This new Musical Explorers series from ARC Music makes available, often for the first time, a valuable range of historical films and audio recordings gathered from all over the world. During the 20th century more people started travelling and became more aware and interested in the world’s musical traditions. And technological advances meant that the equipment necessary to record those musical traditions in their natural environment become more portable and of higher quality. In Songcatchers, his excellent book about music collectors, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart writes: “I’ve learned what it takes to be a field recordist: how you have to fight the rain, the insects, the sand, the sun. You have to drink with and eat the food of the musicians you’re recording and observe their traditions, no matter what they are. To understand the heart and soul of a music, to earn the right to hear it, you must respect and honor the culture that creates it.” All the musical explorers in this series did exactly that. The recordings on this album were made in Taiwan in 1973 when mainland China was undergoing the destruction and upheaval of the Cultural Revolution. Musical Explorer Deben Bhattacharya was fascinated by the traditional Chinese culture he found in Taiwan. The accompanying film includes not just music, but other traditional arts and crafts.

The male choir of the Optina Pustyn Monastery Department in St. Petersburg was established in 1996 with the blessing of its Father Superior, Hieromonach Rostislav. The choir consists of between six and nine professional singers, who are all graduates of the St. Petersburg Conservatoire. The main goal for the formation of the choir was the cultivation of the heritage of the old Russian Church singing, its sources, and different styles. The repertoire of the choir, however, reaches beyond the purely ancient repertoire and represents the great riches and variety of the Russian clerical as well as secular choral art. After two decades of creative activity, the choir has become a permanent participant in many Russian and international festivals, playing up to a hundred concerts a year.

This very infectious, upbeat and danceable rhythm from Brazil evolved out of Forro, a unique Brazilian dance rhythm, will not let you sit still. An irresistible invitation to move your body and dance. With Enrique Ugarte, Mauricio Calquin, Jonas Mo, Beatriz Schmidt and Pablo Carcamo.

- The centuries' long historical tradition of flamenco and it's evolution shows a diverse background of cultural roots and influences including Indian, Jewish, Byzantine, Arabic and South American. - Taught to play guitar and sing by his father Juan el Minelva, at the time the best-known guitarist in the region, Andres Fernandez Amador, a gitano from the province of Almeria in Andalusia, southern Spain, sings and plays modern flamenco in the style of Paco de Lucia, Pata Negra and the Gipsy Kings, as well as traditional 'classical' flamenco ('cante jondo') and original compositions.

A superb selection of Irish ballads delivered by some of the greatest representatives of Irish folk, e.g. The Dubliners, Declan Hunt, Terry O'Neill, Brier, Corrib Folk, Blackthorn and many more. The songs include such classics as The Boys of Killibegs, All for me Grog, Cuanla, Sing Irishmen Sing, Carnlough Bay, Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore and many others.

This heady, brand new collection, the fourth Sabla Tolo release, features hip-swaying, high-energy percussion compositions with full arrangements for Oriental dance. It’s Egyptian percussion with an African feel, peppered with hot, driving Brazilian Samba and a hint of Indian spice mixing it up with Moroccan Shaaby and Flamenco. Noted the world over for his percussion talents, arranging and musical diversity, Hossam Ramzy is Arc Music’s best-selling artist.

She’Koyokh, award-winning klezmer and Balkan music ensemble, present vibrant and exhilarating music, straight from London’s melting pot: soulful Eastern European Jewish, Balkan, Turkish and Gypsy music. Performing “the best klezmer & Balkan music in Britain” (Evening Standard), She’Koyokh have spent fifteen years absorbing the rich folk music traditions of Eastern & Southern Europe and Turkey. The band’s evolution spans the origins of busking at East London’s Columbia Rd Flower Market to performing at WOMAD and Sziget festivals, recording live for BBC radio, and playing venues from the Southbank Centre to Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. Masters of the genre, She’Koyokh’s repertoire includes Bulgarian oros, Serbian kolos, Bosnian love songs, ballads from the mountains of southwest Turkey, as well as rip-roaring klezmer music.

Classical Music

After their very successful album release, Zukva, on ARC Music in January 2016, Divanhana are back with a live album featuring their sold-out show in their homeland, Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina. Divanhana performs traditional music in new arrangements created with influences from jazz, pop and twentieth century classical music. Divanhana’s intention is to present the urban traditional music, not only from Bosnia and Herzegovina, but from the whole Balkan region, with a particular accent on Sevdalinka. “Supple sevdah from young, gifted Sarajevans… Divanhana are a young band but a very confident one… They can play sevdah with the right mix of dynamic pace and epic melancholy…” (Songlines UK) “…Divanhana’s sound is simultaneously rooted in the tradition and outward looking, their music dancing with breathtaking inventiveness. By turns romantic and upbeat, the sevdah music of Bosnia and Herzegovina is beautifully showcased from these hugely talented and inventive musicians.” (R2, UK)

Amsterdam-based Ghanaian trumpeter, composer and bandleader Berima Amo blends highlife, Afrobeat, traditional West African rhythms, jazz and soul into a rich, contemporary sound. Rhythms of Love is a heartfelt tribute to the music and icons that shaped his journey-exploring love, unity and cultural pride through hypnotic grooves, expressive trumpet lines and soulful melodies. Bridging tradition and innovation, the album celebrates African musical heritage while carrying it boldly into the future.

Bringing together voices from across the UK Punjabi community, award-winning composer and tabla player Kuljit Bhamra MBE unites leading British vocalists including Heera Group, Premi Johal, Abira Shah and Mohinder Kaur Bhamra with renowned lyricists such as Preet Nihal and Pappi Sing Kenya. Inspired by the timeless lok geet traditions and the golden era of 1980s British Bhangra, Kuljit blends classic folk instruments with fresh contemporary production to celebrate the enduring spirit of Punjabi culture.

Tel ve Ten is the debut album by Ozan Baysal. Discover the diverse sounds of the double-necked baglama, a modified Turkish instrument which has evolved from the traditional Anatolian baglama style, selpe. Featuring improvisations, original compositions and arrangements of traditional Anatolian melodies.

Rooted in the Mandinka idea that history and ancestry shape identity and guide the future, Tona reflects on Kadialy Kouyate's rich heritage as a Kouyate griot and his distinctive style of kora playing, shaped via his life history thus far. With gratitude for the past and optimism for the future, Kadialy continues to refine his artistry, weaving tradition with personal expression.

Rooted in the choro tradition, Alvorada's rich compositions embrace rhythms from across Brazil, including samba, xote, bossa nova and bai�o, tinged with further influences from jazz, tango and more. Faz Tempo pushes traditional expectations with it's bold and intricate arrangements, endlessly varied textures, and breathtaking improvisations and interplay - all transmitted with an infectious joy and soulfulness.

Chinese pipa virtuoso Gao Hong and Indian multi-instrumentalist Baluji Shrivastav OBE unite their rich musical traditions in a cross-cultural collaboration that shines with emotional depth. Alongside Yousef Ali Khan on tabla, Baluji's expressive Indian raags provide a spacious foundation for Gao's intuitive improvisations - at times echoing his motifs, at others soaring freely.

Rooted in the choro tradition, Alvorada's rich compositions embrace rhythms from across Brazil, including samba, xote, bossa nova and bai�o, tinged with further influences from jazz, tango and more. Faz Tempo pushes traditional expectations with it's bold and intricate arrangements, endlessly varied textures, and breathtaking improvisations and interplay - all transmitted with an infectious joy and soulfulness.

Taking on the bold freedom of the skylark, Chinese pipa virtuoso Gao Hong and flamenco guitarist Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde fly together from ancient Asian dynasties, through the Thar desert to Andalusia, harmoniously combining cultures as the East meets West.

Taiwanese whirlwind A Moving Sound unites with NYC's pioneering classical string quartet ETHEL! This beautiful collision of creative forces brings us "The Wheel of Life", a transformative experience of stories-within-music and a crucible for personal evolution. With Mia Hsieh's evocative vocals riding the transcendent wave of ETHEL's gorgeous strings, it courageously showcases a joy for creative experimentation and a penchant for dismantling boundaries.

Carrying Los Ruphay’s ambition to develop awareness and appreciation for the rich tapestry of Bolivian heritage, this album highlights the three seasons of the Aymara annual cycle and the impacts that climate change is having on their culture today. An uplifting album conveying the wind and grandeur of the high plateaus of the Andes through the entrancing melodies of panpipes, charangos and other traditional instruments. A tribute to Los Ruphay’s founder Mario P. Gutiérrez.

Iranian women have not been permitted to sing solo in public since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Together, vocalist Maliheh Moradi and Iranian composer Ehsan Matoori capture the struggles of being a female musician born in Iran. With their collaboration, they acknowledge the sorrow, suffering and fight for freedom against the injustices that underrepresented communities endure. Inspired by the personal memoirs of Maliheh's life, Ehsan converts the multitude of emotions into captivating traditional Iranian compositions, controversially highlighting the beauty of Maliheh's voice.

Olcay Bayir gives voice to the hardships of the valiant people of Anatolia, who, despite innumerable injustices, continue to preserve their language, culture, and customs. "Tu Gulî," a collection of Kurdish Alevi soul-infused songs, honors her multicultural and multilingual background. While blending her own personal memoirs with London's modern cosmopolitan sounds, she also pays tribute to the strong, devoted women of her Anatolian geography, including her own grandmothers and her mother.

Gao Hong (Chinese pipa master) discovers friendship, creativity and the joy of spontaneity with Kadialy Kouyate and his captivating Senegalese kora. With skilful balance of composition and improvisation, the two instruments and musicians converse through the expression of the strings – exchanging cultural stories, traditions and musical styles. This album shines a light on the new possibilities that can arise when peoplefrom all cultures open their hearts and minds to one another, when they abandon inhibitions and simply explore. As Gao concludes, “our music will not just be Chinese or Senegalese, it will be a new form of world music that melds styles and sensibilities from two continents.”

This exciting quintet of young Scottish Gaels, DLÙ, are winners of the ‘Danny Kyle Open Stage 2018’, and were nominated for the MG Alba Scots Trad Award, ‘upcoming artist of the year’, in 2019. Their debut album Moch champions the Gaelic language and culture while blending progressive arrangements, eclectic musical influences and youthful energy. The result – face-paced traditional Scottish tunes with funk, rock and pop – a sound that is uniquely their own. “The greatest reward for those mostly unsung champions of Gaelic language, music and culture is that bands like DLÙ are in the world today.” -Mary Ann Kennedy

A wildly creative and joyful exploration of traditional Taiwanese culture. The music of A Moving Sound is the result of a deep commitment to making art entwined with spiritual practice. Starshine celebrates life and our journey through it. This album features original compositions weaving folk and traditional opera, from earthy to transcendent, joy to suffering, all enhanced with stunning vocals and the rich textures of traditional Taiwanese instruments. “A Moving Sound is one of the most original outfits working in the world music arena today. An inspired marriage of Taiwanese traditional sounds and Western pop experimentation that forges an important new musical dialogue.” (Tom Pryor)

Vigüela showcase various regional styles within traditional Spanish music, all originating from their home-land Castilla-La Mancha, the southern part of the Iberian plateau. Their ninth album A la manera artesana focuses on how ‘artisanal creativity’ differs from the globalization of ‘handicraft culture’ which has become more about following templates and repetition, rather than unique original craftsmanship. According to the band’s founder, Juan Antonio, the style is more important than the repertoire – “Repertoire you can learn, but it’s the local style that makes it authentic.” This approach makes Vigüela quite unique and has gained them Spanish audiences in both rural and urban areas. For modern Spain, and the rest of world, this is a new and exciting style which has been previously unrecognized. Yet for the more rural Castilla-La Mancha audience, it has a moving nostalgic feel that resonates with the local culture.