Classical Music

A unique and lively album, this recording includes all of the Scottish Police Pip Band-Dumfries & Galloway Constabulary Pipe Band, Grampian Police Pipe Band, Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band, Tayside Police Pipe Band and the world champion Strathclyde Police Pipe Band. Insert includes history of each of the bands.

This recording features beautiful haunting panpipes and flutes with all the traditional instruments of Bolivia plus bass and percussion.

Pure thoroughbred Egyptian dance music by Hossam Ramzy with a gathering of the best musicians of Cairo's Mohammed Ali Street, the music is re-mastered and partly shortened to better suit today's oriental dancers.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

The Hugo Diaz Trio consisted of the late Hugo Diaz on bandoneon, Miguel Angel Ledesma on piano and Horacio Cabarcos on bass. This is a minimum ensemble, but their sound is full, largely due to the full and rich sound production of Diaz and the robust playing of Ledesma. Most of the pieces are fairly short and never outstay their welcome and are mostly from the 1920s - 1940s, although every piece sounds up to date in Diaz's hands. (As a special treat is a jazzy version of 'Por una Cabeza', the tango made famous in America by the movie Scent of a Woman.) Many tunes on this album are dramatic, musically interesting and just plain danceable fun. 'A Orillas del Plata' betrays a deep jazz influence that is very pleasant to listen to. 'La Racha' is a bit slower than most of the other numbers, but it swoops and pounces with the best of them. One slight caveat: The last three tracks on the disc are for solo bandoneon and that will not charm everyone. Still, this album will appeal to lovers of traditional tango as well as followers of tango outcast Astor Piazzolla.

Classical Music

ZUM plays the music of the Argentine master of modern tango, Astor Piazzolla – fiery, passionate and intriguingly beautiful. Contemporary grooves, advanced harmonies and atmospheric spaces combine to provide a new viewpoint on the master’s voice. “With Piazzolla's tango, ZUM have found their sweet spot… they have done a masterful job with his work.”- Allmusic USA “Advanced harmonies and arrangements… a diverse perspective on the genre…” – Rhythms Australia ZUM is a band whose musical exploration is exceptionally wide-ranging, treating audiences at gigs to their groundbreaking world fusion as they weave melodies from around the globe into a whirlwind redefinition of world music. ZUM evolved from London Concertante’s Gypsy Tango Project, put together by the acclaimed chamber ensemble’s Artistic Director, Chris Grist, who had grown to love both gypsy and tango music, and thought it would be a great idea to put them together. His first meaningful exposure to anything other than ballroom tango was by way of the recordings of American guitarist Al Di Meola. He initially took out an LP called “World Sinfonia” from his local record library in 1991. It featured a couple of tracks by the master of modern Argentine tango. Chris was blown away by the music, and his love of tango, and Piazzolla in particular, was born.

This release features newly composed Greek songs from the pen of Michalis Terzis, one of Greece's most prolific and distinguished composers. Sung by the prominent Cretan singer Vasilis Skoulas, the songs create a warm and pleasant atmosphere. Michalis Terzis studied piano and music theory at the Macedonian Conservatory in Thessaloniki and in Athens with A. Ainian and K. Chronopoulos. He started his music career in 1973, performing in music theatres in the historic part of Athens beneath the Acropolis. He recorded his first piece in 1976. His works have since been performed and recorded by the most famous Greek singers, and he has won awards at many Greek and international film festivals for his music. As Michalis Terzis continues his very successful music career, he maintains the strong belief that music is the most important, direct and creative way to communicate with people of different cultures and languages.

Five of the world’s best flamenco musicians are featured on this album. Andres Fernandez Amador opens the album by performing modern flamenco in the style of Paco de Lucia, Pata Negra, and the Gipsy Kings. As a Gypsy from Spain, he has flamenco in his blood, and it shows through these passionate performances. Rafa El Tachuela explores flamenco’s elements of jazz and their musical connection with ancient Arab culture. The late Manuel Lopez-Ruiz, also known as El Chachi, is a renowned flamenco guitarist and some of his rare recordings are heard here. Founded in 1990, Spanish Gypsy features several renowned musicians including Juan Plazuelo and Pedro Palomo. Rounding out the lineup is Grupo Macarena, which was founded in 1997 and consists of a varying number of talented musicians.

The House Devils present foot-stomping Irish songs and instrumental sets played with guitar, fiddle, cittern, flute, harmonica, whistle, mandolin, uilleann pipes, double bass and bodhran. The House Devils are Mat Walklate, Matt Fahey, Jonny Hulme, and Laszlo Palko. Reviews for the ensemble's previous albums and performances have been stellar. "Mat Walklate... one of the best harmonica players on the planet... a cracking album, immediate, direct, and full of life." (BBC Radio 2) "The whole group is solid and smoking... I was especially impressed with Mat's harmonica... and Matt Fahey's vocals, this man can sing... This is one you want to hear." (Irish American News)

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.

CUSTÓDIO CASTELO is the world’s leading player of the Portuguese fado guitar, the instrument that helped make fado music Portugal’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO). Like Carlos Paredes, Custódio Castelo creates groundbreaking new sounds that have promoted the Portuguese Guitar to a concert instrument that can be played solo or as accompaniment. His unique Portuguese guitar, handmade from an oak root by master Oscar Cardoso, is capable of fine nuances of emotion, and he uses them well, especially for melancholy, but also for a sense of jubilation. On this release Custódio Castelo plays fados made famous by the Queen of Fado, Amália Rodrigues. “Custódio Castelo is the world’s leading exponent of the Guitarra Portuguesa, the instrument that gives the country’s fado music its poignant song.” (Allmusic)