BILLY BURNETTE - MEMPHIS IN MANHATTAN       CHESKY JD299

Rockabilly is the earliest form of rock and roll - a fusion of blues, hillbilly boogie, bluegrass music and country music. The style has its origins lie in the American South and Bill Flagg was the first to name the music when he recorded for Tetra Records in the mid-1950s and recorded ‘Go Cat Go’. Elvis Presley’s 1954 Memphis sessions for Sam Phillips’ Sun Records were perhaps the first rockabilly recordings. The early records of such legends as Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddie Cochran, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Cash, Gene Vincent and Roy Orbison were also heavily indebted to rockabilly. Billy Burnette was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1953. His father was Dorsey Burnette, part of the famous Rock'n Roll Trio which included himself, his brother Johnny Burnette, and Paul Burlison. Billy started in the music business at the age of 7, making his record debut as Billy Beau, and went on to master both the acoustic and rhythm guitars. He has also made a name for himself as a singer/songwriter, with songs recorded by, among others, The Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and Ray Charles. In 1986, he was nominated for Best New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music but put his solo career on hold the following year to join Fleetwood Mac. He toured and recorded with the band for eight years and later played on an Australian tour with Bob Dylan (an admirer of Dorsey Burnette). Billy Burnette’s reputation continues to grow as he tours with Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty and makes wonderfully fresh albums such as Memphis in Manhattan. The songs here are some of the best around, including Bob Dylan's Everything Is Broken, a terrific version of Peter Green’s Oh Well, two Dorsey Burnette classics (It’s Late and Tear It Up) and three self-penned numbers, most notably the brilliant My Love Will Not Change. This wonderfully infectious music is immaculately performed and benefits hugely from Chesky's commendably sparkling ‘live’ recorded sound. Highly recommended.

THE ARCADE FIRE - FUNERAL         ROUGH TRADE RECORDS  RTRADCD219

The Arcade Fire hail from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The members of the band are husband and wife duo Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, with Richard Reed Parry, William Butler (Win’s brother), Timothy Kingsbury, Sarah Neufeld and Howard Bilerman, who played drums on Funeral, has since moved on. Others involved here include violinists Owen Pallett and Sophie Trudeau, cellist Michael Olsen and the harpist Anita Fust. Famous for their exhilarating live performances, The Arcade Fire use of a wide range of musical instruments, augmenting the basic guitar, drums and bass guitar setup with piano, violin, viola, cello, xylophone, keyboard, accordion and harp (band members often switch instruments between songs). Funeral, recorded in 2004, is their first full-length album, its title chosen because of the death of several family members during recording. These events created a sombre feeling on songs such as Une année sans lumière, In the Backseat and Haiti, Régine Chassagne’s reflections on the homeland her family were forced to leave. Four of the ten tracks are titled Neighborhood and tell stories of towns trapped in snowstorms, and the loss of relatives and friends. Every track has intelligence and originality, reflecting the band’s many musical influences. Rebellion (Lies) is irresistible and all the music transcends dark themes to produce sounds of beauty, romance and passion. ‘One of the year’s best, by a mile’ - Guardian

TWILIGHT MELODIES - TEJENDRA NARAYAN MAJUMDAR   NAVRAS NRCD 0195

Tejendra Narayan Majumdar was born in a musician’s family and introduced to the sarod by his grandfather Sri Bibhuti Ranjan Majumdar, nurtured by his father Shri Ranjan Majumdar and groomed under the tutelage of Ustad Bahadur Khan. After his Ustad’s untimely demise, Tejendra continued his studies with Sri Ajoy Sinha Roy and the greatest sarod maestro of our times, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Tejendra has given many concerts at home and abroad and is now one of India’s most popular classical musicians. On Twilight Melodies he is accompanied by one of the finst tabla accompanists, Tanmoy Bose. The first (Raga Shree) is one normally performed at dusk and is best suited to mature and experience performers as it clearly comes across in this album. Tejendra Majumdar goes on to complement his Shree with the early morning raga Bhatiyar, providing a welcome contrast without completely erasing the serious and contemplative mood of the first raga. Tejendra Majumdar’s sarod playing is aesthetically excellent and technically masterful, and he continues to surprise and delight with his impressive virtuosity.

ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE       UNCIVILIZED WORLD 

Another World is Possible is a collection of words, photographs and music that make a powerful statement against globalisation. A CD-sized, hard-cover book features fifty pages of essays by some of the world’s greatest thinkers and critics and photographs that poignantly capture demonstrations against globalisation in its current form. Featured writers include linguist Noam Chomsky, Canadian journalist Naomi Klein and India's Arundhati Roy. The album’s producer, Arnaud Frisch, put this project together to educate fans of the artists on this compilation as well as to raise money for ATTAC, an international organisation trying to create an alternative to the type of globalisation that puts profit over people and multinational corporations before national governments.  All proceeds from the sale of Another World is Possible will go directly to them. The 15 music tracks include work by Manu Chao, Asian Dub Foundation, the brilliant Emir Kusturica and The No Smoking Orchestra (Lost in the Supermarket), Femi Kuti, The Skatalites (a live version of Freedom Sounds) , Lee Scratch Perry, Salif Keita, Grandaddy (the haunting Wives of Farmers), Moby (Alterlife), Massive Attack and Underground Resistance. This wonderfully diverse range of music, together with the words and photographs in the book, makes a persuasive argument for a world that celebrates the individual over the suffocating might of corporate globalisation. A unique album that is highly recommended.

SONGS OF THE VOLCANO     TUGBOAT/WORLD MUSIC NETWORK TUGCD1040

The world renowned American guitar virtuoso Bob Brozman made an unforgettable journey to the Rabaul area of Papua New Guinea to capture a raw, unique sound that has largely remained untouched by outside or commercial influences. He has previously produced fascinating musical collaborations working with musicians in Japan, India and various Indian Ocean islands. To create Songs Of The Volcano, in his capacity as Adjunct Professor of Music at Sydney’s Macquarie University, the much-travelled Brozman went with filmmaker Phil Donnison to five villages in East New Britain to perform with five different Tolai string bands, often featuring ukeleles. The purpose of filming and recording the performances was partly to document this fragile music before it disappears and partly to facilitate the musicians in Papua New Guinea where there is a lack of musical infrastructure. The energetic and distinctive blend of voice and instrument performed by the Rabaul community’s local string bands reflects their unfailing optimism in the face of adversity, be it war or the volcanic eruptions that have destroyed the town twice in the past century. In addition to much joyfully exuberant music, this package features a full length, behind the scenes DVD documentary that shows the making of this intriguing and delightful album. More information about Songs of the Volcano and other fascinating projects can be found on the Bob Brozman website. Bob Brozman’s inspiring DVD, ‘Rhythm in your Riffs’, can be seen here. 

SALSA - SERIOUSLY GOOD MUSIC     PETROL RECORDS PETROL071

Salsa music is a varied, mainly Caribbean and Latin type of music popular throughout Latin America and among Latinos abroad. It is the predominant style of music played at dance clubs and is the essential pulse of Latin music, incorporating a wide range of styles and variations. The term can be applied to almost any form of popular Cuban-derived sound (such as the chachachá and mambo) but salsa strictly speaking refers to a style developed in the New York City area in the 1960s and 70s. Groups of Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants began to popularise a genre that has gone on to incorporate many other Latin styles along with pop, jazz, rock and R&B influences. At its root, however, salsa remains an intoxicating mixture of Spanish and African music, filtered through the music histories of Cuba and Puerto Rico, and adapted for Latino populations with diverse musical tastes. The most important instrumentation is the percussion, played by a wide variety of instruments, including claves (consisting of two round sticks of hardwood, one being struck against the other), cowbells, timbales and conga. Melodic instruments can include a guitar, trumpets, trombones, piano, and many others. By the turn of the century, salsa was one of the most popular types of music in the world, and salsa stars became international celebrities. This album, appropriately subtitled Seriously Good Music, features 13 seductive and danceable  tracks that show why this sexy music has become such a hit with aficionados around the globe.

GAMBIA BANKO - DJEMBO JOBARTEH

African griots were court musicians, singing praise of their leaders and telling the history of the region. Many musicologists consider them to be the African root of the acoustic blues that developed during the early 20th century. Even in these days of modern technology their services are still sought after. Next to their musical activities they also act as arbitrators and matchmakers. In this way they bind the relations between people and families and in a wider circle the whole of society. Dembo Jobarteh, a nephew of the famous kora-player Amadu Bansang Jobarteh, is a griot from Niani Kayai, a small village on the north bank of the river Gambia. His father is a koraplayer and his mother is a singer (griotte) and he was brought up in the traditional griot way - working in the groundnut and rice paddies while studying kora and drums in his spare time. By the age of 18 he was a professional koraplayer and singer in Dakar, Senegal, playing in restaurants and markets. He returned to The Gambia and founded the Gambian Griot School of Music and Dance. He teaches kora, balaphone and drums to foreigners, and over the past few years has made three albums. Gambia Banko was recorded in 2003 and contains eleven songs - five traditional and the others written by Dembo. This is the first CD on which he sings traditional Gambian songs in English, and he is accompanied on one song by female singers: Sirra Suso, Fatoumata Suso, Majo Sakiliba and Jessy Jobarteh This is music that is guaranteed to take away the stress of everyday life and make you happy.

INTRODUCING DABY BALDE       WORLD MUSIC NETWORK INTRO104CD

This beguiling album features the work of an outstanding musician who is already a star in his own country and is now acquiring an appreciative international following. Moutarou ‘Daby’ Balde was born in 1969 in Kolda, Fouladou, in a lush region of southern Senegal called Cassamance, famous for its deep roots in ancestral values and customs. Ethnically diverse, Cassamance is located between Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, cut off from the north of Senegal. From the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, the Portuguese were the only Europeans to settle and have dealings in the region, so music from Cassamance has a particular rhythm (quite different to that of the Dakar sound), which resonates throughout Daby’s music. His stunning arrangements are based on his Fula traditions and feature the fiddle, accordion and flute alongside the more familiar West African sounds of the kora, acoustic guitar and percussion. Recorded in Senegal and Belgium, Daby sings in Wolof, Mandinka, French and Fula, and his compositions are messages of peace, love, brotherhood, social justice and faith in God. With strikingly rich and beautiful melodies, a wonderfully expressive voice and a repertoire that ranges from euphoric to melancholic, this is music that is highly accessible that remains true to southern Senegalese traditions. 'Wonderfully assured, full of subtle details’ - Charlie Gillett.

PRAATAH - BUDHADITYA MUKHERJEE   NAVRAS NRCD 9021

Budhaditya Mukherjee, one of India’s best young sitar players, began studying at the age of five under his famous father Pandit Bimlendu Mukherjee, a virtuoso of the Imdadkhani gharana of sitar. Budhaditya specialises in disciplined development of ragas, based on the Gayaki style, the basis of Imdadkhani gharana. His technical ability is outstanding and he expresses great depth of feeling and emotion through his music. After gaining a first class dgree in Metallurgical Engineering, he chose the sitar as a career and has received many awards and honours in India and has represented his country at numerous international festivals, giving 573 concerts in twenty two countries. His concerts within India have been widely acclaimed and he created history by becoming the first ever musician to perform in the House of Commons, London.. Budhaditya Mukherjee uses the sitar to such affect that he is able to make it imitate the way the human voice is used in Indian music. On this new CD he performs Mian Ki Todi, which is a morning raga from the time of Emperor Akbar’s court. He follows this with Basant Mukhari, another beautiful morning raga. He is accompanied by Anindo Chatterjee on Tabla.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO TITO PUENTE       WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1162CD

Tito Puente (1923-2000) was a hugely influential musician, bandleader, composer, arranger, percussionist and mentor.. A Puerto Rican native of Spanish Harlem in New York City, the ‘El Rey del Timbal’ and ‘King of Mambo’ recorded more than a hundred albums featuring his unique dance-oriented, mambo and latin jazz in a career that lasted fifty years. He was also an actor, most notably in the 1992 film The Mambo Kings and in guest appearances on the The Cosby Show. He even appeared in The Simpsons as a suspect in the murder of Montgomery Burns. Puente was at his most popular in the 1950s, bringing Afro-Cuban and Caribbean sounds such as mambo, son and cha-cha-cha, to mainstream audiences. Later, he included pop music and bossa nova before creating a fusion of Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz that became known as salsa. Over his astonishingly varied career he earned many awards, including five Grammys, and published more than four hundred compositions. This joyful album celebrates Tito Puente’s musical diversity with mambo, pachanga, boogaloo, salsa, and Latin jazz styles. His inspired solos on vibes and timbales are accompanied by some of his favourite singers, including Santos Colon, Celia Cruz and the extraordinary La Lupe, whose performances are explosions of vocal passion. This is irresistible dance music from a true legend.

LATAR - SWEDISH FOLK TUNES             CAPRICE CAP 21733

Gunnar Idenstam and Johan Hedin play tunes, reels and other dances in eighteenth-century late Baroque style, a waltz tinged with the Spanish Renaissance, another dance from Italy and a number of compositions by the musicians themselves. The music has characteristics of rock, reggae, medieval music and gospel. Idenstam is a freelance concert organist, composer and folk musician who gives concerts all over the world. As a folk musician he seems to be unique in his manner of transferring the genuine Swedish fiddler tradition to the church organ or to the pump organ and the keyboard. Johan Hedin grew up in the province of Småland, in an area where folk music was cultivated. He often plays in groups where different genres meet and are inspired by one another, as in the trio Bazar Blå (Bazar Blue), and has also put a lot of work into developing the construction of the keyed fiddle (or nyckelharpa), which has its origin in the 14th century. Hedin  music composed for this unique Swedish instrument crosses barriers between world and folk music, baroque, drum ‘n’ bass and pop. He has also composed for orchestras and is a regular solo performer with the jazz, contemporary and folk groups in Sweden. This is surprising and sometimes hypnotic music that defies categorisation.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO CELTIC MUSIC     WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1155CD

The term ‘celtic music’, although most commonly associated with Irish and Scottish music, covers the traditional music of all celtic countries - Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany (in France), Galicia (in Spain) and areas which have come under their influence, such as the USA and parts of Canada. The Celts no longer exist as a race, and the traditional music in the different countries varies considerably, but celtic music, with its bittersweet a cappella ballads, lively jigs and reels, remains hugely popular throughout the world. The Rough Guide To Celtic Music features music from Ireland, Spain, Scotland, Canada, France, the USA and Wales to explore common connections between the different traditions. Filled with the sounds of fiddles, flutes, pipes, harps, guitars and mandolins, the music is performed by some of the finest musicians. These include Dervish, Kíla, Mercedes Peón, Capercaillie, Natalie MacMaster, Skolvan, Old Blind Dogs, Kornog, Llan De Cubel, Celtic Fiddle Festival, Bohola, Téada, Niamh Parsons, Ffynnon, Alan Stivell, The Poozies, Flook and Shooglenifty. This is a fascinating collection that shows celtic music is as exhilaratingly alive as ever.

SURF CITY - SURF SOUNDS SINCE 1960         DISKY CB 902531

Surfing, the sport of Hawaiian kings, arrived California at the turn of the 20th century. In 1959, the sport became popular after the movie Gidget and innovations in surfboard design, replacing heavy wooden boards with a lightweight polyurethane models that could be handled more easily. Surfing became a  craze in Southern California and inspired two kinds of music, vocal and instrumental (the latter featuring throbbing compulsive tom-tom tattoos and twanging guitar riffs). Both strands of surf music are fully represented among the 60 tracks on this thoroughly enjoyable three-CD set. As well as well-known music by the likes of the Ventures, Jan & Dean, the Beach Boys, the Everly Brothers, Del Shannon and Eddie Cochran,  there are obscure tracks by artists such as Ace Cannon, Preston Epps and the Honeys. Best of all are the wonderfully atmospheric instrumentals by Sandy Nelson (Teenbeat, Let There be Drums), Link Wray (Rumble) and the Ventures (Walk Don't Run). These irresistible sounds are perfect for in the car when driving to the beach, or just dreaming about it.

DEBASHISH BHATTACHARYA - CALCUTTA SLIDE-GUITAR     RIVERBOAT RECORDS/ WORLD MUSIC NETWORK TUGCD1036

The amazing guitar virtuoso Debashish Bhattacharya has created his own unique style and technique of playing. Born in Calcutta, India, he learnt to sing before he could talk and started playing the Hawaiian lap steel guitar at the age of 3. He received the President of India Award in 1984 and was made a Pandit (master) at 40. As well as being one of the world’s great slide guitarists he is also a designer, creating nineteen guitars since he began experimenting in his twenties. All three guitars heard on this album were designed by him. For the opening track, ‘Aanandam’ (‘Joy’) he performs on ‘Anandi’, a slide ukulele that produces a direct, clear tone. Raga Tilak Kamod is an evening raga played on the fourteen-stringed Ghandarvi, whose name derives from Gandharva loka, the celestial realm of music. Chaturangui, a twenty-two-string guitar with four additional tones, features in Raga Basant Mukhari. In the first section, ‘Usha’, Sutapa Bhattacharya plays the background drone of the tambura whilst Debashish delicately introduces each note of the raga. In the second part, ‘Prabha’, Debashish performs with tabla accompaniment from Subhasis Bhattacharjee. The final section, ‘Maha Shakti’ (‘Beyond The Sun’) is performed at a fast tempo in tintal, a sixteen-beat cycle, displaying marvelous improvisation between the guitar and tablas. Calcutta Slide-Guitar dazzles with its hypnotic patterns, as the three-finger picking technique of Debashish Bhattacharya brings together a thousand-year tradition of Indian music to produce an exhilarating and unique experience.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO IRISH MUSIC     WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1148CD

This irresistible album provides the perfect introduction to Ireland’s musical landscape, from the energetic music of Donegal and the polkas and slides of Kerry and Cork to the work of those exploring the borders between traditional music and other genres. Dance tunes predominate, with fiddle and flute the chief instruments alongside the button accordion, concertina, banjo, tin whistle and the uillean pipes. A guitar or bouzouki usually provides accompaniment, together with the bodhrán (a goat-skin frame drum). Songs (in Irish or English) exemplify the vivacity of the Irish singing tradition and its wide range of subjects. This second edition of The Rough Guide To Irish Music features some of the most successful performers from recent years, as well as introducing others who are less well known. They include Flook, Dervish, Frankie Gavin, Maighread & Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill with Dónal Lunny, The Prodigals, Séamus Quinn & Gary Hastings, Paddy Keenan & Tommy O’Sullivan, Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola, Ciarán Ó Maonaigh & Dermot McLaughlin, Mary McPartlan (a wonderful version of Slieve Gallion Braes), Séamus Creagh & Aidan Coffey, Paul Brady, Matt Molloy, Séamus Begley & Jim Murray, North Cregg, Cran, Paul Moran & Fergal Scahill, Lúnasa, Helen Roche, Paul McGrattan, Altan and Gerry O’Connor. These excellent recordings show that Irish music continues to prosper, combining tradition with modernity and effortlessly switching between plaintive airs and compelling rhythms.

IT CAME FROM MEMPHIS       UNION SQUARE MUSIC MANTECA  MANTCD235

So far as recorded music is concerned, Memphis, Tennessee, can claim one of the most influential cities in the USA. Not only has it been home to Sun records, where Elvis Presley and rock 'n' roll first exploded into a wider world, but other great labels were based here too. These have included Hi (Al Green and Ann Peebles), Muscle Shoals in nearby Alabama (Percy Sledge and Etta James) and the magnificent Stax (Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Isaac hayes, Booker T). These two CDs, issued to coincide with a major celebration of Mephis music at the Barbican in London, features a wide range of recordings from the mid 1950s to the present. Elvis appears as part of the Million Dollar Quartet (with Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash) and there are outstanding tracks by, among many others, Booker T. and the MGs., Howlin’ Wolf (whose earliest Chess hits were recorded in Memphis), The Mar-Keys, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Isaac Hayes (a wonderful 18-minute version of By The Time I Get to Phoenix) and Al Green. Memphis has been a crucible in which blues, soul, gospel and country were shaped into unique and often revolutionary sounds. This diverse collection has clearly been lovingly assembled and the music sounds is fresh as ever. Essential listening for anyone interested in delving into some of the best popular music there has ever been. ‘Perfect in-car entertainment’ - Independent On Sunday.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO ZYDECO    WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1145CD

Zydeco is an irresistibly infectious accordion-based music from south-central and southwest Louisiana in the USA. Zydeco is not Cajun in origin but south Louisiana’s ‘Creoles of Colour’ borrowed many elements from Cajun music. The word zydeco (sometimes called zarico, zodico, zordico or zologo) comes from the French ‘les haricots’, meaning ‘beans’ - the musical genre supposedly taking its name from the Creole expression ‘Les haricots sont pas salés’ (The beans aren’t salty), which was the title of a popular recording. Zydeco music first appeared after the Second World War, when innovators such as Clifton Chenier and BooZoo Chavis combined traditional sounds with rhythm and blues. The music has continued to evolve and now incorporates many types of pop music, including soul, disco, hip-hop and rap. The Rough Guide To Zydeco features such legends such as Clifton Chenier and Buckwheat Zydeco and highlights the driving sounds of the accordion as well as the frottoir, a percussion instrument with an unequivocal rasp. Among the other performers are Beau Jocque, Keith Frank, Chris Ardoin, the gospel-influenced J. Paul Jr & The Zydeco Nubreedz, Curley Taylor, Geno Delafose, Zydeco Joe, Canray Fontenot and Amédé Ardoin (born in 1898 and a true pioneer of the music). This rewarding album also features two outstanding female artists, the saucy Rosie Ledet and Donna Angelle, a versatile performer on the saxophone, clarinet, flute, viola and bass guitar.

FAIRUZ: THE LADY & THE LEGEND        UNION SQUARE MANTECA MANTCD053

The remarkable Lebanese diva Fairuz was born into the Christian community of a small town about 70 years ago before moving to Beirut with her family at an early age. She began her musical career as a teenager and from being a chorus girl at a Lebanese radio station in the 1940s she rose to critical and popular acclaim in the 1950s and has remained there to the present day. For most of her career, she has been associated with the brothers Assi and Mansour Rahbani, who wrote the words and tunes to her songs. In the early ones her seductive voice expressed romantic love and nostalgia for village life as delicate orchestral accompaniment subtly combined Arab and European instruments with popular dance rythms. Many of her songs today are written by Ziad Rahbani, her son, and reflect Fairuz’s wide musical background, including Christian liturgical forms as well as the secular traditions of Arab music. Performing hundreds of songs, musical plays and films, she has become an icon to Arabs living in Europe and around the world. This CD showcases some of Fairuz’s greatest performances, with recordings from the very earliest to her most recent, and shows why she has been called ‘the Arab world’s most beloved singer’.

PARIS - THE CAFÉ CHANSON               FLAPPER PAST CD 7859

Post-war Paris was liberated in many ways, not least in giving a chance to artists and intellectuals to express themselves freely after the years of repressive occupation. Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir held court, French cinema was reborn  and Existentialism was everywhere. Genet, Camus, Sarraute, Picasso, Bresson, Messiaen and Boulez were among the many remarkable talents who produced new writings, exhibitions, ballets, music, theatre and films. This heady atmosphere was  reflected in new cabaret-theatres such as Les Trois Baudets and L’Ecluse, where a fresh generation of performers reinvented the Chanson Parisienne. Among these artists was the young Juliette Gréco, whose iconic image became almost synonymous with Paris life of that period. Her long dark hair, soulful eyes and sultry voice mesmerised a generation, and this CD of rare radio transcriptions from 1953-4 features four of her irresistible performances: Autumn Leaves, Avec les anges, Le Jour and sans vous Aimer. The other artists here are less well-known and include Francis Lemarque, Colette Mars, Paul Peri, Mick Micheyl, Jacques Douai and Castel et Casti. This is a highly enjoyable disc that cleverly recreates an era which still influences artistic endeavour and haunts the popular consciousness.

MORY KANTE - SABOU     WORLD MUSIC NETWORK/RIVERBOAT  TUGCD1034

The legendary singer and kora player Mory Kanté from West Africa plays all-acoustic music on an exciting and innovative album that is both contemporary and modern while also grounded in his traditional griot roots He comes from a family of griots - musicians who pass on their people’s traditional stories from generation to generation. ‘Sabou’ means ‘the cause’, or the reason why things happen the way they do. In this recording Mory Kanté goes back to the source of his inspiration, the ‘cause’ of his musical talent and knowledge: the art of the Mande griots, framing the rolling harmonies and sounds of Guinean music with his own inimitable songwriting styles, full of ever-changing ethereal female choruses and cascading melodies on kora, flute and balafon (xylophone). He was the first African artist to sell a million singles, with ‘Yéké Yéké’, which topped the European charts in 1988, but here he returns to a simpler style of song that is both a refreshing and joyful. ‘There’s a great sense of rhythm and energy and dance to these tracks...it’s tremendous’ - Robin Denselow.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO TANGO NUEVO   WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1140CD

The Rough Guide To Tango Nuevo showcases the diverse styles that tango has been experiencing since the death in 1992 of Astor Piazzolla, the Argentinian who was the greatest innovator and single most important figure in the history of tango. New artists have continued to revolutionise tango, developing an urban folk style for their own times and lives. ‘Nuevo’ (or ‘New’) tango moves through dark-hued dub tango, tango electronica, tango with a sassy salsa twist, and even grungy tango for the rock generation. Today, contemporary tango, though still firmly rooted in the mordant, melancholy soul of the urban Argentinean, adds newly imported sounds and ideas into the mix, and the results are as stirring as they were a century ago. Artists featured here include Daniel Melingo, Lidia Borda, Brián Chambouleyron & Esteban Morgado, La Chicana, Roberto Polaco Goyeneche feat. Adriana Varela, Patricia Andrade, Omar Mollo, Orquesta El Arranque, Sonia Possetti Quinteto, Trío Gorosito Cataldi De La Vega, Juanjo Domínguez, Julio Pane Trío, Dino Saluzzi, Sandra Luna, Juan Carlos Caceres, Adriana Varela, Quinteto La Camorra, Adrián Iaies Cuarteto and Carlos Libedinsky.

TAPASYA, VOLS. 1,2 & 3               NAVRAS  NRCD0164/NRCD0165/NRCD0166

In Hindustani classical music Tapasya is the attainment of a powerful stage of constant unbroken deep concentration by having ‘one thought’ with the Supreme Soul without the slightest trace, influence or attraction of any other thing, be it physical or subtle, in words, thoughts and actions. A tapasui soul is one who is a complete renunciate and has the ability to perform actions and yet remain in the remembrance of God. This series of albums features three of the greatest vocalists, or ‘tapasvis’ - Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj and the late Pandit C. R. Vyas. At a landmark concert in Mumbai, 2001, these Hindustani classical legends came together for the first time to enthral the audiences with spellbinding performances. Volume 1 features Pandit Jasraj in performances of Raga Purvi and Bhajan. Volume 2 has Pandit C. R. Vyas performing Raga Shuddh Kalyan and Raga Bihag. Volume 3 has Pandit Bhimsen Joshi with Raga Puriya Kalyan, Thumri and Bhajan.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO CAJUN DANCE   WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1139CD

Cajun music comes from the prairies and bayous of south Louisiana and has a irresistibly distinctive sound full of fiddles, guitars, boisterous accordion playing and songs of heartbreak and love (sung in French). The forced relocation of many Acadians or ‘Cajuns’, from what is now Nova Scotia to Louisiana in the eighteenth century, led to the development of a rich and unique musical genre combining French, Celtic, Spanish, Native American and African music. From the parties and dancehalls of the Louisiana prairies to the waltz and two-step rhythms of Cajun music, The Rough Guide To Cajun Dance features some of the finest and most innovative artists of the genre, including The Jambalaya Cajun Band, Zachary Richard, Magnolia Sisters, La Bande Feufollet, Hadley J. Castille & The Louisiana Cajun Band, Balfa Toujours, Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys, Mack Manuel, Jesse Legé & The Lake Charles Ramblers, Beausoleil, Bruce Daigrepont, Dewey Balfa, Marc Savoy & D.L. Menard, The Balfa Brothers, The Savoy Family Band and Donald Thibodeaux & Cajun Fever.

SWARAANJALI - CARNATIC MUSIC       AUDIOREC 766032 1058-2

Carnatic Music is the classical music of Southern India. The basic form is a monophonic song with improvised variations. There are 72 basic ragas, with a wide variety of melodic motion, and thousands of other ragas are derived from these. Both melodic and rhythmic structures are varied and compelling, making this one of the world.s oldest and richest musical traditions. This album is a collection of some of the finest of these raagas, songs featuring different moods of the day: ushakkalam (dawn), sandhyakkalam (dusk), etc. The songs are performed by the renowned artist Sampath Kumar and Thanikay Velan using traditional instruments, naadaswaram and tavil. Naadaswaram (similar to shehnai) and tavil (percussion) are know as auspicious instruments which is quite popular in south India, a combination of these two instruments producing melodious music with countless variations which transforms the listeners to various heights and depths. Each of the eight songs has a uniqueness, and listening to them inspires a blissful peace and calmness.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF ARGENTINA WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1119CD

Argentina is synonymous with its global music export, the glamorous and elegant tango. Born as an expression of the country’s working classes in the brothels and bars of late nineteenth century Buenos Aires, this sensual and highly popular dance swept the world. However, the tango is just one of Argentina’s many musical treasures explored on this fascinating album. Over the years, Spanish stringed instruments and African rhythms have been incorporated into the array of indigenous styles, many of which date back centuries, adding to the country’s diverse musical outpourings. This revelatory CD explores a rich musical region, home to countless Andean folk styles, travelling through tango, milonga, chacarera and chamamé. Performers include the wonderfully passionate singer Adriana Varela, the evocative bandoneon-player Osvaldo Piro and Carlos Gardel, tango’s first superstar.

SHRINGAR - USTAD VILIYAT KHAN         NAVRAS NRCD0181

The inspired performance on this album was recorded live at the Theatre de la Ville in Paris in October 2002. After a softly spoken introduction, the sitar virtuoso and showman Vilayat Khan performs Raga Bihag, a popular and beautiful night time raga which is associated with the Shringar Rasa (an emotion associated with love and romance). Viliyat Khan continues to push back the boundaries and is in the kind exhilarating form that belies his age (he was born in the 1920s). He is joined by the exciting tabla player Sukhvinder Singh Namdhari, otherwise known as ‘Pinky’, and between them these two musicians conjure up beautiful and magical sounds that are captured brilliantly in this wonderfully atmospheric recording.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF MOROCCO WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1128CD

The rich musical gene pool of Morocco includes sounds that can variously be raw, sophisticated, ancient, modern, acoustic, electronic, mellow, fierce, spiritual and extravagantly hedonistic. The unique legacy of this country’s native Berber culture nevertheless remains more rooted than any imported influences and this engaging album features two of Morocco’s musical giants, Jil Jilala and Nass El Ghiwane, the best-loved Moroccan female group, Bnet Marrakech and the greatest al aita star of modern times, Fatna Bent El Houcine. Delving into some of the country’s musical traditions, such as melhoun and gnawa, The Rough Guide To The Music Of Morocco also features fascinating contemporary and electronic sounds, and the performers include Nass Marrakech, Najm El Farah Essafi, Mohamed Amenzou, Emil Zrihan, U-Cef feat. Dar Gnawa, Hassan Hakmoun and Mustafa Bourgone.

LUMINOUS - KALA RAMNATH               AUDIOREC  766032 1057-2

The talented young violinist Kala Ramnath is one of the most promising instrumentalists to have emerged in recent years in the performance of North Indian classical music. She started to learn the instrument when very young under the guidance of her grandfather, Narayan Iyer, and subsequently was trained by her aunt, the famous musician Dr N. Rajam. Kala Ramnath successfully combines this fine family tradition with more than a decade’s training under the distinguished khyal singer Pandit Jasraj. The violin is used in this music essentially as a surrogate for the human voice, and Kala Ramnath is remarkable for the way she reproduces her  guru’s vocal style on the instrument. She is accompanied on this recording by an experienced master of the tabla, Kumar Bose, who has performed with many leading artists, including Ravi Shankar, and is noted for his versatility, playing several kinds of drum in different genres of music. This is an unusual album of passionate and adventurous music.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO SALSA COLOMBIA  WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1112CD

The infectious and vibrant phenomenon of salsa music and dance has captivated audiences around the world. In Colombia, salsa took hold in the main Atlantic and Pacific coastal cities, where a distinctive style emerged and had a significant impact on the genre as a whole. Within Colombia, salsa is danced in clubs, discos and at carnival – dancing is widespread in a land where the latest salsa hit is heard everywhere, on your way to work, when you do the shopping, and when you go out with your friends. This album of wonderfully effervescent dance music features some of Colombia’s best-known salsa artists, including The Latin Brothers, Joe Arroyo Y La Verdad, Fruko Y Sus Tesos, Los Orquesta Internacional, Sonora Dinamita, Los Nemus Del Pacifico, Luis Felipe Gonzalez, Gambino Pampini, Los Titanes, Sonora Carruseles, Los Del Caney, Yolanda Rayo and Los Golden Boys.

AMRUT RAS - LAKSHMI SHANKAR                 AUDIOREC 766032 1055-2

Lakshmi Shankar sings songs from the devotional tradition, creatively accompanied by Partha Sarathi Mukherjee (tabla) and Ramesh Mishra (sarangi). Devotional songs in Hindi have been part of north Indian culture for half a millennium, and the lyrics are mostly addressed to God, or describe and praise him, whether in the form of Krishna or Rama. Lakshmi Shankar is one of the most celebrated singers in the North Indian (Hindustani) style of music has a great reputation as a singer of devotional lyrics, best known for her performances of the work of poets such as Surdas and Mira Bai. Her mesmerising voice brings out every nuance of the pain of love expressed by the Rajasthani princess who lived five hundred years ago. ‘Lakshmi Shankar holds her listeners spell-bound... her whole presentation, suffused as it were with tender lyricism, leaves nothing to be desired. It is perfect in itself’ - Times of India.

INDIA MYSTICA - SHUBHA MUDGAL           NAVRAS  NRCD 5508

Five ancient, rarely heard song-texts were set to music specially composed for this CD by the award-winning young vocalist Shubha Mudgal. Her clear voice soars and keens mesmerically on these classic songs from the poet-mystics of India - including Raidas, Yaari Sahab, Amir Khusrau and Kabir - and a lighter but emotionally charged religious bhajan style. The album features both Mudgal the composer and Mudgal the singer, with an even-paced approach and trance-like chants exploring the ‘potency and the divine nature of the whole album’ - Songlines Magazine. A feeling of desolation combines with the spiritual enrichment that comes from pining for an unseen Beloved. The remarkable singer is joined by Aneesh Pradhan (tabla), Sudhir Nayak (harmonium), Indru Atma (ektara, surmandal, additional percussion) and Sonam Kalra (tanpura).

ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF CHINA  WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1122CD

This wide-ranging collection of Chinese music includes everything from Cantonese opera to Beijing punk, taking in along the way various ancient traditional instrumentals, revolutionary rock, 1930s pop-swing and 1990s pop-folk. An eclectic array of performers include Bai Hong, Li Xiang Lan, 1920s singing star Gong Chio Xia, Tats Lau, Liu Fang (one of the world’s leading players of the pipa, a pear-shaped lute), Farhan Sabbagh, Cui Jian, Kin Taii, Yao Gongbai, Sinkiang Uighur Autonomous Region Song & Dance Ensemble, qin virtuoso Tse Chun Yan, Min Xiao-Fen, Hang On The Box (China’s only all-girl punk band), Urna, Zheng Jun Mian & Li Hong, Wu Xing, Ai Jing and Silk Road Music. This revealing album demonstrates the evolution and revolution in Chinese music, with its many influences and fascinating diversions.

REFLECTIONS AROUND NOON - RAJEEV TARANATH     AUDIOREC 766032 1054-2

Reflections Around Noon features a sarod recital by the acclaimed performer, composer and teacher Pt Rajeev Taranath. He began his musical training under the guidance of his father and later became a disciple of the great Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Taranath is a highly successful concert performer, touring widely both in India and abroad, has composed the music for several Indian films, and teaches as a faculty member of the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles. He is accompanied on this recording by the Mumbai-based tabla player Udayraj Karpur, who is a disciple of both Sri Ravindra Yavagal and Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. Udayraj is a also regular concert performer, besides being a part of the Netherlands-based fusion group Bhedam. Taranath and Karpur seem to have a telepathic understanding, making music (Rag Miyan ki Todi and Misra Kafi) that moves sublimely from brooding introspection to climaxes of breathraking excitement.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF CANADA     WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1125CD

Canada is a nation built based largely on immigration from many countries so it’s no surprise to find almost every imaginable kind of music, and artists who bend and sometimes defy traditional boundaries. This highly enjoyable introduction to the richly varied music of Canada includes Celtic fiddle playing from Cape Breton, Québécois chanson and Inuit throat singing, since the album focuses on the longer-standing roots music traditions created in established communities, together with some of the newer hybrid styles. The perormers include Natalie MacMaster, Bruce Cockburn, La Bottine Souriante, Wade Hemsworth, Tudjaat, Zubot & Dawson, Longbottom, Stan Rogers, Emile Benoit, Hart-Rouge, Cordes En Folie, Anita Best, Matapat, Silk Road, Mary Jane Lamond, Rheostatics and Wendell Ferguson.

VIRA - MUSIC FOR THE 21ST CENTURY             SONA RUPA  SRCD 053

‘Vira’ means 'Brotherhood', and the ethereal music on this CD features a fraternal meeting between the outstanding flute player Rakesh Chaurasia and the brilliant tabla player Talvin Singh. The latter combines his training as a classical Indian musician with the latest sound technology to produce music that remain true to the classical tradition while adding a pleasing contemporaneity. In a traditional classical recital, the soloist has a repetitive background drone provided by the tanpura (or tamboura.) but this recording features a richer background and texture with the use of special keyboard pads. Virtuoso flute player Rakesh Chaurasia perfectly complements Talvin Singh in this one-to-one recital for which there were no rehearsals. Once the Raags were chosen, the recording was done in a spontaneous, improvised way, and the tracks include Meeting, Friendship, Heaven, Vira  and One World.

THE TEACHER - RAVI SHANKAR             MANTECO  MANTDCD036

Sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar is probably the most successful Indian musician in modern times and these recordings of key works show the Pandit (Teacher) at the height of his powers. Hailed as a mediator between tradition and modernity, the master melodist bridged continents and cultures by introducing the sitar and Indian music to a world outside the Indian subcontinent. He first became known in the West through his evocative score for the Apu Trilogy of films made by fellow Bengali, Satyajit Ray, and this album includes ‘Farewell, My Friend’, a moving  tribute Ravi Shankar recorded when he learned of the great director’s death in 1992. The CD also features five other ragas that demonstrate the full range of moods, from contemplative to ecstatic. This is a fine homage to a great musician and an excellent introduction to the world of Indian classical music.

INVOKE - ARTO LINDSAY          RIGHTEOUS BABE   RBR027-D

American-born, Brazilian-bred songwriter, musician and producer Arto Lindsay explores provocative sounds rooted in the rhythms and aesthetic sensibilities of Brazil’s rock and pop scenes. On this, his latest solo work, he continues to establish his reputation for beautifully crafted, densely textured music. Hushed vocals and characteristically poetic lyrics, in both English and Portuguese, make for a sensuous, beguiling experience. ‘World-musical art-rock of the most refined kind’ - Uncut.

AMERICAN ROOTS       UNION SQUARE RECORDS    MANTECO MANTDCD210

American Roots - ‘The Essential Album’ - has over two hours of irresistible bluegrass, folk, blues and old time country music that will delight anyone who has enjoyed the best-selling soundtrack to the Coen Brothers movie, ‘Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?’ This cleverly chosen double-CD set is an ideal introduction to the great pioneers of hillbilly music and traces their influence to some of the biggest names in American music today. Among those featured are Bob Dylan (Girl from the North Country), Mississippi John Hurt (Here I Am, Oh Lord, Send Me and Trouble I’ve Had It All My Days), Woody Guthrie (This Land is Your Land), Emmylou Harris (Deeper Well), Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs (Foggy Mountain Breakdown) and Ralph Stanley (Man of Constant Sorrow).

COMPOSITIONS OF BENARES - SHARDA SAHAI       AUDIOREC 766032 1053-2

Pandit Sharda Sahai is an internationally renowned tabla maestro, famous for his classical skills and  collaborations with Nana Vasconcelles, Andy Sheppard and Nexus, as well as his performances at WOMAD and other festivals around the world. He is the leader of the Benares style of tabla playing and this rare recording is the third in an extraordinary trilogy. The album incorporates compositions that have been handed down five generations and which have rarely been heard in public. Shardaji is accompanied on this thrilling and beautiful journey to the shores of the Ganges by Ramesh Misra (sarangi).

ROUGH GUIDE TO ASIAN UNDERGROUND WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1096CD

Musical styles and genres blend together as cultures intersect, forming new sounds that push the boundaries of experimentation.  One of the most exciting forms of music to emerge in the UK in the last few years, Asian Underground is an exciting mix of tabla-driven beats and Indian classical samples combined with frenetic drum’n’bass, trip-hop and techno. This irresistible CD features a collection of classics as well as fresh, unreleased material. The performers here include include Ananda Shankar, State Of Bengal, Black Star Liner, Joi, Fun-Da-Mental, Asian Dub Foundation, TJ Rehmi, Mahatma T (Aka Talvin Singh) and Mo Magic.

THE MASTERWORKS OF SATYAJIT RAY       NAVRAS NRCD1002

Satyajit Ray (1921-1992) was one the world’s greatest filmmakers and wrote some of the finest film-music ever. Music was always his first love and he began to compose his own music from his seventh film and used Indian music virtuosos such as Ravi Shankar (for ‘The Apu Trilogy’ and ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’), Vilayat Khan (for ‘The Music Room’) and Ali Akbar Khan (for ‘The Goddess’). Satyajit Ray received many awards and in 1992 accepted a Lifetime Achievement Oscar.  ‘Ray’s use of music impressed me so much that I sought out and eventually found soundtracks to his films, like Ravi Shankar’s music from Pather Panchali. Ray’s magic, the simple poetry of his images and their emotional impact will always stay with me’ - Martin Scorsese.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF SPAIN       WORLD MUSIC    RGNET1082CD

Spain’s musical heritage has long fascinated and influenced people from all over the world, the infectious beats having a profound musical impact on countless musicians and composers. The Rough Guide To The Music Of Spain features tracks from such distinguished performers as Javier Ruibal, Companyía Elèctrica Dharma, Luís Delgado, María Del Mar Bonet, Diego Carrasco, Ronda Segoviana, and José Antonio Ramos with Pancho Amat. These recordings were made with independent local companies so this music is not usually found on commercial radio or in the bestseller lists. Instead, it’s played mostly in homes, bars and cafes - rising up from the streets. 'Excellent' - Wanderlust.

ECSTASY - LAKSHMI SHANKAR               AUDIOREC  766032 1052-2

South Indian born Lakshmi Shankar was originally a dancer and has had a long musical association with her brother-in-law, Pandit Ravi Shankar. She is now one of the most famous singers performing the North Indian (Hindustani) style of music and has developed a great reputation as a singer of devotional lyrics. This impressive album was recorded during in London her concert tour celebrating her 70h birthday, when she was accompanied by Pandit Ramesh Mishra (sarangi) and Partha Sarathi Mukherjee (tabla).

REMINISCENCES - ALAKNANDA PATEL              AUDIOREC 766032 1043-2.

Alaknanda Patel is among the most outstanding exponents of Rampur-Sahaswan gharana to have emerged in recent years. She received much of her initial training from Ustad Rasheed Ahmed Khan. After two years, she embarked upon the next, more rigorous, phase of her musical education under the guidance of his son, Ustad Hafiz Ahmed Khan, who became her principal guru. The singer’s remarkable performances are supported on this recording by Ustad Sultan Khan (sarangi) and Ustad Zamir Ahmad Khan (tabla). ‘A glorious discovery’ - Classic CD.

MUSIC FROM VIETNAM, VOL. 3: ETHNIC MINORITIES       CAPRICE CAP 21479.

Vietnam is a land with an immense musical tradition. The different ethnic groups living there have their own distinct languages, religions, customs and music, and this excellent CD features many fine examples. As well as wonderfully rhythmic music played on a tuned gong, there are love songs, instrumental music and religious vocal music. ‘An important sampler made in remote parts of Vietnam that will amaze listeners of African, Asian and New Music’ - Rhythm Music. Also available from Caprice are two more volumes in this enjoyable series Music from Vietnam 1 (CAP 21406) and Music from Vietnam 2: Huê (CAP 21463).

ORCHESTRA BAOBAB - SPECIALIST IN ALL STYLES       WORLD CIRCUIT WCD064.

Twenty after they disbanded, this great band from Senegal returns with its original line-up and a fine new album. Orchestra Baobab’s unique and life-affirming music mixes Afro-Latin sounds with reggae and a wide range of other influences to produce a wonderfully cosmopolitan whole. Since the band’s previous recordings, their brilliant guitarist Barthélemy Attisso has been working as a lawyer but is now happily back with smooth tenor saxophonist Issa Cissokho and other regular members, including five vocalists. Superbly updated versions of old favourites such as Bul Ma Mine, Gnawe and On Verra Ça are here, together with the classic Utru Horas (appearing as Hommage à Tonton Ferrer and featuring vocals from Ibrahim Ferrer and Youssou N'Dour). ‘A gloriously enthusiastic and classy set’ - The Guardian.

MUSIC FROM MOZAMBIQUE             CAPRICE CAP 21652.

Music in present-day Mozambique truly deserves to be called ‘world-music’, if any music does. In this East African country impressions from Africa, Europe and probably even Asia, have now and then met and been thoroughly mixed. The results of this process are now available on this unique and highly enjoyable record featuring a wide variety of musical cultures in Mozambique - from the rural, traditional music to the acoustic, popular music of yesterday, as well as today’s urban rock sounds. These 17 tracks were recorded in January 2000 with a mobile digital studio at various places throughout the country.

OXFAM LATIN DANCE              WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET 1108CD.

This infectious album features Bossa Nova and Cuban jazz, new wave Latin music, Afro rhythms and contemporary classic son styles to produce an upbeat and irresistible atmosphere. Artists include Quarteto Jobim Morelenbaum, Mario Bauza, Los de Abajo, Africando and Cubanismo, and the CD helps raise valuable funds for Oxfam.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO YOUSSOU N’DOUR & ETOILE DE DAKAR     WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET 1109CD.

This album explores the early successes of Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour with the various incarnations of Etoile De Dakar. Taken from the original series of authorised cassette releases for the local Senegalese market, this selection includes many hit songs from the 1970s and early 1980s. Stirring music from an artist soon to become an international superstar working with the likes of Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and Neneh Cherry.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF LOUISIANA        WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1094CD.

This appealing and diverse collection provides a perfect introduction to the 'Well Spring of America's Music'. Louisiana, the birthplace of jazz, is also home to many other styles, including blues, gospel, rock and roll, Cajun and zydeco. The state is a cultural gumbo brewed from a dynamic mix of indigenous inhabitants and settlers including French, Spanish, English, German, Acadians and Africans. This highly entertaining CD features popular hits from a unique state, which has been hugely influential in contemporary music. The impressive artists include Dr Michael White, Cubanismo!, Dr John, Champion Jack Dupree, Kermit Ruffins, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers.

AFRICAN BLUES          WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1019CD.

This illuminating collection of songs from Africa was compiled in association with VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas). Discover ‘the roots of the blues’ alive and well in Africa, from the first subtle chords of Ismael Lo (Talibe) to the pure, aching vocals of Oumou Sangare (Saa Magni). The featured artists include Ismael Lô, Cesaria Evora, Ali Farka Toure, Oumou Sangare, Rokia Traoré, Henry Makobi, Hamza El Din and Orchestra Marrabenta Star De Moçambique. 'Superior mid-price compilation of acoustic Africana. Perfect summer listening' Observer.

TOWARDS THE WIND - STEPHAN MICUS           ECM 1804.

This adventurous recording by the world-traveller and multi-instrumentalist Stephan Micus features his debut performances on the Armenian duduk, an expressive forerunner of the oboe and clarinet. He was inspired by recordings of the duduk virtuoso Jivan Gasparian and his studies with Armenia's greatest folk musician in Yerevan in the autumn of 1999. On this disc Micus performs his own fascinating compositions and plays the duduk, bass duduk, kalimba, steel-string guitars, 14-string guitar, shakuhachi, dondon and sattar. Thse are captivating sounds that take you on a unique musical journey.

ROUGH GUIDE TO MUSIC OF THE INDIAN OCEAN   WORLD MUSIC RGNET1086CD

For many thousands of years, outriggers, junks, dhows and galleons have ridden the monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean. The islands consequently produced a unique musical culture, with influences that include the segá from Mauritius, the salegy of Madagascar, La Réunion’s maloya and the Arab influenced sounds Zanzibar. Hip-hop and reggae have also penetrated the region and this excellent CD showcases the wide variety and depth of culture to be heard. The artists include Tarika and Ricky Randimbiarison (both from Madagascar), René Lacaille & Bob Brozman (La Reunion/USA), Belle Lumière (Grande Comore), Kaya (Mauritius) and Culture Musical Club (Zanzibar).

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO RAI       WORLD MUSIC RGNET1100CD.

Raï is to Oran and western Algeria what reggae is to Jamaica: its soundtrack and cultural ambassador. The hinterlands of Oran stretch from the Mediterranean in the north to the Sahara desert in the south, and it is from here that the beat-driven, rebel pop music of Algeria originated. Raï’s popularity subsequently spread throughout the world, led by the brilliant performers Cheb Khaled and Cheb Mami, who both feature on this exciting album. Among the other artists here are Abdou, Bellemou, Cheb Zahouani, Cheikha Remitti, Fadela & Sahraoui, Cheb Hasni and Malik.

RAGA PILOO - PANDIT NIKHIL BANNERJEE           AUDIOREC ARCD 2005.

An evening raga played in light classical style, Raga Piloo uses the twelve chromatic notes in the octave. It is played here with remarkable passion and sensitivity by Pandit Nikhil Banerjee (sitar), Anindo Chatterjee (tabla) and Ratan Mukherjee (tanpura). ‘Bannerjee plays sitar with a more hopeful, upbeat style than some other players, especially in the slower opening sections. His Tabla player Anindoo Chatterjee gets to the heart of the groove without clouding the issue with pyrotechnics’ - Hi-Fi News & Reviews.

TOGETHER - RAIS KHAN & SULTAN KHAN         AUDIOREC ACCD 1032-2.

This vibrant recording brings together two of India’s leading instrumentalists, Ustad Rais Khan (Sitar) and Ustad Sultan Khan (Sarangi), accompanied by the dexterous tabla player Sabir Khan in a jugalbandi performance. The virtuosic climax of Raga Bilaskhani Todi is followed by a lighter piece, a dhun. This more relaxed and soothing music is reminiscent of, and perhaps is based on, a folk melody.

ROUGH GUIDE - ALI HASSAN KUBAN       WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1106CD.

The late Ali Hassan Kuban pioneered the modern sound of urban Nubia, adapting jazz forms to the beat of traditional Nubian music to transform the complex rhythms and trance-like chants of ancient Nubia into forms that appealed to a younger audience. This compilation, including his hits Sukkar Sukkar Sukkar and Mabruk, is an excellent introduction to this revered innovator and his infectious Egyptian music.

ROUGH GUIDE - DELTA BLUES        WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1087CD.

Blues music from the Mississippi delta is the foundation of much American popular music and this brilliant 25 track compilation by Joathan Ogle, who also contributes the excellent sleeve notes. The CD eatures some of the music’s greatest performers, from Robert Johnson and Son House to Bukka White and Big Joe Williams. Standout tracks include Mississippi John Hurt’s timeless Stack O’Lee, Robert Wilkins’ That’s No Way To Get Along and the eeery Last Kind Word Blues by a fine, though little heard, female blues artist, Geechie Wiley. Intense and often awe-inspiring, this album reminds us again how much is owed to these great musicians.

CLASSICAL SITAR - MICK TAYLOR        AUDIOREC 1042-2.

Mick Taylor, one of the few westerners to have become fully accomplished at the art of playing Indian classical music, performs three popular Gindustani rags; two morning rags and a rag of the middle-night. He is accompanied on this CD by the tabla virtuoso Ustad Sabir Khan, who infuses a rare quality of harmony into the powerul cadences of his playing.

SUZANNE TENG - MYSTIC JOURNEY          EROICA JDT 3077.

The beautiful flute player, dancer, percussionist, composer and teacher Suzanne Teng is joined by 17 other fine musicians, including the percussionist Gilbert Levy, on this debut recording of original music featuring flutes, strings and percussion instruments from around the world. The ensemble blends music and sounds from east and west, combining the ancient with the new to produce an ethereal and ecstatic whole. ‘Sensual and serene’ - Billboard Magazine.

BUDDHIST CHANTS        METRO METRCD037.

Music is an integral part of Buddhist cuture, seen as and aid to meditation and spiritual insight. Chanting helps concentrate the mind and the music’s simplicity and repetition help the participant to attain an elevated state of awareness. Buddhist music is traditionally acoustic but the recordings on this collection include keyboard accompaniment, making the sounds more accessible but perhaps diluting their purity for some listeners. This haunting and reflective music providesa relaxing antidote to the stresses of modern western life and gives an insight into another, more spiritual philosophy.

CELTIC ANGELS                  AMIATA ARNR 1397.

This enchanting collection of soul-stirring tracks features music from some of Ireland and Scotland’s most gifted performers, including Sinead O’Connor, Johnny Cunningham, Whisky Trail and the Chieftains.

TAHUANTINSUYO - MUSIC OF THE ANDES           ADELPHI GCD 3001.

Tahuantinsuyo (tah-won-tin-soo-yo), a Quechua word, was the name the Incas gave to their Empire and represents the culture from which the core of their music comes: highland South America, or the Andes. The songs performed on this recording come mainly from Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and northern Argentina, and the roots of the music are pre-Hispanic. The rhythms, harmony structures, melodies and instruments are part of a long tradition of music played by native South Americans. Since the Spanish arrival, the indigenous culture has naturally evolved and combined with European elements. The haunting sounds transcend location and time, although many Spanish influences may be heard in this music. Tahuantinsuyo is a musical group dedicated to researching and performing music that is an integral part of the heritage of most South Americans and which still lives and communicates the basic human ideas of beauty, life and spirit.

RAGA KHAN - USTAD NISHAT KHAN          AMIATA ARNR 1997.

Ustad Nishat Khan, one of India’s finest new sitar players, performs Raags from the Khan family lineage that evoke the magical spirit of the Mogul court. This recording also features the acclaimed tabla player Sarvar Sabri. ‘...extraordinary virtuosity and facility...’ - Chicago Tribune.

ROUGH GUIDE - MUSIC OF THE GYPSIES   WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1034CD.

The Gypsies are a nomadic people who left the Indian subcontinent about a thousand years ago, and as they travelled west they made a great impact on musical traditions and folklore. This excellent CD shows the extent of that journey, featuring a a wide range of music from as far apart as India, Turkey, Hungary and Spain. Artists include the famous Taraf de Haidouks (Cind Eram La ‘48), Kurbeti (Love Birds), Kostas Pavlidis (Jastar Amenge Dur), Tomatito (Mundi), Pata Negra and Jasper & Levi Smith. 'For anyone interested in discovering the wealth of Gypsy music from across Europe and beyond, The Rough Guide to Music of the Gypsies is a must' - Red Pepper.

ECHOES OF INCAS - CORDILLERAS        CHACRA CHACD 051.

This haunting album features a dynamic blend of traditional and ancient music of the Andes and South American. Instruments include the zampona, panpipes, quena flute (made of a joint of cane), bongos, ocarinas, rattles, whistles (primarily made of bone), shakers, and a small guitar-like charango with ten strings fashioned from an armadillo shell. Stirring and exhilarating music throughout.

DROMEDARY - ARTIFACT         SOLPONTICELLO SP-007.

The Athens duo Dromedary (Rob McMaken and Andrew Reissiger) perform pieces of their own composition as well as arrangements of traditional music. These unique works combine the rhythms and harmonic concepts of Andean music from Bolivia with klezmer, Arabic and Celtic sounds as well as mandolin and the dulcimer-like cumbus of the eastern European. Abundant melodies and infectious rhythms resonate throughout.

IT HAPPENS - IN A SPLIT SECOND         AMIATA ARNR 0297.

The clear voice of Surabhi flows serenely over lyrical guitar passages in a series of original compositions. Hauntingly beautiful, sometimes melancholy, the subtle energy of this record is a healing balm for the soul.

USTAD ABDUL HALIM JAFFER KHAN        NAVRAS NRCD 0110.

This release marks the 70th birthday of the distinguished sitarist Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan, born in Jawra, Madhyar Pradesh. He can trace his musical lineage back to Ustad Murad Khan and Ustad Bande Ali Khan of the Indore beenkar gharana, a distinguished instrumental tradition with links to khyal singers. On this fine CD he plays three ragas, accompanied by Sadashiv Pawar (tabla).

TRAVERSATA - ITALIAN MUSIC IN AMERICA           ACOUSTIC DISC ACD-47.

On Traversata, mandolin virtuoso David Grisman plays the rarley-heard music of early 20th century Italian immigrants in America, an eclectic mix of jazz tunes, folk ballads, opera aria transcriptions, serenades and dance tunes. With fellow mandolinist Carlo Aonzo and bluegrass guitarist Beppe Gambetta (here playing a custom-made 14-string harp guitar), Grisman displays his faultless technique as he performs instrumentals from forgotten Italian composers Pasquale Taraffo, Attilio Margutti and Raffaele Calace, along with more familiar tunes from jazz pioneers Nick Lucas and Eddie Lang. Also included are Nino Rota's Godfather Waltz and two compositions by Rudy Cipolla, the late San-Francisco-based music pioneer. All the tunes are intensely lyrical and full of delightful melodies.

100% HANDMADE MUSIC            ACOUSTIC DISC ACDS-48.

100% Handmade Music Vol. VI is a showcases fifteen tracks representing two from each of the past seven projects by Acoustic Disc, including two previously unreleased live performances featuring Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. The eclectic compilation ranges from folk and bluegrass through traditional Italian and gypsy music to an examination of resophonic instruments and innovative jazz. The performers include Tony Rice, Charles Sawtelle, Mike Auldridge, Bob Brozman, Denny Zeitlin, Carlo Aonzo, Beppe Gambetta and Frank Vignola, with guest musicians Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Flaco Jimenez, Laurie Lewis, Todd Phillips, Joe Craven and Jim Kerwin. Highly recommended.

NEW RIVER - GRISMAN/ZEITLIN             ACOUSTIC DISC ACD-45.

Pianist-composer-psychiatrist Denny Zeitlin and the excellent mandolin player David Grisman perform a most enjoyable selection of their own compositions, including Brazilian Street Dance, Blue Midnite, the brilliant DG/DZ Blues, On the March, New River and the splendidly titled Dawg Funk. This is fine jazz with folk and blues influences that take the music into a highly individual genre.

THE MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA           ADELPHI GCD 3000.

Jajouka music conjures up visions of magic carpet rides through the moon-like mountains of North Africa and these fabulous sounds have influenced the work of Paul Bowles, William Burroughs, Timothy Leary, Ornette Coleman, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. The legendary troupe of trance musicians from the Moroccan village of Jajouka were recorded by Brian Jones in 1968 and the Jajoukas have subsequently acquired cult status. This CD contains those classic recordings, digitally remastered, made originally in Morocco by Jones. Their music’s strange, high-pitched sounds combines with surging rhythms to induce an ecstatic trance state. Highly recommended. One of the most musically inspiring groups still left on the planet - Mick Jagger.

MUSIC FROM TUVA            AMIATA ARNR 1497.

Tuva is a small republic in the Russian Federation, situated geographically in the center of Asia, between Siberia and Mongolia. Among its traditions, biphonic singing, popularly known as Khoomei, holds a premier position. Khoomei is defined as the simultaneous producing of a sound in the lower register with a melody composed of minor harmonics in the upper register.

ENCUENTROS - TANGO FUEGO           K & K ISBN 3-930643-39-1.

A great singer and expressive instrumentalists supported by a string orchestra carry you away into the world of the finest tango and right to the soul of the Argentinian people.The passionate melancolic tango of Argentina is for dancing and feeling well, and Tango Fuego presents a most attractive programme of this hypnotic music. The featured performers are Detlef Strüwe (piano), Laura D´Onofrio (vocals), Fabian Carbone (bandoneon), Sebastian Reimann (violin), Fritz Roppel (double-bass), together with the strings of the Broadcast Orchestra Sofia in Bulgaria. The orchestral arrangement and direction is by Thorsten Wollmann. ‘Bandoneon, piano, violin, double-bass and the sheer mellifluous quality of the strings combine in moving melancholy’ RHEINISCHER MERKUR.

WORDLESS MEANINGS - RAGA DOLLS         MOVE MD 3249.

The Raga Dolls, a Melbourne-based Salon ensemble, play a selection of originals and well-known favourites, including works by Schubert, Brahms, Mascagni (Intermezzo from ‘Cavelleria Rusticana’) and Massenet (Meditation from Thais). Entertaining and accessible music that should appeal to people of all ages and musical tastes.

DREAMS ON DRUMS - ANINDO CHATTERJEE          AUDIOREC 1050-2.

The superb virtuoso tabla player Anindo Chatterjee is joined by Murad Ali (sarangi), Sanatan Goshwami (harmonium) and Subhashish Bhattacharya (tanpura) to perform music that is intense and exciting as well as profoundly spiritual. This magnificent recording shows why Pandit Anindo Chatterjee is one of the most sought after soloists on the international concert platform.

THE QUEST - WAJAHAT KHAN         AUDIOREC 1047-2.

The superb Indian sarod player Wajahat Khan can trace his family back its origins back 400 years through a line of celebrated musicians to the court of the great Moghul Emperor Akbar. He started his training under his father from the age of three, studying singing, sitar and surbahar in his family's tradition, and later the sarod. On this outstanding recording he is joined by Sabir Khan (tabla) and Miriam Nelken (tanpura) in two ragas, ‘Khamboji’ and ‘Khammaj’. Beautiful, delicate music music by a true master.

THE SPIRIT OF BENARES - SHARDA SAHAI AUDIOREC 1044-2.

Sharda Sahai, born in 1935, belongs to the Benares (or Varanasi) style of tabla playing and studied under the virtuoso Kanthe Maharaj. He has accompanied many great musicians, including the sarodist Ali Akbar Khan and sitarist Ravi Shankar. With melodic support here from Ramesh Mishra (sarangi) Pandit Sharda Sahai explores the technical and expressive possibilities of the tabla to its fullest.

BREATHTAKING - HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA       AUDIOREC 1051-2.

On this double CD live recording the fine bansuri player Hariprasad Chaurasia is joined by Shubhankar Banerjee (tabla), M Balachander (mridangam) and Natasha Ahmed (tanpura). These performances demonstrate Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia’s complete mastery of the most serious as well as the lightest varieties of Hindustani music, his style being particularly well suited to a rag like Jaijaivanti - serious enough yet at the same time plaintive and romantic. The second CD starts with the delightful Rag Hansadhwani, one of the most popular of all rags.

MOCARABE - EDUARDO RAMOS       MUSICALIA M0104006.

Delicate, exotic music is performed by the Ensemble Mocarabe, featuring the talents of Eduardo Ramos, Jose Paulo Galvao, Joaquim Pedro Galvao and Americo Cardoso.

A MORNING RAGA - PANDIT SHIVKUMAR SHARMA       NAVRAS NRCD 0025.

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma (santoor) plays the Raga Gurjari Todi in this highly atmospheric recording, where he is accompanied by Anindo Chatterjee (tabla) and Naina Shah (tanpura).

USTAD RAIS KHAN - LIVE IN LONDON 1993        NAVRAS NRCD 0020.

Ustad Rais Khan has long enjoyed a reputation as a brilliant sitarist. Born in Indore in 1940, the son of sitarist Ustad Mohammed Khan, his family includes illustrious musicians such as Ustad Vilayat Khan. Rais Khan has much in common with Vilayat Khan himself, including a reputation as an outstanding singer, yet he is very much his own man and has developed a distinctive style of his own, as this fine CD of ragas shows. He is joined by Anindo Chatterjee (tabla) and Uma Mehta (tanpura).