Out beloved friends at CPL-Music have released another fascinating album of Russian folk music! Merema hail from Saransk, which is the capital of Russia’s autonomous Republic of Mordovia. The music is beautifully documented by CPL Records and the documentary work of professor Ekaterina Modina. The tones of the voices are Continue Reading
World Music
Bester Quartet – Piazzolla Angels
Poland’s For-Tune Records have been consistently releasing high-quality jazz and improv music for some time now, but their latest has a special place for me. This collection, with the exception of Por Una Cabeza (composed by Carlos Gardel) was composed by the inimitable Ástor Piazzólla and arranged Bester Quartet leader Continue Reading
Various Artists – NYP Records: Mukambo presents Global Afrobeat Movement 2
The first time I had the pleasure of hearing Afrobeat was in Skopje, Macedonia, of all places. There isn’t a lot of variance to the music on this comp, though there are a few gems on this comp, but I have to be honest – how do you better Fela Continue Reading
LeiLuo Studio (磊落声音艺术) – An Ancient Tune of Shanha
LeiLuo Studio is a small record label based in my former home of Beijing, China. The track reviewed today is a fusion of musics from Zhejiang from the She ethnic group. The label/band’s Bandcamp site explains further below: This is a piece of new fusion single composed and arranged by Continue Reading
Various Artists: Habibi Funk 015: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World, Part 2
Our friends at Habibi Funk are becoming legendary as their roster grows. What impresses me the most about the folks who run the label is their absolute passion for music from the Maghreb which has been criminally underrepresented throughout the world for decades. It’s shameful that the labels in the Continue Reading
Dominique Figaro & Steve Shehan – Figaro... Si!
I had no idea what to expect with this album except that it was promoted by Carbon 7 record label impresario and former Univers Zéro bassist Guy Segers. His taste tends to be outstanding, so I gave this a shot. Quite pleasant, actually. Dominique Figaro’s voice reminds me of a Continue Reading
Saucejas – Dabā
Our dear friends at CPL-Music have done it again! This 60-track album by Saucejas is an ethnographer’s dream if you’re into Latvian music, and there is an organic feeling to this album. Nothing too terribly processed, nothing added that didn’t need to be there. The album is appropriately titled, as Continue Reading
Various Artists – UNESCO Collection Musical Sources – Arabian Music: Maqam (Iraq – Lebanon 1971)
A reissue specialist label called Rarità Tradizionali have published a fine collection of music from Lebanon and Iraq from 1972, and it sounds brilliant. This album was apparently never released, and it’s surprising considering the quality of the musicianship of these instrumentalists from Iraq and Lebanon (including buzuk player Matar Continue Reading
Various Artists – Cameroon Garage Funk
Analog Africa produces yet another astounding compilation. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a while for this one, because the release date is scheduled for September 3, 2021. Still, considering the high quality of pretty much everything this label has produced, I’m expecting some fine music. Over on the Bandcamp release Continue Reading
TienYinMen – Between Clouds (雲峽)
TienYinMen are a collection of composers and musicians based in Hong Kong who release a lot of thematic soundtrack music played on traditional instruments and electronic instruments. They have a healthy body of work to choose from, and I found this one to be the best out of a great Continue Reading