Two days of Nanai songs! This EP features singer Raisa Alekseevna Khodjer performing three tunes from the traditional Nanai catalog. The sound is as clear as can be, and Raisa’s voice is gentle and pleasant. Alexander Samar’s lower register pairs perfectly with Raisa’s voice. A charming EP.
Ethnic Music
Архивы Николая Батуновича Киле. “Нани” (Нанайцы) часть 1 & 2 (Nikolai Batunovich Kile’s Archives. “Nani” (Nanai) Parts 1 & 2))
The two releases shown above constitute a wonderful archive of ethnographic recordings of the Nanai people who populate parts of Russia’s Far East and Northeast China, where they are known as the Hezhen.
Various Artists – MEKONG SHELLAC: Cambodian Artifacts from the 78-rpm era
From the Sublime Frequencies Bandcamp site: “Mekong Shellac is an extremely rare collection of classical and popular styles of Khmer music from the 1930s to the 1950s. Restored from the few original remaining copies, this compilation reveals a remarkable world of early 20th-century Cambodian folk music.”
Various Artists – TAL Music: Music from the Caucasus – The Archive of ORED Recordings, 2013–2023
As much as I try to absorb as many new releases and great reissues as possible, I’m only one man, and sometimes treasures slip through the cracks. I wish to thank Praveer Baijal, who, besides being a great and good guy, is also a man of exquisite musical taste, for pointing Continue Reading
Yiannis Kyriakatis – Blue Series | Sep 3
Yiannis Kyriakatis is an electroacoustic composer who comes from Cyprus. I’ve had the privilege of following his career arc since I discovered his name in a copy of the magazine Gaudeamus. It’s great to hear that he is still active, and this is something new for me. He is preserving Continue Reading
Various Artists – Antonovka Records: Young Flowers: Music of Kazakhs from Orenburg Region
The top ten albums of 2025 from the Russian World Music Chart will be announced soon, and this year has been exceptional for ethnic and world music. One standout album comes from Antonovka Records, a label that was originally based in Russia but is now located in Chișinău, Moldova. If you’re Continue Reading
努尔·泽赫拉·卡齐姆 Noor Zehra Kazim – 萨迦维纳琴之声 The Sound of Sagar Veena
From the venerable Shenzhen-based Old Heaven Books record label’s Bandcamp site: “About this album: The Sagavena is a stunning string instrument with a unique and beautiful design, reminiscent of the Vichitra Veena and Chitra Veena. This instrument has a wider range of sound than the traditional Indian Veena, and the Continue Reading
Russian World Music Chart 2024
The good folks at the Russian World Music Chart have announced their top-20 of 2024, and each made for stunning listening. Due to a few health issues and the loss of my partner in this endeavor, Steven Shore, I wasn’t able to participate as fully as I would have liked Continue Reading
The Resian Folk Group – Resia Valley: String-Band Music from Eastern Alpine Italian Villages ca. 1978
The Resian Folk Group were from the Resia Valley in the Italian Alps. What sets them apart from their countrymen are their folk traditions and language, which seem to have a strong Slovene influence. Canary Records does their usual outstanding job remastering this collection. It sounds absolutely gorgeous considering the Continue Reading
The River Voices – Çorovodë, Albania | May 2017
From Remix-Culture‘s Bandcamp site: “Recorded live in May of 2017 by Hatim Belyamani and Bajram “Kafu” Kinolli in Çorovodë, Albania. We are a non-profit organization celebrating musical traditions in harmony with digital remix art. Our mission is to inspire people to reconfigure their relationships with other cultures, communities, and individuals, Continue Reading