Some years ago I had the pleasure of coming across a Sakha (Yakutia)-based singer called UUTAi who left me a bit stunned and gobsmacked, as I had never seen such a wild performance with wailing and Jew’s harp. Going forward a few years, one of my dear colleagues and friends Continue Reading
World Music
Togbe Adjos – Maman Tchamba
When reading tags about vodun jazz, a reggae vibe wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. Still, Togbe Adjos produces an album mixing the rhythms of the Caribbean with those of his native Benin. This is a mellow but lively album which wouldn’t feel out of place among that massive stack Continue Reading
Albaluna – Heptad
Our friends at Tejo Milenario have introduced us to yet another one of their brilliant band and we are expecting to highlight quite a few more as the weeks pass by! Albaluna are a project from Portugal whose stage performances blend together music, poetry and dance, combining cultures of the Continue Reading
Gralitsa – Little Mosquitoes Are Sleeping This Night
Some time ago I had reviewed the work of an ethno-folk-jazz band from Kostroma, Russia called Gralitsa, and I found them favorable. I have to say that I find this album at least as favorable, but it sounds like a totally different band. This sound is far more affected by Continue Reading
Ombra – Posidonian Poetry
This has to be one of the more elegant releases I’ve had the pleasure of spending my evenings with in a few weeks. Ombra are a quintent, as I understand it, based in Barcelona, Spain. This sumptuous release blends everything from jazz, a touch of waltz, Arabic and Balkan music Continue Reading
Staritsa – Klyukva
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 Continue Reading
ShooDja-ChoDja – Shooldyrak
Our beloved comrade in World Music, Christian Pliefke, releases another gem on his label CPL Music. This new release by the band ShooDja-ChoDja from comes from the region of Udmurtia, populated by people of Finno-Ugric stock, and having traditions far different from their fellow Russian citizens. The music is played on Continue Reading
Damir Imamović’s Sevdah Takht – Dvojka
It is a shame to think that when the words Bosnia, Herzegovina or Sarajevo are mentioned, most think only of the ugly breakup of the former Yugoslavia. It’s a crime, as the country, and especially her capital, have so much to offer. The people, the food, the incredible culture, so Continue Reading
Alostmen – Kologo
Ghanian band Alostmen are bursting with energy and come with a sound mixing highlife with a guitar style that reminds me, slightly, of Tuareg playing one could hear with bands like Tinariwen. From the band’s website: Formed by Stevo Atambire and produced by Wanlov (Fok’n Bois) and Percy Yip Tong, Continue Reading
Various Artists: Canary Records: The Dull Hatchet: Late 1940s Lemko Instrumentals in Brooklyn NY
Canary Records is one of the best independent labels specializing in archival recordings. This batch comes from Lemko immigrants, who hail from the Carpathian Mountains, and it documents some of the tunes they brought with them to the United States.