This beautiful selection of traditional lullabies and songs from across the globe were carefully selected to calm the minds and souls of little ones. Instrumental and vocal music from contemporary and ancient cultures and traditions blend seamlessly to encourage sleep and provide a soothing and peaceful atmosphere for children at rest. (ARC Music)

The Mediterranean is the meeting point of many cultures: where Africa meets the Orient, where Iberia and Europe meet the Maghreb. The music of Noor Shimaal follows old paths; from Central Asia (Azerbaijan) to Istanbul and the shores of the Mediterranean, to Cyprus, then to the Nile and south to Nubia and the Sudan, thence to Tunis, Algiers and Fes, across the water to Seville and Valencia in Spain and south again to the ancient city of Marrakech in Morocco. Noor Shimaal consists of three artists, each representing an element of the performance. Born in Algeria, Amel Benhassine-Miler moved to Germany in her twenties. There she ran a successful Pan-Arabic dance group which performed in various countries. She then came to London where she continues to teach and perform. Vivienne Dogan Corringham is an experienced singer. She has performed and recorded Turkish, North African and Arabic Folk songs as well as pop music. Percussionist Salah Dawson Benhassine-Miller has worked with various folk, jazz and pop groups and has toured extensively. His specialties are North African, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian percussion. Noor Shimaal means “Northern Lights.” The group performs modern acoustic folk music and dance, tradition, improvisation and innovation.

Custadio Castelo is the world's leading player of Portuguese fado guitar the instrument that helped make the fado genre the masthead of Portugal's musical heritage. Inventus showcases Castelo's excellence as both composer and performer marking him one of the most innovative Portuguese musicians in the genre and a master of his art.

Namibian-born Elemotho presents a remarkable album of original songs, sung in his native tongue, Setswana, English and other Namibian languages. His music has a touch of rhythms from the Kalahari Desert, mixed with ethnic and global sounds, the 'calling of the rain' combined with emphatic messages for our modern times.

Elemotho released his first worldwide album “My Africa” on ARC Music in March 2013. Since then, his musical career and Namibian stardom have gone from strength to strength. In 2014, Elemotho headlined the BBC Radio 3 stage at WOMAD. Not only known for this great musicianship, Elemotho strongly and publicly supports human rights, national Namibian charities, such as the Save The Rhino Trust, which he campaigned for by donating musical proceeds, and he speaks freely of his political opinions. “…how can you dislike someone who has written a song called ‘The System is a Joke’?” (R2 Magazine, UK) This new album, “Beautiful World,” is another powerful message about freedom and seeks to inspire a brighter future for Namibia and the world. Elemotho writes: “I like to paint a picture where chords are not just tangible but energy is felt and words carry a power beyond bullets and hunger.” “Elemotho’s music speaks to the spirit and soul of the Namibian people. His single “Black Man” off his upcoming album is no exception.” (The Namibian)

This new release features over an hour of festive and authentic Hungarian gypsy tunes. Presented by Andras Farkas and the Budapest Ensemble, these songs are infectious and lively melodies, laced with classical elegance. Andras Farkas’ “singing violin” shines on these 44 well-known traditional tracks.

The santoor is one of the oldest instruments in the world, originating in the Middle East. It is among the simplest stringed instruments, belonging to the category of zithers. The strings are struck with two hammers, called mesrabs. The name santoor first appeared in an eleventh century poem by the Iranian Manucheri. The instrument itself was not depicted until the thirteenth century where we find it in a drawing. The wall paintings of Chehel Sotun, the “catalogue” of Safauad musical instruments, also depict the santoor. It is also found in later paintings and photographs from the Qasar period. During the twentieth century the santoor gained much popularity and is now one of the major instruments in Iran. Hossein Farjami has long counted among the most respected and best-loved Iranian musicians. He combines natural talent with rigorous discipline, and musicianship with professional ethics. Born in Teheran, Iran, he started his musical studies at the age of 13, and his life has been devoted to music ever since. For the past five decades he has been based in London, where he has achieved a high reputation, not only among the large Iranian community living in the West, but throughout the Middle East as well.

Emerging around the beginning of the 19th century, Gypsy brass bands developed from Turkish military bands.; The performing ensemble on this release, Fanfara din Cozmesti, is one of the most well known Romanian Gypsy brass bands performing today.; This release includes an extensive booklet with information about the fifteen band members and each of the songs on the album.

Mei Han is one of the world’s foremost zheng artists, and her groundbreaking virtuosity has propelled the traditional Chinese instrument into the modern era with new dimensions of musical expression. The music on this release is deeply rooted in centuries of Chines culture. Han transforms this stately instrument into a contemporary tool suitable for a consort stage. Han tours around the globe with other leading artists, and performs alongside chamber ensembles, new music ensembles, and symphonies. “Han is an ethnomusicologist as well as a virtuoso, so it’s perhaps natural that she should excel in bringing China’s ancient repertoire to life…” (Georgia Straight) “Reinventing Tradition- a foremost zheng virtuoso broadens the scope of her ancient Chinese instrument to embrace Asian, Western, composed, and freely improvised music.” (Musicworks)

This charming collection of music focuses largely on the two main forms of classical music in India: the Hindustani tradition from the north and central regions and the Carnatic tradition form the south. The classical music of India is a mystical tradition dating back millennia. For centuries, Indian classical music played an important part in the lives of worshippers throughout the country. Also, folk songs from the states of Goa and Rajasthan, as well as fusions with African music and jazz are featured on this release.

The name of this new release, Wind Riders, is taken from Native American folk lore, where the best flute players were called ‘Wind Riders’ for their skill to control the air rushing through their instruments. The Native American flute is used here in a variety of groupings, such as flute with nature sounds, flute with synthesizer, and flute with ceremonial percussion. The songs on this album portray melodic stories, based on Native American lore.

Rafael performs and composes different genres of Latin music repertoire, but he is known mostly as a composer and interpreter of merenguero and bachatero music from his home country, the Dominican Republic. After an illustrious career as a musician and singer with various musical groups, Rafael embarked on a solo career as a bandleader with his live orchestra Rafael & Energia Dominicana in 2008. “… We can’t all go south in the winter, so the next best thing is to feel the warmth, energy and love that permeates this wonderful album of Latin music… After many spins, I still get a change out of its upbeat and pulsating vibe.” (The Senior Times) “…This is an energetic and very well produced album that rivals some of the best recordings of Latin music in the world.” (Musicomania.ca) “…As good as Latin music gets as far as I am concerned. What a great band, it’s obvious where the name comes from.” (CultMontreal)

Viguela is a five-member band from Castilla-La Mancha, who has been sustaining their homeland’s traditional music for over three decades. Their music fuses traditional songs with more modern aspects and sounds from other areas in the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Africa. Temperamento is being released alongside their 2016 European tour, which will take the group through Spain, Sweden, and Germany. “Viguela’s CD is a treasure. Full of reality, human presence, intensity – and musically and technically perfect.” (Janusz Prusinowski, Mazurkas of the World Festival)

Situated in the world's highest mountain range, the Himalayas, Nepal is the home of Mount Everest. It is a Hindu kingdom with over 26 million inhabitants, of which approximately three quarters are Hindus, the rest Buddhists and some animists belonging to the aboriginal communities. The majority of the population are of two distinct racial stocks: the Mongolians from the north and the Aryans from the south. The blending of these two main races has produced a number of ethnic sub groups with unique habits. This album is made up entirely of field recordings, showing all that is unique and memorable about music in Nepal.

When the 'fadista' sings, a hush falls over the room... Fado, Portugal's blues, can not only be described as a song; it represents a certain feeling which many people call the spirit of Portugal. These melancholic and often tragic songs, beautiful and touching, relate a general sense of frustration and a unique Portuguese fatalism. They express a feeling the Portuguese call saudade, an almost untranslatable word evoking longing, yearning and nostalgia. This carefully compiled 16-track collection highlights several forms of fado, from the popular Lisbon form loved by millions, to the lesser known variant from the city of Coimbra, and includes fusions of fado with other musical genres. Custodio Castelo, icon of the Portuguese fado guitar and RosaNegra, a project within the "Novo Fado" (New Fado) movement, are but two of the many fine performers, individual or group, one will happily encounter again, or anew.