It seems the one place in the world where the dreaded term “World Music” is doing well is Russia, though my friends at Xango Music Distribution do a stellar job of selling some amazing artifacts.
This project, Staritsa, hail from Prokhorovka, near the dead center of the country. They, like other Russian bands I’ve had the pleasure of recommending, produce fine traditional folk which seems to be having a Renaissance of sorts. Between this, the incredible improvisational and classical music scenes and the wonderful Orthodox hymnody being produced these days, I’d say Russian music is in good hands.
Kudos to Christian Pliefke of CPL Records, who continues to be a visionary in finding such wonderful music.
