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Monday, July 26, 2010
CD Review: Daniel Cros From Barcelona
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Friday, July 23, 2010
CD Review: Seu Jorge and Almaz
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The upbeat, psychedelic, and Brazilian-samba-inspired album by Seu Jorge and his band Almaz, hit the charts with sizzling beats that will heat up any party. Probably best known for his work in the films, The Life Aquatic and City of God, Seu continues to draw upon inspiration from Brazil's wealth of musical resources and rich, cultural history. The instrumentation is rather limited to drums, bass, guitar, and vocals. However, the sound is very full and fresh. Anyone with a passing knowledge of melodic electronic and trip-hop will note some influences throughout. At times, the self-titled release echoes the soundtrack of a spy or thriller film. This could be due to Seu's experience with the film medium, but it doesn't detract from the real, entertainment purpose of the music. Seu Jorge joins a long line of Brazilian musical giants that should not be ignored at any cost. Join Seu Jorge and Almaz today! ~ Matthew Forss
CD Review: Sierre Leone's Refugee All Stars
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CD Review: Ashton Nyte's "The Valley"
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Sunday, July 18, 2010
CD Review: Irka Mateo's Taino Roots
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Friday, July 16, 2010
CD Review: Janaka Selekta
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CD Review: Slovenia's Magnifico
Sunday, July 11, 2010
CD Review: Togo's Elikeh
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CD Review: Mali's Vieux Farka Toure is LIVE!
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CD Review: Bosnia's Amira and Merima
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A classic vocalist, Amira Medunjanin's melodic vocal poetry is filled with passion, emotion, and life. It is a perfect companion for Merima Kljuco's accordion playing. The duo perform music native to their Bosnian ancestral roots. However, a few traditional tunes from neighboring Macedonia and Serbia are included. Importantly, the album's instrumentation is only provided by an accordion. In some instances, the accordion is absent when Amira's voice takes over the role. The interplay between the voice and accordion resemble mugham modes of Middle Eastern and Arabic music, yet the music is definitely 'Bosnian'. Interestingly, Zumra, which means 'emerald' or, according to the liner notes, 'something that deviates from the norm', is an excellent summation of the music. The album is a gem and it's something a little different. In this case, a little different is something listeners will gladly relish. ~ Matthew Forss
CD Review: Bebel Gilberto's 'All In One'
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Saturday, July 10, 2010
CD Review: Uganda's Samite
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CD Review: Morocco's Hindi Zahra
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CD Review: A Time To Cry - A Lament Over Jerusalem
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Friday, July 2, 2010
CD Review: Lyapis Trubetskoy - Agitpop
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Lyapis Trubetskoy
Agitpop
Eastblok Music
Lyapis Trubetskoy is a band that is huge in Russia, where they fill venues to capacity. Their sound is akin to Gogol Bordello but with more of a ska twist. They push the limits with strong political lyrics, dark humour, and images of their culture's socialist past. Although the lyrics are in Russian, the strength and meaning of the songs really come through. Agitpop is exactly that - songs which agitate against a society of wealth and war. Most importantly, the songs are quite melodic. ~Paula E. Kirman
CD Review: Dalai Lama Renaissance
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Dalai Lama Renaissance
Various Artists
White Swan
This CD is the soundtrack for the documentary film of the same title about the Dalai Lama. Like the film, this album also features narration from Harrison Ford, as well as enchanting (and chanting!) songs featured in the film. The music is very soothing and obviously perfect for personal meditation and features Techung, a Tibetan musician in exile; Heyraneh, a female Sufi singer from Tehran (a rarity); and the words of the Dalai Lama himself. ~ Paula E. Kirman