Cristina Branco - Corpo Iluminado (2001)

Cristina Branco - Corpo Iluminado (2001)

world, fado | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 250MB

EmArcy 014 151-2

Allmusic:
Cristina Branco might just be the best fado singer since the great Amalia Rodrigues, the woman who defined the genre. There's a subtlety to her voice that catches the emotions -- and fado, like blues or flamenco, is about feel -- and she never becomes histrionic, letting things stay in check, with the understatement much more eloquent. With this disc she refines and expands upon her two previous studio albums, even to the extent of the unaccompanied "Molinera" that closes the record, a song in a 13th century dialect. The musical relationship between Branco and husband Custodio Castelo, who arranges and plays the difficult Portuguese guitar (which gives fado its distinctive, mournful instrumental sound), continues to grow and deepen, while the other instruments -- guitar and double bass, build a framework for songs like the delicate "Musa." As with all fado, the lyrics are the crux of the matter, and Branco has chosen some beautiful poems (all well translated in the booklet), with "Tu Tens de Me Acontecer" a particular standout. But with a set this sublime, it's almost impossible to single out any one song above the others. There's a floating, breathless beauty about the whole thing that makes it timeless -- and over all too soon.

Tracks
01 - Corpo Illuminado
02 - Meu Amor, Meu Amor (Meu Limao de Amargura)
03 - Musa
04 - Aconteceu
05 - Meu Amor e Marinheiro
06 - Memoria de Meu Bem
07 - Que Fazes ai Lisboa
08 - Portos
09 - Aquele Tao Triste Dia
10 - Locais
11 - Disse-te Adeus e Morri
12 - Mill Janelas
13 - Rio de Nuvens VIII
14 - Tu Tens de Me Acontecer
15 - No Fundo do Pensamento
16 - Molinera

 sample & buy: Corpo Iluminado 

 

Kroke - Trio (1996)

Kroke - Trio (1996)

klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB

Oriente RIEN CD 004

Wikipedia:
The band was founded in 1992 by three friends and graduates of the Academy of Music in Kraków. Initially, they were associated with klezmer music with strong Balkan influences. Currently, their work draws inspiration from a variety of ethnic music and sounds of the Orient (especially on the album Seventh Trip), combining these with jazz to create their own distinctive style.
In addition to their own projects, Kroke have also recorded albums with artists such as Nigel Kennedy, Edyta Geppert, Maja Sikorowska and Tindra.
One of their songs, "The Secret of the Life Tree", features on the soundtrack of David Lynch's 2006 film Inland Empire.

Tracks
01. "Spiel Klezmer - Yiddish Freylekhs" - Kroke, trad. - 10:03
02. "Bessarabian Hora/Di Sapozhkelekh" - trad. - 8:45
03. "From Doina To Hava Naquila" - Kroke, trad.. - 8:53
04. "Rumenisher Tants" - trad.. - 2:39
05. "Ajde Jano (Balkan Piece In Klezmer Style)" - trad.. - 5:23
06. "Kazimierz Impressions:" - Amitai Neeman, trad., Kroke. - 13:23
--a) Nigun Atik/Sherele
--b) Impressions
--c) Nigun Atik
07. "Jerusalem (part 1)" - Kroke. - 2:01
08. "Jerusalem (part 2)" - Tomasz Kukurba. - 6:13
09. "Returns - Kazimierz 1995" - Kroke. - 3:59
10. "5757" - Kroke, trad. - 3:05

Personnel
* Tomasz Kukurba: viola, violin, vocal
* Jerzy Bawoł: accordion
* Tomasz Lato: double bass

 sample & buy: Trio 

 

Maria Farantouri - 17 Songs (1990)

Maria Farantouri - 17 Songs (1990)

world, traditional | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 390MB

Tropical 68950

Amazon customer:
I must say that this is the only Farantouri album ( and I have them all) that has been a big dissapointment. For some reason her glorious voice desterted her when she recorded 17 songs. There is no power here and she sounds breathless. And then there are the arrangements of the songs that are less then exceptional. There are so many other albums by this greatest of (greek) singers that you could buy. Everything she recorded with Theodorakis for example. Buy Mauthausen and hear these incredible songs with a 16 year old girl that has a voice that moves to tears time and again. Buy her interpretation of the Lorca songs with guitarist John Williams or Canto General by Pablo Neruda that show Farantouri in her prime. Buy the latest albums Poetica, Asmata or Serenades where Farantouri reemerges with old conviction and power and with new maturity. Or try to find I megali Agripnia, an album from the seventies by Eleni Karaïndrou, wonderful songs and exeptionally sung by Farantouri. In short; buy anything else before you buy 17 songs

Tracks
-01. "Caruso" feat D. Savopoulos - (Lucio Dalla)
-02. "San Vicente" - (Milton Nascimento - Fernando Brant)
-03. "Adio Querida" - (Trad. Sefardi Span. / Hebräisch v. 1492)
-04. "Filho" - (Milton Nascimento / Fernando Brant)
-05. "Once Upon A Summertime" - (Michel Legrand - J. Mercer)
-06. "Solo Le Pido A Dios" - (Leon Gieco)
-07. "Sol Negro" feat Mercedes Sosa - (Caetano Veloso)
-08. "Tora Xero" (Jetzt weiß ich) - (Vangelis Papathanassiou - Michails Bourboulis)
-09. "La Canzone Del Mal Di Luna -(Nicola Piovani)
-10. "Youkali" - (Kurt Weil - Roger Fernay)
-11. "I Kikni (Die Schwäne) - (Manos Katzidakis)
-12. "Wenn Ich Mir Was Wünschen Dürfte - (Fr. Holländer)
-13. "Nanourisma" Mercedes Sosa - (Manos Katzidakis - N. Gastos)
-14. "San Elektra" (Wie Elektra) - (Vangelis Papathanassiou - M.Bourboulis)
-15. "Sarracini" - (Trad. Lied aus Kampania / Napoli)
-16. "Esta Montana" - (Trad. Sefardi-Lied Span. / Hebräisch v. 1492)
-17. "Odi A (Ode A) - (Vangelis Papathanassiou - M.Bourboulis)
Total playing time: 65:18

In the 17 Songs arranged for her by the Cuban composer Leo Brouwer with guest appearance of Mercedes Sosa, she interpreted C.Veloso, M.Nascimento, M.Legrand, N.Piovani and Kurt Weill.

 sample & buy: 17 Songs

Cracow Klezmer Band - The Warriors (2001)

Cracow Klezmer Band - The Warriors (2001)

world, klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

Tzadik

Allmusic bio:
The Cracow Klezmer Band is a Polish quartet that plays a style of music that started as traditional klezmer and over time, evolved into contemporary Jewish music flavored with strong gypsy influences. Members of the group are violinist Jaroslaw Tyrala, double bassist Wojciech Front, accordionist Jarek Bester, and Oleg Dyyak, who plays percussion, clarinet, and accordion. Bester formed the Cracow Klezmer Band in 1997 in the city of Cracow. Over the next few years, the group built a growing fan base by appearing at Jewish Culture festivals in Hungary, Finland, Poland, Prague, and the Czech Republic. In between touring, the band began to work on recordings, completing a debut album, De Profundis, in September of 2000. It was followed by a sophomore offering, the Warriors, a short year later. A few of the tracks fans can sample from recordings done by the Cracow Klezmer Band include "Recollections of the Past," "Devil Circle," "Secrets of Life," "The Amorous Dance of the Orchid," "The Warrior," and "Memento Mori."
Tzadik:
Each piece telling a different dramatic narrative, The Warriors is another brilliant release by one of Europe’s most original and exciting avant-Klezmer ensembles. Based in the historic city of Cracow, one of the last strongholds of Jewish life in Poland and home to one of the most important annual festivals of Jewish music in the world, this brilliant quartet blends the spontaneity of improvisation, the precision of classical music and the soul of the Jewish tradition. Ever-surprising new music by this thrilling band of virtuosos.

Tracks
-1. "The Warrior" - 7:16
-2. "Klezmer Caravan" - 7:54
-3. "Klezmer Rhapsody" - 4:20
-4. "The Prayer" - 5:59
-5. "The Amourous Dance Of The Orchid" - 3:52
-6. "Memento Mori" - 6:02
-7. "The Fortress" - 6:37
-8. "Recollections Of The Past" - 10:08

Personnel
* Jarosław Tyrała - violin
* Jarosłąw Bester - accordion
* Oleg Dyyak - accordion, clarinet, percussion
* Wojciech Front - double bass

 sample & buy: Warriors

 

Tinariwen - Amassakoul (2003)

Tinariwen - Amassakoul (2003)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 275MB

Emma

Allmusic:
Tinariwen strip rock down to its basic building blocks of rhythm, guitars, and voice. On their second CD there are no fancy studio tricks or multiple overdubs. They stick to what they've shown they do well -- keep the music raw and emotional. While there are similarities to the desert blues of Mali, these Tuareg nomads from the Western Sahara are as much as rock band as the Stones at their best, capable of conjuring up magic with a guitar riff or lick. Oftentimes, the music has the same bluesy, undulating, hypnotic rhythm of a camel crossing the sand, as on "Aldhechen Manin." But they can also crank the amps and unleash something to tingle the spine and feet, which they do on "Oualahila Ar Tesninam," as frantic and primal a piece of rock & roll as you're likely to find. There's even a touch of rap on "Arawan." But there's a complexity in their basic approach, the interlocking layers of electric guitars and the plaintive, defiant voices. To listen to Tinariwen is to believe once more in rock and its power. This is angry and passionate; it's dangerous music in the very best sense. Western bands might have forgotten how to rock as if their lives depended on it; Tinariwen can teach them.

Tracks
-01. "Amassakoul 'N' Ténéré" (Alhabib) 3:24
-02. "Oualahila Ar Tesninam" (Alhabib) 3:47
-03. "Chatma" (Alhabib) 5:36
-04. "Arawan" (Abdoulahi) 4:06
-05. "Chet Boghassa" (Abdoulahi) 3:52
-06. "Amidnin" (Touhami) 2:51
-07. "Ténéré Daféo Nikchan" (Alhabib) 4:51
-08. "Aldhechen Manin" (Alhabib) 3:54
-09. "Alkhar Dessouf" (Alhabib) 4:55
-10. "Eh Massina Sintadoben" (Touhami) 4:29
-11. "Assoul" (Alhabib) 4:08

 sample & buy: Amassakoul

 

Master Musicians of Jajouka feat Bachir Attar 2000 - MMOJ with Talvin Singh (2000)

Master Musicians of Jajouka feat Bachir Attar 2000 - MMOJ with Talvin Singh (2000)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 225MB

Point Music

Allmusic:
Talvin Singh was reportedly pleased and amazed to win the Technics Mercury Prize in the U.K. in 1999, a highly commendable trade achievement, for his eclectic CD OK. His instant reaction to receiving the award was to disappear off the European club and concert circuit to jam for months with the famed Master Musicians of Jajouka, heroes of the Rif mountains in a less than easily accessible region of Morocco. Beat author William Burroughs once described the Master Musicians as "the World's Only 4,000-year-old band," and Brian Jones recorded a tremendous album with them in 1969 shortly before he died. The outfit of long, strange, and wonderful renown achieves something heretofore unexplored in the company of Singh. Here the guest introduces a hallucinogenic, soulfully high-tech texture to the primordial rhythms and riffs of the masters, creating one of those rare syntheses of past and present, a gorgeous (of loosely hooked) carpet of colors and shapes. There is a whiff of the controlled jam here, not as fresh or far from the studio as one might expect from the high Rif, but this may be due to the production hand of Singh himself in the elaborate remix. A heartfelt and utterly noncommercial collaboration, probably meaning that winning the Mercury doesn't mean that everything, stylistically, must be cast in stone.

Tracks
-01. "Up to the Sky, Down to the Earth" - Attar, Singh - 6:29
-02. "The Truth Forever" - Attar - 10:23
-03. "Searching for Passion" - Attar, Singh - 3:37
-04. "Taksim" - Attar - 2:51
-05. "You Can Find the Feeling" - Attar, Singh, Somatik - 5:46
-06. "The Blessing for the World from God Only" - Attar - 6:46
-07. "Jammin in London" - Attar, Singh - 4:10
-08. "The House of Baraka" - Attar - 7:39
-09. "Above the Moo" - Attar, Singh - 4:30
-10. "The Magic of Peace" - Attar, Singh, Somatik - 5:47
-11. "The Magic of Peace [Remix]" - Attar, Singh, Somatik - 8:48

 sample & buy: Master Musicians of Jajouka Feat. Bachir Attar

Madredeus - Os Dias da MadreDeus (1987)

Madredeus - Os Dias da MadreDeus (1987)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 350MB

EMI

Allmusic:
Os Dias da Madredeus, Madredeus' debut album on the Portuguese market, offered for the first time the group's appealing and remarkable compositions. The record exposed the sole musical mission of the Portuguese ensemble. Providing sole compositions, Madredeus settled their musical course in between the original Portuguese fado and influences ranging from Brazilian music to classical musical inflections. Leaded by the voice of Teresa Salgueiro and by the delicate and melodious creations of Pedro Ayres Magalhães, Gabriel Gomes, and Rodrigo Leão, the ensemble started gaining their legion of followers precisely after the record originally hit the record stores in 1987. "A Vaca de Fogo," the record's third track, swiftly became the group's most recognizable theme due to its joyful rhythmic features and exclusive arrangements. Still, the whole of the work expressed through the album mostly reveals Madredeus' nostalgic musical endeavors, strengthened by way of their gloomy musical direction and enlightened by the sorrow and hurtful lyrics unveiled by Salgueiro's unique vocalizations. "Fado do Mindelo," "Maldito Dia Aziago," and "Amanhã" are just three of the album's most noted tracks, again sustaining the unique character of Madredeus' conceptions, initiating a musical path that eventually conquered fans all over the world.

Tracks
-01. "As Montanhas" - Gomes - 2:25
-02. "A Sombra" - Magalhaes - 5:31
-03. "A Vaca de Fogo" - Gomes, Magalhaes - 5:01
-04. "Os Passaros Quando Morrem Caem No Ceu - 02:24
-05. "Adeus... E Nem Voltei" - Magalhaes - 5:50
-06. "A Peninsula" - Gomes, Leao, Magalhaes - 4:05
-07. "A Cantiga Do Campo" - Leal, Leao, Magalhaes - 6:28
-08. "Fado Do Mindelo" - Leao, Magalhaes, Pacheco - 5:06
-09. "A Marcha da Oriental - 05:58
-10. "A Cidade" - Leao, Magalhaes, Menezes - 6:00
-11. "Maldito Dia Aziago" - Leao, Magalhaes - 5:09
-12. "A Andorinha" - Magalhaes - 4:43
-13. "O Brasil" - Leao, Magalhaes - 5:34
-14. "O Meu Amor Vai Embora" - Leao, Magalhaes - 3:20
-15. "Amanha" - Gomez, Leao, Magalhaes - 4:52

sample & buy: Os Dias Da Madredeus

Madredeus - Existir (1990)

Madredeus - Existir (1990)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 255MB

EMI

wikipedia:
Madredeus is a Portuguese band. Their music combines traditional Portuguese music (many times erroneously associated with the subgenre of Fado) with influences of modern folk music. The lyrics are often melancholic and related to the sea or travelling or absence, continuing a tradition of songs that dates back to Medieval times (with obvious relations to cantigas de amigo among others).
-
Existir (translated from both Spanish and Portuguese; means "To exist"), was the second full-length studio disc from Portuguese band Madredeus. The group gained a better sound and production this time around, as it recorded in an actual studio, rather than below a tram railway (as was their first disc). The music maintains the same sextet format as its predecessor; the classical guitars, the keyboards, the accordion, the cello, and vocalist Teresa Salgueiro; yet it finds them forming a bond between their original music and Portuguese folk, together with the atmosphere created by the use of keyboards & synthesizers. The festive/traditional "O Pastor (The Shepherd)" became a national hit.

Tracks
-01. "Matinal (Vocal Version)" – 3:24
-02. "O Pastor" – 3:42
-03. "O Navio" – 3:36
-04. "Tardes De Bolonha (Instrumental)" – 3:05
-05. "O Ladrão" – 2:50
-06. "Confissão" – 2:48
-07. "O Pomar Das Laranjeiras" – 4:20
-08. "Cuidado" – 4:12
-09. "As Ilhas Dos Açores" – 5:04
-10. "O Menino" – 3:56
-11. "Solstício" – 4:14
-12. "A Vontade De Mudar " – 2:19

sample & buy: Existir

 

New Klezmer Trio - Short For Something (2000)

New Klezmer Trio - Short For Something (2000)
jazz, klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 375MB

Tzadik

Allmusic:
From the first track which saunters along like a solitary man on a rain-slicked street, the New Klezmer Trio's Short for Something is an evocative masterpiece of musical alchemy. Clarinetist Ben Goldberg often floats above the more corporeal shimmers and rumblings of his collaborators Dan Seamans and Kenny Wollesen, but never steals the show or breaks away -- this is truly a group effort. Their music is fully embedded in modern creative avant-garde jazz, yet still manages to nod its head to the sounds of old Cracow, creating a cauldron of spiritual yearnings, sadness, chaos, visions, and grace. On "Sequential," the theme crashes and burns through chaotic nests of percussion, followed by "Obsessive" where the bassline carries the theme through a much calmer and more hypnotic percussive structure. But nowhere is the Trio's magic more evident than on the title track, where Wollesen's drumming spins a web around the heartbeat murmurs of Seamans' bass and Goldberg's reed nostalgia, creating a vision that flows in ribbons of images, each beautiful and a little terrible.

Tracks
-01. "The Because Of" - Goldberg - 7:10
-02. "Short for Something" - Goldberg - 3:56
-03. "Fast" - Goldberg - 10:47
-04. "Sequential" - Goldberg - 0:50
-05. "Obsessive" - Goldberg - 2:35
-06. "All Chords Stand for Other Chords" - Goldberg - 5:41
-07. "Fomus Homus" - Goldberg - 5:42
-08. "Seven Phrases" - Goldberg - 4:27
-09. "Complicated" - Goldberg - 3:42
-10. "LBD" - Goldberg - 2:41
-11. "Halves" - Goldberg - 6:02
-12. "Fly in the Ointment - Goldberg - 3:08
-13. "Freylekhas Fun Der Khupe" - Goldberg - 9:00

Personnel
* Bass – Dan Seamans
* Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Ben Goldberg
* Drums – Kenny Wollesen

sample & buy: Short for Something

 

New Klezmer Trio - Melt Zonk Rewire (1993)

New Klezmer Trio - Melt Zonk Rewire (1993)
jazz, klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 305MB

Tzadik

Allmusic:
The New Klezmer Trio are a group of three high-caliber musicians making klezmer-rooted jazz with some definite rock included. Electric bassist Dan Seamans occasionally uses effects pedals more often found in thrash rock than jazz; versatile percussionist Kenny Wolleson effortlessly moves between jazz techniques and rock; and clarinetist Ben Goldberg, well-versed in the klezmer music tradition, sometimes plays his "Fender reverb clarinet." With a perfect mixture of a sincere love of music, wit, and serious chops, they create a new klezmer that draws from jazz, rock, and improvised traditions. Melt Zonk Rewire is full of creativity, with high energy and grooves tastefully offset by subdued, whispery pieces such as "The Chant" or Wolleson's marimba solo on "The Haunt." Songs like "Feedback Doina" demand that listeners be rock fans too. This great recording for Tzadik's Radical Jewish Culture series is essential for anyone whose music collection holds many disparate musical styles.

Tracks
-01. "Gas Nine" - (trad., arr. Wolleson) - 2:24
-02. "Sarcophagous" - (Goldberg) - 5:02
-03. "The Haunt" - (Seamans) - 4:33
-04. "Thermoglyphics" - (Goldberg) - 3:33
-05. "The Chant" - (Goldberg) - 3:23
-06. "We Got" - There" - (Seamans) - 5:27
-07. "Feedback Doina" - (Wollesen) - 5:08
-08. "Freilakh Nakht" - (trad., arr. Wolleson) - 3:04
-09. "Hypothetical" - (Goldberg) - 3:22
-10. "The Shot" - (Goldberg) - 3:59
-11. "Distiller" - (trad., arr. Seamans) - 3:59
-12. "Phrases" - (Goldberg) - 3:29
-13. "Fourth" - Floor" - (Seamans) - 2:59
-14. "Starting Place" - (Goldberg) - 4:11

Personnel
* Bass – Dan Seamans
* Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Ben Goldberg
* Drums – Kenny Wollesen

sample & buy: Melt Zonk Rewire

New Klezmer Trio - Masks and Faces (1990)

New Klezmer Trio - Masks and Faces (1990)
jazz, klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

Tzadik

Allmusic:
This first release from the New Klezmer Trio is rocking, energetic, and young. Not quite as developed as the later Melt Zonk Rewire, it is nevertheless an invigorating and fun listen. After all, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, bassist Dan Seamans, and drummer Kenny Wolleson are terrific musicians, and Masks and Faces is a restructuring and resurrection of traditional Jewish music melted into rock, with a good amount of improvisation. But don't let the improv element deter you -- this raucous, bursting, and somewhat disjointed music sustains a groove that's not so hard to hang on to. Almost an hour in length, New Klezmer Trio's first release ebbs and flows, relentlessly packed with high quality tunes.

Tracks
-01. "Cardboard Factory" - Goldberg - 5:06
-02. "Hot and Cold" - Traditional - 3:44
-03. "Rebbe's Meal" - Traditional - 7:36
-04. "Up" - Black Oak Arkansas, Seamas - 4:19
-05. "Washing Machine Song" - Traditional - 2:59
-06. "Galicain" - Beckerman - 5:18
-07. "Masks and Faces" - Goldberg - 6:33
-08. "Haphazard" - Kramtweiss - 4:03
-09. "Bitonal Song" - Kramtweiss - 3:06
-10. "The Gate" - Goldberg - 10:33

Personnel
* Bass – Dan Seamans
* Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Ben Goldberg
* Drums – Kenny Wollesen

sample & buy: New Klezmer Trio: Masks & Faces

Anouar Brahem - Le Voyage de Sahar (2006)

Anouar Brahem - Le Voyage de Sahar (2006)

jazz, world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 285MB

ECM

Allmusic:
Over the past 15 years, Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem has assembled a relatively small but profound body of work. A skilled improviser who refuses to be part of the historical authenticity argument, Brahem works from the same trio setting that performed on Le Pas du Chat Noir in 2002, with pianist François Couturier and accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier. The dialogue between these players is, despite the sparseness of the music and the considerable space employed, intense. The deep listening necessary in the improvised sections allows for a natural flow of ideas to emerge from silence. The compositions themselves are skeletal, with repeating, slowly evolving vamps and lyric lines. They offer, on the surface, a contemplative approach, and indeed can be heard that way. However, when dynamics, timbre, and chromatics are listened for, what takes place is rather astonishing. Each player walks to the middle of a composition, steps back and reenters after ideas by the others are introduced, producing a kind of organic improvisation seldom heard. This is not to say that the most structured works here, such as "Vague/E la Nave Va," aren't full of meditative delight as well. They are, and there are vast spaces into which the listener can enter and disappear for a while -- not so much to drift and dream as to be absorbed in their hypnotic and repetitive beauty. "Les Jardins de Ziryab" begins with Matinier's accordion, which is answered by the oud and Brahem's voice, accompanying them both. It unfolds from the center out. "Le Chambre, Var." begins, for this ensemble, at a trot. Couturier's chord voicing and Brahem's percussive approach create a winding musical narrative that Matinier's accordion underscores rhythmically. The keyboard and air pulse create a terrain where intricate melodic lines come out of modal and chromatic tensions. Ultimately, Brahem has given listeners another of his wondrous offerings, full of deceptively simple compositions that open into a secret world, one where beauty is so present that it is nearly unapproachable, and it is up to the listener to fill in the spaces offered them by this remarkable trio.

Tracks
-01. "Sur le Fleuve" - 6:33
-02. "Le Voyage de Sahar" - 6:55
-03. "L 'Aube" - 5:48
-04. "Vague/E la Nave Va" - 6:19
-05. "Les Jardins de Ziryab" - 4:34
-06. "Nuba" - 3:12
-07. "La Chambre" - 5:01
-08. "Córdoba" - 5:30
-09. "Halfaouine" - 2:06
-10. "La Chambre Var." - 3:47
-11. "Zarabanda" - 4:26
-12. "Été Andalous" - 7:05
-13. "Vague Var." - 2:18
All compositions by Anouar Brahem
Recorded at Auditorio Radio Svizzera in Lugano, Switzerland in February 2005

Personnel
* Anouar Brahem - oud
* François Couturier - piano
* Jean Louis Matinier - accordion

sample & buy: Voyage De Sahar

Huun-Huur-Tu - The Orphan's Lament (1994)

Huun-Huur-Tu - The Orphan's Lament (1994)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 370MB

Shanachie

Allmusic:
From the first track, their second album, Orphan's Lament grabs your attention with "Prayer" -- the deep, unearthly, sounds of Tibetan Lamaist chant. Next they move to khoomei singing. Known in the West as "throat singing," the performer produces two or more high- and low-pitched tones simultaneously. The resulting sound -- somewhat eerie, somewhat haunting -- is a combination somewhere between the sounds of a long whistle and a Jew's harp.
But Huun Huur Tu also adds new elements to the traditional sounds of Tuvan music. In addition to the igil, a two-stringed horsehead fiddle played with a bow, and the khomuz, a Jew's harp, (both traditional instruments) the group has incorporated percussion -- not a usual device in Tuvan music. Their use of a large goat-skin drum, generally reserved for shamanistic rituals, gives a rhythm to their music, making it very appealing to a Western ear. Similarly, their use of pouch rattle (made from a bull's scrotum filled with sheep knucklebones) adds a beat.
The fact Huun Huur Tu plays together, as a group, is itself unusual. Not content to blindly follow traditional Central Asian folk music, Huun Huur Tu's four, sometimes five, performers create an ensemble that offers a complex, fascinating, and harmonious mixture.

Tracks
-01. "Prayer - 2:32
-02. "Ancestors - 3:55
-03. "AA-Shuu Dekei-Oo - 2:51
-04. "Eerbek-Aksy - 2:05
-05. "The Orphan's Lament - 6:44
-06. "Kaldak-Khamar - 2:36
-07. "Steppe - 4:05
-08. "Borbanngadyr - 3:54
-09. "Chiraa-Khoor (The Yellow Trotter) - 4:52
-10. "Exile's Song - 4:13
-11. "Eki Attar - 2:22
-12. "Irik Chuduk (The Rotting Log) - 6:11
-13. "Sygyt - 2:53
-14. "Agitator - 1:55
-15. "Khomuz Medley - 4:50
-16. "Ödugen Taiga - 6:55

sample & buy: Orphans Lament

The Bulgarian Voices "Angelite" feat. Huun-Huur-Tu - Fly, Fly My Sadness (1996)

The Bulgarian Voices "Angelite" feat. Huun-Huur-Tu - Fly, Fly My Sadness (1996)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

JARO 4197-2

Allmusic:
In the 1990s, it was discovered that the Bulgarian and the Tuvan people have the same roots, both originally inhabiting Central Asia. Because of great migrations more than 1,500 years ago, the original Tuvan somehow split in two groups; a group ended in what is now known as Bulgaria and the other in what is today Tuva. Because of numerous assimilations, Bulgarian people got assimilated to the Slav of the Balkan and the Tuvan to Mongolian tribes. As is obvious, the music of both groups evolved quite differently, yet both are fascinating. It was Mikhail Alperin who had the original idea of bringing together a Bulgarian choir with a Tuvan group. Here they are: the Bulgarian Choir Angelite and Huun-Huur-Tu -- two distant "cousins" meeting again after more than a thousand years, but this time through music. Alperin wrote all of the compositions, based on Bulgarian, Tuvan, and Russian traditions. The results are absolutely mesmerizing. This CD is a vocal meditation of the most divine spirituality, deeply grounded in more than 1,000-year-old traditions.

Tracks
-1. "Fly, Fly My Sadness" - Alperin, Kenov - 7:43
-2. "Legend" - Alperin - 7:38
-3. "Wave" - Alperin - 7:19
-4. "Lonely Bird" - Alperin - 10:57
-5. "Mountain Story" - Alperin - 10:16

sample & buy: Fly My Sadness

Mercedes Sosa (Ariel Ramirez) - Misa Criolla (1999) (eac-log-cover)

Mercedes Sosa - Misa Criolla (1999)
Ariel Ramirez: Misa Criolla; Ramirez-Luna: Navidad Nuestra

latin, traditional, sacred | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 260MB

Decca | 1999

Amazon customers:
Too bad it isn't possible to listen to sample tracks from this CD, because I think anyone who hears the first 30 seconds of this magnificent Misa will want it at once. Today I'm buying it for the fourth time - I give them as gifts to my favorite people. Play it on a stereo with good bass response and be prepared for an extraordinary experience. Mercedes Sosa is always amazing, and this CD is Mercedes Sosa at her very best.
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I've just listened to this album again and I thought I had to tell the world how great it is. How is it possible that every time I listen to it my heart beats faster and tears roll over my face? There is no way without falling short of words to describe the beauty and heavenly perfection of this opus. Unless you like Britney-like pop, you will instantly fall for this-
the songs
They are all perfect. Ariel Ramirez, who wrote the music, is one of the most talented musicians in the world. Every melody has the power to evoke emotions and feelings almost in a supernatural way. Plus, each song is an example of different styles within argentinean traditional music. Still, the entire opus belts out an incredible integrity that makes you look upon it as a whole.
the voice
Mercedes Sosa: one of (if not the most) powerful voices on Earth. She recorded this album at 65! and still she can pull off outstanding performances with her strong, contralto voice. You have to listen to it at full volume, and you'll get thrills.
the choir
A perfect set of argentinean voices. They can easily handle the subtleties that this exceptional music requires.
the arrangements
Whenever you first listen to this album, you will recognize an outstanding talent. The Misa Criolla was first recorded in the 1970's, and the man who plays the charango in this version is the same old man that did it 30 years ago. Everything was put together so that the result is utterly flawless.

Tracks
-01. "Misa Criolla: Kyrie" Dominio Público, Ramirez - 4:59
-02. "Misa Criolla: Gloria" Dominio Público, Ramirez - 8:21
-03. "Misa Criolla: Credo" Dominio Público, Ramirez - 3:23
-04. "Misa Criolla: Sanctus" Dominio Público, Ramirez - 3:06
-05. "Misa Criolla: Agnus Dei" Dominio Público, Ramirez - 3:19
-06. "Navidad Nuestra: La Anunciación" Luna, Ramirez - 2:08
-07. "Navidad Nuestra: La Peregrinación" Luna, Ramirez - 3:52
-08. "Navidad Nuestra: El Nacimiento" Luna, Ramirez - 3:15
-09. "Navidad Nuestra: Los Pastores" Luna, Ramirez - 3:05
-10. "Navidad Nuestra: Los Reyes Magos" Luna, Ramirez - 2:17
-11. "Navidad Nuestra: La Huida" Luna, Ramirez - 3:54

sample & buy: Misa Criolla / Navidad Nuestra

Doudou Ndiaye Rose - Djabote (1992) (eac-log-cover)

Doudou Ndiaye Rose - Djabote (1992)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

Real World

Allmusic:
Unlike most drummers in the West African traditions, Rose has always tended to work with large ensembles. Yet their enormous power has mostly come with little loss of subtlety, as these recent recordings attest. This open-air set involving no less than 50 drummers and as many singers has a sweep and strength that take your breath away.
Amazon customer:
No other drumming quite sounds like that of Doudou N'Diaye Rose. Large drum ensembles (50 drummers on this album) play together with a level of complexity and subtlety usually associated more with orchestral works than with drum music. Doudou hails from Senegal and is esteemed there as not only a master drummer but also as a living repository of the musical traditions of that nation. He is conductor of his ensemble as much as featured drummer, and a chance to see him play, even on video, should not be missed. He has been heard on tracks of some albums by Peter Gabriel- who in turn is the force behind the RealWorld label that recorded him. 'Djabote' features 12 engaging and unique compositions. There are singers involved as well, but the singing is enjoyable and perhaps used more judiciously and less intrusively (to Western ears) than is true of many other ostensibly "drum" recordings. If you can keep still while listening to this album, better check your pulse. ;-{) Whether you are already a fan of African drumming or are checking it out for the first time, it would be hard to do better than 'Djabote'.

Tracks
-01 - "Ligueyou Ndeye" Rose - 5:54
-02 - "Cheikh Anta Diop" Rose - 5:21
-03 - "Rose Rhythm" Rose - 4:22
-04 - "Sidati Aidara" Rose - 5:12
-05 - "Baye Kene Ndiaye" Rose - 4:53
-06 - "Chants du Burgam" Traditional - 4:02
-07 - "Khine Sine" Rose - 4:27
-08 - "Khine Saloume" Rose - 6:37
-09 - "Walo" Rose - :39
-10 - "Tabala Ganar" Rose - 3:28
-11 - "Diame" Jonga - 6:01
-12 - "Ndiouk" Rose - 6:37

sample & buy: Doudou Ndiaye Rose - Djabote

Huun-Huur-Tu - 60 Horses in My Herd (1993) (eac-log-cover)

Huun-Huur-Tu - 60 Horses in My Herd (1993)
world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

Shanacie 64050

Allmusic:
With this album, the members of Huun-Huur-Tu prove beyond a doubt that they're the bridge between the past and present in Tuva: the past because they have deep respect for the tradition (utilizing traditional instruments such as igil and doshpuluur in addition to the wonderful ankle bones of sheep in bull testicles), and the present as they bring in contemporary elements (guitar and -- previously unknown in Tuva -- the concept of harmony singing). Of course, it's the throat singing that's the highlight, showcased perfectly on "Tuvan Internationale," where unearthly overtones are produced in the throat, amplifying harmonics, often two or three notes at a time. They take chances, although even their own material doesn't stray far from the tradition, with the omnipresent rhythm of horses (the real sound of Tuva) carrying all the songs. Perhaps the piece of greatest interest is "Song of the Caravan Drivers," included here as an homage to Frank Zappa, with whom they worked before his death. This is folk music, to be sure, but of a kind to mystify and engage the Western ear with its exotic flavors. Don't be fooled into thinking it's a novelty, however; for Huun-Huur-Tu this is a record of life in Central Asia, not just as it was, but as it remains.

Tracks:
-01 - Sygyt - Lament of the Igil
-02 - Mezhegei
-03 - Oske Cherde (Foreign Land)
-04- Eshten Charlyyry Berge (It's Hard to Be Parted from a Friend)
-05 - Kombu
-06 - Khoomei (Throat-Singing)
-07 - Kongurei
-08 - Fantasy on the Igil
-09 - Bayan Dugai
-10 - Tuvan Internationale
-11 - Kargyraa
-12 - Ching Soortukchulerining Yryzy (Song of the Caravan Drivers)

Personnel:
*Kaigal-ool Khovalyg (voice, igil, toshpuluur, chanzy);
*Sayan Bapa (voice, igil, Tuvan percussion);
*Albert Kuvezin (voice, guitar);
*Alexander Bapa (Tuvan percussion)

sample & buy: Sixty Horses in My Herd

Yungchen Lhamo - Coming Home (1998) (eac-log-cover)

Yungchen Lhamo - Coming Home (1998)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 350MB

Real World Records

AMG:
Yungchen Lhamo is one of the most courageous people in the world. As a child, she was enslaved in her native Tibet by the conquerors of that country. She clung to her religious beliefs, Tibetan Buddhism, and eventually escaped to India. From that refuge she launched her performing career. She sings traditional Tibetan folk songs that she learned from her family and original compositions -- mostly a cappella. On Coming Home she has some musical accompaniment, mostly soft and acoustic. Her sweet and gentle soprano is still the main attraction. Lhamo has every reason to be angry and bitter, but she shows her courage in her kindness, her smile, her unwavering faith, and her spirituality. This superb CD will appeal to fans of Vas, Sheila Chandra, and Loreena McKennitt.

Tracks:
-01. Happiness Is...
-02. Sky
-03. Heart
-04. Per Rig Chog Sun
-05. Khyab Sangye
-06. Ngak Pai Metog
-07. Dream
-08. Defiance
-09. Coming Home

Personnel:
Yungchen Lhamo (vocals); Henry Frayne (guitar, background vocals); David Rhodes (guitar); Kent Condon (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Timo Trovinen (kantele); Richard Bourreau (violin); Caroline LaVelle (cello); Chris Liliedahl, Hossam Ramzy (percussion); Hector Zazou (loops, sound effects); Sister Soleil, Ben Findlay (background vocals).

sample & buy: Coming Home

Alexis Boulgourtzis - Oriental West (1990) (eac-log-cover)

Alexis Boulgourtzis - Oriental West (1990)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 260MB

Erodios

A Greek Gypsie percussionist, whose main work is as a session musician in several albums of other Greek artists.This is his first personal album.
Amazon:
A great cd that show the beauty of drums especially darabuka. The rhythm change from song to song, and is't like the instruments playing with the silence.
I recommend it for dancers and to anyone who want to feel the rhythm in his heart.

Tracks:
01 - Oriental West
02 - Improvision A'
03 - Rom & Balamo
04 - Improvision In Western Rhythms
05 - Macedonian Dance
06 - Whitout Rehearsal
07 - Improvision B'
thx to alekow

sample & buy

rc

Mariem Hassan con Leyoad - (Cantos de las Mujeres Saharauis) (2001) (eac-flac-cover)

Mariem Hassan con Leyoad - (Cantos de las Mujeres Saharauis) (2001)

world |   1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 350MB

Nubenegra | rar +5% recovery

Raw, gritty acoustic-electric music from Saharaui singer Hassan and the remarkable band Leyoad. Electric guitars, havey percussion, a horn section and some throbbing bass lay down an incessant and irresistible groove for Hassan and her backing vocalists to pour their passions into. Touches of acoustic instruments, accordion and such, just add to the surprising sound of this ensemble. Highly recommended!

more info:

videoclip



Tracks:
01 - Id Chab
02 - Wadna
03 - Enbia Allah
04 - Wajadu
05 - Yasar Geidu
06 - Bismi Allah
07 - El Wejda
08 - Arareida
09 - Ya Arabia
10 - Nabi Ana
11 - Es Leil Wana O Mulana
12 - Sahara Neb Gija

sample & buy

rc