like design. In the top right corner, a pink emblem with the words “Saha Gnawa” in both Arabic and English.
Saha Gnawa – Saha Gnawa


Tania Saleh تانيا صالح – قابلة للكسر Fragile – Tantune

Tania Saleh تانيا صالح – قابلة للكسر Fragile


Sangre de Muérdago – O Xardín – Música Máxica (Sangre de Muérdago) / La Rubia Producciones

Sangre de Muérdago – O Xardín


Le Vent du Nord – Voisinages – La Compagnie du Nord

Le Vent du Nord – Voisinages


Rebekka Bakken – Nord: Echoes of the Northern Soul – Supreme Music Group

Rebekka Bakken - Nord cover artwork. a photo o Rebekka, a blond woman with long hair, with her arm across her had.
Rebekka Bakken – Nord


Ashavahishta – The Ring – X DOT 25 Music

The cover presents a woman with pale skin, dramatic eye makeup, and glossy black gloves against a black background. She holds an ornate circular frame that glows with warm light around the title The Ring. The band name Ashavahishta appears below.
Ashavahishta – The Ring


Wesli – Makaya – WUP

Wesli - Makaya cover artwork. A photo of Wesli smiling.
Wesli – Makaya

Casapalma – Jotas – Raso Estudio

Casapalma – Jotas


Garden of Silence – Neither You Nor I – Bazaarpool

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

Best Compilation:

Various Artists – Folk and Great Tunes from Belarus – CPL-Music

Various Artists – Folk and Great Tunes from Belarus

(headline image: Wesli)

Author: World Music Central News Room

World music news from the editors at World Music Central
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