I– Van Morrison & The Chieftains. (39:48 min)
Celtic folk influence has always lingered just beneath the surface in Van Morrison’s music, and had surfaced before, such as on Into The Music. His poignant, emotional style fits perfectly with the timeless sound of The Chieftains.
The album kicks off with a bang with Star Of The County Dawn, before descending into more introspective territories. Celtic myths are explored in the beautiful ballads, while the essence of nature and art is simultaneously laid bare. The Chieftains fulfill their role as accompanists with verve, and it is an ode to domestic life and love. CD. Irish Heartbeat – Van Morrison & The Chieftains.
LABEL: Mercury Records (1988) code: 8344 962. VIDEO

II– Clannad. (01:15:26 min)
Lore is a 1996 studio album by the Irish folk band Clannad and was received with much praise worldwide by music critics, who often regarded it as one of Clannad’s best recordings. Clannad lives up to expectations exactly; Lore exudes precisely that dreamy atmosphere we have come to expect from the Irish band. A large portion of the lyrics is sung in Gaelic this time. Mairie Brennan’s clear voice, combined with subtle acoustic guitar parts and traditional instruments, makes Lore a gently flowing album to dream away to.
CD. Lore – Clannad.
LABEL: RCA Records (1996) code: 74321-359752. VIDEO

III– Loreena McKennitt. (54:01 min)
A Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who writes, records, and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern influences. She is known for her refined and clear soprano voice. In the late 1970s, she became fascinated by what is now called Celtic music. Loreena McKennitt was drawn to a rich, ancient tapestry of sounds, rhythms, and stories. She discovered similar myths and traditions originating from all corners of the world, peoples who shared similarities yet were unique.
CD. The book of secrets – Loreena McKennitt.
LABEL: Warner Brothers (1997), code 94671902. VIDEO

IV– Christy Moore. (01:14:05 min)
Christopher Andrew “Christy” Moore is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a founding member of the bands Planxty and Moving Hearts and has achieved considerable success as a solo artist. His first album, Paddy on the Road, was recorded in 1969 with Dominic Behan. Christy Moore was named Ireland’s greatest living musician by RTÉ in 2007, and no one has come even close to robbing him of that title. As a chronicler of our time, as a captivating voice, as a jester commemorating joyful events, or simply as the owner of the most wondrously melodic voice: Christy Moore has been enchanting audiences for over 50 years.
CD. The early years : 1969-81 – Christy Moore.
LABEL: Tara Music (2020) code: 3512347. VIDEO

V– Celtic Woman (01:03:34 min)
An Irish music ensemble consisting of four female singers and a violinist. The group plays Celtic music as well as modern songs. Celtic Woman consists of three Irish female singers and a violinist, accompanied by a full band and bagpipers. Their talent and energetic approach create a fresh fusion of centuries-old musical and cultural traditions. This unforgettable musical experience offers the women the chance to perform 16 timeless traditional and contemporary Irish classics, clothed in the group’s renowned style.
CD. Destiny – Celtic Woman.
LABEL: Manhattan (2016) code: 2547623478. VIDEO

VI- The Dubliners
They played a crucial role in the popularization of Irish folk music in Europe. They influenced many generations of Irish bands, and their legacy can be heard in the music of many Irish artists to this day. In their homeland, The Dubliners are very popular and often considered the most influential Irish acts of the 20th century. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2012, becoming the longest-running Irish music group. In that same year, they received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. In the autumn of 2012, The Dubliners announced their farewell following the passing of the group’s last surviving original member.
CD. Irish pub hits – The Dubliners.
LABEL: ZYX Music (2018) code: ELB 20259-2. VIDEO

Thanks to:

·         Blok 1 The Klezmatics – We Were Made for These Times

Label:  Asphalt Tango Records

·         Blok 2 Divka – Folk Fatele

Label: self released

·         Blok 3 Dominic Cravic & les Primitifs du Futur – Les Crimes du Musette

Label: Buda Musique

Distribution: Xango Music

·         Blok 4 Mariana Sadovska & Vesna  Zhyvy! – You Should Live  

Label: CPL-Music

Distribution: Xango Music

·         Blok 5 Punjab – Kuljit Bhamra 

Label:  ARC

Distribution: Xango Music

·        Blok 6 Yiddish Glory – The Silenced Songs of World War II

Label:  Six Degrees

I

II– Giora Feidman. (53:46 min)
He was born in Argentina in 1936, but his parents were from Romania. Fleeing antisemitism there, they ended up in the South American country in the 1930s. Later in life, Feidman moved back to Israel. There, the clarinetist specialized in playing the Jewish folk music of Eastern Europe, klezmer. The classically trained clarinetist also plays tango, chamber music, Gershwin, and Schubert. On the album Safad, he collaborated with an Arab orchestra.
CD. Deep notes : The best of bass clarinet – Giora Feidman.
LABEL: Pianissimo (2011) code: PM 0921. VIDEO

III– Stacey Kent, Bernard Lavilliers & Quatuor Ebène. (01:07:18 min)
This is Brazil like you’ve never heard it before. Bossanova and samba are brought together in an intoxicating multicultural cocktail with the soundtrack from Terry Gilliam’s 1985 film Brazil, Argentine tango, and songs by songwriters such as Stevie Wonder, Sting, and Charlie Chaplin, performed on this album by special guests of the Quatuor Ebène, the eclectic French singer-songwriter Bernard Lavilliers and the stylish American jazz singer Stacey Kent.
CD. Brazil – Stacey Kent, Bernard Lavilliers en het Quatuor Ebène.
LABEL: Erato (2014) code: 632046 & 6320431. VIDEO

IV– Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion. (01:02:16 min)
Since its founding in 2000, the acclaimed quintet Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion has dedicated itself to creating and refining a groundbreaking sound. Classic meets Cuba, the name of their first joint project, has grown into a kind of axiom for the ensemble’s unique musical style. Their unconventional musical language reveals a refreshing approach to the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. The witty and clever arrangements by Tobias and Kilian Forster and Tim Hahn lure the audience into a new world of dance and passion, along with an infectious zest for life.
CD. Classic meets Cuba – Klazz Brothers, Cuba Percussion.
LABEL: Sony (2004) code: SK 93090. VIDEO

V– Soul Gospel. (01:01:22 min)
Religious, polyphonic music, characterized by a call-and-response interplay between lead singer and congregation, an rousing build-up, and equally stirring instrumental accompaniment. Like blues and jazz, gospel forms the basis of rhythm & blues and soul. And because gospel itself also contains elements of blues and jazz, the genre was viewed with suspicion by devout believers in the early twentieth century. The music was even briefly labeled as demonic.
Advocates such as Thomas A. Dorsey (1899-1993) ensured that gospel was eventually embraced by the church. The album features 18 artists, including Odetta, Esther Marrow, and Aretha Franklin.
CD. Gospel. LABEL: Soul Jazz Records (2005) code: SJR CD 107. VIDEO

VI– Fra Fra Sound. (01:03:08)
The band emerged in the late 1970s from a group of Surinamese teenagers who met weekly in the Bijlmer for jam sessions. Fra Fra means hybrid form, but also strange, different, mysterious, the invisible connection. In the years that followed, Fra Fra Sound grew into a world-class band, yet remained true to its home base: the Surinamese community in Amsterdam. The band blends jazz, African rhythms, dance music from the Caribbean, and Surinamese Kaseko, bringing together a wide range of melodies and themes from various cultures.
CD. Worship mother earth – Fra Fra Sound.
LABEL: Lucho (1994) code: 77152 & 8315482. VIDEO

Thanks to:

Blok 1 Cristina Branco – Mulheres de Abril 25 min

Label:  self released

Blok 2 Zaz – Sains et saufs (2025) 48 min

Label: tôt ou tard

Blok 3 Le Bal Jacquin – Au bout du bout 32 min

Label: Modulor Music

Blok 4 Tomas Kocko & Orchestr – Perperuna 45 min

Label:  Digiton Music

Blok 5 Roger Davidson with the Frank London orchestra – Villages of old 46 min

Label: Soundbrush Records

Blok 6 Lucas Santtana – Brasiliano  41 min

Label:  No Format!

Blok 7 Souad Massi – Zagate 38 min

Label:  Backing Track Production

Distributie: Xango Music

Blok 8 LEÏ – Amarre 50 min

Label:  Inouïes

Blok 9 various artists – Café Feminina  38 min

Label:  Putumayo Digital Media LLC

I– The Glooming. (01:00:54 min)
The chemistry between the five musicians from Ireland and America proved so strong that The Gloaming’s debut album was recorded within a week. The Gloaming means ‘the twilight’ and is a fitting name for an ensemble that reinterprets and renews Irish tradition in an introverted and reflective way. Less is more!
Thanks to the slow tempo, the sparse ornamentation, and the mysterious and languid-sounding music, everything gains more depth and meaning, from the interpretation of ancient poems to the nuances and colors in the instruments. The Gloaming’s airs and reels are not meant for dancing, but for listening to in silence. In doing so, the band harks back to the older sean nós tradition, the narrative songs of minstrels.
CD. The Glooming.
LABEL: Real World Records (2014) code: CDRW 200. VIDEO

II– The Unthanks. (01:01:51 min)
Original and idiosyncratic are characteristics that perfectly suit The Unthanks. With their own recording studio and label (Rabble Rouser), the Northern English folk band charts its own course. The Unthanks entice the listener into a dark, magical dream world. Material rooted in the folk tradition is transformed into epic and cinematic music with elements from pop, jazz, and classical.
The otherworldly, husky voices of sisters Rachel and Becky Unthanks, the compelling piano playing of multi-instrumentalist and producer Adrian McNally, the melancholic trumpet solos, and the long, flowing string lines create an enchanting listening experience.
CD. Mount the air – The Unthanks.
LABEL: Rabble Rouser Music (2015) code: RRM013. VIDEO

III– John Lee Hooker. (01:10:36 min)
Starting out as a country blues artist in the 1940s, John Lee Hooker single-handedly developed an angular, electric variant of blues. With his instantly recognizable voice, he commanded respect well into old age. It is unclear at what stage the recordings were made and to what extent John Lee Hooker himself was responsible for the musical choices, but the result is impressive. Alongside the familiar, hypnotic blues numbers (Big Road, Face To Face, Up & Down, Boogie Chillen), we hear soul (Loving People) and pure funk in Funky Mabel. Although he is primarily associated with stomping blues, this album proves that John Lee Hooker was adept at handling multiple genres.
CD. Face to face – John Lee Hooker.
LABEL: Eagle (2003) code: EAGCD 265. VIDEO

IV– Bessie Jones, John Davis, Georgia Sea Island Singers. (01:12:40 min)
They gained widespread fame in the 1960s and 70s with their powerful performances of traditional songs of the African American Gullah Geechee community on St. Simons Island in Georgia. Most members of the group were born and raised on St. Simons and could trace their ancestry back to the enslaved West and Central Africans who worked on the island’s cotton plantations.
Throughout the 1960s, the Georgia Sea Island Singers were prominent voices in the civil rights movement and brought hundreds of years of Black musical tradition to a crucial period in American history. The album presents a variety of traditional music, including moving work songs, emotionally charged spirituals, cheerful nursery rhymes, and revealing renditions of Mississippi blues.
CD. Friends of Old Time Music concert: Bessie Jones, John Davis, Georgia Sea Island Singers.
LABEL: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (2024) code: SFWCD40258. VIDEO

V–
Songhoy Blues. (45:49 min)
The Malian Songhoy Blues has always been about resistance. “We started this band during a civil war, in the face of a music ban, to create something positive out of adversity. As long as we still have music in us and something to say, we will continue to fight every day with music as our weapon and our songs as our resistance.” With more time and a more extensive arsenal of equipment at their disposal, the album shows how Songhoy Blues are pushing their boundaries, with influences from R&B, soul, and hip-hop seamlessly blending with the band’s signature exuberant sound and themes relevant to our time.
CD. Résistance – Songhoy Blues.
LABEL: Transgressive Records (2017) code: TRANS298CD. VIDEO

VI– The Rosenberg Trio. (47:18 min)
Het Trio is een Nederlandse jazzband bestaande uit leadgitarist Stochelo Rosenberg, ritmegitarist Nous’che Rosenberg en bassist Nonnie Rosenberg. De band is beïnvloed door Django Reinhardt, de gypsy jazzgitarist uit de jaren 30. Voor de familie Rosenberg is het levend houden van de muzikale traditie van de briljante gitarist Django Reinhardt een succesvolle familie business. Toch doet die omschrijving het talent van de drie broers tekort. Het Rosenberg Trio zet niet alleen de ‘gypsy swing’, maar nog veel meer genres naar hun vakkundige hand. Daartoe werkte het trio samen met een groot aantal artiesten onder wie Herman van Veen, Jan Akkerman, Stéphane Grapelli en Cor Bakker.
CD. Django: La bande originale du film – The Rosenberg Trio.
LABEL: Impulse! Records (2017) code: 0602557450392. VIDEO

Thanks to:

Blok 1 Daughters of Donbas – Songs of Stolen Children 45 min

Label:  Ontario

Blok 2 Marcela Arroyo & Quique Sinesi – Reflejos  52 min

Label:   O Tone

Blok 3 Ão – Malandra  43 min

Label: Mayway records

Blok 4 Amsterdam Klezmer Band – Diaspora 53 min

Label:  Asphalt Tango Records

Blok 5 Tehrani Drom and Parisa Karimi Molan – Unveiled 37 min

Label: Lulaworld records

Blok 6 BashElán – Titkon  37 min

Label:  Fonó Budai Zeneház

Blok 7 Tuuletar – Maammo  31 min

Label:  Nordic Notes

Distributie: Xango Music

Blok 8 Nordic Notes # 200 – Great tunes from Northern Europe 77 min

Label:  Nordic Notes

Distributie: Xango Music

I– Carel Kraayenhof. (01:07:04 min)
In 2021, Carel Kraayenhof toured with a program commemorating the centenary of the famous composer and bandoneonist Astor Piazzolla. The album “Piazzolla 100 Years” can be considered one of the Argentinian composer’s “greatest hits,” performed by a quartet that has mastered these pieces for decades and has performed them countless times. With their performances, the foursome does this repertoire all the justice it deserves. According to Astor Piazzolla himself, creating his music was a battle between devils and angels: tango and classical music.
CD. Piazzolla 100 years – Carel Kraayenhof.
LABEL: Bando Dreams (2022) code: BD2022022.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/2qzIaT9rOCw

II– Sergio Mendes. (01:01:03 min)
Brazilian Sergio Mendes achieved worldwide fame in the mid-1960s with the song Mas Que Nada, which was given a second life in 1998 when it was used in the advertising campaign of a major sports brand. Outside of Brazil, almost no one knows that the song was actually written by Jorge Ben. Sergio Mendes’ musical mix of samba, bossa nova and soft pop was slightly more accessible to the Western audience than that of his Brazilian colleagues. One of Mendes’ biggest fans is rapper/producer Will.i.am. He suggested to the Brazilian that they record an CD together, so that a younger audience would also get to know his music.
CD: Timeless – Sergio Mendes.
LABEL: Universal Records (2006) code: 3123152.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/oUnAhhV8rgg

III– Omara Portuondo & Chucho Valdés. (55:54 min)
After having his eye on Cuban Omara Portuondo, the singer of Bueno Vista Social Club, for fifty years, pianist Chucho Valdés has finally succeeded in seducing Omara to collaborate, both personally and professionally. Valdés and his father, bandleader Bebe Valdés, were both charmed by Omara Portuondo when the singer was part of the choir during one of Bebe’s shows. Omara & Chucho is a light, romantic album. This is not the first time that Omara and Chucho have recorded an album together: between 1999 and 2008 they shared the studio several times.
CD: Omara & Chucho – Omara Portuondo & Chucho Valdés.
LABEL: World Village (2011) code: WVF479062.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/_OnHhaiZLHo

IV– Djavan. (01:07:04 min)
Brazilian singer Djavan (with Dutch roots) celebrates his 50th anniversary in 2026 with his twenty-sixth album, Improviso (released in late 2025), and an extensive world tour. The singer-songwriter is known for his elegant blend of samba, jazz, and pop, and debuted in 1976.
Djavan’s music quickly spread across borders, having been recorded by artists including Al Jarreau and The Manhattan Transfer.
> Djavan will perform in Tivoli-Vredenburg/Utrecht on September 27th <
CD: Aria ao vivo – Djavan.
LABEL: Discmedi Blau (2014) code: DM 4947-02.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/hXq2fsYjneI

V– Kassav. (01:15:52 min)
The group was founded in 1979 by Pierre-Edouard Décimus (former musician with Les Vikings de Guadeloupe) and Parisian studio musician Jacob F. Desvarieux. Together they decided to record Guadeloupean carnival music in a more fully orchestrated, but at the same time modern and refined style. Kassav’ is the creator of the fast-paced “carnival zouk style”, and the band from the French Antilles was the first to apply MIDI technology to cadence, combining the genre with funk and makossa.
CD: Best of Kassav’ : 20ème anniversaire – Kassav.
LABEL: Columbia Records (2014) code: 5099749431829.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/I4On7vHE09o

VI– Buffy Sainte Marie. (30:11 min)
By anyone’s standards or criteria, Buffy Sainte-Marie produced an unparalleled oeuvre during her time on the Vanguard label. Some songs from that time became world-famous, and thanks to covers by Neil Diamond, Donovan, and other artists of their commercial stature and standing, several are so ingrained in the collective memory that they’re practically considered authorless. Buffy Sainte-Marie’s voice made her unique; whether you look at her from a writer’s or vocal perspective, the vibrato effects and tremors in her voice are truly unique.
CD: Soldier blue : The best of the Vanguard years – Buffy Sainte Marie.
LABEL: Vanguard (2010) code: VMD 74004.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/GDBbIXqQkao

Thanks to:

Blok 1 Monoswezi – Moyo 39 min

Label: Parallel

Blok 2 Raül Refree & Maria Mazzotta – San Paolo Di Galatina  46 min

Label: Galileo Music

Distribution: Xango Music

Blok 3 Silvana Estrada – Vendrán Suaves Lluvias  38 min

Label: Glasnote Records

Blok 4 Crossing  – The Path Before Us 37 min

Label: Circular Music Records

Blok 5 Victoria Alexayan – Vishap  46 min

Label: Musiques

Blok 6 Stelios Petrakis – Lyric 44 min

Label:  Buda Musique

Distribution: Xango Music

Blok 7 Tram – Alligator  43 min

Label: Les Entêtés

Blok 8 Jacques Pellarin – En la revant  31 min

Label: Self released

Blok 9 Al-jiçç – Níger Suite 35 min

Label:  Self released

I. Les plus belles chansons d’amour. (53:30 min)
In the French chanson, the text is at least as important as the music and reveals the French soul: romantic, impulsive and nostalgic. The current chanson arose at the beginning of the twentieth century from older song forms of which Les 100 plus belles chansons d’amour some go back to the Middle Ages. Icons that color the chanson or song are very diverse from Michel Depeche (Pour un flirt avec toi) via Umberto Tozzi (Ti amo) to Marilyn Monroe (I want to be loved by you), come through with spicy lyrics and influences from beat, rock and pop.
CD. Les plus belles chansons d’amour.
LABEL: Wagram Music (2010) code: 3211452. VIDEO

II. The Everly Brothers. (26:04 min)
Rock-‘n-roll may have the stigma of rebellious teenage music, many of the early rockers were neat boys. Don and Phil Everly learned the trade of country singer from their father, before trying their luck with the two of them in the emerging rock-‘n’roll. The flawless harmony of their blood-related voices brought an element from the family tradition of country music into rock-‘n-roll. The result was music that managed to bridge generational gaps; the duo managed to write an incredible series of hits to their name. Their influence can be found in every pop band with harmonious singing, from The Beatles to Simon & Garfunkel.
CD’s: The very best of The Everly Brothers. LABEL: Rhino Records (2014) code: 825646321957. The best of The Everly Brothers : 1957-’60. LABEL: Music Club MMC (1995) code: 0000209. VIDEO

III. Screaming Jay Hawkins. (10:13)
An American singer, born in 1929 in Cleveland Ohio and died in Paris in 2000. In the 2nd World War he served as an entertainer in the American army. After the war he was a boxer for some time. He was a 1949 champion of Alaska in the middle weight. Due to his macabre performances, where smoke, bombs, fire and coffins were used, he is regarded as a shock rocker avant la lettre.
I Put a Spell on You (1956) was his biggest and best-known hit.
CD. At home with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
LABEL: Hoodoo Records (2019) code: 670091. VIDEO

IV. Joe Cocker. (19:03 min)
Joe was not only the creator of ‘the most chilling scream in pop music’ – in his adaptation of the Beatles’ ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ – but also an excellent interpreter of rock with a soulful edge. After his breakthrough at the Woodstock Festival (1969), Joe Cocker experienced a few years of success.
After disappearing from the scene for a few years, the singer reappeared in the eighties with the surprisingly soft-sounding rock hits.
CD. The Ultimate collection : 1968-2003 – Joe Cocker.
LABEL: EMI (2003) code: 5967752. VIDEO

V.
The Platters. (14:13 min)
In the pre-rock & roll era, The Platters were the first black singing group that was also popular with the white population of America.With their stylish repertoire, The Platters managed to build a bridge between traditional song forms of the 1940s and the adventurous musical developments of the 1950s. That’s why The Platters also had a role in 1956 in Rock Around The Clock, the first film in the history of rock & roll.
CD. The ballads of  The Platters.
LABEL: Bear Family code: BCD 17326 AR. VIDEO

VI. Tom Jones. (17:56 min)
He grew up in Wales as the son of a miner. He learned to sing in the church choir and in the pub. As the singer of the beat group Tommy Scott & The Senators, he was discovered by producer Joe Meek, but Jones only achieved success with the help of manager Gordon Mills. His robust voice and good looks captivated millions of women in the mid-sixties. Tom Jones moved to the United States and played mainly big glamor shows in Las Vegas in the eighties. After a somewhat shorter period, he reappeared at the end of the eighties with the Prince cover Kiss.
CD. Greatest hits – Tom Jones.
LABEL: Decca Records (2003) code: 686082. VIDEO

VII. Chet Baker. (36:40 min)
The album starts with an authentic version of My Funny Valentine. Throughout, pianist Russ Freeman’s warm, solid touch provides the perfect counterbalance to Baker’s touching romanticism. My Funny Valentine has been recorded by almost every singer who has ever been active in jazz or vocal music. Baker’s version, however, is perhaps still the most iconic. Its vulnerability, partly arising from his lack of experience as a singer, partly simply a consequence of who he was, makes it totally different from all the versions released by other singers.
CD. Chet Baker sings – Chet Baker.
LABEL: Pacific Jazz (1998) code: CJ32-5005. VIDEO

VIII. Nat King Cole. (57:33 min)
Cole’s career reached new heights in the 1950s when he signed a contract with Capitol Records. His velvety voice and refined style appealed to a wide audience and he became one of the first African-American artists to achieve significant commercial success. As a brilliant jazz pianist and band leader, Nat King Cole scored no fewer than 150 singles on Billboard’s pop, R&B and country charts. As a popular artist, Cole broke boundaries on radio, television and in the film world. Despite the racial discrimination and other challenges he faced throughout his life, Cole continued to make music and perform. His contributions to music have opened doors for future generations of musicians.
CD. The extraordinary Nat King Cole.
LABEL: Capitol (2014) code: 602537788033. VIDEO

IX. Tony Bennett. (01:03:58)
He was born in 1926, in Queens, New York as Anthony Dominick Benedetto. Already at a young age he performed as a singer and had ambitions to make singing his profession. He got that chance when he was ‘discovered’ by Bob Hope, who also advised him to change his name to Tony Bennett. In 1950, Bennett got a recording contract and in the early fifties he had the first big successes with various top 5 hits. Despite the popularity of rock-n-roll, he managed to maintain this success. He developed into a crooner in the style of his main competitor Frank Sinatra and began to take an interest in the expressive possibilities offered by jazz.
CD. The essential Tony Bennett.
LABEL: Sony (2014) code: 886978318428. VIDEO

Thanks to:

Blok 1 Rosalia – Lux   49 min     

Label: Columbia Records

Blok 2 Me and My Friends – Bring Summer  37 min        

Label: Split Shift Records

Blok 3 Dorota Barová – Píseň pro Mi  36 min

Label: Animal Music

Blok 4 Sarakina – Suspended in the Mist  53 min ·        

Label: self released

Blok 5 Bikeh & Nefsazz – Bikeh & Nefsazz Project  46 min

Label: Ütopya Müzik

Blok 6 Shay Hazan – When It Rains It Pours  33 min         

Label: Batov Records

Blok 7 N’Faly Kouyaté – Finishing   44 min ·        

Label: Namun Records

Blok 8 Gao Hong – Symphony of Self  57 min

Label: ARC Music
Distribution: Xango Music

I– Alpha Blondy, Ivoorkust (01:08:17 min)
In the 1980s, reggae grew into a global phenomenon. The Jamaicans no longer had the monopoly on the music. Musicians in Europe and Africa also threw themselves into reggae. Alpha Blondy (Ivory Coast, 1953) first came into contact with reggae in 1973 when he was living in New York. After returning to Africa, he began recording under the pseudonym Alpha Blondy. His music is strongly inspired by the roots reggae of Bob Marley. His lyrics are socially critical. On the other hand, Alpha Blondy is interested in spirituality, as is evident in songs like God Is One. Since 2005, Alpha Blondy has also been a UN Ambassador for Peace.
CD. The best of Alpha Blondy – Alpha Blondy.
LABEL: EMI 8370412 002 – EMI 002 8370412 (1996). VIDEO

II– AfroCubism, Mali / Cuba (59:16 min)
English producer Nick Gold has been dreaming of an album featuring Cuban and Malian musicians for years, but it took fourteen years to finally get everyone into the studio. Guitarist Eliades Ochoa and his band Grupo Patria are championing the Cuban colours. Toumani Diabaté (kora), Bassekou Kouyaté (ngoni) and Djelimady Tounkara (guitarist for the Rail Band) are representing Mali. Each participant was allowed to bring ten songs and eagerly incorporated each other’s repertoire. All songs were recorded in a single take.
CD. AfroCubism – AfroCubism.
LABEL: World Circuit (2010) code: WCD 085. VIDEO

III– Salif Keita, Mali (01:00:19 min)
Salif’s childhood was not easy. An albino is physically weaker and is often seen as a sign of bad luck in Africa. When he developed a passion for music and wanted to make it his profession, he was definitively rejected by his family: music was reserved only for the lower griot caste and therefore unthinkable for someone from the aristocratic family to which he belonged. In the sixties he left for Bamako, the capital of Mali, where he soon seduced everyone with his extraordinary voice. Salif Keita’s left for Paris in 1984. After the French-oriented album Sosie (1997) and the funky Papa (1999), he gradually returned to his African roots. The album Moffou (2002) is an entirely acoustic album, one hundred percent inspired by Africa. Special guest on Yamore is Cesaria Évora.
CD. Moffou – Salif Keita.
LABEL: Universal Records (2002) code: 169062. VIDEO

IV– Koo Nimo, Ghana (01:05:27 min)
West African dance music, which emerges from a cocktail of local and European ingredients. Highlife emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century in Ghana. European sea shanties, church and army music fused with the traditional rhythms and melodies played along the coast. Two movements emerged from this cocktail: the first was played by brass bands in elite dance halls (hence the name highlife). The dance movement was influenced by jazz, swing, and Caribbean rumba and calypso. Guitar bands exchanged their acoustic instruments for a pop group formation. There were heydays in the mid-20th century with many highlife dance bands. After the eighties, reggae, gospel, and hip-hop increased significantly in popularity. Highlife and Koo Numo seemed to have had their day.
CD. Highlife roots revival – Koo Nimo.
LABEL: Riverboat Records (2012) code: TUGCD1064. VIDEO

V– Dobet Gnahoré, Ivoorkust (47:15 min)
Like other powerful women, Dobet Gnahoré proudly embraces her African heritage. The charismatic and energetic singer, dancer, and percussionist from Ivory Coast has long lived in Europe with her husband and partner, guitarist Colin Laroche de Féline. But her focus and heart remain in Africa, which she musically expresses again on the album Na Drê (‘my heart’). It is perhaps also her most accessible album, somewhat calmer and more restrained than her predecessors, with Gnahoré’s soulful voice softly supported by a female backing choir. In languages ​​and styles from various African countries—for example, pygmy singing—blended with Western (jazz) styles, she expresses her dream of a Pan-Africa where diverse tribes and cultures live together in peace and the position of women is improved.
CD. Na drê – Dobet Gnahoré.
LABEL: Contre Jour (2014) code: CJ031. VIDEO

VI– Etran Finatawa, Sahara (58:34)
The group Etran Finatawa hails from two Touareg nomadic tribes in the Sahara Desert. This multicultural band advocates for cultural tolerance, solidarity, and unity. Their album, “The Sahara Sessions,” was literally recorded in the Sahara Desert, in a large animal-skin tent covered with carpets. Their characteristic hospitality was also reflected musically: a traveling percussionist on a motorcycle stopped and accompanied a few songs, a local griot made a special appearance, and three Touareg women living in Niamey spent the day. Even the curious, giggling neighborhood children were eventually invited to sing and clap along. The album thus creates a beautiful blend of improvised music and tightly arranged songs in the hypnotic “desert blues” style.
CD. The Sahara sessions – Etran Finatawa.
LABEL: World Music Network (2013) code: TUGCD1071. VIDEO

Thanks to:

Een hele nacht wereldmuziek gemaakt en verzameld door Benno Wormgoor.

Blok 1 Júlia Kozáková – Manusa II  44 min

Label: CPL-Music

Distribution: Xango Music

Blok 2 Cumbia Chicharra – Quinto Mundo 39 min

Label: Autre Distribution

Blok 3 Micah P. Hinson – The Tomorrow Man 45 min

Label: Panderosa

Distribution: Xango Music

Blok 4 Daniel Kahn with Jake Shulman-Ment & Christian Dawid – UMRU 39 min

Label:Oriente

Distribution: Xango Music

Blok 5 Tone of Voice Orchestra – Running from the Devil 38 min

Label: Word for Word Records

Blok 6 Xabi Aburruzaga – Bask 45 min

Label:DNB

Blok 7 Senduki – Stranìa 55 min

Label: Alfamusic

Blok 8 Syran Mbenza – Rumba Africa 60 min

Label: Hysa Productions

I– Sahara : blues of the desert. (02:12:49 min)
This album features 21 musicians from the so-called Touareg region: The Touareg live across the Sahara and Sahel regions of Africa, with large populations in Algeria, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Libya. They are known as semi-nomadic pastoralists and traders, and their traditional habitat includes areas such as the Sahara, the Ayr Mountains in Niger, and the Adagh Mountains in Mali. One of the most famous Touareg musicians is Tinariwen. Bandleader Ibrahim Ag Alhabib first heard an electric guitar when a friend played him a Jimi Hendrix tape.
CD. Sahara : blues of the desert. LABEL: Manteca (2005), code: 651.0232.023. VIDEO

II– Ballaké Sissoko. (49:35 min)
According to legend, the cradle of the kora was in Guinea-Bissau. The Malian kora player Ballaké Sissoko belongs to the griots, a caste of musicians. The album Tomora features impressive guest artists such as singer Rokia Traoré and his dear cousin and friend, kora player Toumani Diabaté. The album Tomora is a discovery of musical styles from various ethnic groups in Mali and beyond. Ballaké Sissoko plays his instrument with virtuosity, swinging and passion. The music is melodic and has a hypnotic rhythmic pulse. A fascinating album with elegant and refreshing music.
CD. Tomora – Ballaké Sissoko. LABEL: Label Bleu (2005), code: LBLC 2596. VIDEO

III– Albert Castiglia. (01:06:41 min)
New York-born, Miami-based guitarist/vocalist Albert Castiglia takes matters into his own hands with this self-produced album. For Solid Ground, Albert joins forces with multi-instrumentalist and recording virtuoso Dave Gross at Fat Rabbit Studios in New Jersey for his best release yet, featuring a range of material sure to appeal to a broad spectrum of music lovers. In addition to cranking the knobs, Dave Gross provides percussion, upright bass, mandolin, and backing vocals, joined by Albert Castiglia’s regular backing team of electric bass and vocals, drums, keyboards, plus two guitar talents.
CD. Solid ground – Albert Castiglia. LABEL: Ruf Records (2014), code: RUF 1201. VIDEO

IV– Eric Bibb. (01:06:48 min)
It’s hard to categorize Eric Bibb – you could call him a folk singer, but his blues and pop roots always shine through in his performances and compositions. His 12-string fingerpicking sets the tone on songs like “Tall Cotton,” which features a beautiful electric guitar solo by Kahanga Dekula. Eric Bibb adds color to “Destiny Blues,” a Chicago-style blues that features beautiful acoustic guitar and harmonica by Eric Bibb.
It’s also a showcase for his outstanding vocal skills. On virtually every track, Bibb’s singing is soulful and pitch-perfect.
CD. Diamond days – Eric Bibb. LABEL: Telarc Blues (2007), code: CD 83660. VIDEO

V– Keb’ Mo’. (43:17 min)
In 1994, singer/guitarist Keb’ Mo”s self-titled album was enthusiastically received by electric blues enthusiasts. “Keep It Simple” is his seventh album; the first he produced himself. It’s a warm, atmospheric record, without production frills, with many lyrics expressing a longing for simple values ​​in this chaotic world. The gospel influences are notable, and a highlight is the loving tribute to B.B. King, on which he is joined by fellow guitarists Robben Ford and Robert Cray.
CD. Keep it simple – Keb’ Mo’.
LABEL: Okeh (2004), code: 88697385002. VIDEO

Thanks to:

Blok 1 Amira Kheir – Black Diamonds 54 minuten

Label:  Sterns

Blok 2 Bakalina Velika – Use kar sije 55 minuten

Label:   Self released

Blok 3 Gaëlle Bagot & Juan Manuel Nieto – Jardin d’ailleurs  44 minuten

Label:  MusiqueLive

Blok 4 Guitari Baro – Guitari Baro 51 minuten

Label: Chrysalis Records

Blok 5 Jan Běťák – Jazykem květin   47 Minuten

Label:  Galén

Blok 6 Le Vent Du Nord – Voisinages  51 minuten

Label:  La Compagnie du Nord

Blok 7 Suntou Susso – Jaliya Silokang The Path of a Griot 46 minuten

Label:  Independent

I– Marcel Khalifé. (01:59:41 min)
With his music, Lebanese composer Marcel Khalifé gives a voice to powerless and oppressed people. He is a freedom fighter who peacefully addresses themes such as exile, homesickness and the suffering of war. He does this, among other things, by setting texts by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish to music. The album Fall Of The Moon contains no less than two hours of music. Khalifé plays the ud (Arabic lute) and sings; his Al Mayadine Ensemble includes his wife Yolla (vocals), sons Rami (piano) and Bachar (percussion), and singer Oumaima Khalil. The Kyiv Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Sirinko, also performs. The music is atmospheric and poetic, with both Arabic and Western influences.
CD. Fall of the moon – Marcel Khalifé. LABEL: Nagam (2015), code: NR1020. VIDEO

II– The Disorientalists. (51:04 min)
Who was Essed Bey? Tough question. Essed Bey was the alias of Lev Nussimbaum (1905-1942), a man of many faces: German and Russian, Jew and Muslim, dandy and diplomat. A man for whom identity was a fluid concept, and that appeals to The Disorientalists. The trio comes from Berlin and sings with equal ease in German, English, and Russian. Musically, the trio also veers between chanson, Klezmer, Russian waltzes, Weimar cabaret, and folk. The lyrics on this album are inspired by Essed Bey’s turbulent life. All the major revolutions, wars, and uprisings of the 20th century are featured on this album. Dated, by no means. The identity questions raised by Who Was Essed Bey? are still relevant today. But thanks to the unique musical setting, you can also choose to ignore the lyrics and enjoy this musical journey through space and time.
CD. Who was Essad Bey? – The Disorientalists. LABEL: Oriente Musik (2017), code: OBECD802. VIDEO

III– Brader Mûsikî. (47:57 min)
Making music is his profession, acting and painting his hobbies. Brader Mûsikî comes from the village of Mûsika in Turkey. His father made traditional Kurdish music. The young Brader once traded his shoes for a flute, he wanted to make music so much. In 1986 he fled to the Netherlands and settled in Arnhem. In 2005 he returned to his birthplace as a celebrated musician, but had to spend 24 hours in a cell. He was released because he had Dutch nationality. He calls himself a Kurdish Dutchman. The album Herim Kuda is about his love for his Kurdish origins and about romantic love. Herim Kuda means ‘where should I go’. Brader Musiki accompanies himself on the saz.
CD. Herim kuda – Brader Mûsikî. LABEL: Terp Records (2020), code: OS-32. VIDEO

IV– Giora Feidman. (01:03:01 min)
The roots of contemporary klezmer actually lie in Eastern Europe. Giora Feidman’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather performed there at weddings and Jewish holidays. The mass migration of Eastern European Jews to America and Israel ensured that klezmer also found its way there. The diversity of klezmer composers’ homes is evident in the extensive resources from which Giora Feidman selected the fifteen instrumental pieces on this album. They include ancient melodies, Yiddish evergreens, an Israeli dance number, and modern American compositions. Feidman’s clarinet plays a prominent role, which, according to renowned author Isaac Bashevis Singer, “speaks to him with all the emotions of a soul in exile.”
CD. Magic of the klezmer – Giora Feidman. LABEL: Delos (1986), code: D/CD 4005. VIDEO

V– Shisha Group. (41:49 min)
A trio consisting of: Haytham Safia: oud and vocals, Janos Koolen: mandolin, guitar, piano & Arthur Bont: percussion and udu. The trio is led by Janos Koolen, who also wrote half of the pieces on this album. Koolen operates within the realm of folk and pop music, and with this album, he has also ventured into jazz, primarily because the music features a relatively high level of improvisation. The untitled album demonstrates how the right blend of instruments can achieve fascinating results. Moreover, how this confusion can allow the music to travel, reaching various continents. You’ll hear Arabic music—not only colored by the use of the oud—but also Irish folk music, Eastern European Gypsy sounds, danceable Klezmer, and improvisations ingeniously woven into catchy song fragments.
CD. Shisha Group – Shisha Group. LABEL: Me and My Other (2017), code: MMOCD 2017. VIDEO

VI– Oum Kolthoom:
The anniversary tribute, Lubna Salame, Nazareth Orchestra. (36:26 min)
This album commemorates the 100th birthday of legendary Egyptian singer Oum Kolthoum, the diva of Arabic music. The emotion and power that Lubna Salame’s vocals exude are comparable to those of Oum Kolthoum. With her singing, Lubna gives well-known songs a fresh and interesting new impetus, while retaining her own unique flavor and depth.
The Nazareth Orchestra featuring Lubna Salame was recorded live during the “Peace Festival” in Tel Aviv in June 2003.
CD. Oum Kolthoom: The anniversary tribute, Lubna Salame, Nazareth Orchestra.
LABEL: Magda (2007), code: MGD042. VIDEO

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Cheikh Lô – Maame  45 min

Label: World Circuit Records

BLOK 2 Divanhana – Radio Sevdah 47 min

Label: Cpl Music

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 3 Parisa Vaaleh – Fasl-e Entezar  41 min

Label: X DOT 25 Music

BLOK 4 Lina & Marco Mezquida – O Fado  59 min

Label: Galileo
Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 5   Helder Moutinho – Os Dias Da Liberdade  61 min

Label: HM Música – MWF

BLOK 6 Gisela João – Inquieta  41 min

Label: Mar Records

BLOK 7 OROM – Radio Rom 37 min

Label: Phonotype Record

BLOK 8 The Klezmatics – rhythm & Jews Revisited 45 min

Label: Piranha Arts AG

I – Steen Rasmussen & Josefine Cronholm. (01:01:53 min)
Milton Nascimento was the king of Brazilian music in the 1980s. His musical universe is unique, although generations of vocalists and instrumentalists have honored the master by interpreting his work. On Steen Rasmussen’s new album, Milton på Svenska, the listener can expect much more than just average interpretations. This album is an example of how music from two continents can merge into a work in which concepts of intercontinental understanding are understandable to everyone.
CD. Milton på Svenska – Steen Rasmussen & Josefine Cronholm.
LABEL: Stunt Records (2023), code: STUCD22122. VIDEO

II – Tenhi. (01:10:55 min)
Saivo’s long gestation period (four years) should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Tenhi’s modus operandi. The Finnish musicians relentlessly pursue their vision down to the smallest detail, meaning that all the songs received different arrangements and new elements until all the album’s details fit into the overall picture. On Saivo, Tenhi uses largely consistent instrumentation to make the songs cohesive and unison. Guitar and piano are the main instruments; occasionally, they are supplemented by percussion, strings, and polyphonic vocals, all creating a melancholic soundscape characterized by earthy sadness and otherworldly joy.
CD. Saivo by Tenhi. LABEL: Prophecy (2011), code: PRO 119 2. VIDEO

III – Gianmaria Testa. (01:04:20 min)
He was born into a farming family near Cuneo, Italy, in 1958. Before embarking on his musical career, he worked as a station master in Cuneo. Gianmaria learned the musical craft entirely self-taught. As a hobby, after work he composed songs from the stories brought to him by train passengers. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that he mustered up the courage to go public with his songs. In 1995, he recorded his first album in France, titled Montgolfières. Gianmaria Testa passed away in 2015 at the age of 57. He was discreet and friendly in his dealings, but powerful in his words, songs, and ideas. VIDEO
CD. Montgolfières – Gianmaria Testa. LABEL: Indigo Records (1995), Code LBLC 2519.
CD.Prezioso – Gianmaria Testa.  LABEL:  Bonsai Music  (2019), code: BON190103.

IV – Lobi Traoré. (01:05:02 min)
Before his death from heart failure at 49, Malian singer and electric guitarist Lobi Traoré released a series of albums that captured his enchanting improvisational blues in the studio. He sings in the Bambara dialect and has much the same plaintive quality as the otherworldly groans of the great Delta blues singer. However, it is his guitar playing—cutting, metallic, heavily distorted—that defines his brooding, vampiric sound.
CD. Bwati kono, “In the club” – Lobi Traoré.
LABEL: System Krush (2011), code: KSK 2010. VIDEO

V – Manu Dibango. (01:01:33 min)
At the age of fifteen, young Emmanuel Dibango N’Djocke (1933-2020) was sent by his parents from Cameroon to France to pursue a technical education. In Paris and Brussels in the 1950s, young Manu discovered blues and jazz. He studied classical piano before switching to the saxophone. Upon returning to his native country, he managed to combine his love of jazz with African folk music. In 1972, Manu Dibango personally ensured that interest in African music arose in the Western world with the album Soul Mokassa.
CD. B Sides – Manu Dibango. LABEL: Melodie (2006), code: 859082. VIDEO

VI -Kodo. (35:27 min)
With their performances, the Japanese percussion band Kodo gives the audience a penetrating sensory experience: it is a feast to watch the percussionists play the taiko, a large, traditional Japanese drum that produces an impressively deep sound. The album Mondo Head contains different music than one is used to from Kodo. Mickey Hart, known from the rock band The Grateful Dead, invited Kodo to experiment. Mickey brought Kodo and other musicians together to create a new kind of world music through improvisation. Kodo provided the rhythmic aspect for the singing or playing of the harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite, the Indian percussionist Zakir Hussain, the Cuban singer Bobi Cespedes, the Puerto Rican jazz drummer Giovanni Hidalgo and the Gyuto monks of India, the personal choir of the Dalai Lama. The result is a wonderful mixture of, among others, Tibetan, Japanese and Indian musical styles.
CD. Mondo Head – Kodo. LABEL: Columbia Records (2002), code: 5083312. VIDEO

Thanks to:

Blok 1 Las Panteras – Hasta Cuando    40 min

Label:  KaRu prod

Blok 2 Chandrika Tandon – Soul Ecstasy 54 min

Label:   Soul Chants Music

Blok 3 Nadir Ben – Maturity  37 min

Label: Joussour

Blok 4 Radio Tarifa – La Noche         46 min

Label:  Buda Musique

Distribution by Xango Music

Blok 5 Balkan Taksim – Acide Balkanique  38 min

Label: Buda Musique

Distribution by Xango Music

Blok 6 Roberta Gulisano – A ccu apparteni   25 min

Label:  Mhodi/Comusi

Blok 7 Amira Kheir – Black Diamonds   54 min

Label: Sterns

Blok 8 Elif Sanchez’ – Stages of Love         23 min

Label:  Sinan Ufuk Nergis

Blok 9 Molde – Jorden Kalder  49 min

Label:  GO’ Danish Folk Music

I. Cheb Mami. (01:12:10 min)
He is the first raï singer to seek his fortune abroad and promote Algerian pop music in the West. Cheb Mami’s open, flexible approach to other musical styles has resulted in brilliant examples of fusion music, Du Sud Au Nord by Cheb Mami, as we can hear on his album Du Sud Au Nord. This album features duets (four of which are previously unreleased) that Cheb Mami recorded with such diverse artists as Ziggy Marley, Zucchero, and Samira Said. Raï blends reggae, mainstream pop, rap, soul, and Arabic music.
CD. Du sud au nord – Cheb Mami. LABEL: Virgin (2004), code: 5767722. VIDEO

II. Mr Bongo record club. (01:10:09 min)
The album presents recent discoveries and cherished classics from Brazil, Sweden, the US, South Africa, Portugal, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Canada. It includes selections from Brazil’s rising stars, as well as Brazilian heritage musicians and vocalists, plus the beautiful gospel of the New York Community Choir and songs by some contemporary European and Canadian musicians. In short, this album is full of gems from different periods, yet they fit together beautifully.
CD. Mr Bongo record club ; vol.6. LABEL: Mr Bongo (2023), code: MRBCD270. VIDEO

III.
Vicente Amigo. (01:09:24 min)
With apparent ease, Spanish musician Vicente Amigo plays the most challenging music. Charismatic, powerful, sparkling, and elegant all at once. In the diverse flamenco styles, Vicente Amigo is accompanied by a selection of renowned flamenco singers.
The closing track, “Requiem,” is a moving tribute to his late mentor, the guitar legend Paco de Lucía.
CD. Memoria de los sentidos – Vicente Amigo.
LABEL: Sony (2017), code: 88985377572. VIDEO

IV. Manu Delago. (56:50 min)
With hypnotic, rhythmic acoustic music, Austrian percussionist and hang player Manu Delago takes us into the night, on a journey through the different stages of sleep. The idea for the album Circadian arose from his disrupted sleep-wake rhythm during his world tours. Manu’s music sounds like electronic music in acoustic form. His repetitive, melodic, and rhythmic hand drumming is subtly complemented by the sounds of an accordion, wind instruments, strings, and other percussion. This nocturnal music is about a dreamed encounter with an owl, about being awake, and about the different stages of dream and sleep.
CD. Circadian – Manu Delago. LABEL: One Little Indian Records (2019), code: TPLP1525CD. VIDEO

V. Raúl Barboza. (01:02:21 min)
The musical traditions of the Guyanese Indians in northeastern Argentina served as a training ground for Buenos Aires-born accordionist Raúl Barboza. He creates a unique blend of Indian, European, and African influences. The son of an orchestra conductor and guitarist, Barboza began playing the diatonic accordion and performed with his father’s band. He released a self-titled debut album in Argentina in 1964. When he performed in Paris for the first time in 1987, on the advice of tango master Astor Piazzolla, Barboza fell in love with the French capital. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Paris and became involved in the city’s tango-jazz-accordion scene, featuring stars such as Richard Galliano, Marcel Azzola, and Marc Perrone.
† To my great regret, Raúl passed away a month ago (August 27, 2025).
CD. La tierra sin mal – Raúl Barboza. LABEL: Lichere (1995), code: CD LLL 257. VIDEO

VI. Fanfare Ciocarlia. (28:17 min)
The Romanian wind orchestra Fanfare Ciocarlia is known as the fastest and craziest gypsy orchestra in the Balkans. The wind section can play between 130 and 200 beats/notes per minute with their famous fast staccato blowing technique.
Guest musicians on this third album, Iag Bari, included Romanian gypsy pop star Dan Armeanca, Costel Vasilescu (Romania’s best trumpet player), the Bulgarian women’s choir Angelite, and the Bucharest band Rom Bengale, featuring accordion, violin, percussion, and drums.
CD.  Iag bari – Fanfare Ciocarlia.
LABEL: Piranha (2001), code: CDPIR 1577. VIDEO

Thanks to Muziekweb.

BLOK 1 Oum – Dakchi Live in Marrakech70 min ·

Label:  Ternaire

BLOK  2 Tempvs Fvgit – Da Caminu  47 min ·

Label:   self released

BLOK 3 Irene Amata – Sembianze  57 min  ·

Label: chez Prodastar

BLOK 4 Söndörgő – XXX 49 min

Label: Ground Up Music

BLOK 5 Bijan Chemirani / Redi Hasa / Rami Khalifé – L’Antidote  53 min

·     

Label: Ponderosa

BLOK 6 Värttinä – Kyly  40 min ·

Label:  RockAdillo Records

BLOK 7 Mustafa Said and Asil Ensemble – Maqam Pilgrims 74 min  ·

Label: Rockadillo Records

BLOK 8 Ahmed Mukhtar, Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde – Al-Hambra  46 min

Label:  Arc Music

I. Al di Meola. (59:09 min)
Albert Laurence Di Meola (born in 1954) is an American guitarist. Known for his work in jazz fusion and world music, his breakthrough came when he joined Chick Corea’s Return to Forever group in 1974. Beginning in 1976, he launched a successful and critically acclaimed solo career, noted for his technical mastery, complex compositions, and explorations of Latin music. Al di Meola has an unparalleled knack for playing complex pieces beautifully and with technical perfection.
CD. Opus – Al di Meola. LABEL: Ear Music (2018), code: 0212371 EMU. VIDEO

II. Paco de Lucía & John McLaughlin. (55:23 min)
On July 15, 1987, two guitar masters shared the stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival for an evening of breathtaking flamenco music. The show opened with a solo piece by John McLaughlin, followed by a solo piece by Paco de Lucia, after which the two virtuosos duetted together for the remainder of the evening. The repertoire consisted of their solo albums, albums by The Guitar Trio, and covers of music by friends like Chick Corea and Egberto Gismonti. This is a concert for any flamenco guitar enthusiast or for anyone who enjoys hearing great musicians play at their best.
CD. Paco and John live at Montreux 1987 – Paco de Lucía, John McLaughlin. LABEL: Eagle Vision (2016), code: EAGDV059. VIDEO

III. The Omniversal Earkestra. (01:01:50 min)
A big band from Berlin travels to Mali to experience the Malian musicians of the 1970s. The big band’s program consists of an eclectic mix of compositions influenced by artists such as Duke Ellington, Sun Ra, and Fela Kuti, as well as the music of Malian big bands from the 1970s, such as the Railband. It eventually became clear to the members of Omniversal Earkestra that a trip to Mali was essential to meet the old masters, such as Salif Keita, Sorry Bamba, and Cheick Tidiane Seck. The result of this trip are modern arrangements of old Malian songs.
CD. Le Mali 70 – The Omniversal Earkestra LABEL: Trikont (2021), code: US-0524. VIDEO.

IV. Omar Sosa. (58:12 min)
By constantly connecting musical influences, Cuban pianist Omar Sosa has built up an exceptionally broad musical palette over time. In addition to spoken word and hip hop, he also integrated age-old musical traditions with fusion and jazz. On the album Afreecanos, he leaves all modern movements aside for a moment and continues his search for the deepest roots of world music. The parallels between the rich musical traditions of countries such as Cuba, Brazil, Senegal, Guinea, Mali and Mozambique form his guiding principle. CD. Afreecanos – Omar Sosa. LABEL: Skip Records (2008), code: 9076-2. VIDEO

V. Dino Saluzzi. (01:02:29 min)
Dino’s first solo bandoneon album in over 30 years finds the Argentine musician in a reflective mood, looking back on a rich creative life and looking forward to a new dawn (Albores means “dawn”). The solo recital, composed entirely of compositions by Dino Saluzzi, also includes prayers, evoking images of Buenos Aires in its golden age and the cultural wisdom of the ancestors. The album Albores is a classic “narrative” album in the Kultrum and Andina tradition. It is also an artistic manifesto of the bandoneon, exploring the full range of its expressive capacities.
CD. Albores – Dino Saluzzi. LABEL: ECM Records (2020), code: 7747754. VIDEO

VI. Frank Zappa. (01:02:08 min)
Roughly speaking, the work of Frank Zappa (1940-1993) could be divided into his modern composed music pieces, satirical rock and unbridled solo guitar work. In the latter category, especially on stage, he liked to indulge in extended guitar improvisations where the accompaniment often fell back on remarkably simple structures and rhythms. Trance –Fusion is the first posthumous album (compiled by Zappa himself). It contains many recordings from the album Broadway The Hard Way (1988), such as the first song: Chunga’s Revenge. The recordings, from the different performances and years, were forged together into one suite with a coherent sound and a leading role for Zappa’s solos.
CD. Trance-fusion – Frank Zappa. LABEL: Zappa Records (2007), code: ZR 20002. VIDEO

Thanks to Muziekweb.

Worldmusic Balkan Club Night 01:00 – 02:00

01 Aida Si Noi – Ionel Djelem

02 Bebe Orchestra & Ana Plavlovic – Aj Mene Majka Jednu Ima

04 Amira Medunjanin – Snijeg pade na behar na voce

05 Baro Drom Orkestar – Baro

06 Besh o Drom – Tortapapír

07 BGKO  – Ciganine sviraj, sviraj

08 Bijelo dugme – Lazes zlato lazes duso

09 Bilja Krstic & Bistrik Orchestra – Dosao Sam Da te Vidim

10 Peka Brothers Orchestra – Cafe

11 Chico et les Gipsy – Bella Chao

12 Cimbaliband Gipsy Fushion – Chaje (Esma Redzepova emlékének ajánlva)

13 Marko Louis ft Bozo Vreco – Pasana

Worldmusic Balkan Club Night 02:00 – 03:00

01 DJ Branski – Dubioza Kolektiv Remix – Old Bazaar Groove

02 Oliver Dragojevic & Amira Medunjanin – Tristeca

03 Parno Graszt – Sehol se talállak (Quimby cover)

04 Romano Drom – Kamavla Me

05 Šaban Bajramovic – O brišim perera caje

06 Božo Vreco Feat. Barcelona Gipsy balKan Orchestra – Selma

07 Shantel & Areti Ketime EastWest – Dysi Ki Anatoli

08 Taraf de Hai¨douks – Dumbala Dumba

09 Ternipe – Lungoj o Drom

10 Tint’ Íz Band, Pápai Joci – Felso Tisza vidéki cigánydalok és táncok

11 Tose Proeski i Bilja Krstic – Jovano, Jovanke

12 Barcelona Gipsy balKan Orchestra – Usti Baba & Djelem Djelem

13 Zdravko Colic – Svadbarskim sokakom

14 Mostar Sevdah Reunion – Da Zna Zora

15 Cambo Agusevi orkestar – Kada bi me pitali

Worldmusic Balkan Club Night uur 03:00 – 04:00

01 Divanhana – Grana od bora

02 Goran Bregovic – Belly Button of the World

03 Mostar Sevdah Reunion feat. Agata Siemaszko – Ashun Daje Mori

05 Nikola Kojo – Nesanica

06 Nicolae Feraru and his Romanian Gypsy Band – Hora lui Sile

07 Barcelona Gipsy balKan Orchestra feat. Bora Dugic – Obican Balkanski Dan

08 Oláh Gipsy Beats – Áven mandem

09 C.A.F.B. – Ötödik évszak.

10 Parno Graszt – Nincsen Pénzem, Anyám

11 Selma Adzem & The Sound – Lelo

12 Danica Krstic -Žubor voda žuborila

Worldmusic Balkan Club Night uur 04:00 – 05:00

01 Bilja Krstic I Bistrk Orkestar Feat. Marko Markovic – Caje Sukarije

02 Cimbaliband Gipsy Fushion – Na dara!

03 Dino Merlin feat. Vesna Zmijanac – Kad zamirišu jorgovani

04 Divanhana – Lola

05 Emir Kusturica – Djinji Dinji Bubamara

06 Cambo Agusevi orkestar – Kopnez

07 Lakatos Mónika – Bruma Maladasma

08 Lepa Brena – Jugoslovenka

09 Marko Louis i Božo Vreco – Sanjao Sam

10 MecYek – Pre Zabava

11 Dafne Kritharas – U Stambolu Na Bosforu

12 Maja Milinkovic – Rio da saudade

13 Dzambo Agusevi Orchestra – The Road to East

Worldmusic Balkan Club Night uur 05:00 – 06:00

01 Haidouti Orkestar feat Ibrahim Maalouf – La Ballade de Fatah

02 Goran Bregovic – Bella ciao

03 Grupa Fontana & Karolina Goceva – Serbez Donka

04 Gypsy Hill – Balkan Beast

05 Cambo Agusevi orkestar – Kada bi me pitali

06 Kumpania Algazarra – Maribor

07 Barcelona Gipsy Balkan Orchestra – Makedonsko devojce

08 Marija Šerifovic – Ciganine, sviraj sviraj           

09 Sestic & DrAmmarProject – Zajdi, zajdi

10 Feidman – Vranjanka

11 Amira Medunjanin – Mene majku jednu ima

12 Mostar Sevdah Reunion – Ðul Zulejha

Worldmusic Balkan Club Night uur 0600 – 07:00

01 Bilja Krstic & Bistrik Orchestra – Evo Srcu Mom Radosti

02 Cimbaliband Gipsy Fushion – Vár ránk a világ

03 Divanhana – Otkako je Banja Luka postala

04 Dragan Dautovski Quartet – Splet

05 Dzambo Agusevi Orchestra – Kiss Kiss

06 Fanfare Ciocarlia , Gypsy Queens & Kings [Feat. Kaloome] – Qué Dolor!!

07 Goran Bregovic – Ederlezi

08 Iggi Pop & Goran Bregovic – In the Death Car

09 Grupa Fontana & Anastasija Petreska – Eleno kerko

10 Haïdouti Orkestar – Keçe Kürdan

11 Mostar Sevdah Reunion – Da Zna Zora

12 Oláh Gipsy Beats – Vasvári

13 Barcelona Gipsy balKan Orchestra feat. Bora Dugic – Vilinsko Kolo

I. Sainkho Namtchylak. (40:07 min)
She was born in a small gold mining town in Tuva. Her grandparents were nomads and her parents were schoolteachers. She studied music at the local college and went on her own to Moscow to continue her studies. Besides the required subjects, she also immersed herself in various Siberian traditions and in Tuvan and Mongolian throat and overtone singing. In 1988, Sainkho began working with various musicians from the Soviet Union, aiming to blend traditional ethnic elements with avant-garde styles.
CD. Naked spirit – Sainkho Namtchylak.
LABEL: Amiata (1998), code: ARNR 2298. VIDEO

II. Bijan Chemirani. (01:05:22 min)
Bijam is a French percussionist of Iranian descent. He received his first zarb from his father at the age of seven. He then tried various other instruments before finally returning to the zarb. He was taught by his father and his older brother, with whom he has formed the Trio Chemirani since 1999. In 2001, he released his debut album, Gulistan, which featured his father and brother as well as several other musicians. Eos is Bijan’s second album, on which he plays saz as well as zarb. His third album, Kismet, followed in 2003, and he performed at the Strictly Mundial Festival in Marseille.
CD. Eos – Bijan Chemirani.
LABEL: L’Empreinte Digitale (2002), code: ED 13147. VIDEO

III. Oliver [Tuku] Mtukudzi. (01:02:49 min)
Tuku is one of Zimbabwe’s best-known musicians. Born in 1952, he sang in church choirs before teaching himself to play guitar. He later formed the band The Black Spirits, with which he achieved considerable success. On this album, however, Tuku plays entirely solo, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. He was the first in his country to raise awareness of AIDS, including by writing a song about it for a feature film that was later banned by the government. The album contains beautiful songs about topics that resonate with him, such as family, relationships, love, and faith. Oliver [Tuku] Mtukudzi died in 2019, and although the Zimbabwean government declared him a national hero, the family chose to bury him at his home.
CD. Ndega zvangu – Oliver [Tuku] Mtukudzi.
LABEL: Shava (1998), code: SHAVACD 0082. VIDEO

IV. Bob Dylan. (01:02:35 min)
The Essential Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan. The definitive, career-spanning, and complete Essential series features the greatest hits and most beloved songs of American protest singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, including:
Blowin’ In The Wind – Don’t think twice it’s all right – The Times They Are A-Changin – It ain’t me babe – Maggie’s Farm – Mr. Tambourine Man – Like A Rolling Stone – Just Like a women.
CD. The Essential Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan.
LABEL: Sony (2014), code: 88843-059232. VIDEO

V. Il canto di malavita. (01:08:37 min)
The album Il Canto Di Malavita offers a glimpse into the history of mafia music. In Italy, the sale of such CDs is prohibited by law, but the mafia encourages illegal sales. The lyrics are undeniable: they openly glorify the values ​​of the mafia, avenge betrayal, and celebrate the society’s rules and heroic deeds. The songs are often centuries old, passed down through generations, and deal with life in crime and prison. Aside from the often shocking lyrics, the music is a feast for the ears. The music, in which the vocals are sparingly accompanied by traditional instruments, is firmly rooted in the tradition of Mediterranean folk music.
CD. Il canto di malavita : la musica della mafia.
LABEL: Play It Again Sam (2001), code: PIAS 4703 CDI. VIDEO

VI. Astor Piazzolla. (59:40 min)
He is known as the composer who brought the tango back to a new level. He modernized the genre and breathed new life into a frozen form. For example, by composing a tango opera, “Maria De Buenos Aires.” The original recording is on the 1968 recording of the album we’re featuring today. The voice is by Horacio Ferrer; Amelita Baltar and Héctor de Rosas sing, and… Astor Piazzolla plays the bandoneon. “Maria De Buenos Aires” tells the sad story of Maria, who travels to the big city, gets lost, and ends up a shadow of herself. Destroyed by the tango.
CD. María de Buenos Aires – Astor Piazzolla.
LABEL: Discmedi Blau (2004), code: DM 156 02. VIDEO

Met dank aan:

Blok 1 Youssou N’Dour – Eclairer le monde (2025) 41 min

Label:  Youssou Ndour & Tbi Publishing S.a

Blok 2 Mandé Sila – Live at Levon Helm Studios 73 min

Label: Contre Jour!

Blok 3 Kadialy Kouyate – Tona (ARC Music, Senegal) 40 min

Label: ARC Music

Distributie: Xango Music

Blok 4 Groupa – Kind of Folk, Vol. 5, Poland 40 min

Label: All Ice Records

Blok 5 Elena Baklava – Yorukluk  28 min

Label: CPL Music

Blok 6 Oktopus – Brahms, Balkans & Bagels  53 min

Label: self released

Blok 7 Ladom Ensemble – Sofreh Tisch (Canada) 45 min

Label:  Lulaworld Records

Blok 8 Anna Amigó – Sang de Dona (Catalonia) 47 min

Label: self released

I. Festival Mondial Des Cultures Drummondville. (01:00:14 min)
A collection of traditional music from around the world, recorded in 1997, 98, and 99. The World Folklore Festival was a folk dance festival held each summer in early July at Woodyatt Park in Drummondville, a city in the Centre-du-Québec region. The event was founded in 1982, after members of the folk ensemble Mackinaw attended a similar festival in Dijon, France. During the eleven-day celebration, dozens of renowned artists and folk ensembles from around the world participated in the event, which in recent years has attracted an average of more than 300,000 visitors per year. The last festival was held in the summer of 2017, after which it ceased to exist.
CD. Festival Mondial Des Cultures Drummondville : 1997-1999. LABEL: Arc Music (2000), code: EUCD 1579. VIDEO

II. Irish Folk Festival – Live in 1974. (59:12 min)
Het eerste Ierse folkfestival bracht Keltische muziek naar Europa. Aangemoedigd door de populariteit van de Ierse Furey Family in Duitse pubs, besloten de organisatoren de muziek naar een veel groter publiek te brengen in Duitsland. De resultaten zijn live vastgelegd op dit historisch live opgenomen album: Irish Folk Festival uit 1974.
CD. Irish Folk Festival- Live in 1974. LABEL: Bell Records (1994), code: BLR 86601. VIDEO

III. Bazaar Istanbul. (57:08 min)
This is a collection of traditional Turkish music, a combination of instrumentals and songs. It gives the right atmosphere of Middle Eastern music, songs and instruments that reflects a rich and complex history. The music is traditional, with folk dances and gypsy melodies. The album is varied with songs and instrumentals, and the different musical groups and regional styles from the Aegean, Black Sea and Anatolian highlands keep our ears sharp. It sounds exactly like in a bazaar in Istanbul.
CD. Bazaar : Istanbul. LABEL: ARC Music (2004), code: EUCD 1884.

IV. Festival internacional de tango Granada 1994. (59:36 min)
This tango festival has been held in Granada since 1988, under the motto and is the oldest tango festival in Europe. The repertoire on this album is broad and is performed by 15 artists from Central and South America. Tango in the form as we know it originated at the end of the nineteenth century in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires and to a lesser extent in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. The sensual dance is also enthusiastically received in Europe, with Paris as its center. Tango singer Carlos Gardel grows into a world star. In the second half of the twentieth century, Astor Piazolla is the most famous tango artist.
CD. Festival internacional de tango Granada 1994. LABEL: BBG (1996), code: 9427 CD. VIDEO

V. Emir Kusturica & No Smoking Orchestra. (01:04:31 min)
No Smoking Orchestra is a Bosnian rock group founded by Nele Karajlić in Sarajevo in the 1980s. Yugoslav filmmaker Emir Kusturica has been a member of the band since 1986, whose name translated into English means “No Smoking”. When war broke out, the group split in two. One group kept the original name and released a few more albums. The others regrouped in Belgrade in 1994 under the English name No Smoking Orchestra.
CD. Unza unza time – Emir Kusturica & No Smoking Orchestra. LABEL: Barclay (2002), code: 5438042. VIDEO

VI. Yerba Buena [US]. (57:45 min)
This is the third album by the New York Latin group Yerba Buena. Latin styles such as cumbia, reggaeton and salsa form the basis of the catchy songs. The songs are alternately covered with a sauce of rap, funk and/or rock. A striking contribution is the contribution of Joe Bataan, a Latin funk star from the seventies who has been unjustly forgotten in recent years. Follow Me is a great record for a warm day and should be consumed as is customary in Spanish Harlem: in the car, with the windows down and the volume knob at eleven. CD. Follow me – Yerba Buena [US]. LABEL: Universal Records (2007), code: WRASS 194. VIDEO

Thanks to:

1: Orquesta Failde – Caminando piango piango 47 minuten

Label: Tumbao Productions

2: Ensemble Marani – Sharatin (FranceGeorgia) 58 minuten

Label:  Buda Musique
Distribution: Xango Music

3 Kazdoura – Ghoyoum (CanadaSyriaLebanon) 32 minuten

Label:  August 4 Records

4 Shahab Tolouie Trio – Oxymoron (IranCzech Republic) 45 minuten

Label:  Self Released

5 Elana Sasson – In Between 39 minuten

Label: PK Music

6 Sandra Martins – Vapor (Portugal) 41 minuten

Label: Resonance Music

7 Hajda Banda – Niepraudzivaya (Polish-Belarusian) 55 minuten 

Label: Hajda Banda

8 Siach HaSadech – Hapam Yilaveh (Canada) 50 minuten

Label: Self Released

I

II. Lobi Traoré. 01:17:31 min.
The Malian singer-guitarist Bourama Traoré, nicknamed Lobi, is a protégé and worthy successor of the great Ali Farka Touré. Although he was the son of a farmer, music beckoned and Lobi developed into a guitarist with the album Mali Blue. His melodies do show affinities with the Bambara tradition but are interpreted in a modern way in an atmosphere of ‘bluesy’ melancholy and lively energy. Lobi likes positive lyrics and a varied instrumentation, in which modern electric guitars blend with traditional instruments such as the kora, djembe, calabash and n’goni. CD. Mali blue – Lobi Traoré. LABEL: Dixiefrog Records (2005), code: DFGCD 8574. VIDEO

III. Afel Bocoum. 54:17 min.
In the press, Afel Bocoum is often mentioned as the successor of the legendary singer-guitarist Ali Farka Touré. Both Malians come from the same village, Niafunké, situated on the great Niger River. From the age of thirteen, Afel Bocoum became the protégé and accompanist of his great uncle Farka Touré. For three decades, Afel Bocoum played in Farka Touré’s group ASCO. In addition, he founded his own group Alkibar in the early eighties. Alkibar means ‘Messenger of the Great River’. With the Niger as a source of inspiration, Afel Bocoum developed his own repertoire, he takes the njarka (one-string violin) and njurkel (double-string guitar) as the basis for his enchanting, trance-like music. CD. Niger – Afel Bocoum & Alkibar. LABEL: Contre Jour (2006), code: CD 017. VIDEO

IV. Lost Somali tapes from the Horn of Africa. 01:20:36 min.
This is a beautiful edition of music recorded in Somalia between 1977 and 1996. The songs come from the music archive of Hargeisa, the country’s second city. That this fairly extensive collection has survived recent history is a small miracle. Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world, but has a rich and unique musical culture. Due to its location at the easternmost point of Africa, Somali music is also strongly influenced by Arabic, Persian and even Indian music. The music also has an audible affinity with the music of neighboring Ethiopia. CD. Sweet as broken dates : Lost Somali tapes from the Horn of Africa. LABEL: Ostinato Records (2017), code: OSTCD003. VIDEO

V. Syran Mbenza. 01:06:09 min.
The great Congolese singer, guitarist and bandleader Franco – was the first African music star of international allure. His untimely death in 1987 was a great loss to many admirers in Africa, Europe, North America and the Caribbean. The extensive oeuvre of the influential band Franco & Le TPOK Jazz, which existed for decades, reflects the development of Congolese pop music. In 2009, more than twenty years after Franco’s death, Syran Mbenza released the tribute album Immortal Franco. Syran Mbenza, one of Africa’s best guitar virtuosos, is also a master of Franco’s guitar style. CD. Syran Mbenza & Ensemble Rumba Kongo. LABEL: World Music Network (2009), code: TUGCD1050. VIDEO

VI. Sounds of South Africa. 40:09 min.
As early as 1964, Joseph Shambalala founded the choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The group focused on interpreting the vocal tradition of South African Zulu music. They quickly became the best choir of their kind and from the mid-seventies they also performed abroad.
On this album, you will hear, besides Ladysmith Black Mamboza, also ten other artists including the Kingstar Brothers, Newcastle Five Roses and the Boyoyo Boys.
CD. Sounds of South Africa. LABEL: ARC Music (2001), code: EUCD 1676. VIDEO

Thanks to:

Blok 1: Adrian Raso & Fanfare Ciocarlia – The Devil Rides Again  32 minuten

Label: Asphalt Tango Records

Blok 2: Estrellas de Buena Vista – Live in Havana  64 minuten

Label:  One World Records
Distribution: Xango Music

Blok 3: Salif Keita – So Kono 42 minuten

Label:  No  format!

Blok 4: Matthieu Saglio & Camille Saglio – Al Alba 61 minuten

Label: ACT

Blok 5: Misterios del Amor – Alma 58 minuten

Label: All’improviso

Blok 6: Maija Pokela – Lohdun sanoja 40 minuten

Label: self released

Blok 7: Nefeli Fasouli – O Kipos 41 minuten

Label: self released

I. Cajun – Zydeco, timing: 01:07:16 min.
American roots music from the southern state of Louisiana. It is striking that the lyrics are usually not sung in English but in Louisiana Creole, a language that sounds more like French. The Cajuns are also descendants of French migrants who ended up in Louisiana via Canada. The leading instruments in Cajun are the accordion and the violin. The black population of Louisiana came up with the Cajun-related zydeco. In zydeco, the washboard is also considered a rhythmic instrument. It is an infectiously swinging bastard genre, which has been the most popular music among the Cajuns since the sixties.
CD. Cajun – Zydeco. LABEL: Air Mail music (2000), code: SA 141060. VIDEO

II. Les plus belles chansons du Québec, timing: 01:16:06 min.
The French-language song, also called ‘chanson’. The text is at least as important as the music and exposes the French soul: romantic, impulsive and a touch nostalgic. The current chanson originated at the beginning of the twentieth century from older song forms, some of which date back to the Middle Ages. Icons that give the Canadian chanson colour include Gilles Vigneault, Félix Leclerc and Robert Charlebois. In the Netherlands, the chanson reached its peak in the seventies when Julien Clerc, Joe Dassin and Dave scored summer hits with the so-called pop chansons.
CD. Les plus belles chansons du Québec. LABEL: Versailles (1993), code: VER 473667 2. VIDEO

III. Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, timing: 01:03:25 min.
Tsirkus is the fourth album by the Toronto-based Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band. With this album, the band takes a new direction. Founded in 1992 by trumpet player and band leader David Buchbinder, the song interpretations are very expressive. According to the band, they initially played somewhat chaotic, playful dance music without finesse. Over the years, the band members have started to reflect on the Yiddish tradition and other styles. Tsirkus presents a subtle mixture of Yiddish and Balkan music with Beatles-like pop, soul and jazz. A special album full of original, sometimes crazy sounds and with a lot of freedom of improvisation, played by excellent musicians.
CD. Tsirkus, Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band. LABEL: Traditional Crossroads (20002), code:  CD 4292. VIDEO

IV. James Keelaghan, timing: 01:20:16 min.
Contemporary folk songs, at their best, offer insight into the hardships, attitudes and determination of the characters and events that shape our daily lives. James Keelaghan digs into that same rich layer with equal skill and conviction. He is, for many, Canada’s finest songwriter. Indeed, over a career that has now spanned nearly four decades, the Juno and Canadian Folk Music Award winner has created a priceless repertoire – a unique body of work, inspired by or derived from the folk tradition.
CD. History : The first 25 years, James Keelaghan. LABEL: Borealis Records (2015), code: BCD222. VIDEO

V. April Verch, timing: 53:29 min.
April has been a vocalist/fiddler since early childhood. She launched her professional career by winning the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship and the Canadian Open Fiddle Championship (the first and only woman to win both). Since then, she has applied her technique to a wide range of styles. She has reached a point where the technique she strived for so hard no longer has any meaning in itself. The album Take Me Back has an eclectic range and so do the upbeat bluegrass and jazz influences.
CD. Take me back – April Verch. LABEL: Rounder Records (2006), code: 11661-70622. VIDEO

VI. Silde to Freedom, timing: 18:38 min.
A collaboration between two slide guitarists with different backgrounds. Canadian Doug Cox is a blues and fusion musician. Salil Bhatt is an Indian classical musician. He also plays a slide guitar, but the Indian variant that consists of 20 strings, 12 of which are resonant strings. Slides of Freedom also includes vocal traditions in the whole. In this way, we hear country or blues songs in addition to Indian singing. The subdued atmosphere in which both the songs and the beautiful slide passages move has a hypnotic effect.
CD. 20.000 miles – Slide to Freedom. LABEL: Northern Blues Music (2012), code: NBM 0062. VIDEO

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Ana Carla Maza – Caribe Deluxe (Cuba)

Label: ACM Global Music

BLOK 2 Miramar – Entre Tus Flores (Puerto Rico)

Label: Ansonia Records

BLOK 3 Xanthoula Dakovanou – Rizituals

Label:  Mousa

BLOK 4 Ozan Baysal  – Tel ve Ten

Label: Arc Music
Distributie: Xango Music

BLOK 5 Balkanova – July Morning

Label: laika Records

Distributie: Xango Music

BLOK 6 Roberta Gulisano – A ccu apparteni 

Label: Mhodì Music Company Comusì

BLOK 7 Cristiano Nascimento & Wim S-Welker – Portraits

Label: Noa Music

Distributie: InOuïe

BLOK 8 Claire Luzi & Cristiano Nascimento – C’est l’heure du boeuf

Label: InOuïe Distribution

BLOK 9 Jacques Pellarin – hola guapa

Label: Jacques Pellarin Music Productions

I. Jacco Müller.
Jacco, graduated as a flamenco guitarist from the Rotterdam Conservatory, is also a guitar teacher, composer, producer and has his own record label: Mihrab Records. He is also a composer for orchestras, and as such has won the Masterpiece Prize in the United States twice. In 2007 an album of his was released with eight of his orchestral works, recorded by the Philharmonic Orchestras of: Kiev, Bulgaria and Czech Republic. On the album Alhambra by Night Jacco Müller combines two string instruments, the Spanish Flamenco guitar and the Arabic oud, plus percussion. The musical journey starts from Spanish Andalusia via the Mediterranean to the Middle East.
Timing: 38:53 min. CD. Alhambra by Night – Jacco Müller. LABEL: Mihrab Records (2025). VIDEO

II. Ramzi Aburedwan.
Recorded in 2012, the album is a selection of Ramzi’s original compositions and arrangements, chronicling his personal history. He promotes peace and understanding through his music, but was also photographed as a young boy throwing rocks at Israeli tanks. That the same Ramzi has built an illustrious career in music is entirely by chance. He went on to study at the National Conservatory of Angers in France. The album Reflections Of Palestine is a thoughtful instrumental album that showcases Ramzi’s skill and artistry, sensitively telling his extraordinary story through sound.
Timing: 48:36 min. CD. Reflections of Palestine – Ramzi Aburedwan. LABEL: World Music Network (2012), code: TUGCD1061. VIDEO

III. Itamar Borochov.
Trumpeter and composer Itamar Borochov grew up in Jaffa. This ancient Israeli port city, now part of Tel Aviv, is a melting pot of Arab, Jewish and Christian cultures. His initiation was only completed when he entered the Sephardic synagogue nearby: there Borochov absorbed sacred music based on Arabic scales and nourished himself with that ancient Jewish tradition. Borochov now lives in Brooklyn, New York. The music he writes for his jazz quartet is infused with Arab, Jewish and North African traditions. As befits not only jazz, but also Israeli and Arab folk music, this may sometimes go off the rails, but the atmosphere remains subdued and serious.
Timing: 44:07 min. CD. Boomerang – Itamar Borochov. LABEL: Laborie (2016), code: LJ36. VIDEO

IV. Haytham Safia.
Safia’s music is colourfully based on his rich cultural past: he was born in the village of Kofir Yaseef in Northern Galilee. He has released about ten albums and has become one of the most prominent players of the oud. This lute is also called ‘the queen of musical instruments’ by the Arabs and the Arabic lute is in good hands with him. Haytham Safia received formal music training in Jerusalem, but has been living in the Netherlands for quite some time now, where he plays with Ad van Meurs in No Blues, among others. While he plays a mixture of western blues and eastern classical music with No Blues, the self-written compositions on his solo albums are completely based on classical Arabic music.
Timing: 43:29 min. CD. Two elements – Haytham Safia. LABEL: Me & My (2016), code: MMOCD 2016. VIDEO

V. Le Trio Joubran.
The trio performs works by Palestinian poet and writer Mahmoud Darwish. In his work, Palestine became a metaphor for the loss of his country. In 2004, Darwish received the Prince Claus Award for his oeuvre. Mahmoud Darwish’s work has been translated into more than twenty languages. Le Trio Joubran is an old trio that plays traditional Palestinian music. The trio consists of brothers Samir, Wissam and Adnan Joubran, originally from the city of Nazareth, but now dividing their time between Nazareth, Ramallah and Paris. The Joubran brothers come from a well-known family with a rich artistic heritage. Their mother, Ibtisam Hanna Joubran, sang the Muwashahat (poems that originated in Arab Spain), while their father, Hatem Joubran (1944), is one of the most renowned string instrument makers in Palestine and the Arab world.
Timing: 48:16 min. CD. A l’ombre des mots – Le Trio Joubran. LABEL: World Village (2009), code: WVF479036. VIDEO

VI. Marcel Khalifé.
He is not only famous for his fabulous playing on the Arabic lute, but also for his involvement in the Palestinian cause. Although he was born in Lebanon, he has always felt connected to the Palestinian people. He himself says that he wants to give a voice to the voiceless. In doing so, he draws inspiration from the poems of one of the most famous poets in the Arab world, the Palestinian Mahmoud Darwish. This commitment earned him the title of Artist for Peace in 2005, awarded by the cultural branch of the United Nations (UNESCO). On the album Taqasim (Improvisations), Marcel Khalifé plays together with his son Bachar, who is responsible for the percussion. Marcel Khalifé himself only plays the lowest registers of his lute for the occasion: the strings that continue to sing the longest.
Timing: 01:02:01 min. CD. Taqasim – Marcel Khalifé. LABEL: Connecting Cultures (2006), code: CC 50034. VIDEO

VII. Sabîl.
This recording is the work of two Palestinian men Ahmad Al Khatib and Youssef Hbeisch who studied music at the Edward Said Conservatory in Jerusalem. They have incorporated influences from far beyond their homeland the Middle East into their music. In 2011 the duo Sabîl (On the Way) experience this as a life experience, with each project emphasizing their own trajectories. The album, Zabad, is a breath of fresh air in the duo’s musical production. As the group grew larger, the music became lighter. Because with each new project Ahmad, the composer, strives to renew his music compared to the previous project, to change his state of mind, his way of thinking, his way of doing things. The title of the album Zabad means Foam. Lightness, perseverance and the movement of the foam can be found in the music.
Timing: 01:03:06 min. CD. Zabad, l’écume des nuits – Sabîl. LABEL: Harmonia Mundi (2017), code: HMM 905279. VIDEO

VIII.
Noa & Mira Awad.
A duet between an Israeli singer and an Arab actress, singer and songwriter. Noa and Mira, with their titles There Must Be Another Way and We Can Work It Out by the Beatles, make a call for peace. Since then, the friendship between Noa & Mira Awad has deepened. In an atmospheric exchange and togetherness, the ladies show their mutual connection, shared fear and pain and hope for a better future.
Timing: 10:40 min. CD. There must be another way – Noa & Mira Awad. LABEL: Universal Records 00602527063423 + Universal Records 2706342. VIDEO

Producer: Cobie Ivens
Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Farnaz Ohadi & Gaspar Rodríguez – Breath (Air Music Spain, Iran) 

Label: Air Music

BLOK 2 Grillo, Guido Maria – Senza Fine      

Label: Air Music Group
Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 3 Jacco Muller – Alhambra by night       

Label: Mihrab Records

BLOK 4 Charneux – Leleux – Puma – “Cinquième saison”    

Label: Homerecords

BLOK 5 Moramarco, Maria-Fabio Mina-Francesc – Pietrafonie

Label: Visage Music

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 6 Gambetta, Filippo & Alessandro Scotto D’Aniello – Choropo 

Label: Visage Music

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK7 Folk and great tunes from Belarus 

Label: CPL Music

1 – A n   A f r o – P o r t u g u e s e   O d y s s e y
with thirteen artists from:
Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique,
and Central, South and West Africa.
CD. An Afro-Portuguese odyssey.
LABEL: Putumayo (2003), code: PUT 2042.
VIDEO

2 – L u r a
Lisbon-born Lura fully honours her Cape Verdean roots in her music. The renditions of the ‘queen of the morna’ Cesara Evora exuded melancholy, but Lura’s songs sparkle with an energetic zest for life. That is why she uses more uptempo Cape Verdean rhythms such as the funaná, batuque and tabanka. The fact that Lura herself was a dancer probably explains her very danceable albums. Her fourth album is called Herança, which means ‘inheritance’. Lura sings songs in Creole, accompanied by a modern band. Brazilian percussionist Naná Vasconcelos provides exciting background sounds for the title track. We also hear Lura together with Cameroonian jazz bassist and singer Richard Bona. Lura also gives space to a promising Cape Verdean talent, Elida Almeida. Together they sing a song written by Elida.
CD. Herança – Lura. LABEL: Lusafrica (2015), code: 762352-DG. VIDEO

3 – C a b o   C u b a   J a z z
The Dutch-based band Cabo Cuba Jazz consists of five top musicians who have built up excellent reputations independently of each other. The musicians with international roots (in Cape Verde, Germany, Aruba and Cuba) came together, took Cape Verdean songs as a basis and created songs through improvisation and arrangement in which various styles seem to merge effortlessly. The music of Cabo Cuba Jazz offers a warm bath of groovy swinging music with the occasional melancholic song. In addition to the sparkling lyrical voice of Dina Medina, guest singers such as Grace Evora and Alberto Caicedo provide the lead vocals on several occasions. An impressive list of twenty-one guest musicians contributed to Rikeza y Valor.
CD. Rikeza y valor – Cabo Cuba Jazz. LABEL: Walboomers Latina (2011), code:  8715197350426 + Matos, code: WBL077. VIDEO

4 – B o n g a
If there is one singer who can be identified with the African country Angola, it is Bonga. However, the singer did not live in his native country for a large part of his life. At the age of 23, he left for Portugal to focus on his sports career. He is still the Angolan record holder for the 400-meter run. He also sang, but the critical lyrics on his debut album caused Bonga to leave the Portugal of dictator Salazar. He lived in Rotterdam for a number of years. After the fall of Salazar and the independence of Angola, the singer lived alternately in Lisbon, Luanda and Paris. His unique style mixes local Angolan styles such as kizomba and semba with influences from West Africa, Brazil and Portugal.
CD. Best of – Bonga. LABEL: Lusafrica (2009), code: 562352. VIDEO

5 – M a r r a b e n t a   M o z a m b i q u e
This album is a relatively broad snapshot of marrabenta music as performed by three generations of the genre’s stars. It is generally accepted that the term marrabenta refers to “the urban dance rhythms of Maputo and the areas surrounding it,” and that it is led by guitar and percussion. After listening to this album, it is difficult to reach a consensus on other elements of marrabenta. What is certain, however, is that the music is dynamic, having evolved from the days when it was very simple to play on instruments made from recycled, locally available materials.
CD. The Rough Guide to Marrabenta Mozambique. LABEL: World Music Network (2001), code: RGNET 1063 CD. VIDEO

6 – K a r y n a   G o m e s 
She comes from Guinea-Bissau, she has a Guinean father and a Cape Verdean mother, both in the resistance against the Portuguese colonizer. Her singing career started in 1997 with gospel music in Brazil, where she studied journalism. In 2014 she released her debut album ‘Mindjer’ (‘Woman’). The album is an ode to the Guinean women and all women from all over the world for their determination, strength and courage.
CD. Mindjer – Karyna Gomes. LABEL: Get! 02/2014. VIDEO

Producer Cobie Ivens

Thanks to:

• BLOK 1

Label: Croatian Records

• BLOK 2 Flamenco duo Anna Murtola & Joonas Widenius_ Estrella del Norte rel

     Label:  Arktik Traktor Records

• BLOK 3 Peixe E Limão – Salta!

Label:  Muziekpublique
Distribution by  Xango Music

• BLOK 4 Samba Toure – Baarakelaw (2025)

Label:  Glitterbeat Records

• BLOK 5 Rémi Geffroy – Carrefour des anges

Label: Modulor Records

• BLOK 6 Santi Careta – A milers de somnis de distància (Spain – Catalonia)

Label: Segell Microscopi

• BLOK 7 Gera Bertolone – Femmina (Sonora, Italy)

Label: Sonora Recordings

• BLOK 8 Karolina Węgrzyn – Oy Vesna Krasna (Self released, Poland)

(Self released, Poland)

• BLOK 9 Pauanne – Joku Raja Rakkaudesakin

Label: Nordic Notes

A whole night of new World Music,  Compiled by Benno Wormgoor.

BLOK 1 Mostar Sevdah Reunion – Bosa Mara

Label: Snail Records

BLOK 2 Orange Blossom – Spells From the Drunken Sirens 

Label: Washi Washa

BLOK 3 Seckou Keita – Homeland, Chapter 1 (Senegal)

Label: Hudson Records

BLOK 4 Meybahar – Meaybahar (HungaryGreece)

Label: Fonó

BLOK 5 Zenobia – Årsværk (Denmark)

Label: GO’ Danish Folk Music

BLOK 6 L’Alba – Grilli –  (Xango, (France – Corsica))

Label: Buda Musique

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 7 Ninon Valder – En mi corazón

Label: Lying Penguins

BLOK 8  Lavinia Mancusi – A Cruda Voz

Label: Liburia Records

Distribution: Xango Music

J u n g l e   b y   N i g h t.
De muziek van Jungle by Night is doorgaans instrumentaal en bestaat uit een mix van verschillende stijlen geïnspireerd door onder andere funk, jazz, dub en rock. Het album The Hunt (uit 2014) verbreedt Jungle By Night’s horizon verder, verwacht niet alleen de kenmerkende unieke mix van afro funk en -jazz maar ook een flinke scheut hiphop, psychedelica en rock. De recensies waren stuk voor stuk lovend en benadrukken dat het album The Hunt ruiger is dan de eerdere albums.
CD. The Hunt – Jungle by Night. VIDEO
LABEL: Kindred Spirits (2014), code: KS 045 CD.

M a n u   D i b a n g o.
De jonge Emmanuel Dibango († 2020) werd op jonge leeftijd door zijn ouders van Kameroen naar Frankrijk gestuurd om een technische opleiding te volgen. In het Parijs en Brussel van de jaren vijftig leerde de jonge Manu blues en jazz kennen. Hij volgde een opleiding klassieke piano, voordat hij overstapte op de saxofoon. Bij terugkeer in zijn geboorteland wist hij zijn liefde voor jazz te combineren met Afrikaanse volksmuziek. In 1972 zorgde Manu Dibango er met het album Soul Mokassa hoogstpersoonlijk voor dat er in de westerse wereld interesse ontstond voor Afrikaanse muziek. Manu’s nimmer aflatende muzikale nieuwsgierigheid zorgde er voor dat zelfs invloeden uit de reggae en hiphop in zijn muziek terecht kwamen.
CD. Seventie’s – Manu Dibango. VIDEO
LABEL: Sono (1987), code: SPCD 8701.

T a h a,  K h a l e d,  F a u d e l.
Drie bekende rai-zangers gezamenlijk het podium betreden, elkaars liederen zingen en zo een grootse muzikale happening bewerkstelligen. In september 1998 vond in Parijs een concert plaats waarin de ‘koning van de rai’ Cheb Khaled optrad samen met Rachid Taha en Faudel. Khaled brak in 1985 internationaal door en verhuisde het jaar daarop voorgoed naar Frankrijk. Khaled is degene die het traditionele Algerijnse rai-genre getransformeerd heeft tot een popgenre dat wereldwijd populair werd. De Algerijn Rachid Taha was ook in Frankrijk met zijn rai-beïnvloede Arabische rockmuziek. De jongste van de drie rai-zangers is de in Frankrijk geboren Faudel, hij raakte onder de indruk van de rai-muziek, heeft zich erin gespecialiseerd en is erg populair.
CD. 1,2,3 Soleils –Taha, Khaled, Faudel. VIDEO
LABEL: Universal (1999), code: 00731455979626.

A s m a r a   A l l  S t a r s.
Eritrea is terug. Na dertig jaar oorlog met Ethiopië en een decennium van afzondering, introduceren de Asmara All Stars nu enkele van de beste muzikanten en vocalisten uit Eritrea. Eritrea is sinds het begin van de jaren 70 bijna afgesloten van de meeste invloeden van buitenaf. Het Asmara All Star-project draait helemaal om het achterlaten van de politiek en het focussen op het maken van opwindende muziek. In het begin had de Franse producer Bruno Blum moeite om de bal aan het rollen te krijgen, maar uiteindelijk raakten steeds meer muzikanten enthousiast over zijn ongewone aanpak en begonnen talenten naar de studio te stromen.
CD. Eritrea’s got soul – Asmara All Stars. VIDEO
LABEL: Out Here (2010), code: OH 016.

D o u c e u r   d ‘ A f r i q u e.
New age is een muziekstijl, die, gelijk aan de new age-beweging in het algemeen aan het begin van de jaren 80 opkwam en als doel heeft de luisteraar door middel van instrumentale en vocale melodieën te laten ontspannen. De nummers, gebaseerd op de zachtere soorten klassieke muziek, jazz en folk, kunnen erg lang duren en hebben meestal een rustige, kalmerende sfeer. Ook de niet-Westerse wereldmuziek is een bron waaruit aspecten overgenomen worden als drone, Tibetaanse klankschalen en samples van Chinese en Japanse muziek of de andere Oosterse muzieksoorten als bijvoorbeeld Gamelan of Indiase muziek.
CD. Détente & évasion : Douceur d’Afrique. VIDEO
LABEL: Wagram Music (2009), code: 3202682.

E r i c   L e g n i n i   &   T h e   A f r o   J a z z   B e a t.
Het album Sing Twice is vrij relaxt en vooral gevarieerd, dat komt met name door de inzet van drie totaal verschillende vocalisten. Duidelijk is dat de piano van de Franse Eric Legnini’ de hoofdrol speelt. De Britse zanger Hugh Coltman heeft zo goed naar Jamie Cullum geluisterd dat hij een kloon zou kunnen zijn, Mamani Keita uit Mali rechtvaardigt de bandnaam, en de Japans-Amerikaanse folkzangeres Emy Meyer zorgt voor het fluwelige gedeelte. De Afro Jazz Beat begeleiding is van drummer Franck Agulhon en contrabassist Thomas Bramerie, een blazerssectie, een funky gitarist en een percussionist laat hij jazz en pop in elkaar overvloeien.
CD. Sing twice – Eric Legnini & The Afro Jazz Beat. VIDEO
LABEL: Discograph (2013), code: 6150022.

B l u e   S w e d e.
Werd opgericht in 1973, toen Björn Skifs, een topzanger in Zweden, op zoek was naar een band die hem kon begeleiden tijdens zijn concerten. De afwisseling van saxofoons, percussie en zang, compleet met antwoordende/begeleidende achtergrondzangeressen, is groot.
Percussie en mondharmonica vormen de instrumenten die gebruikt worden in dit nummer.
CD.  Afro Dance. VIDEO
LABEL: Solo (1995), code: MK 42523.

Produced by : Cobie Ivens

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Momi Maiga – Kairo 

label: Segell Microscopi

BLOK 2 Yasmin Levy – Mujer 

Label: Stars & more

BLOK 3 Basma Jabr – Furat 

Label: Self released

BLOK 4 ShunTA! – At The Kafana 

Label: Rakia Records

BLOK 5 David Leiva – 12 Flores  

Label: Beatclup

BLOK 6 Mari Boine – Alva 

Label: By Norse Music

BLOK 7 Les Mécanos – Usures

L-EMA  InOuïe – Distribution

BLOK 8 Royal Street Orchestra – metamorphose

Label: Royal street records

1- Tamar Ilana & Ventanas.
This album reflects on the various freedoms that humanity experiences or yearns for: the freedom to sing, to dance, to express our many identities and to be accepted for it. The freedom to be ourselves, to speak our languages, to compose, to perform, to work and collaborate – or to choose not to. To celebrate or to forsake, to participate in public or political life, to fall in love or not, to marry or not, to have children or not and to live on the land, especially our ancestral lands. It is about accepting each other. Together we navigate this life and this world, and together we must help each other be free. CD. Azaki – Tamar Ilana & Ventanas. VIDEO
LABEL: Distributie: LulaWorld Records. Thanks to: Dan Rosenberg.

2- Carmen Souza.
Port’Inglês reveals stories from the years of British presence in Cape Verde and the struggle for decolonization under Portugal. For Carmen Souza, this is a deeply personal journey exploring her roots while investigating what alchemy can be created from the dust of pain, loss and chaos of this colonized period. It is also a celebration of Cape Verdean identity with jazz waltzes of freedom, traditional Cape Verdean rhythms and English folk-inspired sea shanties.
CD. Port’Inglês – Carmen Souza. VIDEO  LABEL: Galileo MC (2024), code: GMC108.

3- Archibald Joyce.
Archibald Joyce’s waltzes made him famous. Dreaming, Songe d’automne and A thousand kisses – these are the cornerstones of this Marco Polo collection. Most of the pieces here are in waltz time, with only a few in other tempos. Archibald Joyce was born in London in May 1873. His father served in the Grenadier Guards as a sergeant in the band. He showed his musical talents early, singing in a church choir in Paddington and learning the violin and piano. His first known composition, completed at the age of 11, was a march that was performed several times. He began his professional career as a pianist at the Oxford Music Hall in London, but soon began playing for the ballet, notably Katti Lanner’s company with Madame Genée as the leading ballerina.
CD. Orchestral works – Archibald Joyce. VIDEO
LABEL: Marco Polo (1995), code: 8.223694.

4- Music Mosaic by Willem Duys.
The radio program Muziek Mozaïek, presented by Willem Duys, had its first broadcast in October 1962. Since then, he could be heard every Sunday morning with this program for almost 37 years. On June 27, 1999, Willem Duys climbed behind the microphone for the last time to start his program with Goedemorgen Lieve Luisteraars! Winged terms such as ‘my good friend’ were regularly used in his announcements. This album, compiled by himself, contains the best of 35 years of Muziek Mozaiek with songs by Conny Stuart, Brigitte Bardot, Toots Tielemans, Yves Montand, Jules de Corte, Tony Bennett and Rogier van Otterlo.
CD. 35 jaar Muziek Mozaiek – Willem Duys. VIDEO
LABEL: Quintessence (1997), code: QS 900.3372.

5-  Cocoliche Trio.
A trio that combines diverse musical backgrounds, united by a passion for Latin American music and jazz. Their unique, captivating style blends rhythms of Afro-South American music with dreamy melodies and harmonies of tango and jazz, creating a very personal and distinctive musical experience. The name Cocoliche is inspired by a linguistic phenomenon from Buenos Aires in the early 20th century, where Italian immigrants and Argentinian locals created a hybrid language. This cultural fusion is at the heart of Cocoliche’s music, making their music a vibrant, intercultural journey.
CD. Cabernet – Cocoliche Trio. VIDEO
Website: https://www.cocolichetriomusic.com/

6- shunTA!
An explosion of intense Balkan sound is created by musicians connected through music. shunTA! deliver Roma and Eastern European folk melodies. Their 9-piece band consists of a horn section, string section, piano and drums. shunTA! have conquered the festival circuit, selling out the London Jamboree and supporting major international Balkan bands including the iconic Romanian band Fanfare Ciocarlia. Now At the Kafana dance wild whirlwinds of emotion through traditional gypsy songs, weaving tales of fateful fates as they glide through time.
CD. At The Kafana – shunTA! – VIDEO  LABEL: Rakia Records (6-12-2024).

7- Charles Aznavour.
The world’s most famous French chansonnier was born in Paris in 1924 as the son of Armenian immigrants. At a young age, Charles Aznavour entered the world of film, theatre and nightclubs, where he soon gained some recognition as a songwriter. Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf sang his works and encouraged the young man to start singing himself. However, the French did not immediately warm to the bon vivant and his acting career also did not take off. It was not until the end of the fifties that the tide turned. He then appeared in films such as Tirez Sur Le Pianiste and appeared on stage alongside greats such as Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli. With French and English hits such as La Mamma, The Old Fashioned Way and She, Aznavour can look back on a long and extremely fruitful career.
CD. Rarities – Charles Aznavour. VIDEO  LABEL: Universal (2015), code: 4752458.

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Amira Medunjanin – Homeland

Label:  Virgin Music Label

BLOK 2 Frank London – city of god 2024

Label:  Borscht Beat

BLOK 3 Noëmi Waysfeld – Barbara 

Label:  Sony

BLOK 4 Lucibela – Moda Antiga 

Label:  Lusafrica / Sony

BLOK 5 Maria João & André Mehmari – Algodão 

Label: Galileo Music
Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 6 Chicuelo & Marco Mezquida – Del Alma (Xango)

Label: Glitterbeat Records
Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 7 Baba Zula – İstanbul Sokakları

Label: Glitterbeat Records
Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 8 Amir Amiri Feat. Amir Amiri Ensemble – Ancestors – Echoes Of Persia

Label: Latitude 45

1-
Quinteto Tango Extremo.
Tango Extremo is led by the young violinist Tanya Schaap and has an unusual line-up. The group derives its specific sound from the use of accordion and soprano saxophone and the original repertoire. The repertoire is broad: European and South American folklore, classical music, jazz and Brazilian music are combined with ‘tango nuevo’.
CD. Toujours Bizarre – Quinteto Tango Extremo.
LABEL: Tango Extremo (2012), code: CD59712. VIDEO

2- Brazil – Stacey Kent, Bernard Lavilliers, Quatuor Ebène.
After their Jazz/rock/pop fusion album, the Ébène Quartet have created a mix of bossa nova and samba, stirred up into a cocktail of rhythms and melodies from a wide range of cultures, countries and musical traditions. The music includes the score of Terry Gilliam’s 1985 film Brazil, Argentine tango and songs from various songwriters such as Stevie Wonder, Sting and Charlie Chaplin. French singer-songwriter Bernard Lavilliers and stylish American jazz singer Stacey Kent join the Ébène Quartet to add even more spice to the album. CD. Brazil – Stacey Kent, Bernard Lavilliers, Quatuor Ebène.
LABEL: Erato (2014), codes: 632046 +  6320431. VIDEO

3- Dutch exotica.
Exotica is a term used in the music world to define early Western interpretations of exotic music. Big band orchestras played mambo, calypso, surf, Hawaiian and Arabic music. The trend first caught on in America where artists like Harry Belafonte made a good impression with their exotic origins. Dutch orchestras also showed their worth, this compiled album contains a multitude of artists, from Rinus van Galen’s Jungle Fantasy, via Max Wolsky’s Bron bon calypso, to Johnny Meijer’s El Cumban chero.
CD. Dutch exotica. LABEL: Sonic Scenery (2009), code: SON 708025. VIDEO

4- The king of rumba – Xavier Cugat.
Xavier Cugat (1900-1990) was one of the most important ambassadors of Latin music from the 1920s onwards. He managed to polish this dance music so that it also became attractive to a white audience. Cugat, the son of Catalan/Cuban migrants, lived in New York from the age of fifteen, where he learned to play the violin. He proved himself to be a musical omnivore who played cha-cha-cha, mambo, tango and ‘easy listening’ just as easily. He had a feeling for drama and show. For example, he married five times and wore a chihuahua on his left arm during his performances.
CD. The best of Xavier Cugat: the king of rumba – Xavier Cugat. LABEL: Not Now Music (219), CODE: NOT2CD755. VIDEO

5- Los Lobos.
They hail from East L.A. and initially played traditional Mexican music. Inspired by the California punk movement, the band shifted its sound. In the early 1980s, Los Lobos were a rock band to be reckoned with. The band’s souped-up roots rock was colored with influences from conjunto and other popular Latin styles. Under the guidance of producer Mitchell Froom, Los Lobos explored new territory in the 1990s, both lyrically and musically.
CD. Disconnected in New York City – Los Lobos. LABEL: Proper (2013), code: PRPCD118. VIDEO

6- Mercedes Sosa.
One of the best Mercedes Sosa compilations on the market, 30 Años is filled with many of her biggest hits and goes back three decades to the early days of her recording career. Highlights include Gracias a la Vida. Given its early 90s release, 30 Años lacks much of her later material but makes up for it with an emphasis on certifiable classics. 30 Años is a beautiful 1993 LP by legendary Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa, nicknamed La Negra. She was born in 1935 in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina and died in Buenos Aires in 2019 at the age of 84.
CD. 30 años van Mercedes Sosa. LABEL: Universal Records (2995), codes: 00731451878923 + Verve World 5187892. VIDEO

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Misia – Animal Sentimental (2022, RIP!)

Label: Galileo Mc

BLOK 2 Manu Chao – Viva Tu (2024)  

Label: Because

BLOK 3 Jaune Toujours – Vertigo  

Label: Choux De Bruxelles

Distributie: Xango Music

BLOK 4 Aylin’s Soulgarden – Bu bir demir  

Label: CPL-Music

BLOK 5 Salamakannel – IV       

Label: Bafe’s Factory

BLOK 6 Alvorada – Faz Tempo  

Label: ARC Music

Distributie: Xango Music

BLOK 7 Ayom – Sa.Li.Va  

Label: Ayom / Believe

BLOK 8 Far Flung Collective – To A Sea Cliff  

Label:  Birnam Music

Distributie: Xango Music

• BLOK 1 Aynur – Rabe (2024)

Label: Dreyer Gaido

• BLOK 2 Lauren Collier – Uddevala

Label: Birnam Music

Distribution: Xango Music

• BLOK 3 BabelNova Orchestra – Magma

Label: IpeIpe

Distribution: Xango Music

• BLOK 4 Buzz’ Ayaz – Buzz’ Ayaz

Label: Glitterbeat Records

Distribution: Xango Music

• BLOK 5 Ánnámáret – Bálvvosbáiki

Label: Uksi Productions – Supersounds Music Oy

• BLOK 6 Carmen Souza – Port’Inglês

Label: CPL

Distribution: Xango Music

• BLOK 7 Wishamalii – Al-Bahr

Label: CPL

• BLOK 8 El Khat – Mute

Label: Glitterbeat

Distribution: Xango Music

• BLOK 9 Yinon Muallem & Saman Alias – 2Gether

Label: Yinon Muallem

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 1 Carla Pires – Vai Vem 20 anos

Label: Ocarina Music

Distribution by Xango Music

BLOK 2 Mosaik – Zar

 Label: CM Records

BLOK 3 Lemon Bucket Orkestra – Cuckoo

BLOK 4 Spilar – Vandaag En Alle Dagen

Label:New Folk Sounds

Distribution by Xango Music

BLOK 5 Viik – Sagt

Label: Nordic Notes

BLOK 6 Italian Rondinella Quartet – Amurusanza

Label: Respect Record

BLOK 7 BabelNova Orchestra – Magma

Label: Ipe Ipe Music
Distribution by Xango Music

Cafe Danube-ZRI

Label: ARC Music
Distribution by Xango Music

Nathalie Natiembé.
Karma is an album that formalizes the meeting between Reunion singer Nathalie Natiembé and the equally talented and unpredictable duo Bumcello. There is an exciting, even spooky atmosphere throughout this album. The first track starts at the opening of the album with the only sound of the cello, slowly, for almost two minutes, before the singing is heard. You have to know how to take your time to access the demanding world of experimental ‘Maloya’ (one of the two main musical genres of La Réunion.
CD. Karma – Nathalie Natiembé. LABEL: Wagram Music (2009), code: 3209732. VIDEO

Luc Donat († 1989).
He stood out through his work as an emblematic figure of the musical heritage of Réunion, was one of the few to have kept alive this instrumental practice, inherited from routine musicians. Author and composer, this talented violinist acquired a rare professionalism throughout his life, which allowed him to lead a rich artistic career, both in Réunion and in Madagascar or in mainland France. He was in fact one of the first musicians from Réunion to perform nationally and even internationally, becoming the ambassador of Séga in the late 1950s.
CD. Le roi du séga – Luc Donat. LABEL: Takamba (2010), code: TAKA 0408. VIDEO

Alain Péters († 1995).
He is a central figure in the revival of Maloya on Réunion. It all started in 1976. Young musicians looking for new directions mixed Hendrix with the rhythms of Sega and Maloya and illustrated this with the name of their group: Caméléon. Alain Peters and six musicians, some of whom came from mainland France, joined the band. Alain wrote the melodies and composed on his ‘takamba’ (a guitar of African origin). The songs on this album were recorded during the ‘Africolor festival’ in December 2000 at the Gérard Philipe theatre in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris.
CD. Rest’la maloya : Hommage à Alain Péters van Loy Ehrlich, Joël Gonthier, René Lacaille, Bernard Marka, Tikok Vellaye, Danyèl Waro. LABEL: Cobalt (2003), code: 93562. VIDEO – Wikipedia

René Lacaille.
He grew up in a very musical family on La Réunion. Although he was a multi-instrumentalist, talented accordionists were in need. After emigrating to France in 1979, René Lacaille immersed himself in the jazz scene. But after a performance by percussionist Danyél Waro, all the memories of his country of origin came flooding back. Lacaille returned to La Réunion and recorded the album Patanpo with percussionists and singers Bernard Marka, Joël Gonthier and Danyél Waro’s exotic and warm Sega and Maloya rhythms, mixed with blues, samba and jazz.
CD. Patanpo – René Lacaille. LABEL: Daqui (1999), code: 332009. VIDEO

Danyèl Waro.
Singer, musician and poet Danyèl Waro may be white – albeit with curly blond hair – but everyone on the African island of Réunion considers him ‘the black soul of Maloya’. Waro was born in 1955 on Réunion into a farming family of French colonists. He absorbed the local music style maloya, mainly because this genre largely defined the identity of the islanders and was banned by the French authorities. For decades he accompanied himself with homemade percussion instruments and sang in a powerful voice in Creole about the problems of contemporary Réunion: the domination of French culture, racism, work, love and death. He strives for cultural unity, for the integration of all religions, races and cultures into a global Réunionese identity.
CD. Grin n syèl – Danyèl Waro. LABEL: Cobalt (2006), code: CO 103. VIDEO

Christine Salem.
She is one of the best-known interpreters of the maloya, music that originated on the slave plantations of Réunion. Slaves brought from the African mainland brought their drums and songs with them. The French slave owners banned the music, and the maloya went underground. It was not until the end of the 20th century that this rebellious music was seen as a special cultural expression, unique to Réunion. Christine Salem has a rich, powerful voice that is supported by rhythms that sometimes give her music a hypnotic, almost ritualistic power.
CD. Larg pa lo kor – Christine Salem. LABEL: Zamora (2016), code: ZAMED27977. VIDEO

Producer: Cobie Ivens

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 a Cantadeira – Tecelã

Label: Repasseado

BLOK 2 Maré – Maré

Label: Sons Vadios

BLOK 3 Ahmed Moneka – Kanzafula

Label: Lulaworld Records

BLOK 4 Diego Amador & José Maria Bandera – Paquendo

Label: moonjune Records

BLOK 5 Os Do Fondo Da Barra – Banzo

Label: Mare

BLOK 6 Paco El Lobo & Sangitananda – Memoria de los cantes flamencos – Vol.1

Label: Buda Musique
Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 7 Nastasia Y – Kyiv Soul

Label: Lulaworld Records

BLOK 8 Boi Akih – From and to Infinity

Label: Bandcamp

BLOK 9  Russudan Meipariani – Voices & Mountains

Label:Timezone records

Rokia Traoré.
In terms of lyrics, Rokia Traoré is in line with the griots, the musical storytellers who functioned as history teachers, entertainers and political commentators in West Africa. Rokia Traoré sings about love, her hometown of Kolokani, but also does not shy away from a sensitive subject such as the refugee crisis. The only English-language song is an impressive cover of Billie Holiday’s chilling Strange Fruit.
CD. Né so –  Rokia Traoré. LABEL: Nonesuch Records (2016), code: 7559-79475-5. VIDEO

Orchestra Baobab.
Until the Dakar-based Club Baobab closed its doors in 1979, the Orchestra Baobab played Afro-Cuban music with Senegalese influences night after night.

Later they would become world famous for this. These recordings date back to their early days: from 1972 to 1978.
CD. A Night at Club Baobab – Orchestra Baobab.
LABEL: Oriki (2006), code: CD 01. VIDEO

Tinariwen.
One of the best guitar rock bands in the world consists of ex-freedom fighters belonging to the Tuareg, a nomadic tribe from the Sahara that was oppressed and discriminated against for years. The trance-like desert blues of the Malian band Tinariwen, with raw Arabic vocals and amplified guitars, is a hit worldwide. However, the fifth studio album Tassili has become a ‘back to basic’ album, with acoustic guitar strumming, hand-studded drums and rhythmic clapping. Because the northern region of Mali was too dangerous, it was decided to film in the Tassili N’Ajjer desert in southern Algeria. CD. Tassili – Tinariwen. LABEL: V2 Records (2011), code: VVR 776938. VIDEO

Manu Dibango.
Songs from the late seventies and early eighties in which Manu Dibango, the later band leader, composer, alto saxophonist and vibraphonist from Cameroon, mainly plays vibraphone. The album: B sides contains a number of contemporary remixes of, among others: Soul Fiesta and the song Bessoka. In 1972, Dibango personally created interest in African music in the Western world with the album Soul Mokassa.
CD. B sides – Manu Dibango. LABEL: Melodie (2006), code: 859082. VIDEO

Alpha Blondy.
In the 1980s, reggae grew into a global phenomenon. The Jamaicans no longer had a monopoly on music. Alpha Blondy (Ivory Coast) first came into contact with reggae in 1973 while living in New York. Blondy’s music is strongly inspired by the roots reggae of Bob Marley. In his texts he is socially critical. On the other hand, he is interested in spirituality, as evidenced by songs such as God Is One. Since 2005, Alpha Blondy has also been Ambassador for Peace on behalf of the United Nations.
CD. The best of Alpha Blondy. LABEL: EMI (1996), code: 8370412 002 of 002 8370412. VIDEO

Danyèl Waroh
He has always remained faithful to the acoustic tradition of Maloya, the blues of Réunion Island, and is recognized as its ‘hero’. As a musician and poet, he sings Creole with unparalleled emotion. As Richard Robert wrote in Les InRocKuptibles magazine: “The sudden anger and the sharp wisdom of his lyrics combine in a form of trance that is not experienced as an escape, a deliberate and controlled loss of mind and senses, but on the contrary as the quest for a higher consciousness that unites thought, word and gesture in a single impulse.”
CD. Monmon – Danyèl Waro. LABEL: Buda Musique (2017), code: 860309. VIDEO

Producer: Cobie Ivens

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Ladaniva – Ladaniva

Label: Jiguli

BLOK 2 Viguela – We  

Label: Mapamundi Musica

BLOK 3 Atse Tewodros Project & Gabriella Ghermandi – Maqeda

Label: Galileo Music Communication

Distributie: Xango Music

BLOK 4 Dobet Gnahoré – Zouzou 

Label: Cumbancha

BLOK 5 Marion & Sobo Band – Gomera

Label: GLM Music

BLOK 6 Tasha Smith Godinez – A new day

Label: Ennanga Records

BLOK 7 Marta Topferova – Sombras

Label: Moravia Publishing

BLOK 8 Amparanoia Artistas del gremio – Fan Fan Fanfarria

Label: Mamita Records

https://youtu.be/cD1TubxZHyA

BLOK 9 Söndörgő – Gyezz

Label: GroundUP Music

1- Paolo Conte.
Humor remains the trademark of the grumbling language artist Paolo Conte, who lets us enjoy his beautiful-sounding songs with often nonsensical lyrics. He also takes the listener into his dreams about beautiful women and love. On this album he also outlines his memories of – or associations with – places such as Africa and Argentina.
On Snob Conte alternates quiet piano ballads with exciting instrumented songs. This way you imagine yourself in a nostalgic nightclub with long romantic melodies.
CD. Snob – Paolo Conte. LABEL: Universal Records (2014), code: 4703494. Video

2- La musica della mafia.
Dedicated to traditional Italian songs that thrive in the closed circles of organized crime in Italy. Songs that seem as peaceful as the cozy village scenes of the Italian countryside, but are about the life of a man of honor. Violent scenes such as blood feuds, the conflicts between the old and the new mafia that are resolved with the necessary violence, a prisoner who writes a letter to his wife using his own blood as ink and bomb attacks on local law enforcement officers, but also love for family and homeland is extensively sung about.
CD. La musica della mafia : Le canzoni dell’ onorata società. LABEL: Mazza Music (2005), code: 900.0024.020. Video

3-
Pino D’Angiò.
The musical genius of Pino D’Angiò shines like a twinkling star in the broad firmament of art. Born on August 14, 1952 in historic Pompeii, D’Angiò spent his life enchanting the world with his extraordinary creativity and versatility. A versatile artist, he painted the sonic universe with bold and vibrant brushstrokes, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of millions of admirers around the world. His voice has crossed continents and united cultures with an infectious passion.
CD. Lettere a Frederico Fellini – Pino D’angiò. LABEL: Play It Again Sam (2003), code: 167.0018.023. Video

4- Fabrizio de André.
Fabrizio was known for his calm and warm voice. In his younger years he was inspired by colleagues, which is most evident in the fact that he translated songs by Georges Brassens (such as ‘Le gorille’), Leonard Cohen (Suzanne) and Bob Dylan (Desolation Row). Fabrizio himself played the acoustic guitar, the most important instrument in his oeuvre, especially in his earlier work. Later he would gather musicians around him who, among other things, brought with them Arabic influences – Arabic influences certainly play a role on his album, sung in the Genoese dialect, because of the Arabic influences that Genoa has had over the centuries.
CD. 1991 Concerti – Fabrizio de André. LABEL: BMG (2006), code: 74321 974162. Video

5- Gianmaria Testa.
Gianmaria knows how to reach Dutch listeners without media attention. However, he is particularly popular in his own Italy. There is a good chance that his Dutch fans came into contact with the music of this singer/songwriter. The farmer’s son from Piedmont initially played in local rock bands until he found his true voice in the early 1990s with intimate songs on the acoustic guitar. Gianmaria Testa’s voice is coarse-grained, it is not without reason that he has a glass of white wine and a pack of cigarettes at hand at every performance. The singer sounds like a father who half sings and half speaks his words in a reassuring tone. Gianmaria Testa passed away in 2016 at the age of 57.
CD. Solo dal vivo – Gianmaria Testa. LABEL: Le Chant du Monde (20090, code: 274.1731. Video

Producer:
Cobie Ivens

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Argentina – Mi Idilio Con la Habana (2024)

Label: LP FLAMENCO

https://youtu.be/q_ZCuVrLJ8I

BLOK 2 Grupo Polo Montanez – Joyas del Guajiro

Label: Lusafrica / Sony

BLOK 3 Syna Awel – Awel 

Label: Imago Records

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 4 Dobranotch – Vander Ikh Mir Lustik

Label: CPL-Music

BLOK 5 Ana Lua Caiano – Vou Ficar Neste Quadrado

Label: GlitterBeat

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 6 Silent Stream of Godless Elegy – Jiná

Label: OSAMĚLÍ Records

BLOK 7 Dario Muci – Talassa  

Label: Zero Nove Nove, Italy

BLOK 8 Beautiful Nubia – Ṣonṣo  

Label: EniObanke

BLOK 9 Bagedai – Bagedai

Label: Sea of Wood Records

1-
Thanks to Ry Cooder and Buena Vista Social Club, Cuban music has enjoyed great popularity. To make it easier for lovers of Cuban music to choose from the wide range, the Cuba Havana 2 CD is a great tool. The CD is a compilation of the most current bands from Cuba, supplemented with a number of old acquaintances including Compay Segundo, Los Van Van and Vieja Trova Santiaguera.
CD. Cuba Havana 2. LABEL: Arcade (1999), code: 110723. Video

2-
Omar Sosa.
The artistic director of the Barcelona Voll-Damm International Jazz Festival approached pianist Omar Sosa to record a tribute to Miles Davis’ legendary album Kind Of Blue. Although he was initially dismissive of it, he decided to study it anyway. Omar Sosa did not copy Kind Of Blue, but used it as a starting point for his own compositions that radiate the atmosphere of Miles Davis’ masterpiece.
CD. Eggun – Omar Sosa. LABEL: Skip Records (2013), code: SKP 9114-2. Video

3-
Maurice El Médioni & Roberto Juan Rodriguez.
Although their origins suggest otherwise, the musical influences of the Jewish-Algerian pianist Maurice El Médioni and the Cuban Roberto Rodriquez are not that far apart. During World War II, El Médioni learned to play Latin American rhythms and melodies at the request of American soldiers stationed in Algeria. After fleeing Cuba, Roberto Rodriquez came into contact with traditional music of Jewish refugees in Miami. At Descarga Oriental the musical paths of pianist and percussionist cross, resulting in a dazzling synergy.
CD. Descarga oriental : The New York sessions van Maurice El Médioni & Roberto Juan Rodriguez. LABEL: Piranha (2006), code: CDPIR 2003. Video

4-
George Duke.
Keyboardist George Duke decided to concentrate entirely on the melody for In A Mellow Tone. The basic idea was to mix traditional standards with our own work that was an extension of these. Duke Ellington’s In A Mellow Tone, Never Will I Marry, I Love You Porgy by George and Ira Gershwin and the song So Many Stars by Sergio Mendes are discussed. He himself provides the CD with a new solo piano version of his eighties hit Sweet Baby.
CD. In a mellow tone – George Duke.
LABEL: BPM BPE, code: 5103 + Dome Records, code: CD 67 (2006). Video

5-
Fra Fra Sound.
The Surinamese ensemble Fra Fra Sound, founded in 1980 in Amsterdam, has been successfully mixing Caribbean and African influences with music from the United States and Suriname for years. Dya So, which means something like here and now, has cheerful tropical rhythms that form the basis for clearly audible fusion patterns. The chemistry between the musicians who have been playing together for years is especially evident during Dya So’s uptempo pieces. But even on slower, subdued songs like 100% Halal they create a sultry tension that is inherent to life in the tropics.
CD. Dya so – Fra Fra Sound. LABEL: Pramisi (2008), code: PRA CD 0704. Video

6-
The Bahama Soul Club.
The work on this album was indeed inspired by the images of the most insane films ever made: I Am Cuba, directed in 1964 by Mikhail Kalatozov and presented in the 1990s by Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.
The rights holders of this film ‘The Cuban Institute Of Cinematography’ fell completely in love with the first songs for this album and also with the idea of combining the images with the music. Then they finally agreed to several scenes for a few videos of the The Cuban Tapes with pure, real Cuban patina.
CD. The Cuban tapes – The Bahama Soul Club. LABEL: BuYu Records (2013), code: BUO 12 CD. Video

Produced by Cobie Ivens

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Barcelona Gipsy balKan Orchestra – 7

Label: Satelite K
Distribution by Xango Music

BLOK 2 Los Guayabo Brothers – PsychoTropical

Label: Los Guayabo Brothers 

BLOK 3 Los Rebujitos – Pureza al natural

Label: Fods Records

BLOK 4 Efrén López – Cabra vol 1             

Label: Segell Microscopi

BLOK 5 Olcay Bayir – Tu Gulî  

Label: ARC music

Distribution by Xango Music

BLOK 6 Teresinha Landeiro – Para dançar e para chorar

Label: Sony Music

BLOK 7 Maliheh Moradi & Ehsan Matoori – Our Sorrow

Label: Arc Music

Distribution by Xango Music

BLOK 8 Ali Dogan Gonultas – Keyeyi  

Label: Mapamundi Música

BLOK 1 Nancy Vieira – Gente

Label: Galileo Music

Distributie door Xango Music

BLOK 2 Balkalar – Balkalar

released independently

BLOK 3 Vedan Kolod – Birds

Label: CPL Music

BLOK 4 Auster Loo Collective

Label: Igloo Records

BLOK 5 Kyab Yul Sa – Murmures d_Himalaya

Label: Nangma Prod

BLOK 6 Kiran Ahluwalia – Comfort Food

released independently

BLOK 7 Marjan Vahdat – The Eagle of my Heart

Label: Kirkelig Kulturverksted

Distributie door Xango Music

BLOK 8 Fadopelos2 – Viver e Viver

Label: Coast To Coast

1– Jambú
It is the 28th compilation from the Analog Africa label that highlights the Amazonian dance music from the Brazilian city of Belém in the 1970s. Due to its geographical port location in the northern region of Pará state, Belém has long been a cultural melting pot of musical innovation, combining influences from native Indians, Europeans, Africans and the Caribbean. This led to the creation of new sounds. With additional influence from local sound system culture, radio broadcasts and record labels, Belém became a hotbed for unique Amazonian dance music in the 1970s. CD. Jambú : E os Míticos sons da Amazônia. LABEL: Analog Africa (2019), code: AACD 088. Video

2– Gotan Project
With the debut album La Revancha Del Tango from 2001, the French Gotan Project delivered a strong calling card. Phillippe Cohen Salalle, Christophe H. Müller and Eduardo Makaroff mixed melodies from traditional Argentine tango with modern music forms such as dub and downbeat in an exemplary manner. The instrumental contributions (including on bandoneon and violin) by top Argentinian musicians such as Nini Flores and Gustavo Beijtelman are supported by the latest beats from electronic music. CD. Best of – Gotan Project. LABEL: Discograph (2011), code: 3700426916943. Video

3– Katia Cardenal
A Nicaraguan/Norwegian singer-songwriter. She is considered the Nicaraguan artist with the largest music catalog in the region’s history, with 21 recorded albums with guest artists. In 1996, she recorded her first album as a soloist in Nicaragua, where she reaffirmed her calling as a troubadour by performing both her own songs and those of various Latin American singer-songwriters. In 1996 he moved to Norway and recorded six more albums as a soloist. CD. Navegas por las costas – Katia Cardenal. LABEL: Kirkelig Kulturverksted (1999), code: FXCD 208. Video

4– Julio Sosa
Uruguayan Julio Sosa was a tango singer who rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s as one of the greatest icons in the history of the genre, nicknamed ‘The Man of Tango’. Julio Sosa started his career as a singer in Carlos Gilardoni’s orchestra in La Paz. He then moved to Montevideo. In June 1949 he went to Buenos Aires. He achieved success in the Río de la Plata and was considered one of the most important tango singers of the second half of the 20th century. De CD. El varon del tango – Julio Sosa. LABEL: El Bandoneon (1994), code: EB-CD 56. Video

5– Performing vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Ugo Guizzardi and Angelo Palma have years of experience with the music of the Andes and South America and are at the heart of this moving tribute to Victor Jara. Chilean Victor Jara was a university professor, theater director, musician and songwriter and political activist. He helped found the musical, cultural and artistic movement Nueva Canción Chilena, which led to a revolution in his country’s popular music under the government of Salvador Allende. CD. Canción nueva : Omaggio a Víctor Jara.  LABEL: Felmay (2013), code: FY 8206. Video

6-Antonio Rivas
A Colombian accordionist. Completely self-taught, he started playing the diatonic accordion at the age of fifteen. He earned a master’s degree in mathematics in Colombia and then moved to France, where he earned a doctorate in high-energy physics and a master’s degree in computer science. In France he founded two music groups, in 1984 in Montpellier and in 1987 in Paris. In Europe, Antonio Rivas participates in almost all international events involving the diatonic accordion. CD. La perla de arseguel – Antonio Rivas. LABEL: Music & Words (1991), code: MWCD 3002. Video

7– This Mexican Mariachi Reyna De Los Angeles leads the first all-female mariachi ensemble. In a musical landscape where songs are often written by men, from a male perspective, Reyna has created her own history. She has since recorded several albums, shared the stage with world-renowned musicians and performed for some of the world’s best-known celebrities, including Barack and Michelle Obama.
CD. Mariachi Reyna De Los Angeles. Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (2018), code: SFW CD 40579. Video

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Tess Merlot – Chante la vie

Label: Lab Music

BLOK 2 Esbe – La Serenissima

Label: New Cat Music

Label: New Cat Music

BLOK 3 Aleksandra Popovsta & Zoli Soos – Dandelions, Tribute to Joni Mitchell

Label: Zolimusic

https://www.facebook.com/Alekisandora/videos/329026243058944

BLOK 4 Julie & Andreas – ENE Favn

Label: Psymha Records

Distributie: Xango Music

BLOK 5 Claudia Meyer – La Negra   

Label: Kobbi Prod / InOuïe Distribution

BLOK 6 Maria Mazzotta – Onde       

Label: Zero Nove Nove

Distributie: Xango Music

BLOK 7 ShazaLaKazoo – Chorba

Label: Asphalt Tango

BLOK 8 Orkestar Kriminal – Originali 

Label: CPL-Music

BLOK 9 Ali Doğan Gönültaş – Kiğı 

Label: Mapamundi Musica

C o r s i c a : Barbara Furtuna.
The group managed to build an international reputation in just a few years. In addition to its own recitals, the group also often collaborates with other ensembles. The four men sing polyphonically and can certainly stand next to the Corsican greats such as I Muvrini and A Filetta. We hear a cantor with backing vocals from the other group members. And when singing in traditional polyphony, the group does an excellent job.
CD. Sì cvita sì – Barbara Furtuna.
LABEL: Buda Musique (2013), code: 860238. Video

S a r d i n i a : Elena Ledda.
Elena was born in Sardinia, which is very rich in great interpreters and excellent musicians, able to consistently interpret the cultural heritage of the island and Elena Ledda is no exception. Her soprano voice was suitable for opera, which she performed early in her career, but she was drawn to the folk singing of Sardinia and eventually recorded mainly in that genre.
CD. Maremannu – Elena Ledda.
LABEL: Biber (2000), code: 76691. Video

M a c e d o n i a : Ferus Mustafov & Esma Redzepova.
Ferus Mustafov, was a Macedonian saxophonist of Roma descent. He was a multi-instrumentalist and was very popular in his home country for his repertoire of Balkan folk and gypsy music. Singer Esma Redzepova had an expressive, emotional voice that earned her the title “Queen of Gypsy Music”. She was chosen to represent Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden.
CD. Legends of gypsy music from Macedonia – Ferus Mustafov & Esma Redzepova. LABEL: Arc (2008), code: EUCD 2120. Video

B o s n i a : Goran Bregovic.
He was best known as a composer of film music. With Karmen: With A Happy End he stages his first opera. The piece contains only a few references to Bizet’s earlier opera Carmen. Goran Bregovic, a great lover of gypsy music, thought it was time for a ‘gypsy opera’. The composer does not shy away from any controversial theme in the story: corruption, racism and prostitution are all mentioned. Bregovic gives those heavy themes in his lyrics that typical pitch-black humor.
CD. Karmen: With A Happy End van Goran Bregović.
LABEL: Mercury Records (2007), code: 9848791. Video

M a r o c c o : Dries El Maloumi.
Driss is sometimes called ‘the magician of the oud’ because of his virtuoso and inventive playing on the Arabic lute. He was born and raised in the large Moroccan seaside resort of Agadir and studied Arabic philosophy and literature as well as Arabic and Western classical music. Dries El Maloumi chose the title for his solo studio album Makan, which means ‘location’ or ‘place’ in Arabic. He shows an incredible variation in his oud playing in terms of melody, rhythm, intonation and timbre.
CD. Makan – Driss el Maloumi.
LABEL: Contre Jour (2013), code: CJ029. Video

A l g e r i a : Amar Sundy.
Five years after his last album, the Algerian Tuareg bluesman Amar Sundy releases the album Sadaka. Amar Sundy, who has been in France for a while, fuses the atmospheric music of the desert with French chanson and of course his beloved blues. All the songs on the album use the blues as a base, but move beyond it and create something completely different from it, while retaining their feeling and emotion. The core band consists of drums and percussion, electric bass, a choir of female backing singers and an accordion on many songs. Plus some guests with instruments such as: the Hawaiian lap steel, a bassist and the singer Mokhtar Samba.
CD. Sadaka – Amar Sundy.
LABEL: Dixiefrog Records (2009), code: DGFCD 8662. Video

Thanks to:

BLOK 1  Szalay Fatima – amor fati                             

Label: Music Hungary Zeneműkiadó

BLOK 2 Giuliano Gabriele – Basta!

Label: Glitterbeat Records 

BLOK 3 Aziza Brahim – Mawja                                   

Label: Glitterbeat Records
Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 4 Dieul de Thiès                                               

Label: Buda Musique

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 5 Schnieke – Hediye                                         

Label: Asphalt Tango

BLOK 6 Abdo Buda Marconi – Oltremura                   

Label:  Felmay

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 7 Johanni Curtet – If Only I Could Hibernate    

Label: Buda Musique

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 8 Las Lloronas – Out of the blue                       

Label:  Muziekpublique

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 9 Sole – Elos                                                    

Label: CPL Music

2- Girma Bèyènè & Akalé Wubé.
Frenchman Francis Falceto has been working tirelessly for years to put Ethiopian music back on the map. With success, the music of ‘Swinging Addis’ appears in films and the stars of yesteryear find a new audience in Europe and North America. Many artists are allowed to make a new start. This also applies to Girma Bèyènè. In the 60s and early 70s he was an active songwriter and arranger, leading his own big band night after night at the chic Ras Hotel. After the military took over power (1974), Bèyènè fled to the US. There he led an inconspicuous life until Francis Falceto tracked him down. He linked the septuagenarian Bèyènè to the young French group Akalé Wubé. The result is an impressive update of the best material Bèyènè wrote. A kind of ‘greatest hits’ but re-recorded with a funky band. >> CD. Mistakes on Purpose: Ethiopiques; vol.30 – Girma Bèyènè & Akalé Wubé. LABEL: Buda Musique (2017), code: 860303. Video

3- Son de la Frontera.
When the mother of flamenco guitarist Raúl Rodríguez was invited to perform in Cuba in 1997, she brought a tres with her. This Cuban guitar with three sets of two strings plays the leading role in son music, made famous worldwide by Buena Vista Social Club. Raúl Rodriguez taught himself to play tres and translated the rhythms and melodies from flamenco to this instrument. The tres turned out to sound fantastic in a flamenco setting. It made the music fuller and more colorful, without affecting its traditional character. On the album Cal, the group dares to reveal its colours: the vocals play a more important role, more of their own compositions can be heard and they draw on the rich, but sometimes forgotten traditions of their birthplace Morón de la Frontera. >> CD. Cal – Son de la Frontera. LABEL: Nuevos Medios (2007), code: NM 15890. Video

4- Ayo.
The Nigerian-German singer/songwriter Ayo is taking a new path with her fourth studio album Ticket To The World. The singer was mainly known in France until now, but after selling one and a half million records in 40 countries, Ayo once again turned to the American producer of her first album, Jay Newland, to create her latest album Ticket To The World. The album is a return to her original style: a soft and strong mix of folk and soul, laced with hip-hop hints. One moment she sings in the accessible style of singers such as Alicia Keys and Beyonce, but her African roots are also amply represented on this album. >> CD. Ticket to the World – Ayo. LABEL: Universal: 00602537476633 – Mercury Records: 3748573 (2017). Video

5- India.Arie.
Voyage to India is the second studio album by American singer India Arie, released in 2002 by the Motown label. The album is named after a song by Arie’s idol Stevie Wonder from his 1979 album Journey Through “The Secret Life of Plants”. The three months it took her to make the album is due to the standard R&B formula she used. times on her songs, but the acoustic guitar has remained. Nevertheless, Voyage To India is a profound album in the R&B genre, which certainly rises above the average. >> CD. Voyage to India – India.Arie. LABEL: Universal: 00602527385624 – Universal: 2738562 (2010). Video

6- Jorma Kaukonen.
The name Kaukonen is probably more associated with Finnish folklore than with American rock. Yet singer/guitarist Jorma Kaukonen is a great in the latter category. He was born in Washington D.C. in 1940 but moved to the hippie capital of San Francisco in the early 1960s. There he played with people like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. In 1965 he was one of the founders of Jefferson Airplane. After the breakup of this band in 1973, Kaukonen started the acoustic project Hot Tuna, where he was able to express his preference for traditional American roots music for the first time. His twelfth solo album Blue Country Heart (from 2002) is the album that he says he has wanted to make for years, but which the record labels never saw any merit in. The result is a beautiful, timeless album on which joy of playing, authenticity and musical mastery are audibly present. >> CD. Blue country heart – Jorma Kaukonen. LABEL: Columbia Records (2002), code: 5081552. Video

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Diego el Cigala – Obras Maestras 2023

Label: Sony music

BLOK 2 LINA – Fado Camões Galileo

Label: Galileo Music
Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 3 La Sève – Chlorophylle 

Label: King Tao / InOuïe Distribution

BLOK 4 Fatima Szalay – Amor fati

Label: King Tao / InOuïe Distribution

BLOK 5 Kavita Shah – Cape Verdean Blues (2023) 

Label: Folkalist Records

BLOK 6 Tarek Ghriri – Refugee in the Sea

Label: Tarek Ghriri

BLOK 7 Shotns-Shadows, Songs from Holocaust Testimonies, Volume 3 (2024)

Label: The Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies

BLOK 8 Various Artists – Tradycyjny Stroj (2023)

Label: Bandcamp

1- Harry Niehof & Los Bamberos.
Los Bomberos (The Firefighters) makes Cuban Son, a fusion of African and Spanish music traditions, and was founded in 1997. In 2004, the six men of Los Bomberos released the album Cuba Blues with singer/guitarist Harry Niehof with salsa music with lyrics in Groningen. dialect. In addition to its own repertoire, Los Bomberos plays many Cuban songs from, among others, Buena Vista Social Club and Celia Cruz. The show also focuses on current Salsa hits from various Latin American countries. CD. Cuba Blues – Harry Niehof & Los Bamberos. LABEL: Silvox Records (2005), code: SIL110. Video

2- Klezmokum.
At the end of the eighties, the American Burton Greene (who lives in Amsterdam) embraces Klezmer as a new hybrid with (free) jazz, and starts the group Klezmokum (with which he produces five CDs). Much of the source material was composed in the period between the two World Wars. It reflects the joy and sadness in the lives of mainly Ashkenazi or Northern and Eastern European Jews. Burton Greene has a predilection for the beauty, innocence, hope and longings reflected in many early Israeli compositions. He also discovered the wealth of unusual rhythms and moving melodies from Sephardic sources: from Turkey, Greece and the Balkan countries. CD. Klezmokum. LABEL: BVHaast (1993), code: 9209. Video

3- Boi Akih
A jazz/world music ensemble based in Amsterdam composed of Monica Akihary on vocals, Niels Brouwer on guitar. The group combines musical traditions from the Moluccas, Bali, improvised music, Indian classical music and traditional African music. Monica Akihary writes and sings in her father’s native language: Moluccan, which is considered dying. CD. Uwa í – Boi Akih.
LABEL: Enja Records (2003), code: ENJ 94722. Video

4- Fra Fra Sound.
Bassist and composer Vincent Henar of the Surinamese-Dutch band Fra Fra Sound started the band in 1980. The album Kula Wroko Kibri recorded in 2020 will not be released until 2022 due to the Covid period. In the first part, a selection of guests perform a collection of exciting kaseko songs. This is followed by a beautiful collection of instrumental Afro-Caribbean Fusion. This is the sound – the energetic mix of kaseko, Latin, African and jazz rock – that the band has patented and operates inimitably. CD. Kula wroko kibri – Fra Fra Sound. LABEL: Pramisi PRA Code: CD 2212. Video

5- Boh Foi Toch.
Originated as an occasional band. Former Normal members Jan Manschot and Ferdi Joly, bassist Willem te Molder and harmonica player/songwriter Hans Keuper met for a performance during the Achterhoek Gala on New Year’s Day, 1990 in Hengelo. Their mixture of zydeco and rock was an immediate success, the Boh Foi Toch-Rap was a great success. The repertoire was expanded and polkas, waltzes, but also ballads found their place, just like Folky tunes and Tex-Mex. The texts always remained in Achterhoeks! Jan Manschot left the band in 1997. Ferdi Joly returned to his old love “Normaal” at the end of 2005. CD. Gewoon Verdan – Boh Foi Toch. LABEL: Eigen beheer (2010), code: BFT GVN 018. Video

6- Gil Semedo.
Cabopop is not just the name of Gil Semedo’s album. It is also the name of a foundation that the singer created to stimulate Cape Verdean music in the Netherlands. Gil Semedo has been the most important ambassador of Cabopop in the Netherlands since the early 1990s. The singer is especially popular in Portuguese-speaking Africa (Cape Verde, Angola and Mozambique) with his slick mix of R&B, soul and Cape Verdean rhythms. More than ever, Gil Semedo builds his songs around the acoustic guitar, the most important instrument in Cape Verdean music. CD. Cabopop –  Gil Semedo. LABEL: Harmonia (2008), code: 023972. Video

7- Max Tax Y sus Banditos.
Brabant party band, inspired by the music from the south of the United States and Mexico. In terms of line-up, they are a typical Tex-Mex band: accordion, acoustic guitar, double bass, wind instruments and percussion. However, the music style is a mixture of Cajun, blues, zydeco, bluegrass, Tex-Mex and polka. Max Taks Y sus Banditos eventually became the backing band during Flaco Jimenez’s tours.
CD. Zorro, Zorro – Max Tax Y sus Banditos. LABEL: Deep Blue Something (2001), code: DBS 90042.

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Frank London’s Klezmer Brass Allstars – Chronika

Label: Borscht Beat Records

BLOK 2 Abby V – Aarambh   

Label: Sufiscore

BLOK 3 CimbaliBand – Góré   

Label: Music Fashion Kft

BLOK 4 Sarah Camille – Våkner I En Annen Dag  

Label: Kirkelig Kulturverksted
Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 5 Morir y nacer – Labbryenco   

Label: Music&Words

BLOK 6 Ricardo Ribeiro – Terra Que Vale o Céu – 2023   

Label: Warner Music

BLOK 7 Rough Guide to World Music Unplugged 2021  

Label: World Music Network

1- Manu Dibango.
The young Emmanuel Dibango N’Djocke (1933-2020) was sent from Cameroon to France by his parents at the age of fifteen to receive technical training. In Paris and Brussels in the 1950s, the young Manu discovered blues and jazz. He trained in classical piano before switching to the saxophone. Upon returning to his native country, he managed to combine his love for jazz with African folk music. In 1972, Dibango personally created interest in African music in the Western world with the album Soul Mokassa. In the twilight of his life, guiding young musicians was one of his most important activities.
CD. Negropolitaines – Manu Dibango.
LABEL: Frémeaux & Associés (2020), code: FA 8560. Video

2- Dhafer Youssef.
He was born in Téboulba (a small village on the coast of Tunisia. He calls radio “the most important school” for him). Dhafer developed an interest in jazz at an early age and listened to it clandestinely during his education at a Koranic school. Later he left Tunisia to start a jazz career and has lived in Europe since 1990, usually in Paris or Vienna. He also works in avant-garde and world music, where he has been nominated for awards. Dhafer Youssef has released many albums of his own and notable work made with the Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu and the Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset. He also has an affinity with Indian and Scandinavian music. On this album Malak Dhafer Youssef plays, together with Markus Stockhausen, Nguyên Lê, Renaud García-Fons and Patrice Héral.
CD. Malak – Dhafer Youssef.
LABEL: Enja Records (1999), code: ENJ 93672. Video

3- Ravi Shankar & Philip Glass.
This album is a well-functioning collaboration between Philip Glass and Ravi Shankar. Shankar’s smooth style fits in nicely with Glass’s dissonant orchestrations. This involves a lot of technical data. Both artists have long taken an intellectual approach to music. The music is brilliant. The symphony dominates the soundscapes, but Shankar’s atmosphere is integral to the success of this project. This album will appeal to fans of John Cage, Terry Riley and Steve Reich.
CD. Passages – Ravi Chankar & Philip Glass.
LABEL: OCCD 13041 + Ariola 260.947 + Ariola 0886948 (1990). Video

4- Vicente Amigo.
The album starts off strong with Amor de Nadie. Self-portrait follows the melancholic line. Vicente Amigo published the album Paseo de Gracia in 2009, together with several collaborators. About his recent musical experiences, Vicente says: Music moves through unfathomable fields and they can all be combined with respect, accuracy and knowledge. I start with flamenco and like to bring it closer to other musical manifestations to find emotions, although I always try not to distort them. Vicente Amigo is considered one of the best artists of his generation in Spain.
CD. Paseo de gracia – Vicente Amigo.
LABEL: Sony (2009), code: 88697-492592. Video

5- Ernie Watts & Gilberto Gil.
The album Afoxé is, just like the music that Ernie Watts & Gilberto Gil and their friends made in Brazil, the sum of striking contradictions. In Bahia, the vast coastal state known as the heart of African culture, contemporary secular versions of sacred Afro-Brazilian candomblé hymns are called afoxés. (The candomblé ritual cult is the product of an innovative blending of Catholic tradition and the beliefs of the secretive African religious societies.) The procession of musicians and singers who bring the candomblé message to the streets of Salvador every year during Carnival, is itself known as an afoxé. And that also applies to the drums, Brazil’s answer to the Cuban conga.
CD. Afoxé – Ernie Watts & Gilberto Gil.
LABEL: ZYX Music (1992), code: CTI 1003-2. Video

6- Gianni Iorio & Pasquale Stafano.
When it comes to the bandoneon, it is impossible not to think of Astor Piazzolla, the great virtuoso and father of nuevo tango, whose influence and legacy are still very much felt. Since the late 1990s, bandoneonist Gianni Iorio and pianist Pasquale Stafano’s Nuevo Tango Ensemble have found inspiration in Piazzola’s jazz-inspired tango and released a handful of beautiful recordings. The album Mediterranean Tales may stem from specific Italian-Argentine roots, but its appeal should be universal. After all, good music, played so beautifully, knows no boundaries.
CD. Mediterranean tales – Gianni Iorio & Pasquale Stafano.
LABEL: Enja Records (2020), code: ENJ-9679. Video

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Okan – Okantomi 2023

Label: Lulaworld Records

BLOK 2 Juliette Lemoine – Soaring

Label: Birnam Music
Distributie: Xango Music

BLOK 3 Jono Heyes – “Beehive”

Label: Asphalt Tango Records

BLOK 4 Amin Al Aiedy – Shams

Label: Musiques en Balade

BLOK 5 Körinn Pierre–Fanfan  – Rêver

Label: Rozo Production / InOuïe Distribution

BLOK 6 Fränder – Fränder II

Label: 

BLOK 7 Folk and World Music Galore Vol 2

Label: Folk Galore

1- Sinikka Langeland (Norway).
A fascinating debut for the Norwegian singer and cantele player Sinikka Langeland. This folk music singer from the forest areas near the Swedish border, explores the relationship between people and nature in her work. On this album she presents poems by lumberjack and poet Hans Børli (†1989). The music sounds medieval, just like the troubadours did; occasionally very intimate and subdued music, alternated with shrill outbursts, especially due to the way he plays the saxophone. All in all a beautiful confluence of folk music, sung poetry and Nordic improvisation. CD. Starflowers – Sinikka Langeland, Arve Henriksen, Trygve Seim, Anders Jormin, Markku Ounaskari. LABEL: ECM Records (2007), code: 1996 1714563. Video

2- Nils Petter Molvaer (Norway).
Nils Petter Molvaer’s search for simplicity and pure sound can be found on the album Hamada. It starts with his thin solo trumpet in Exhumation, after which several pieces of music are gradually added to arrive at the very aptly named soundscape: Icy Altitude. Then the listener is surprised almost unprepared with heavy rock in Friction, with thundering drums and a growling bass. The same structure is more or less repeated in the subsequent tracks, culminating in the even heavier Cruel Altitude. Nils Petter Molvaer has further developed the drum & bass rhythms and dance tracks into a more pure form of jazz rock full of dynamic extremes. CD. Hamada – Nils Petter Molvaer, Eivind Aarset, Audun Erlien, Jan Bang, Audun Kleive. LABEL: Universal Records (2009), code: 00602527020419. Video

3- Lars Danielsson (Sweden).
The title Tarantella, despite what the title implies, does not have a strong Italian influence; this self-produced post-bop outing features no arrangements of traditional Italian folk songs. Nevertheless, Tarantella also has European influences, ranging from Euro-classical chamber music to traditional Scandinavian folk and bassist/cellist Lars Danielsson integrates all these influences without being too abstract or academic. He achieves this balance between intellect and accessibility with a strong team consisting of trumpeter Mathias Eick, pianist Leszek Mozdzer, guitarist John Parricelli and drummer/percussionist Eric Harland.extremen. CD. Tarantella – Lars Danielsson, Mathias Eick, Leszek Mozdzer, John Parricelli, Eric Harland. LABEL: ACT Music (2009), code: 94772. Video

4- Niels Ottosen (Denmark).
These musicians tell the story of fishermen’s life in music. In Jutland the Blæsten (the wind) poem over the water of the Limfjord is sung as if it were the national anthem. Now the poems have been published on the album Blæsten, with 11 new songs. They are songs about courage, love and drowning – about fishing and beautiful nature. The music was written by Niels Ottosen and played by four musicians, including Niels Ottosen. CD. Niels Ottosen & Blæsten. LABEL: GO´Danish Folk Music(2023), code: GO2523. Video

5- Maria Kalaniemi & Unto (Finland).
Dit is de Finse tango op zijn best, gepresenteerd door Tango-Orkest Unto met zangeres Maria Kalaniemi, die ook de accordeon, de piano, de viool, de gitaar en de bas bespeeld. De Finse Tango heeft een eigen, karakteristieke en boeiende stijl. Dit album presenteert de belangrijkste Finse tangocomponisten en tekstschrijvers, evenals Astor Piazzolla en andere componisten. CD. Finnish tango – Maria Kalaniemi, Tango Orkesteri Unto. LABEL: Arc (2003), code: EUCD 1830. Video

6- De Rollin’ Phones (Sweden).
The saxophone quartet Rollin’Phones has been an important part of the Swedish music scene since 1986. The repertoire varies from standard pieces and transcriptions to works by contemporary composers. Several compositions have been dedicated to the group by both Swedish and foreign composers and ongoing efforts are made to encourage exciting collaborations with other instrumentalists/singers and art forms. CD. Dedicated – Rollin’ Phones. LABEL: Grappa (2016), code: GRCD4463. Video

7- Afenginn (Denmark).
The album, Reptilica Polaris, is a large and ambitious piece of work. It is composed as one long piece, almost like a symphony in 11 movements. It is richly orchestrated with a 12-piece brass band, male choir, additional percussion, guitars, strings, etc. The lyrics were written by the Finnish poet Timo Haapaniemi and are constructed as a self-made syntax error lingua of Latin, English, Greek, Finnish, Swedish, German words – a kind of street Latin. It’s poetic and lyrical and has a lot of meaning, although it does take some decoding to get the most out of it. CD. Reptilica polaris – Afenginn. LABEL: Tutl (2008), code: TUTLSHD 87. Video

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Yilian Canizares – Habana-Bahia 

Label: Absilone

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 2 Aysay – KÖY

Label: No Bounds Music / InOuïe Distribution

BLOK 3 Jamala – Qirim

Label: Universal Polska

BLOK 4 Batsükh Dorj – Ögbelerim – Music for my Ancestors

Label: Buda Musique and Routes Nomades

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 5 KOUM TARA ‘Baraaim El-Louz

Label: Odradek Records

BLOK 6 Ian Bruce – Together Forever (2cd)

Label: Birnam Music

Distribution: Xango Music

1- Anouar Brahem, François Couturier, Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer and the Orchestra della Radio Svizzera Italiana.
Anouar Brahem composed music for a string orchestra for the first time, with the help of the Austrian composer Johannes Berauer. The organic string sounds form a delicate and transparent foundation for the subtle solos. The solos are not central, as is the case with much World Fusion music, but everything is in service of atmosphere and emotion. The listener is taken into a hypnotic, dreamy trance. CD. Souvenance – Anouar Brahem. LABEL: ECM Records (2015), code: 3797776. Video

2- Richard Bona,  Mandekan Cubano.
Heritage is Richard Bona’s first album in Afro-Cuban music style. The versatile jazz bassist and vocalist of Cameroonian descent gives his original and inspiring vision on the music of the African slaves in Cuba. Richard Bona’s velvety singing voice, often polyphonically dubbed, and his masterful playing on bass or guitar are complemented in a Caribbean-swinging manner by his band Mandekan Cubano. Richard Bona’s special fusion with Afro-Cuban influences, rich in varying sounds and rhythms, often captivates the listener with sunny, heart-warming music. CD. Heritage – Richard Bona, Mandekan Cubano. LABEL: Membran (2016), code: 234245. Video

3- Dhafer Youssef.
Sometimes you have to go north to find the south and vice versa. Dhafer Youssef, originally from Tunisia, is a special migratory bird who finds and reinvents his voice in this way again and again. If much is not certain, finding and accessing the deeper solid core becomes an ongoing challenge. Dhafer Youssef certainly has the necessary self-confidence and sense of favorable conditions. And he has proven to be able to organize this well. Youssef’s exceptional singing unfolds on Birds Requiem in an impressive musical environment. Here too he works with simple yet catchy, seductive melodic motifs that unfold loosely in space. CD. Birds requiem – Dhafer Youssef. LABEL: Okeh (2013), code: 88883721842. Video

4- John McLaughlin.
81 year old British master guitarist John McLaughlin still does not lack a sense of musical adventure. He played an important role in introducing Indian music into jazz and rock, with his group Shakti. This group toured with tabla grandmaster Zakir Hussain, assisted by the Indian singer Shankar Mahadevan. The album Is That So? (from 2020) contains six melodious ragas. McLaughlin uses the guitar synthesizer to create almost orchestral soundscapes, but gives all the space to Mahadevan with his plaintive and meandering vocal notes. Hussain also plays in service of this, with tabla patterns dancing around the singer. Is That So? is not an emphatic mix of Eastern and Western music, but a coming together of three inspired musicians. CD. Is That So? – John McLaughlin, Shankar Mahadevan, Zakir Hussain. LABEL: Abstract Logix (2020), code: 700261477541. Video

5- Jan Garbarek.
Norwegian Jan Garbarek composed all the music and is essentially the only soloist. The music is full of world music influences that have characterized his work since the 1970s. Garbarek’s resonant, carefully articulated tenor and soprano tone matches the spatial, minor/modal themes. He is both a singer and an instrumentalist. Jan Garbarek also plays digital synthesizers, usually as string or flute pads under the folk-like melodies. For the most part it is quiet, contemplative music – attractive, but not superficial music. The Visible World album features six musicians with whom Jan Garbarek had previously worked. CD. Visible World-Jan Garbarek, Rainer Brüninghaus, Eberhard Weber, Marilyn Mazur, Manu Katché, Trilok Gurtu, Mari Boine. LABEL: ECM Records (1995), code: 0158520 V30. Video

6- Sowal Diabi – From Kabul to Bamako.
‘Sowal’ means question in Persian while ‘diabi’ means answer in West African Bambara. The name of the project Sowal Diabi can be seen as a metaphor for the history of their record From Kaboul to Bamako. Female refugees from Mali, Iran, Afghanistan and Kurdistan found that answer together with the French Ethio-jazz group Arat Kilo. The musicians were first brought together by the organization of an event in the Brussels theater Bozar, which wanted to draw attention to the many different cultural expressions of refugees. In the album you can hear fragments from the respective countries of origin. Certainly the Iranian tar (a type of lute) fits nicely into the band’s rather raw rock sound. The group is certainly no stranger to elements from jazz, prog and reggae. CD. Sowal Diabi – De Kaboul à Bamako : From Kabul to Bamako. LABEL: PIAS (2022), code: AC 198. Video

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 The Irish Revolution – Pol Brennan

Label: Eulenspiegel

BLOK 2

Label: Naxos  World

BLOK 3 Jacques Pellarin – Haute Couture

BLOK 4 Oriane Lacaille – Iviv  

Label: IGNATUB – MDC

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 5 Yemen blues – Shabazi – A Tribute to the Poet  

Label: Music Development Company

Distribution: Xango Music

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4bOAiku-Glc?feature=share

BLOK 6 Sufiscore LAFZ BHEEGE HAIN (“Words drenched in tears”)  

Label: Sufiscore

BLOK 7 FRA! – Chale Wote  

Label: Walboomers

Distribution: Xango Music

 Blok 8   Parchman Prison Prayer – Some Mississippi Sunday Morning 

Label: Glitterbeat Records

Distribution: Xango Music

Bonga.
If one singer can be identified with the African country Angola, it is Bonga. Yet the singer did not live in his native country for a large part of his life. At the age of 23 he left for Portugal to focus on his sports career. He also sang, but the critical lyrics on his debut album forced Bonga to leave dictator Salazar’s Portugal. He lived in Rotterdam for a number of years. After the fall of Salazar and the independence of Angola, the singer lived alternately in Lisbon, Luanda and Paris. His unique style mixes local Angolan styles such as kizomba and semba with influences from West Africa, Brazil and Portugal. CD. The Best of Bonga. LABEL: Lusafrica (2009), code: 562352. Video

Voz De Cabo Verde.
The group Voz De Cabo Verde, founded in Rotterdam, was the pioneer in the international distribution of Cape Verdean music. The group only existed for a short time, from 1966 to 1970, but the individual members also contributed a lot to music solo. Voz de Cabo Verde first consisted of five musicians. Later a singer and pianist-organist were added. The group performed for four years in the popular Rotterdam ballroom club La Bonanza. Voz De Cabo Verde regularly traveled to the Benelux, France, Portugal, the United States, Cape Verde and other Portuguese-speaking African countries. CD. Dançando – Voz De Cabo Verde. LABEL: Morabeza Records (1967), code: 113007Y. Video

Tito Paris.
He is one of the best musicians of Cape Verdean music. The singer, guitarist and lyricist, who comes from a musical family, emigrated to Lisbon at the age of nineteen. Tito Paris played bass guitar in the band Voz de Cabo Verde for four years and was a sought-after accompanist in Cape Verdean and Portuguese circles. Tito Paris has developed a refined sensual style. This album contains several titles imbued with melancholic, nostalgic festive songs that invite hip-swaying dance. CD. Graça de tchega – Tito Paris. LABEL: Melodie (1996), code: 08785 2. Video

Empty Boat.
The group was formed by composer Dean Broderick and a group of musicians as part of a unique project called ‘Poop’ to raise awareness of water and sanitation issues in Africa. The songs in Portuguese and English are inspired by the element water. In 2004, Empty Boat visited Mozambique and toured with Massukos, Mozambique’s number one band, on a wash your hands for good health tour.
CD. Waitless – Empty Boat.
LABEL: Poo (2009), code: PPLCD002.

Palop Africa!
PALOP is an acronym for African countries whose official language is Portuguese. This compilation gives an idea of what the African music mix sounds like in the evening. There is music here from Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Sao Tome. With the release of PALOP, the Stern’s Earthworks label has put together another quality compilation. The world of African music from the former Portuguese colonies is rhythmically rich and deserves more depth. CD. Palop Africa! – various artists. LABEL: Sterns Music (2001), code: STEW 46 CD. Video

Musiques de l’île du milieu.
The archipelago of Sao Tomé and Principe, located off the coast of Gabon, was discovered by Portuguese navigators more than five centuries ago and has been independent for thirty years. The colonization and the influx of population groups (Portuguese, slaves from Africa, Dutch, French, etc.) made it the scene of several cultural crossroads. The different music styles borrow sounds that are sometimes African, sometimes Brazilian or European. Voices, bows, drums, flutes, rattles and scrapers are the vehicles of this amazing music of rich and contrasting cultures. CD. São Tomé & Principe : Musiques de l’île du milieu. LABEL: Buda Musique (2003), code: 3016896. Video

Thanks to:

BLOK 1: Luso Noir – Music from Portuguese-Speaking Africa

Label:Piranha records

BLOK 2: Bholoja – Swazi Soul 3 (Inkhukhu Ijutwe Umlomo)

Label: One World Records

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 3: Anna Murtola – La Tierra Blanca – 2023

Label: Nordic Notes

https://youtu.be/AKVjb4Takdc

BLOK 4: Yanka Rupkina – Keranka

Label: World Connection

BLOK 5: Yaràkä – Curannera (Zero Nove Nove, 2023)

Label: Zero Nove Nove

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 6: Yndi – Noir Brésil (2021)

Label: Nascimento

BLOK 7: Gankino Circus – Suomessa (Nordic Notes)

Label Nordic Notes

BLOK 8: Ali Farka Toure – Voyageur (2023)

Label: World Circuit

1-
Nicaragua Presente!
Music From Nicaragua Libre. The music in this production brings together part of the immense work of the best Nicaraguan authors, an important phase in the history of Nicaragua.
The joy in the singers’ voices evokes memories of the triumphant 80s era.
CD. Nicaragua Presente! Music From Nicaragua Libre.
LABEL: Rounder Records (1989), code: CD 11564. Video

2- Discos Fuentes.
This collection of songs delves into the golden years of 1960-76 and is hand-picked from Fuentes records’ huge record catalog of various tropical musical styles. Cumbia, Gaita, Fandango, Salsa and Champeta all feature in the selection from one of the world’s best Latin American music archives. Since 1934, Fuentes Records has served as the largest record label in Colombia, a country where it is impossible to escape the music.
CD. The golden age of Discos Fuentes 1960-76.
LABEL: Soundway SNWCD008. Video

3- Rojas.
An album released in the Netherlands with ‘Latin pop’ by Pedro Rojas. Almost every song is supported by a large orchestra and choir, making it easy for the listener to feel the connection the Incas had with ‘Mother Earth’ thousands of years ago. The four important elements of the Incas: earth, water, air and fire, are beautifully represented in music by Pedro Rojas.
CD. Pacha mama – mother earth – Pedro Rojas.
LABEL: Koch (1998), code: TTC 21332. Video

4- Víctor Jara.
He was one of the pioneers of the nueva canción genre of politically charged songs. Victor Jara’s interest in folk music was sparked in 1957 when he met Violeta Parra, one of the founders of the nueva canción movement. In 1970, Victor Jara supported presidential candidate Salvador Allende and Venceremos (We will win) composed the theme song of Allende’s Popular Unity movement. After the election, Jara continued to speak in support of Allende and was instrumental in the new government’s efforts to reorient Chilean culture. In 1973, Allende was overthrown by Augusto Pinochet’s military gunta. Victor Jara was shot dead shortly afterwards in Santiago’s Estado Chile.
CD. Vientos del pueblo – Victor Jara.
LABEL: Monitor (1995), code: MCD 61778. Video

5- Raúl Barboza & Horacio Castillo.
The Argentine accordionist Raúl Barboza offers on his album Invierno en París a repertoire that he recorded in duet with the late guitarist Horacio Castillo in the French capital, where he lives. The album begins and ends with two different versions of the song that gives the album its title, the first more melancholy, inspired by the harsh winters of Europe, and the second more cheerful, with more color, says the artist who brought chamamé music to France exported musical folklore from Corrientes, the Argentine province of his parents. The album Invierno en París (Wintering in Paris) was recorded in one day, thanks to the musical understanding between Barboza and Castillo.
CD. Invierno en Paris – Raúl Barboza, Horacio Castillo.
LABEL: Zig-Zag Territoires (2009), code: ZZT 091002. Video

6- Djavan.
He was born in Maceió Brazil as the son of an Afro-Brazilian mother and a Dutch-Brazilian father. He is a singer, composer, musician and combines traditional South American rhythms with popular music from America, Europe and Africa. In 1973 he moved to Rio de Janeiro and sang in various nightclubs there. After participating in various music festivals, his first album A Voze and the hits Flor de Lis & Samurai were released in 1976. The album you will listen to: Ao Vivo was recorded live, sold 1.2 million copies and the song Acelerou was chosen as the best Brazilian song at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards.
CD. Ao vivo ; vol.1 & vol.2 – Djavan.
LABEL: Epic Records (1999), code: 2-492473. Video

Thanks to:

The  2nd World Music Club Night!

Hour 1: CUMBIA CLUB vol 4

01   La Zenaida                                                  Armando Hernandez Y Su Conjunto

02   Cumbia Cienaguera                                 Conjunto Tipico Vallenato

03   Tabaco Y Ron                                            Rodolfo Y Su Tipica RA7

04   La Pollera Colora                                      Los Immortales

05   El Pescador De Baru                                Los Warahuaco

06   Baila Rosita                                                Los Guacharacos

07   Santo Domingo                                         Los Cumbiamberos De Pacheco

08   Ritmo De Tambo                                      Sonora Dinamita

09   Ocaso marino                                           Los Satelites

10   Cumbia India                                             Andres Landero

11   Tabaco Mascao                                          Combo Los Galleros

12   Cumbia Campesina                                  Los Corraleros De Majagual

13   La Piojosa                                                   Sonora Cienaguera

14   Colombia                                                    Cumbia Cosmonauts

15   La Yegros (feat. Miss Bolivia)                  Ya No Llores

16   La Cumbia Del Panadero                        Sonida De La Frontera

17   Alone Again Or                                         Chicha Libre

18   El Silbido Del Tunche                              Anarkia Tropikal

Hour 2: Afrobeat Club vol 2

01 Mellbimbo                                The Qualitions

02 Bubbles (Pt.2)                         The Boogoos

03 O Boso                                      Manu Dibango

04 Ko Dara                                    Peter King

05 Ko Ko Si                                    Buari

06 Love Me For Real                   Rim And Kasa

07 M’ongele M’am                      Eko

08 Mininga Meyong Mese        Nkodo Si-Tony

09 Africa                                       Clément Djimogne

10 Last Stand                                Ikebe Shakedown

11 Moving On                                Tony Allen

12 No Such Thing                         Warsaw Afrobeat Orchestra

13 Akumbe (MAW Remix)          Area F

Hour 3: Brazil Club vol 5

01   Jazz ‘N’ Samba (So Danco Samba)        Charlie Byrd

02   Aguas de Marco                                          Stan Getz

03   Abre Alas                                                     Ivan Lins

04   Mas Que Nada                                            Tamba Trio

05   Noticia                                                          Nelson Cavaquinho

06   Rapaz de Bem                                            Johnny Alf

07   Falando de Amor                                        Miucha & Tom Jobim

08   Coisas Que Eu Sei                                     Danni Carlos

09   Sou Mais o Samba                                     Candeia

10   Chegue Mais                                               Dudu Nobre

11   O Mestre Sala dos Mares                          Joao Bosco

12   Samba do Carioca                                     Flora Purim

13   O Bebado e a Equilibrista                         Joao Bosco & Angela Maria

14   Canta Canta, Minha Gente                        Martinho Da Vila

15   Samba de uma Nota So                            Leny Andrade

16   Se Voce Jurar                                             Grupo Fundo De Quintal

17   Clube do Samba                                         Joao Nogueira feat. Martinho Da Vila

18   Chove e Nao Molha                                   Elton Medeiros

19   Mangueira Estacao Primeira                    Alcione

20   Vou Festejar                                               Beth Carvalho

Hour 4: Mexican Club vol 4

01   El Gusto                                      Mariachi Vargas De Tecalitlan

02   Volver Volver                             Duo Gala y Su Mariachi

03   El Muro                                       Yolanda Del Rio

04   Dolor De Muerte               Paquita La Del Barrio / Chayito Valdez / Amalia Mendoza

05   Fake Mexican Tourist Blues    Kevin Ayers

06   Minas De Cobre                        Calexico

07   The Time                                     Wakal

08   Voj De Gallo                               Miguel Aceves Mejia

09   Mariachi Love Song                  Rory McLeod

10   Corrido De Cananea                  Linda Ronstadt

11   Puno De Tierra                             Antonio Eugenio Martinez

12   Negra María                                 Chavela Vargas

13   El Cascabel                                  Los Caballeros

14   La Bomba                                     Guitarras De Luna

15   Michoacan Michoacan              Queta Jimenez

Hour 5: DIVA CLUB vol 4

01   Sonho dum Criola                          Cremilda Medina

02   U Stambolu Na Bosforu               Himzo Polovina

03   De Tecalitlán                                  Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán

04   Gracias a la vida                            Mercedes Sosa

05   Una Noche Más                            Yasmin Levy

06   Tango of the Soul:                        Cesária Évora

07   Kalliopaki                                        Katerina Tsiridou

08   Az én uram                                    Mónika Lakatos

09   PaÅ¡ana                                          Božo Vreco

10   Oláh Heléna                                   Roma Tehetségnap

11   Lelo                                                   Selma Adzem

12   To Tragoudi Ton Gifton                Eleni Vitali

13   Te Pijav Laches Rosnes                Vèra Bílá

14   Uspavanka                                      Bilja Krstic

15   Moj Dilbere                                     Szapora

Hour 6: Duet Club vol 2

01   Casablanca (As Time Goes By)                        Ibrahim Ferrer & Omara Portuondo

02   Saia Do Meu Caminho                                     Elza Soares & Miltinho

03   Quel Casinha                                                      Cesária Évora & Adriano Celentano

04   Saludo A Changó                                              Compay Segundo & Khaled

05   A Força Secreta Daquela Alegria                  Gilberto Gil & Jorge Mautner

06   Tristeca                                                              Oliver Dragojevic & Amira Medunjanin

07   Rum na usnama                                               Vatra & Božo Vreco

08   La Maza                                                             Mercedes Sosa & Shakira

09   Saghi Nameh                                                   Mahsa Vahdat & Marjan Vahdat

10   Anime (Rou)                                                      Massimo Di Cataldo & Youssou N’ Dour

11   Africans Unite (Yolela)                                      Baaba Maal & Luciano

12   Never Know                                                       Angelique Kidjo & Cassandra Wilson

13   Kralj zivota mog                                                Nina Badric & Ljiljana Petrovic-Buttler

14   Sombras                                                             Chavela Vargas & Ana Belen

1- The name Tuareg probably comes from ‘Targa’, the name they themselves give to the Fezzan region in Libya. Many Tuareg tribes trace their origins to this region, or regions in northern Algeria and southern Morocco, especially the Tafilalt. From their language, Tamasheq, it can be concluded that the Tuareg at least had contact with Roman and Phoenician inhabitants of North Africa before they arrived in southern regions. The Tuareg have their own script – Tifinagh – which is directly derived from the Phoenician alphabet. In Mali, the Tuareg have a Latin-based alphabet. In the Sahara and Sahel, at the end of the 20th century, a music style of its own developed in bands that formed from the Tuaregs, or the nomadic Berber tribes that live in the North African desert area. Charming rhythms that sway like camels mix with meandering Arabic melodies and raw blues and rock guitars.
CD. Hoggar – musiques des Touarag.
LABEL: Chant du Monde (1994), code: LDX274974. VIDEO

2- The duo Toumast.
The word Ishumar was the name for the many Tuareg men in southern Algeria who moved from city to city in search of work. Most of them were refugees who had fought against the regimes of Mali and Niger. Because they were wanted, they crossed the border. Like the Tinariwen men, Moussa Ag Kenya, the founder of Toumast, was also an Ishumar. In 1993, Moussa was injured and left for France. There the guitarist met the producer Dan Levy and with him he recorded an album with nine songs that quickly get under your skin. The album Ishumar is bare and hypnotic, full of funky basses and sharp guitars.
CD. Ishumat – Toumast.
LABEL: Le Village Vert (2007), code: 5413356375879. VIDEO

3- Tinariwen.
The turbulent history of the Tuareg, the nomadic people from the Sahara, is one of a long struggle against foreign rulers. The members of Tinariwen, founded in 1982, not only professed this struggle with words, but also joined the armed struggle against the government of Mali. After the 1995 armistice, the members decided to devote themselves full-time to their music careers and with success. Tinariwen was ‘discovered’ by a French booker, who brought the band to Europe for performances, after which a remarkable triumphal march followed. The sound of the band is as inaccessible at first hearing as the desert in which the band members grew up. The playing of the three guitarists has many similarities with the blues.
CD. Aman iman : Water is life – Tinariwen.
LABEL: Universal Records (2007), code: 00602498439913. VIDEO

4- Etran Finatawa.
Niger is culturally very diverse as it is home to no less than eleven different ethnic groups. As a symbol of peace and reconciliation, musicians from two different nomadic tribes, the Tuaregs and Woodabe, united in the group Etran Finatawa. Special is their polyphonic vocals and absence of instruments. The veiled Touaregs, camel herders, use instruments such as violins and percussion for their repetitive songs. In Etran Finatawa, meaning “Stars of Tradition”, these traditional instruments are complemented by electric guitars. In a powerful, hypnotic style, the album Introducing Etran Finatawa performs songs about recognizable subjects such as cattle, survival, Islam, beauty, love and a camel race.
CD. Introducing Etran Finatawa – Etran Finatawa.
LABEL: World Music Network (2007), code: INTRO 10CD. VIDEO

5- Mdou Moctar.
He belongs to the first generation of Turag and desert blues artists. But singer and guitarist Mdou Moctar only found worldwide recognition after his starring role in the Nigerian film Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai. His album Afrique Victime is now released on the American Indie label Matador. With a classic rock band line-up behind him, Mdou Moctar has one leg in Turag music and the other in psychedelic American rock. The band gives him an enchanting basis for his serpentine guitar playing. That can be quite, sometimes almost Jimi Hendrix-esque. The vocals often consist of fierce chants (the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds) of the entire band and raise injustice. It gives meaning to the raw and hypnotic desert rock of this special artist.
CD. Afrique victime – Mdou Moctar.
LABEL: Matador Records (2021), code: OLE1614CD. VIDEO

6- Bombino.
This album was recorded during his performance at the Melkweg in 2019. Bombino is one of the greatest guitarists and artists from the Sahara and Sahel region of Africa. Born in 1980 in a nomadic Tuareg family near Agadez, Niger, on the edge of the Sahara. When Bombino was just twelve years old, his family had to flee to Tamanrasset to escape the impending rebel violence. Bombino learned to play the guitar and in a short time he became a local legend, until eventually critics outside Africa started to appreciate his playing. In 2007, something tragic happens:  two of his band members are murdered by the army of Niger. Regardless of life’s challenges, Bombino continues his mission to use music to spread love, understanding and the beauty of Tuareg culture around the world.
CD. Live in Amsterdam – Bombino.
LABEL: Partisan Records (2020), code: PTKF2188-2. VIDEO

7- Imidiwen (friends) hails from the north of Mali, but because of the use of a number of unusual instruments, the group finds an original niche. Just listen to track 3: Coeur Déchiré, a song in which the combination of a fluttering clarinet, a driving guitar line and the compelling repetitive rhythms absolutely works. And so there is a surprise in every song, such as a hypnotic drum solo from track 4: Tamiditin Ouali and the gypsy brass-like horns in track 6: Appel à mes Soeurs.
CD. Image de Kidal – Imidiwen.
LABEL: L’Autre (2012), code: 4IMDW501. VIDEO

Met dank aan:

LOK 1 Marko Louis – Beskraj II – 2023

Label:  the publishing house Balkan Art Collaboration

BLOK 2 Srdjan Ivanovic – Xénos 

Label: Rue Des Balkans

BLOK 3 Divan and Divine – Zeyn’el

Label: Arc Music

BLOK 4 Orquesta Failde – Danzoneando 2023

Label: El Cerrito Records

BLOK 5 Hialøsa – Scanian Very Old Pop

Label: Go Danish Folk Music

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 6 The Wolf And The Lamb – Live At The Skakh – Yale Strom and Hot Pstromi

Label: ARC Music

BLOK 7 Dimitris Papageorgiou  – Greek Bouzouki Classics

Label: ARC Music

1- Willie Nelson.
Nelson was born in 1933 in Abbott, Texas. After a period in the Air Force, for example, he sold Bibles and encyclopedias door to door. With the money he earned from his first song Family Bible, he traveled to Nashville, the heart of country music. In the 1970s he moved back to Texas. During this period his style changed to a more modern country style. Pop and rock elements were also included. In 1975, Willie Nelson collaborated with Waylon Jennings, among others, under the name ‘Outlaws’. From 1980, Nelson was an established star in America. He wrote less and less new songs and instead used classics from country, pop and rock and played more and more with other well-known artists. Today Willie Nelson is 90 years old and still performs a lot. CD. Spirit – Willie Nelson. LABEL: Universal Records 00731452424228 / Island Records 5242422 (1996). VIDEO

2- Steve Earl & The Dukes.
In 2016, Texan singer-songwriter Guy Clark passed away. He was a founder of the Nashville scene of outlaw artists from which Rodney Crowell and Steve Earle, among others, flourished. Young Steve Earle also owed his first writing job in Nashville to Guy Clark. On the album Guy he now honors his missed mentor. Earle adapted Clark’s well-known songs such as Desperados Waiting For A Train and Heartbroke into a whole that can only be a Steve Earle & The Dukes album. Bare, loose and like rudimentary folk songs, they perform the repertoire with acoustic instruments and here and there a plaintive lap steel guitar. CD. Guy – Steve Earl, The Dukes. New West Records (2019), code: NW6455. VIDEO

3- Linda Ronstadt.
She started her solo career in 1968. Her backing band consisted of a group of musicians who would later form the Eagles. In 1974 she broke through with the album Heart Like a Wheel. The single You’re No Good also became a hit in Europe. Her greatest success came with the 1977 album Simple Dreams. The album included the hits It’s So Easy (originally by Buddy Holly) and Blue Bayou (originally by Roy Orbison). The album also contained some songs written by Warren Zevon and a version of Tumbling Dice by The Rolling Stones. CD. The very best of Linda Ronstadt. LABEL: Elektra (2002), code: 8122-736052. VIDEO

4- Tony Joe White.
Nicknamed the Swamp Fox, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his 1969 hit Polk Salad Annie and Rainy Night in Georgia, which he wrote but was first popularized by Brook Benton in 1970. He wrote also two hits for Tina Turner in 1989; those two songs came out through Tina’s producer at the time, Mark Knopfler, who was a friend of Tony Joe White. Polk Salad Annie was also recorded by the French Joe Dassin and by Elvis Presley and Tom Jones. Tony Joe White died of a heart attack in 2018 at the age of 75. CD. Tony Joe White – One Hot July. LABEL: Universal Records 00731455889420 / Mercury Records 5588942 (1999). VIDEO

5- John Martyn.
Solid Air is one of the defining moments of – in this case – British folk. John Martyn (in 1972) stepped out of his comfort zone to record and produce the album Solid Air, which included not only jazz and blues, but also rock and numerous sound effects, and featured Rhodes piano on some of its tracks. Solid Air was considered by many to be John Martyn’s best album. The album has many beautiful songs, but striking are Go Down Easy and May You Never. Twenty-six years later, in 1999, Solid Air was named one of the greatest chill-out albums of all time in Q Magazine. In 1998, five of Solid Air’s songs were used for the soundtrack of a new BBC film Titanic Town. John Martyn passed away in 2009. CD. Solid Air – John Martyn. LABEL: Universal 00731454814720 / Island Records 731454814720 (2013). VIDEO

6- Robert Johnson.
He is one of the legendary figures in the history of the blues whose life story slowly but surely grew into the folklore of the southern United States. Little is known of Robert Johnson’s life and there are only two photographs of the singer/guitarist. In 1936 Robert Johnson recorded a number of songs. A recurring theme in his lyrics was his fear of the devil. That gave all the more reason for speculation surrounding his mysterious death at the age of 27. CD. The Centennial Collection : The complete recordings – Robert Johnson. LABEL: Sony (2011), code: 886978590725. VIDEO

Thank to:

BLOK 1 Bilja Krstić & Bistrik Orchestra -Biljur (2023)

Label: Croation Records

https://youtu.be/S40mR5x51yc

BLOK 2 Baklava – From Skopje with Love (2023)

 Label: CPL-Music

BLOK 3 Goran Bregovic – The Belly Button Of The World (2023)

Label: Decca

BLOK 4 Eliana Cuevas – Sere Libre (2023)

Label: Alma Records

BLOK 5

Damir Imamović – The World and All That It Holds   (2023)

Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

BLOK 6 Eliades Ochoa – Guajiro (2023)                                

Label: World Circuit

BLOK  7  Jean-Luc Thomas and Gab Faure – Gwiad (2023)

Label: Hirustica / L’Autre Distribution

BLOK 8 Canto Do Sol – Avant l_Équinoxe (2023)

Label: Jaboticaba/ InOuïe Distribution

1- Maluzerne.
A folk group from Bondy in the Paris region, founded in 1977 by two friends Bernard Dimet and Michel Le Cam. The album Anthology is a complete anthology, featuring the group’s three albums from that era and two previously unreleased albums, recorded in 2005.
CD. Anthology – Malzerne. LABEL: Cinq Planetes (2006), code: CP 06892. VIDEO

2- Alan Stivell.
This collection of all early material serves as an excellent introduction to Alan Stivell’s music for the neophyte. While the tracks are varied – instrumental/vocal, rocking/reflective, acoustic/electrified, it’s all stamped with this troubadour’s mysterious scent. By his twenties he was already a fully formed performer, thanks to his early initiation into Breton music, the harp, their place in the Celtic world and even their role in civilization in general. Alan Stivell is certainly non-traditional, yet true to his tradition, recognizing that its survival depends on it. CD. Master serie – Alan Stivell. LABEL: Philips (1990), code: 8466482. VIDEO

3- I Muvrini.
A Corsican music group. In the early 1980s, the group was struggling. Some cities banned the concerts because they would disturb public order. However, I Muvrini continued to sing in the Corsican language. They created their own style by combining traditional music with their own compositions. The Corsican identity marked their own sound. CD. Au Zenith – Leurs 13 plus grandes chansons – I Muvrini. LABEL: Columbia Records (1994), code: 4769422. VIDEO

4- France : Ethnic-Folk-music.
This is an album released in Germany in the 1980s, part of about forty CDs and LPs from the Folklore Series of the label Sonia. Almost all countries in the world were represented in this series with a national edition. France is represented with songs from various regions, most of them with an instrumental version, in which the accordion plays a leading role. CD. France : Ethnic-Folk-music – National Character – Exotic. LABEL: Sonia (1989), code: CD 77085.

5- Beñat Achiary.
Singer-songwriter born in 1947 (in the Basque Country), is one of the most creative vocalists in France. He teaches traditional music at the Conservatoire National de Région in Bayonne. While he has recorded several solo albums, including Basque Music of Today, Beñat Achiary’s most impressive work has come from his improvised collaborations with soprano saxophonist Michael Doneda, whom he met in the late 1980s. In 2001 he released Voix Basques, a record that mixes his Basque roots with the culture defined by European improvisation and other traditions. CD. Arranoa – Beñat Achiary. Ocora (1988), code: C 559045. VIDEO

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Omara Portuondo – Vida 

Label: One World Records
Distribution by Xango Music

BLOK 2 Cremilda Medina – Nova Aurora 

Label: MOVE agency

BLOK 3 Maja Milinkovic – Fadolinka 2.0

Label: Croatia Records

BLOK 4 Daniel Kahn and Jake-Shulman – The Bulding and Other Songs

Label:Oriente

BLOK 5 Mze Shina – Elesa

Label: Buda Music

Distribution by Xango Music

BLOK 6 Koby Israelite – mostly peaceful 

Label: Asphalt Tango

BLOK 7 20 Años y un Día – Nubenegra

Label: Nubenegra

Distribution by Xango Music

1- Niger : Musiques des Touaregs – In Gall.
In the Sahara and Sahel, at the end of the 20th century, a style of music developed in bands that originated from the Tuaregs, or the nomadic Berber tribes that live in the North African desert area. Charming rhythms that sway like camels mix with meandering Arabic melodies and raw guitars. An unpolished sound, which also echoes the hard existence of the Tuareg. It is now impossible to imagine contemporary world music without Desert Blues, with young followers who add their own, modern styles.
CD. Niger : Musiques des Touaregs – Ingall. LABEL: Gallo (203), code: VDE CD-1106. VIDEO

2- Tinariwen.
Emmaar (meaning heat on the wind) is the sixth album by Tuareg band Tinariwen, released in 2014. It is their first full-length album not recorded in North Africa. After Tinariwen’s previous album won the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 2012, the band was ousted by a Tuareg uprising in their home region of northern Mali, in which Islamist militants kidnapped guitarist Abdallah Ag Lamida. Other members of the band fled to the southwestern United States, where they wrote and recorded Emmaar in and around Joshua Tree National Park, which has a desert environment similar to their homeland. The album’s lyrics mainly deal with the band’s exile and political struggles in their home country. CD. Emmaar : Deluxe edtion – Tinariwen. LABEL: Wedge (2014), code: W13CD2. VIDEO

3- Best of Mory Kanté.
Mory Kanté (died 2020, Conakry, Guinea) was an acclaimed singer and player of the kora harp. He was born into one of Guinea’s most famous families of griot musicians. After being brought into the Mandinka griot tradition in Guinea, he was sent to Mali at the age of seven – where he learned to play the kora, as well as important voice traditions, some of which are necessary to become a griot. In 1988 he was suddenly in first place in the Dutch Top 40 with Yé Ké Yé Ké. Of course, this cheerful song is also on this Best of compilation, supplemented with tracks from the albums Akwaba Beach and Touma.
CD. Best of Mory Kanté. LABEL: Universal (2002), code: 00731458972426 + 00602537760756 + 5897242. VIDEO

4- Roland Tchakounte.
Blues Menessen is the second album by Roland Tchakounté, who lives in Paris and was born in Cameroon. His eventful life and background form an almost logical and very promising prelude to a successful blues career. With eight children, of which he was the only son, his parents fled the harsh rural life to build a new life in Douala. Unfortunately, after a major house fire, the family was at the mercy of the charity. Roland then alluded to a departure for France and only after many years of waiting for a visa and a number of perilous attempts to leave Cameroon did he manage to make the crossing by plane. Although he soon finds his way in the music scene in Paris with a mix of blues and rock, it is ultimately the meeting with blues guitarist Mick Ravassat, also prominently present on Blues Menessen on electric guitar, that results in a definitive change of style and sound. , more focused on the pure Afroblues. CD. Blues menessen – Roland Tchakounte. LABEL: World Connection (2011), code: 8712629431029 + WC43095. VIDEO

5- Neco Novellas is an ambitious vocal quintet of three musical brothers and two sisters. Originally from Mozambique, they have now settled more or less permanently in Europe, where they try to make ‘global music’. The album New Dawn is a promising, open debut showcasing their versatile musical identity, heavily influenced by the music of their South African neighbours. Their use of the marabenta style – simple, three-chord dance music of the people that they experiment with in Zuma Luei, among others – also makes some of those songs nice and danceable. CD. New dawn – Ku khata – Neco Novellas. LABEL: World Connection (2008), code: 5413356339475 + WC 43068. VIDEO

6- Omar Sosa.
An inspiring, peaceful world fusion of traditional African music with contemporary jazz. In 2009 the Cuban pianist and composer Omar Sosa toured East Africa. During his tour he met numerous traditional musicians. His sound engineer Patrick Destandeau made field recordings of their musical performances. It was not until 2018 that Omar Sosa started working on those recordings. In a non-emphatic way he complements the music with subtle playing on acoustic piano, kalimba and keyboard. In this way he creates an equal fabric of creative expressions by various artists. In Paris, the final mix was made with the collaboration of co-producer and percussionist Steve Argüelles and multi-instrumentalist Christophe Minck. CD. An East African journey – Omar Sosa. LABEL: Ota Records (2021), code: MDC023. VIDEO

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Noemi Waysfeld – Le temps rêver (2023)

Label: Masterworks

BLOK 2 Wifa – Louken

Label: Karam prod / InOuïe Distribution

BLOK 3 Kune, Canada’s Global Orchestra, Universal Echoes

Label: Universal Music Canada

BLOK 4 Luis De La Carrasca – Baró Drom

Label: Andalouse Alhambra / InOuïe Distribution

BLOK 5 Roberta Roman – La Petite Naples opération Sultan

Label: Entourage Contempo / Absilone / Socadisc

BLOK 6 Haïdouti – Yuh Yuh 2023

Label: Tchekchouka

BLOK 7 Abdo Buda Marconi – Karsilama (2019)

Label: Dunya Records

BLOK 8 Rumbaristas – Malabares

Label: Mamita Records

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 9 Triumvirat – O’Tridal

Label: Parker Prod

Distribution: Xango Music

1- Tenore San Gavino de Oniferi.
The human voice is the first instrument man has had at his disposal. The Sardinian artists know this all too well. The TENORS choir is certainly part of that and confirms its value with the album we are going to listen to. The tenor singing usually takes place with the entrance of the soloist entrusted with the task of presenting the first verse and tonality of the piece, followed by the harmonies of the other components creating sounds with an archaic charm thanks to the guttural and meaningless syllables. The TENORS offer in a repertoire that respects the tradition of Sardinia where they come from.
CD. E prite tottu custu – Tenore San Gavino de Oniferi.
LABEL: Felmay (2007), code: FY 8118. VIDEO

2- Actores Alidos.
The repertoire of Sardinian women’s songs, presented by the female vocal quintet Actores Alidos, plays between tradition and new sounds. Songs to rock children, celebrate religious rituals, protect against illness, dispel the fear of loneliness, evoke passionate loves and ease their daily work with playful verses. The woman’s song, appreciated for its harmonic and interpretive beauty and especially for the valuable social role it played in the community, accompanies all stages of life, from birth to death. CD. Galanìas : Canti delle donne Sarde – Actores Alidos.
LABEL: Finisterre (2015), code: FT 65. VIDEO

3- Paolo Conte.
In Europe, the Italian singer, pianist, composer and lyricist Paolo Conte has been a well-known and beloved musical personality for decades, but in the United States he only became known in 1998, when Nonesuch was released a Best Of Album. The album Reveries is also intended for the American market, it is a collection of classics from Conte’s extensive oeuvre. Paolo Conte’s musical pastiche is a unique mix of chanson, cabaret and jazz and is full of humor and fantasy. As a result, the smoky, relaxed crooner vocals and his nostalgic colorful music remain irresistible. CD. Reveries – Paolo Conte.
LABEL: None (2003), code: 7559-798182. VIDEO

4- Mario Lanza.
Born in Philadelphia in 1921, died in Rome in 1959, was an American-Italian projectionist and Hollywood movie star who achieved great success in the 1950s. His voice, according to many, was at least on the level of the famous tenor Enrico Caruso, whom he played in the 1951 film “The Great Caruso”. Mario Lanza could sing in all genres of music. Although his emotive style was not widely acclaimed by the critics, he was immensely popular with the general public.
CD. Greatest hits – Mario Lanza.
LABEL: RCA Records (2009), code: 88697-422042. VIDEO

5-
Ennio Morricone.
With famous film soundtracks such as A Fistful Of Dollars (1965), The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966) and The Untouchables (1987), Ennio Morricone established himself as one of the best film composers of his generation.
Born in Rome in 1928, he showed a naturally precocious talent at the age of six, writing his first composition.
CD. The best of Ennio Morricone – Ennio Morricone (Componist). LABEL: RCA (1984), code: 74321-289842 – RCA PD 70324. VIDEO

6- Totore Chessa.
In the east of Sardinia is the town of Irgoli and a very interesting person, Totore Chessa. He plays on a small diatonic accordion, this instrument has contributed most to keep traditional music alive in Sardinia. Totor Chessa’s love for the accordion has led him to collect a hundred accordions from all over the world and organize the accordion festival every year. He is passionate about his culture and makes everyone he comes into contact with want to participate.
CD. Organittos – Totore Chessa.
LABEL: New Tone (1996), codes: 0006743 NT – New Tone NT 0006743. VIDEO

Thanks to:

• BLOK 1 Pedro Moutinho – Casa

• BLOK 2 Oko – OKO

Label: Bandcamp

• BLOK 3 Andreas Utnem – du kjenner meg

Label: KKV

• BLOK 4 Balkan Zoo & Nina Coric – Recycle

Label: Croatia Records

• BLOK 5 Ekrem & Gypsy Groovz – Rivers of happiness

Label: Enja Records

• BLOK 6 Lia – Como una flor sin raíces

Label: ANECDOTIQUES

• BLOK 7 Nenia Ira

Label: Vlad

• BLOK 8 ‘Ndiaz – la brune

Label: Paker Prod
Distribution by Xango Music

BLOK 9 Josipa Lisac – …Tu U Mojoj Duši Stanuješ

Label: Croatia Records

1- Duplex.
The Belgian tandem consists of two professionals: Didier Laloy (diatonic accordion) and Damien Chierici (violin), who realized, recorded and published a colorful edition. With the 14 titles on the album, the artists have faced numerous musical challenges and genre games. As a result, here and there we get to hear an exciting recording that is a journey through the realms of world music, neofolk and some jazz shades. All this is permeated with vintage and traditional elements, which give the music a certain weight. It should definitely be mentioned that Laloy and Chierici are quality instrumentalists, and their constant “dialogues” keep potential listeners awake all the time. CD. Maelstrom – Duplex. LABEL: Zig Zag World / Arc music (2023), code EUCD2959. VIDEO

2- Kayah & Goran Bregović.
This is the fifth studio album by Polish singer Kayah, and the first in collaboration with Goran Bregović. The collaboration between these two Slavic superstars is an entertaining and intriguing mix of pop and folk elements. While Goran Bregovic may be a bit better known in the US for his Time of the Gypsy soundtrack, Kayah has come under scrutiny as a singer and lyricist. All songs on this CD have been translated into Polish from their different languages by her. She has a dark, smoldering voice that is extremely seductive and has complete control over her instrument. CD. Kayah & Bregović – Kayah & Goran Bregović. LABEL: RCA Records (2004), code: 74321-724142. VIDEO

3- The Incredible String Band.
Described as one of the most captivating groups to emerge from the esoteric 1960s, The Incredible String Band was essentially the duo of Mike Heron and Robin Williamson. Their sound consisted of haunting Celtic folk melodies complemented by a variety of Middle Eastern and Asian instruments. In the summer of 1968, The Incredible String Band gave a remarkable concert in the legendary main hall of the Fillmore East in New York City. The concert was recorded by the auditorium’s sound desk. CD. Live at the Fillmore 1968 – The Incredible String Band. LABEL: Hux (2013), code: HUX 137. VIDEO

4- Nigel Kennedy & Kroke.
Nigel Kennedy is one of England’s foremost violinists. This protégé of Yehudi Menuhin is praised for his virtuoso technique, great musicality and popularity in both the classical and popular music world. In the Polish city of Krakow, Nigel Kennedy met the Kroke trio, which was founded in 1992 by Tomasz Kukurba (violin, viola), Jerzy Bawol (accordion) and Tomasz Lato (double bass). Kroke plays modern self-composed works inspired by authentic klezmer, Arabic and gypsy music. Kennedy and Kroke play the stars of heaven together on the album East Meets East. Singer Natacha Atlas sings beautifully on the 1st track of the album: Ajde Jano. CD. East Meets East – Nigel Kennedy & Kroke. LABEL: EMI (2003), codes: EMI 5575122 + EMI 5575112. VIDEO

5- Alan Stivell.
The king of the Celtic harp, Alan Stivell, has cast a mythical shadow over Breton music and the folk revival ever since he broke onto the folk scene in the early 1960s. The album Human / Kelt is the first of three that look back on Alan Stivell’s long career. Several tracks refer straight back to the first track of his first album Harpe Celtique in 1961 and has been updated here in the presence of composer and musician Yann Tiersen (known for his song-track from the film Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain). CD. Human / kelt – Alan Stivell. LABEL: World Village WV479132. VIDEO

6-
Fernando Lameirinhas.
A Portuguese-Dutch composer, lyricist, singer and guitarist. He started making music here with his brother Antonio and performed between 1966 and 1970 as the soul duo Jess & James. They scored some hits and traded a lot. In 1975 Fernando Lameirinhas moves to Amsterdam. Over the years he developed his own style that combines fado with influences from samba. He has collaborated with many different musicians, including Stef Bos, Frank Boeijen, BLØF and Henny Vrienten. CD. Fadeando – Fernando Lameirinhas. LABEL: Biram BIR 990201. VIDEO

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Hughes De Courson – Babel

Label: Virgin Classics

BLOK 2 Sirba Octet – Tsuzamen Armenian, Yiddish and Gypsy music

Label: Sirba Records

BLOK 3 The Bulgarian Voices Angelite With Huun-Huur-Tu & Moscow Art Trio – Legend

Label: Transgressive Records

BLOK 4 The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians –Africa Express Presents… The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians & Guests (2016)

Label: Jaro Medien

1-
Bombino.
Omara ‘Bombino’ Moctar is a Tuareg and plays the typical guitar music of this people from the Sahara. A bit like the group Tinariwen, but with more rock influences. Bombino represents a new generation whose music sounds a lot livelier than the somewhat original Tuareg blues due to the injection of solid, western rock.
CD. Nomad – Bombino.
LABEL: Nonesuch Records (2013), code: 534291-2.
VIDEO

2- Robert Johnson.
Everything Robert Johnson has ever recorded is on this album. While listening to the music, you can imagine Robert Johnson’s tormented soul. Some of Robert’s music is light in nature and some is downright frightening. The guitar playing is just incredible. It’s hard to believe that one person did this without additional sounds. The booklet inside the album is also very informative with notes from Keith Richards and Eric Clapton. Due to the nature of the recordings it sounds very rough. But that’s also part of the charm of this music. CD. The complete recordings [remastered] – Robert Johnson. LABEL: Columbia Records (2009), code: 484414 2. VIDEO

3- Big Mama Thornton.
Willie Mae was born in 1926 in Ariton, Alabama. Her father was a pastor in the church, her mother sang in the choir. After her mother’s death, Big Mama joined Sammy Green’s Georgia Based Hot Harlem Revue at the age of 14. There she worked for seven years and learned a lot from performing. She also taught herself to play drums and harmonica. In 1951 she joined Peacock Records under the name Big Mama Thornton. At Peacock Records she made the song Hound Dog. It remained at No. 1 on the R&B Chart for seven weeks. Three years later, Elvis Presley covered it and scored a huge hit with it. CD. In Europe : 1965 – Big Mama Thornton. LABEL: Arhoolie (2006), code: CD 9056. VIDEO

4- Vieux Farka Touré.
It seems that on this album Touré is determined to prove to the world what great things can still come from Mali. He sings a lot less on Mon Pays than on previous albums. That gives him every opportunity to show his unique guitar playing. On the song Doni Doni, he shows how great his playing on the kora is. The shuffling grooves of Touré’s backing band ensure that you can also move your hips to his languid desert blues. It’s dangerous to say that his country’s misery has brought out the best in Vieux Farka Touré, but Mon Pays is certainly one of the highlights of his oeuvre. CD. Mon Pays – Vieux Farka Touré. LABEL: Six Degrees Records (2013), code: SDR 1200. VIDEO

5- John Lee Hooker (1917-2001).
He was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter who used different kinds of styles during his lifetime. He is considered an important innovator of the blues. Well-known songs by Hooker include Boom Boom and I’m in the Mood. Even though he stuttered in ordinary conversation, when he sang it was unnoticeable. His semi-spoken singing style became his trademark. His music was rhythmically free, a trait found in much of the acoustic Delta Blues music. CD. The great John Lee Hooker – John Lee Hooker. LABEL: Southern Routes (2016), code: SR-2505. VIDEO

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Mariachi – The sound of hysteria & heartache

Label: ‎ Trikont

BLOK 2 La Chicana – Hikikomori (2021)

Label: Acqua Argentina

BLOK 3 Merema – Eryamon Koytneva (2023)

Label: CPL-Music

BLOK 4 Payadora Tango – SilentTears, TheLastYiddishTango (2023)

Label: Six Degrees Records

BLOK 5 Banjare – Baul meets Saz

Label: Uren production

Distribution by Xango Misic

BLOK 6 Duplex – Maelstrom

Label: ARC Music  DuplexMusic

BLOK 7 Manush music vol 1

Label: Uren production

Distribution by Xango Misic

1- Fra Fra Big Band.
Fra Fra Sound has been around for over thirty years. The group of originally seven musicians multiplied into a big band at its tenth anniversary. The album With The Spirit Of Life has a richly orchestrated overall sound of music from the Caribbean, North and South America, West Africa and Europe. They play compositions by Duke Ellington as well as Vincent Nehar, Michael Simon and Efraim Trujillo’s own work.
CD. With the spirit of life – Fra Fra Big Band.
LABEL: Pramisi (2013), code: PRA CD 1309. VIDEO

2- Haïti Direct.
Hugo Mendez presents the first-ever retrospective of the golden era of Haitian music, from the big band sound of Compas Direct in the mid-1950s to the inspired mini-jazz scene of the 1960s and 1970s. The album covers influential band leaders and the wave of smaller bands that followed in their wake, many of which built loyal audiences from their neighborhood. The tracks also include the more folk-based and acoustic twoubadou style popularized by many Haitian artists. CD. Haiti Direct – Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds, 1960​-​1978. LABEL: Strut Records (2014), code: 093CD. VIDEO

3- Compay Segundo.
Thanks to the Buena Vista Social Club project, the song “Chan chan” by Compay Segundo got attention again. But the Cuban with the dark voice and unquenchable zest for life didn’t stay with the Club for long: he preferred to make his own CDs. Duets pairs Segundo with the voices of Khaled, Lou Bega, Charles Aznavour, Antonio Banderas and a couple of Buena Vista colleagues.
CD. Duets van Compay Segundo.
LABEL: Gasa (2002), code: 0927-432282. VIDEO

4- Calypso: Costa Rica.
A compilation of 10 Calypso bands, including: New Revalation | Tin Tan | Cahuita Calypso | Emilio Alvares & Charro de Limon. In Costa Rica, calypso and other Afro-Caribbean rhythms are most prevalent in the province of Limón, where most Jamaican immigrants first came in the nineteenth century. Although these artists have a “frozen in time” sound, the music is great nonetheless. In solo formations and small ensembles of percussion, guitars and voices, this generation of artists displays a good dose of enthusiasm.
CD. Calypso: Costa Rica. LABEL: Buda Musique (1996), code: 926462. VIDEO

5- Ernest Léardée.
In the early 1950s, Ernest Léardée and his West Indies orchestra played a major role in the popularization of tropical music in France. He allows us to discover singer André Salvador, Henri Salvador’s older brother, in unreleased and extremely rare recordings by Jean-Pierre Meunier & Patrick Frémeaux.
CD. Rythmes des Antilles 1951-1954, Ernest Léardée, André Salvador. LABEL: Fremeaux & Associes (2007), code: FA 5177.

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Mostar Sevdah Reunion – Lady Sings The Balkan Blues 2022

Label: Snail Records

https://youtu.be/srdgVPnzJAk

BLOK 2 Fado Cruzado – Menina E Moça 2022 

Label: FADO AO CENTRO

Distribution : Xango Music

BLOK 3 Ana Moura – Casa Guilhermina – 2022

Label:  Self-released

BLOK 4 Micah P. Hinson – I Lie To You

Label: Ponderosa

Distribution : Xango Music

BLOK 5 light in babylon – On our way 2022

Label:Bandcamp / self released

BLOK 6 Louisa Lyne – A troy oiyf a boym 2022

Label: Self released

BLOK 7 Buenos Aires Cafe

Label: Emi

BLOK 8 Aleksandra Popovska

Info: http://aleksandrapopovska.com/main/

Ch r i s t m a s   C a r o l s
* Songs for Christmas – Mahalia Jackson
* Celtic Christmas – The First Noel…
* Christmas time, Mambo time
* Christmas Chants : Live in Berlin – Gregorian
* Kerstmis in Oekraïne – Utrechts Byzantijns Koor

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Vila Navio – Âmago

Label: Vila Navio

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 2 Mario Lucio – Migrants

Label: Music Development Company

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 3 Radicanto – Alle radicidel canto

Label: Visage Music

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 4 Gaye Su Akyol – Anadolu Ejderi

Label: Glitterbeat Records

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 5 Kottarashky & The Rain Dogs – Doghouse 

Label: Asphalt Tango

BLOK 6 Mahsa Vahdat & Skrut – Braids of innocence (2022)

Label: Kirkelig Kulturverksted

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 7 Diana Vilarinho – Diana Vilarinho 

Label:        Pgbooking

Distribution: Xango Music

BLOK 8 Balaklava Blues – Let me out 2022

Label: Unfit Records

BLOK 9 Son de Aquí – Al Otro Lado  del Mar

Label: Bandcamp

https://youtu.be/5UV1QDp6EHE

1- The big bang: in the beginning was the drum; volume – 2.
The label ‘Ellipsis Arts’ released the album in 1995 with the participation of drummers and percussionists from Japan, different regions of Africa, India, South America, China… Well-known names are represented – Nigeria’s Olatunji, drum guru Mickey Hart – but the real joy in a collection like this is discovering music you might never have achieved otherwise. The album emphasizes that the drum beat is as universal as it is diverse by presenting more than two hundred (often well-known) drum artists in three volumes. The proceeds of the album admirably benefited the beleaguered rainforest (Rainforest Alliance).
CD. The big bang: in the beginning was the drum; volume – 2.
LABEL: Ellipsis Arts (1005), code: CD3401.

2- Rhapsodie klezmer by Yankele.
Five musicians together form the French Klezmer group Yankele: a guitarist, a double bassist, an accordionist, a violinist and a clarinetist. The last two also sing for a while. With Rhapsodie Klezmer they are working on their third album. The title refers to the famous Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. With the opening track Freilach in blue by clarinetist Yannick Thépault you immediately get to hear the timbre and atmosphere of the entire album. It is clearly a tribute to the American composer of Russian Jewish descent, Jacob Gershowitz, who took the stage name George Gershwin.
CD. Rhapsodie klezmer – Yankele.
LABEL: Buda Musique (2014), code: 3750256. VIDEO

3- The very best of British folk.
British Folk Music survived Punk, Disco and New Wave and the tradition continues today. On this album you can discover the journey British Folk has taken from the revival of the 1950’s through the heyday of Folk clubs to the modern renaissance. Nineteen songs, including songs from Fairport Convention, Bert Jansch, Norma Waterson, Dick Gaughan, Ewan MacColl and many others.
CD. The very best of British folk.
LABEL: Nectar (1997), code: NTMCD 544.

4-Townes by Steve Earle.
In 2009 Steve Earle released the album Townes, which is entirely dedicated to the work of legendary troubadour and country singer Townes van Zandt, who died prematurely in 1997. He does this with a very personal choice from Van Zandt’s extensive repertoire. No one could have done this better than Steve Earle, as Townes van Zandt was and is his role model and was even his friend and mentor when young Steve started making music himself in the early 1970s. Steve Earle is completely clear: Townes van Zandt was his great example and the success of the album is only overshadowed by the fact that Van Zandt can no longer experience how he is valued today.
CD. Townes – Steve Earle.
LABEL: New West Records (2009), code: NW6164. VIDEO

5- Schoon portret by Drik de Bruyn.
Drik de Bruijn (1908, Rijsbergen) was a cattle dealer. He was also a celebrated singer who, before the Second World War, traveled on foot or by bicycle to fairs, weddings and parties. Drik de Bruijn made the lyrics and melodies of most of his songs himself. He sang in Resbaargs, an Antwerp-Kempic dialect. His lyrics, which were often humorous as well, showed a social commitment. He also played the diatonic accordion. One of his most famous songs is Tietekot. At the age of 85 he released his first CD. He is then accompanied by Kees Schoone (accordion), Wim Dictus (guitar), his son Jan de Bruijn (bass guitar) and Pieter van Bogaert (percussion). These musicians also accompanied him on previous performances. Drik de Bruijn passed away in 2001.
CD. Schoon portret – Drik de Bruyn.
LABEL: St Volksmuziek Nederland (1995), code: SVNCD 001. VIDEO

6- Flor de amor by Omara Portuondo.
As a young girl, Omara Portuondo danced at the legendary Tropicana club in Havana, Cuba. No one had heard of Fidel Castro. The American influence was great and Omara became addicted to the vocals of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. On her album Flor De Amor she returns to the romantic time of the so-called filin, a mix of Afro-Cuban, Latin and vocal jazz. Omara still has that connection to the golden age of Cuban song. Nick Gold and Jerry Boys provide the familiar warm sound in classics such as Tabu, Flor De Amor and Juramento. There is something special hidden in every song. Sometimes in a piano tune, then again in a beautiful violin arrangement or a small reference to the tango in a subtle touch of bandoneon. When you make your best albums around the age of 75, you earn a ten with a stylus. Flor De Amor is the crown on her career.
CD. Flor de amor – Omara Portuondo.
LABEL: World Circuit (2004), code: WCD 068. VIDEO

Thanks to:

WERELDMUZIEKNACHT

BLOK 1 Fabrizio Piepoli – Maresia

Label: Zero Nove Nove

Distributie: Xango Music

BLOK 2 Sultana – Uni Vers Elle

Label: Trilogie Halexander

BLOK 3 Taraf Syriana – Taraf Syriana

Label: Lula World Records

BLOK 4 2020 Undzer Yiddishland   2020

Label :Roman Grinberg

BLOK 5 Trio Mandili – Sakartvelo- 2022

Label: Georgian arts

BLOK 6 Berikely & Zama – Elaela

Label: Eric Doboka – Abrazik

BLOK 7 Guillaume  Mathieu Bélise – stampes

Label: B&B Productions

BLOK 8 Shafqat Amanat Ali – Tribute to the Legends – Ghulam Ali

Label: Sufiscore

Scottish folk.
The Celts have left a cultural footprint not only in England, Ireland and Scotland, but also in French Brittany and northern Spanish Galicia Celtic traditional music occupies an important place. In the United States and Canada, the inhabitants of this new world keep Celtic lore alive. In addition to the geographical diversity, the Celtic music forms also differ greatly from one another. Because of this, some music lovers believe that the term Celtic is nothing more than a marketing term. However, the term has gradually become commonplace. Celtic can refer to both traditional folk music and modern pop. Celtic instruments are often used, such as the violin, flute, drum, harp, flute or bagpipes. Because Celtic is such a receptacle, this genre partly overlaps with folk music.
CD. The Rough Guide to Scottish folk – Various artists.
LABEL: World Music Network (2000), code: RGNET 1038 CD. VIDEO

Afro Celt Sound System.
This album is the result of a collaboration between African musicians, their counterparts from the Celtic communities of Western Europe and a number of dance music producers from Great Britain. The Afro Celt Sound System project brings folk music into a modern atmosphere, while constantly looking forward to a journey through prehistoric times.
The music is an explosion of contemporary styles and ancient traditions, coming together to explore the Celtic and African roots between past and future.
CD. Sound Magic; vol.1 – Afro Celt Sound System.
LABEL: Real World Records (1996), code: 8417362. VIDEO

Alan Stivell.
He has revolutionized Breton music, mainly by incorporating Gaelic and Anglo-Saxon influences, without forgetting the classical music of yesterday and today, combined with its openness to that of other continents.
He also brought in the technical innovations of the late 20th century. He shows an extreme eclecticism both technologically and musically: in addition to the genres already mentioned, he uses influences from electro and hip-hop, which he also introduces in Breton music.
CD, 40th anniversary Olympia 2012 – Alan Stivell.
LABEL: Mercury Records (2013), code: 3744372. VIDEO

Trio Farvergade.
The Danish trio Farvergade presents a selection of dance melodies from an old Danish melody book written and collected by violinists Søren Christensen & Niels Aage Andersen in the mid/late 19th/early 20th century. The story about the melody books began in 1853, in the Danish village on Søren Christensen’s 18th birthday. He then received a music book with empty staffs, in which he immediately wrote down old dance melodies and composed new ones. Søren Christensen had learned to play the violin and often played at parties and other social gatherings. The strength of the Farvergade trio is the spread of both new and old folk music.
CD. Spiller dansemusik van het trio Farvergade.
LABEL: GO´ Danish Folk Music (2022), code: GO0622. VIDEO

Optur.
A new project based on a series of newly composed dance melodies within the Scandinavian folk music tradition. At festivals in Europe and Canada, the band received six Danish Music Awards for their albums. A key idea behind this new project was to bring together an ensemble capable of playing dance music with an edge, leaving room for improvised passages and the occasional humorous hint. The project is also based on the idea of gathering musicians from different musical genres to contribute to creating a new form of uniquely Scandinavian sound.
CD. Nordic Free Folk – Optur.
LABEL: GO’Danish Folk Music (2022), code: GO0922. VIDEO

Czárdás.
A traditional Hungarian folk dance. It originated in Hungary and was popularized by bands in Hungary and the neighboring countries of Slovenia, Burgenland (a federal state of Austria), Croatia, Transylvania, Slovakia and Moravia, and among the Banate of Bulgarians. The origin of the name Csárdás can be traced back to the 18th century Hungarian music genre the ‘verbunkos’ and is characterized by a variation in tempo: it starts slowly and ends at a very fast tempo. The dancers are both male and female, the women are dressed in traditional wide skirts, which take on a distinctive swirling shape during the dance.
CD. Csárdás – Volksmuziek uit Slowakije, Roemenië, Hongarije en Moravië.
LABEL: Syncoop (1994), code: 5754CD 168. VIDEO

Thanks to:

BLOK 1 Kroke – Loud Silence

Label: Oriente music

BLOK 2 Sara Correia – Do Coracao 

Label: Blue Wrasse

BLOK 3 Cimarron – La Recia

Label: Cimarrón Music

Distribution:  Xango Music

BLOK 4 Madalina Paval – Roiesc (2022)

Label: Asphalt Tango Records

BLOK 5 Omar Sosa & Marialy Pacheco – MANOS (Live) (2022)

Label:Skip records

BLOK 6 Ibrahim Maalouf -10 ans de live (2016)

Label: Mi’ster

Tenores di Oniferi. Featuring some of the world’s most unusual sounds being produced by the Sardinian based group Tenores de Oniferi. Rooted in Sardinia’s polyphonic singing tradition, the group was described by Rod Stradling of Musical Traditions as “younger, faster and louder…both well suited to a ‘world music’ audience and closer to tradition.” Located in Oniferi, a town in the central Barbagia area of the island, Tenores de Oniferei represents the vision of singer Francesca Pirisi and his twin brother Giovanni, who sing countertenor.
CD. Polyphonic singing from Sardinia – Tenores di Oniferi.
LABEL: Music of the World (1999), code: MOW 152. VIDEO

Mari Boine. The Saami have always lived in the barren northern Scandinavian Lapland. This nomadic people lived on the milk, meat and hides of their reindeer herds. With the advent of ‘civilization’ many Saami gave up nomadic existence and became fishermen, farmers or entrepreneurs. With this, however, the Saamian culture is in danger of being lost. The half-Saami singer and drummer Mari Boine tries to keep the traditional joik music alive by subtly mixing it with elements from jazz, rock and electronica. Her sometimes skipping vocals, sung from the throat, are reminiscent of those of the North American Indians. Both nations therefore believe in shamanism. Despite the use of various instruments including (electric) guitars, flute, drums, bouzouki, kora and thumb piano, Mari Boine’s music has an authentic feel.
CD. Idjagiedas – In the hand of the night – Mari Boine.
LABEL: Universal (2006), CODE: 9855486. VIDEO

Finlande : musique traditionnelle. Compilation of traditional Finnish music from recordings made by Finnish National Radio between the 1940s and 1990s. Herder music, old Kalevala songs (runolaulu), platter and jouhikko music, pelimanni dance music played on various instruments. Traditional Karelian music, as expressed by the Kalevala, is considered the purest expression of Finnish myths and beliefs. This traditional Finnish music has been experiencing a revival for decades and has become a branch of popular music.
CD. Finlande: musique traditionnelle.
LABEL: Ocora (1996), code: C 600004. VIDEO

Goran Bregović. The Sarajevo-born musician and composer Goran Bregović is best known internationally for his soundtracks for the film industry. In the seventies and eighties Goran was a rock star in his own country, from that moment on he developed his own style, a mixture of serious orchestral music with traditional Balkan music. The film music gave him the opportunity to collaborate with various international singers. In addition to film scores, he wrote music for theater and multimedia projects. In recent years, Goran has mainly performed with his gypsy wind band Wedding & Funeral Band with a trio of Bulgarian choir women, a Polish string orchestra and an Orthodox male choir from Belgrade. The album Tales And Songs From Weddings And Funerals gives an impression of Goran Bregović’s music that can be heard during his concerts.
CD. Tales and songs from weddings and funerals – Goran Bregović.
LABEL: Universal (2002), codes: 00044006307923 & 630792. VIDEO

A Moving Sound. A Taiwanese group co-led by singer/dancer Mia Hsieh, vocalist, bass guitarist and zhong ruan player Scott Prairie. They are joined by a large number of Taiwanese musicians. It is a joyful exploration of traditional Taiwanese culture. In the music of A Moving Sound, traditional Taiwanese music forms are reinterpreted to create new original song compositions. Instruments such as the erhu (violin), the zhong ruan (lute), and the transcendent song and dance of singer Mia Hsieh, transport listeners on a journey that Global Rhythm magazine described as “-delicately balanced between many worlds–a gateway to Eastern music and artful expression of the human condition.”
CD. Starshine – A Moving Sound.
LABEL: Arc Music (2022), code: EUCD2957. VIDEO

Kroke. The trio Kroke was founded 30 years ago, named after the Yiddish word for Krakow (the second largest city in Poland after Warsaw), where not only all three musicians were born, but where they also attended the music academy together. Initially associated exclusively with klezmer music, the trio is inspired in their current works by ethnic music using their own improvisations. In this way, they create their unique style that floats across borders, shapes and time, which was not only noticed by the public, but also appreciated by artists all over the world. Steven Spielberg, delighted with Kroke’s concert, invited the band to Jerusalem to perform at the Survivors Reunion ceremony.
CD. Loud Silence – Kroke.
LABEL: Oriente (2022), code: RIENLP1095. VIDEO

Jean-François Dutertre (1948-2017). He was a French singer-songwriter, he also played the hurdy-gurdy, l’épinette des Vosges, the bodhran and the bouzouki. He was a member of the band Mélusine and resident of the label Le Chant du Monde. Jean-François was a great supporter of modal music and conducted numerous workshops. He was also an advocate of the professionalization of traditional musicians and singers and defended their rights in the Information Center for Traditional and World Music.
CD. Chanson traditionnelles de Normandie -Jean-François Dutertre.
LABEL: Buda Musique (2003), code:1989402. VIDEO

Thanks to:

Blok 1: Stromae – Multitude – 2022

Label: Mosaert record label

Blok 2: Catherine Graindorge featuring Iggy Pop – The Dictator 2022

Label: Glitterbeat

Blok 3: Massilia Gipsy Band 2022

Blok 4: Sara Correia – Do Coração – 2020

Label: Blue Wrasse

Blok 5: Aldina Duarte – Tudo Recomeça – 2022

Label: Sony Music 

Blok 6: Djazia Satour – Aswat 

L

abel: Alwane Music

Blok 7: Gankino Circus – Suomessa

Label: Nordic Notes