Great Cuban music; captures the magic of the golden era of 1950s Cuba. Acoustic guitars, bass and lots of percussion and multi-part vocals. Includes favourites such as Yolanda (Pablo Milanes), the famous Chan Chan (Compay Segundo[Buena Vista Social Club]) and more.

Afghan nomad tribal dances, love songs, battle tunes... played on authentic instruments, such as ghichak (fiddle), zeir baghali (goblet drum), surnai (shawm), dholak (double headed drum), rabab (lute) and more. Afghan music and traditions - almost lost - preserved in invaluable field recordings made in Kabul in 1950 and 1970 by ethnomusicologist Deben Bhattacharya.

Perfect for the Festive Season, this is a choral album with light instrumentation from Ensemble Kereoni in Georgia. Beautiful, liquid harmonies blend beautifully with an almost liturgical quality. The name of the ensemble Kereoni refers to a traditional candle used in the Orthodox Church symbolizing the harmonization of the Trinity. Ensemble Kereoni has performed professionally around Europe, and especially in The Netherlands where the Stichting Kereoni, a foundation created on the island of Texel, provides support by arranging promotional concert tours and sale of albums. The artists are Soso Zurabauli, Levan Samkurashvili, Levan Goliadze, Jemal Museridze, and Merab Samkurashvili.

In the history of Irish music, no group has created and maintained their calling as effectively as the Dubliners. They began their career in 1962. The original members were Ronnie Drew, Ciaran Bourke, Luke Kelly, and Barney McKenna. In 1963 they were joined by John Sheahan. In 1967 the band recorded “The New Dubliners.” The track “Seven Drunken Nights,” was released as a single. It was so bawdy that the official media decided to ban it. Luckily for the Dubliners it was picked up by the pirate station Radio Caroline and given saturation airplay. As a result, it stayed at the top of the charts in Ireland for two months and shot up to number five on the British Pop charts launching the Dubliners into stardom. More recordings followed and a performance in front of a capacity crowd in the Royal Albert Hall, London. By the early 70s, they were touring the world. This special compilation album includes the group’s biggest hits as well as several lesser-known but equally enticing songs.

Classical Music

Richard Rogers: Command Performance

India/Canada Ritesh Das Toronto Tabla Ensemble: Weaving

One of Ireland's most compelling gifts to the world is its music. Deliberately, inadvertently, unquenchably, the music, like the people, traveled. They went to America as eager immigrants, such as the Irish Quakers who settled in Pennsylvania, and as unwilling prisoners, like the many Irish Tories remanded to Virginia in the late 17th century. The music they brought with them famously infused America's nascent musical voice as the young country climbed on its shaky legs and learned to dance. No household, it seemed, was without a copy of "Moore's Irish Melodies," although scores of other Irish collections became nearly as popular.

Not just America:
That influence spread throughout the English-speaking world, mixing into the music of such diverse areas as Cape Breton and the Orkney Islands. And, not surprisingly, what with all the conquest-happy traffic in and around Ireland over the centuries, the music has spread even further.
- Byron A. Nilsson

On this recording, the London All Stars present favorite Latin songs including Lambada, Say so so, Silencio, Cielito Lindo, Nobody's Business, El Cumbanchero, Francilia Teresa, Quando Quando, Guantanamera, Malditos Selos, and more! London All Stars have an international reputation as the undefeated British National Steel band Champions and one of Europe's leading steel bands.

Timbila is a xylophone-like instrument and the name of the rhythmic music that comes from the Chopi people of rural Mozambique. One of the last living masters of the timbila drum orchestra is Venancio Mbande. He is 70 years old, lives in a small village without electricity or modern amenities, but his skills as an ensemble leader, musician and master of the timbila tradition are undeniable. Timbila is a music that dates back hundreds of years (first documented by a Portuguese missionary in 1560). The foremost characteristic of timbila is the instrument. The Chopi people's mbila, singular for timbila, is a unique instrument in the music of the Bantus of the Southern Africa continent. The xylophone and marimba are the Western variants of this remarkable instrument, born much later than it's timbila ancestor. Made from the wood of the Mwenje tree, the timbila comes in different types depending on their tone. It uses heptatonian tuning which means that an octave is divided into seven roughly equal intervals. The music itself is a vibrant mesh of rhythms and whistles, dancing and drumming. A group orchestral suite, Ngodo, is usually renewed about every two years. In general, the topics of the lyrics deal with current issues. But it always starts with an introduction by a solo timbila. For this live field recording session, Mbande's orchestra took it's customary places in the shade of two big trees. In front of them was an open square for the dancers. Like the visual splendor of South Africa's Zulu dances, it is a remarkable feat to witness and hear. On the whole, Ngodo resembles music theatre and ballet. However, the leading role in this colourful form of art is the music.

Mbeng-Ntam presents vibrant, powerful, ethnic, tribal songs from Gabon (equatorial Africa). Mbeng-Ntam are 30 musicians, singers and dancers, all from one family. This CD includes information about the group as well as stunning photos of authentic costumes, instruments, dances.

Traditional flute performer and educator Joel Francisco Perri presents a lovely collection of flute music from the Andes bringing to light a wealth of flute sounds of the region. Kena (shepherd's flute) zampoas (panflutes) and rondador (Ecuadorian panflute) make appearances. Additionally each flute is presented and discussed in detail in the booklet.

Best of Latin America, Vol. 2

Music from the Middle Eastern lute, the oud, has become especially popular in Australia through Joseph Tawadros and groups like Trio Joubran and Les Triaboliques. Ancient, mesmerizing Iraqi rhythms based on Arabian magams conjure images of bazaars and mosques. Backed by exotic percussion including the dombak (single-headed goblet drum), riqq, tar (tambourines) and khishba.

Founded in 1926, the London Jewish Male Choir enjoys a reputation for its performance of the broad spectrum of Jewish music- cantorial/liturgical, Yiddish, Ladino, Israeli and Chassidic- to a wide range of audiences. Throughout its more than 90 years, the LJMC has travelled extensively throughout the UK and has performed in London’s most prestigious concert halls. It has also taken part in national and international television and radio broadcasts for the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4. This collection captures a snapshot of the choir over its 90-plus years. In selecting the pieces, we have attempted to show the character and reflect the diverse nature of the LJMC’s repertoire, soloists, conductors, accompanists and musical styles. Cantors featured include Moshe Korn, Steven Leas, and Robert Brody. Accompanists include Shir and Jeremy Limb.

Bellydance is one of the most popular dance styles in the world today, rooted equally in the beauty of both classical and folk styles. Integral to bellydance is the music that leads the body to motion. From Arabian music and bellydance master Hossam Ramzy comes a must-have disc of the most popular music for bellydance. Ramzy not only illumines the tradition through 2.5 hours of music, but also provides insight to the world of Arabian rhythm and dance, including exercises in interpretation, through a personally written guide.

Classical Music

In an intoxicating meeting of cultures, guitarist Ramon Goose and Senegalese singer-percussionist Modou Touré trace the ancestry of the blues – back before its birth to the dunes and deserts of western Africa. The West African Blues Project is a vibrant, exciting marriage of these two seemingly distinct but inescapably-linked musical traditions.

Classical Music

Hossam Ramzy captures a variety of styles and rhythms of Baladi. The pieces are especially meant to augment practicing the dance. Baladi Plus is a great follow-up to the album “Introduction to Egyptian Dance Rhythms”.

This new release features fourteen new mixes combining Native American chants with modern instruments and electronics. At times relaxing, at times invigorating, always enchanting. All of the tracks are performed by Brandon Friesen and James Creasy. Brandon Friesen is an American, Grammy Award nominated and multi-Juno Award winning songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer. Brandon's career has spanned over 15 years, and he has recorded and produced artists including: Nickelback, Sum 41, Billy Ray Cyrus, Everlast, Finger Eleven, Three Days Grace, and many more. Brandon is a strong guitarist and songwriter, with the ability to produce artists of all genres by guiding musicians to create a consistent sonic vision. Grammy and Juno nominated composer/producer James Creasey began his musical journey 35 years ago with a passion and study for classical music and the desire to conduct. With the guitar as his first instrument, James quickly became a first call session player on the Canadian West Coast and eventually moved behind the glass as an engineer and producer. Relocating back to his native Winnipeg, James realized the logical outlet for his multi-faceted musical views was composing for film and television. His music has since been heard on such channels as A & E, TSN, ESPN, The Discovery Channel, and Space; along with several Canadian movies and television specials.

This CD features traditional music from Slovakia’s various regions, presented by one of its best traditional music and dance ensembles, the multiple award-winning Lipa (Lime tree). Founded in 1948, the group consists of people united by a common love of their national folk art. Part of their success comes from zealous attention to the authenticity of their costumes and their correct representation of regional customs, as well as the authenticity of their performances.

Classical Music

Timba MM (pronounced 'Timba emmay emmay') take traditional Cuban sounds and adapt them further with other musical genres from around the world. Michel Medrano Brindis (who has performed with the likes of David Sanborn, Gipsy Kings and Dominique Fils-Aim�) formed Timba MM with good friends Mathieu S�n�chal and Adam Goulet. They compose their own songs inspired by contemporary Cuban artists such as the Pedrito Martinez Group, NG La Banda, Sintesis, Afro Cuban All Stars and Buena Vista Social Club.

Wedged between Turkey and Russia, the Republic of Georgia is older than both countries. Musically, it's more like an island, with a deep-rooted polyphonic vocal tradition (music in several independent voices) completely distinct from all cultures around it. Proudly carrying the folk music of Georgia into the 21st century is the vocal unit, Trio Kavkasia, who have immersed themselves into this original vocal styling which was in full bloom around the Ninth Century. Consisting of three Americas, tenors Alan Gasser and Carl Linich, and Stuart Gelzer singing bass; they have collectively dedicated more than 40 years to this unique East-European music. And they've done it with respect and an archeological attention to detail. Over 25 tracks of liturgical tunes and secular ballads, not to mention happy drinking songs sung at taverns and weddings, O Morning Breeze is a remarkable achievement and musical experience. While some aspects, such as Georgian liturgical music, have been documented since the Middle Ages, other folk elements are entirely passed on orally, with wax cylinders from the turn of the century as it's earliest snapshot documentation.