Tag Archives: world music

Benny Moré’s Ritmo, Juan Formell y los Van Van’s Por Encima Del Nivel, Irakere’s Bacalao Con Pan, Chucho Valdes’s Virtuoso, and various artists’ Guantanamera

The Escondida label continues its releases under the Cuban Essentials title, highlighting some of the best music and musicians from the vaults of the Cuban state recording studios, EGREM. Begun in 2005 with career overviews of some of the famed … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Benny Moré’s Ritmo, Juan Formell y los Van Van’s Por Encima Del Nivel, Irakere’s Bacalao Con Pan, Chucho Valdes’s Virtuoso, and various artists’ Guantanamera

The Klezmer Conservatory Band’s Dance Me To The End of Love

Brendan Foreman wrote this review. If one would consider KlezRoym New School, then the Klezmer Conservatory Band is thoroughly Old School in their approach to the music. All of the usual forms of klezmer are here: the frenetic freylekhs, the … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Klezmer Conservatory Band’s Dance Me To The End of Love

Various artists’ Allons en Louisiane

A relatively small area of the state of Louisiana produces much of the recorded Cajun and zydeco music in the world today. This is some of the most vibrant and soulful music ever produced in North America, and many of … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Various artists’ Allons en Louisiane

Frank London, Lorin Sklamberg, and Rob Schwimmer’s The Zmiros Project; and Marilyn Lerner & David Wall’s Still Soft Voiced Heart

Judith Gennett wrote this review. “There are gates in heaven that will not open except by melody and song.” — Jim Loeffler, liner notes to The Zmiros Project “Zmiros” are hymns sung during the circum-Sabbath meals. The Zmiros Project sets … Continue reading

Tagged , , | Comments Off on Frank London, Lorin Sklamberg, and Rob Schwimmer’s The Zmiros Project; and Marilyn Lerner & David Wall’s Still Soft Voiced Heart

Various artists’ The Kingdom of Zydeco

Brendan Foreman wrote this review. As a companion to his superb book The Kingdom of Zydeco Michael Tisserand has compiled this equally superb collection of zydeco music. It only makes sense to provide a soundtrack to a book devoted to … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Various artists’ The Kingdom of Zydeco

Taberna Mylaensis’ L’anima du munnu

Brendan Foreman wrote this review. Being stuck in the middle of the Mediterranean as it is, Sicily has been visited, invaded, and colonized by just about every culture that lines that sea, as well as a few who dropped in … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Taberna Mylaensis’ L’anima du munnu

Selim Sesler’s The Road to Keşan: Turkish Rom and Regional Music of Thrace

Brendan Foreman wrote this review. It continues to be a great time for the traditional music lover, especially now that Rounder Records has begun distributing the music of Traditional Crossroads, a record company in New York that specializes in the … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Selim Sesler’s The Road to Keşan: Turkish Rom and Regional Music of Thrace

KlezRoym’s Sceni

Brendan Foreman wrote this review. This is a lesson that I find myself learning over and over again: Never, ever underestimate humanity’s ability to reconfigure venerable art forms into new, often strange objects. Just when I thought I had klezmer … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on KlezRoym’s Sceni

Kiki Valera’s Vacilón Santiaguero

It becomes clear early on that there’s something special going on with Kiki Valera’s Vacilón Santiaguero. Sure, it’s Son Cubano, the traditional acoustic call and response song form that is beloved worldwide thanks to the Buena Vista Social Club. But … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Kiki Valera’s Vacilón Santiaguero

Duo Emilia Lajunen & Suvi Oskala’s Toisjalkainen

The duo of Emilia Lajunen and Suvi Oskala are known in their homeland and elsewhere around the globe as masterful interpreters of the historical fiddle repertoir of central Finland. Just by playing this music, both the well known repertoire and … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Duo Emilia Lajunen & Suvi Oskala’s Toisjalkainen