Enjoy an hour of gorgeous summer sun with this very enjoyable, laid-back and relaxed island music. This album travels from the Caribbean to the Pacific Islands and Hawaii, the Marquesas Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, and Micronesia. This lineup is comprised of both studio recordings and field recordings which were gathered by musicologists over the last few decades. Especially notable is the Tahiti recordings by David Fanshawe. The song was recorded by Fanshawe at “Heiva I Tahiti,” the biggest annual cultural event of the year in Tahiti. It presents four weeks of traditional competitions, reenactments and nonstop performance in the annual dance and singing competitions. The song is an Aparima, which is often performed in the kneeling or sitting position and every gesture in the dance is symbolic and has very great meaning.

This release is an album of blissful relaxation music specifically curated for meditation, yoga, and stress relief in a busy lifestyle. Award-winning artists are included, such as Jason Carter who “builds relationships across borders,” (British Council, Iran), Gary Stroutsos, who performed at the White House upon invitation from President Bill Clinton, and Baluji Shrivastav, who holds the honor of OBE, awarded by the Prince of Wales. Crossing oceans and cultures, the music on this release comes from all over the globe including traditional music from Nepal, Russia, Egypt, Native America, India and the United Kingdom.

Isla st Clair is one of Scotland's most popular traditional singers and has gained international acclaim for her pure and distinctive voice. Arc Music releases a fine selection of popular and treasured songs performed by an accomplished singer and quite possibly the voice of Scotland.

Music from different regions of Turkey played on traditional instruments, with the exotic sound of the ney (flute) particularly prominent. Features the Baglama (lute), ney (flute), zurna (shawm), zil (finger cymbals), davul and darbuka (drums) and kasik (wooden spoons). Striking traditional Middle Eastern and Persian beats and melodies will transport listeners to the bustling marketplaces and tea houses of Turkey. Fans of Joseph Tawadros and the oud will be captivated by this album.

Divanhana perform traditional and urban music from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entire Balkan region, with influences from the early Ottoman Empire, newly arranged and fused with jazz, pop and 20th-century classical music. "... Divanhana builds large swirling tones of mystery before turning slyly romantic and hurling the track down a rockier flight of stairs... Some tracks are bleary and boisterous with plenty of roots charm, others a beautiful lament full of heartache and defiant resignation..." - Irish Times

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Valentina Ponomareva's renderings of Gypsy music from Russia sparkle with all the forgotten romance of that culture. Ponomareva, accompanied by traditional guitars and violins, performs with sweetness and romance. She draws on her own Gypsy heritage and long experience as a Gypsy musician to this impressive recording, where Wanderlust notes that "the passion in her voice shines through."

Oscar Benito had his 36-string harp custom built in his home town of Asuncion. The Paraguayan harp differs in sound and playing method from the concert harp. The sound depends on the wood used. The wood (from local forests) is carefully selected and then has to be stored for a certain time in order to get the desired full sound. In the past people used to store the wood for decades in order to provide their children's children with the proper material to build a harp. Some of this magic still remains in the Paraguayan harp. Oscar Benito's timeless Paraguayan harp is presented here with a clear, appealing cover design and liner notes detailing his life and musical journey. This release features melodious and relaxing music from the wilderness of South America. It is truly beautiful music that will appeal to a wide variety of musical tastes.

David Fanshawe (1942-2010) was a composer, ethnic sound recordist, photographer and TV personality. His ambition to record indigenous folk music began in the Middle East in 1966, and intensified on subsequent journeys through North and East Africa (1969-75).David's legacy is cemented in the Fanshawe Collections, some 3000 tapes and 60,000 images recorded on his travels in Arabia, Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific between 1967-94. This colorful album of exotic and beautiful music from Thailand and Laos, recorded by Mr. Fanshawe, is enchanting, hypnotic and full of charisma.

Hossein Farjami has long been one of the most respected and best-loved Iranian musicians. He combines natural talent with rigorous discipline, and musicianship with professional ethics. Born in Teheran, Iran, in 1944, 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. Anxious to pass on his skills and experiences to the next generation, Farjami is also an inspiring teacher, at once patient and rigorous. Apart from santur, ud and percussion he teaches classical Iranian singing and musical theory, while still finding time for composing, arranging, and recording. The present album is dedicated to Iranian traditional folk music. The simple, soulful melodies are rich in emotional nuances which Farjami conveys with his subtle arrangements and masterly playing. Like all genuine folk music these tunes have a universal appeal- to the heart, which is our natural home.

Rooted in tradition this recording of Yoruba (Nigerian) percussion and chant features 'incredibly beautiful rhythms and drumming patterns, each track with it's own unique story and vibe. The aspect of spirituality and the supernatural is strongly evident throughout' (Blogger News Network). English translations of the poems are available.

• An album of compositions for Egyptian dance, featuring “Egypt's Ambassador of Rhythm”, Hossan Ramzy, a well-known figure in Western music circles. • Mr. Ramzy's partner, Prof. Maged Serour, is a Qanun virtuoso. • The history of the Qanun, a plucked box zither, dates back over 1000 years."

(2-CD set) Dreams of love... Dreaming of a better, brighter life or dreaming in search of the absolute. Love can take so many different forms - and can open so many doors!

The Pulse of Persia: Iranian Rhythms, Global Influences

• A collection of Brazilian samba tunes offering a welcome crosscurrent of stimulating and relaxing music. • Varied in style and instrumentation.

This release features Christmas songs from Chile, Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Argentina accompanied on guitars, pan flutes and percussion.

“This album is a must for the pipes and drums enthusiast as it contains an excellent variety of original material superbly arranged and played by the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion Queen’s Own Highlanders…. The overall tone and execution is of the highest caliber. This could well introduce a new approach to pipe and drums representation.” - Captain John Allen, Director of Army Bagpipe Music. (ARC Music)

"• Captivating harp tunes from Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton, with a variety of instrumental accompaniments. • Booklet notes in English and German. • “Without doubt... [some] of the finest Celtic harp I've ever heard. Aryeh... captures a feeling of warmth and comfort that will charm and delight anyone. ... emotionally charged and skillfully rendered...” - Ben Kettlewell (Alternate Music Press)"

With this gripping musical experience comes powerful thunder, intricate rhythms of giant Japanese drums, weaving multi-layered patterns of an almost hypnotic intensity.

Ashk'farad - the combination of Ashkenazi and Sefardi musical worlds - the 2 sides of Jewish culture, energetic traditional Klezmer melded with beautiful, melodic and lyrical Ladino thus featuring music from both sides of the Jewish tradition, from Vilna in Poland to Salonika (today's Thessaloniki) in Greece, to Afula in Israel where the two customs become one.

"• An enchanting collection of the best-known and loved Russian songs as played by the Balalaika-Ensemble Wolga. • Includes the famous songs Kalinka, The Red Sarafan, The Lonely Bell, The Legend of the 12 Bandits, and Evening Bells. • Showcases the unique sounds of the balalaikas together with the resonant, deep-voices of the Russian singers. • Includes bonus track."

The duduk is a wind instrument peculiar to Armenia and is presented on this recording by Djivan Gasparian, one of the greatest masters of this instrument and who has played it in films such as the Last Temptation of Christ and Gladiator. The music has a haunting, meditative quality, on some pieces accompanied by a dool (drum).

"• Hossam Ramzy's arrangements of some the best known songs of Farid Al Atrash. • Farid Al Atrash was famous across the Middle East for his virtuoso oud (lute) playing, magnificent musical films and warm voice. • He wrote the dance music for Egypt’s famed dancer, Samya Gamal. Farid produced 42 films in which he sang and Samya or Taheyya Karioka danced. • Mr. Ramzy is the Arc Music label's all-time top-selling artist. • Booklet notes in English and German. "