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 not familiar with their catalog, they showcase music not only from Russia and Central Asia but have also expanded to include artists from Poland, the Balkans, and even Rwanda!
From the label’s Bandcamp site:
“In the Adamovsky district of the Orenburg region, Kazakhs make up a third of the total population. “Young Flowers” is the translation of “Zhas Gulem” (“Jas Gülim” in correct modern Kazakh Latin), the name of an ensemble from the disctict center led by Amanzhol Ismukhambetov. The group and other local musicians mainly interpret common Kazakh folk songs.”
