The Mediterranean Sea, enclosed by two continents, encircled by a multitude of different countries, cultures and languages, enjoys a rich and colorful diversity of musical expressions. With cross-migration and trade throughout history, though, we do find common or similar instruments, rhythms, and musical styles. In spite of all the differences, there is a 'Mediterranean flair' in all the works presented on this new album. Songs featured include pieces from Albania, Lebanon, Greece, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Croatia, Sardinia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, France, and more. The traditional folk musicians featured on the release bring an authentic and natural flair to each and every work.

Gary Stroutsos honors the Hopi Tribe with solo improvisations on a reincarnated leena. Featuring the plaintive and haunting sounds of the Hopi long flute, these pieces are inspired by the landscapes of the American Southwest, and the people who have lived there since time immemorial. Songs for Leena is the follow-up album to Öngtupqa. The Hopi Tribe have maintained their flute tradition for thousands of years. Today, it is still actively cultivated with the help of The Hopi Long Flute Preservation Project, of which Gary is an honorable member. Due to his dedication to the instrument, and long-term friendships with cultural practitioners of the tribe, the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office invited Gary to join the project – an offer never extended to a non-native before. Profits from this album will go towards The Hopi Long Flute Preservation Project.

For Baluji Shrivastav to be such an accomplished and respected musician is a minor miracle. Blinded as a child, Baluji is largely self-taught. His skill, as well as his versatility, is what makes Baluji shine as a musician. Baluji has accompanied such major stars as Coldplay, Massive Attack, Annie Lennox and Noel Gallagher. He received the Order of the British Empire for his contribution to music by His Majesty the Prince of Wales in 2017, and is founder of the blind Inner Vision Orchestra. Baluji is widely recognized as an ingenious musical pioneer. Indian Classical Interactions is an album of vibrant instrumentation, choral prayers and musical revelations. This intriguing new album of original compositions truly highlights Baluji’s poetic and philosophical insight into Indian Classical music.

Bapi Das Baul is the grandson of the legendary Baul folk singer Sri Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, yet his own take on Bengali folk music has also been celebrated worldwide. Bapi Das Baul and his folk ensembles Baul Bishwa and Mantrasense, have together released several albums that balance traditional styles with trance-like techniques for a new generation of Baul music. This album is a spiritual and musical journey with each song bringing visions of love, peace and solidarity – the core philosophical messages of the Bauls. Accompanied by a variety of native instruments such as the tabla, dhol and ektara, and lyrical poems by the great Fakir Baul Lalon Shar.

This new release is an enchanting collection of traditional and contemporary music from mainland China and Taiwan, with both sung and instrumental pieces, showcasing traditional Chinese instruments such as the board zithers guqin and zheng, lutes, such as pipa and ruan, flutes, dizi and xiao, as well as erhu (fiddle), yangqin (hammered dulcimer), sheng (mouth-blown bamboo organ) and konghou (Chinese harp). Eastern music specialist Diz Heller compiled the songs featured here and mastered them for optimal sound quality. Authentic ensembles and musicians perform here, including the Pan Jing Ensemble, Mei Han & Red Chamber, Silk & Bamboo Ensemble, and many more. Information about each song is included in the booklet.

The ensemble From Both Ends of the Earth plays real roots music: traditional Yiddish and Ukrainian melodies, infused with elements of jazz, folk music, and rhythm and blues, interpreted by five of the most versatile and dynamic musicians in Canada. Their music has been described as “Old soul music,” by Randall McElroy of Uptown and given 4.5 stars by The Winnipeg Free Press. “… the band proves that it is still a traditional klezmer band, but one that has also absorbed the best of the music around them… I was dazzled…” (KlezmerShack) From Both Ends of the Earth began as a trio of Canada’s finest musicians meeting in a cross-genre project. The group was formed with an interest in interpretations of traditional Yiddish and Ukranian music in a modern light. After a series of highly successful concerts in Winnipeg, the group expanded from a trio to a quintet. The ensemble plays music from the past, with their hearts, and transforms the infinitely rich traditional klezmer catalogue into music for today.

Seeing the connections between Portugal and Africa, this album addresses the similarities within these cultures but also speaks of their differences. The songs are stories infused with colors and rhythms from Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Portuguese fado, and reflections on Portuguese identity. Music has surrounded Catarina dos Santos since she was a child. Her father was a programmer for the Cultural Centre in Barreiro, Portugal, and held his own radio show, which meant that Catarina grew up watching live performances of music, theater and dance from backstage. Barreiro is an industrial town with mixed demographics. This cultural melting pot was ultimately mirrored in the music she heard, sang and danced to as a child: a blend of Angolan, Cape Verdean, Brazilian and Portuguese music.

Capoeira is a Brazilian cultural expression that mixes martial art, sport, music and popular culture. Developed in Brazil, mainly by descendants of African slaves with some Indian influence, it is characterized by agile, complex movements. One feature that distinguishes the Capoeira from most other martial arts is it's musicality. Practitioners of this Brazilian martial art not only learn to fight and play, but also to play the typical instruments and sing. An experienced capoeirista who ignores the musicianship is considered incomplete. The present release is filled with the best Capoeira songs and rhythms for both the experienced and novice Capoeirista, or just to listen to and enjoy.

The 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. The next release on this series is Music of Tibet, curated by Simon Broughton. Accompanying the album is Deben Bhattacharya’s film, Echoes from Tibet, which was shot in 1979 in Ladakh, Darjeeling and Dharamsala. This is where many Tibetan exiles and the Dalai Lama (who appears in the film) are based. The music on the accompanying album was recorded in 1975 and 1979 in the refugee communities of Ladakh, Himalchal Pradesh, Sikkim and Darjeeling, and also in Sarnath, close to Varansi where The Buddha gave his first sermon. The music on the album was recorded by Deben Bhattacharya on his Nagra in 1975 and 1979. “For the new Musical Explorers series by the British label, the world music expert Simon Broughton has raised a real treasure.”

Celebrating 50 years of the group Los Ruphay, this album portrays the harmony between humans and the Andean fauna and flora, and the necessary 'revolution' in our actions towards our environment. The various flutes and panflutes, drums, and charangos suggest gifts of sun and rain and ancestral rites. In their songs, sung in two of the major languages of Bolivia- Aymara (the indigenous language) and Spanish, Los Ruphay addresses the declining beliefs in ancient animism today, and how this practice needs to be protected and not forgotten in our time of forced diaspora and social segregation. Today in the Cordillera of the Andes, the indigenous continue to love and respect the Andean landscape- the mystic mountains they call home, the heat of the sun, the rocks and the Andean snow of beautiful Bolivia. They still hold dear their love for music which has a deep sense of cosmic and spiritual harmony for all.

Pepe Romero, head of an outstanding family of folk musicians has been playing the bagpipe since he was twelve years old. He is known today, as one of the best bagpipers in Galicia. The repertoire on this album, based on self-composed themes with clear, unmistakable and genuine roots in the Galician usical tradition, is another aspect that gives a very special character to this group. (ARC Music)

The present release is an album of Flamenco masters, featuring Felipe Sauvageon and his signature Mediterranean flair; Los Amadores (José & Manuel), representing the essential pristine roots of traditional Flamenco of Andalucia; Elias Feijoo Gomez and Grupo Macarena taking a step closer to the traditional roots of Flamenco, and a variety of other styles ranging from traditional to the Gipsy Kings-style of the Camargue. The Rumbas Flamencas on this album were recording between January 2004 and August 2005, and the Rumbas camarguesas were recorded between October 2005 and March 2007.

The first mention of calypso comes from a dance described by Abbe Masse in 1882. Otherwise, most scholars who have tried to trace the story of calypso agree that the word itself is not connected with the deity who lured Homer's Odysseus to her island. The origins of the word are unclear and scholars debate this with no definitive answer. The name possibly began with the French 'carrouseaux' and went through patois and Anglicization. There are also suggestions that the name originated with exclamations of encouragement to the singer by the chorus or audience or both. But whatever process brought the word into everyday use, the point is that calypso is here. Quick wit, knowing observation of human behavior, and comment on it's absurd aspects are the bill of fare offered in calypso, which probably prompted Time to label calypso "The Living Newspaper" in 1944. For eloquence and topical diversity, no other genre can approach the calypso of Trinidad and Tobago, for the calypsonian assumes a stance between editorialist, moralist, and satirist as scandal, disaster, politics, self-praise, sexual indiscretion and everything from local to international events prove as grist for the mill.

British kora player, Ravi, spent six months recording these tracks with Brazilian musicians in Rio de Janeiro. The musicians explore the styles, tone colours, and rhythms of this energetic culture with kora, guitar, and voice. Several special guests are featured on the album, including legendary clarinetist Paulo Moura, leading percussionists Armando Marcal and Robertinho Silva, and vocalist Marlui Miranda, who brings the Amazon to the songs with sounds of Brazilian native culture.

Ilya Kuzinets, leader of the group Adon Olam, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He began to study the violin at the municipal music school in St. Petersburg and finished the class with honors. He continued his study at the Rimsky Korsakov College, St. {Petersburg, and then at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire. There he received his diploma with honors with Professor Anatoly Reznikovsky. In 1991 he emigrated to Israel and continued his studies at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy. In the following years, he played in various orchestras and folk groups with whom he toured Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, and South America. Since 1996, parallel to all of his concert and touring activities, he has been the house composer for The Israel Stage Orchestra, writing new pieces and arrangements for the orchestra. He also wrote arrangements for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and other orchestras in the area. This group presents traditional Israeli songs arranged by Kuzinets for his group Adon Olam.