Uniquely inspired by sixteen pristine, biodiverse isles belonging to the territory of her homeland Sri Lanka, Tanya Ekanayaka's sixteen contrastive and palpable compositions, or 'Piano Isles', comprising this album, embody two distinct forms of composition-performance. Eight works were composed between 2022 and 2024. The remaining eight Extempore Compositions involved simultaneous composition-recording, on a single day of the album recording session in April 2024, each as a whole, and each incorporating a distinct musical motif - a form of artistry never presented through any of Tanya Ekanayaka's previous work.

Naxos World 2004 Sampler

In the autumn of 1998, I had the opportunity to visit Africa. Specifically, I participated on a trip arranged by PAND (an artists' organization for peace) to Mozambique, spending most of the time in the capital, Maputo. Among other things, we saw a local dance group. Eduardo Dur�o was a musician and composer working with the group. So far Eduardo Dur�o has made only one record under his own name, for the Globestyle label in 1978. In 1992 he played on Peter Giger's Jazz timbila record. In addition to timbila music, Dur�o is eager to experiment. Timbila tradition meets with modern times on this recording in different combinations. Dur�o has some jazz experience from his work with Giger; he even played at the Berlin Jazz Festival. Masso a Ticerto and M'Tshitso are instrumental pieces and they represent the traditional style. Sindatana and Tcigogorolo have the largest instrumental combinations on this CD. Besides the timbila group, singers and percussion, there are drums and an electric bass. I play the saxophone and Seppo Kantonen the synthesizers. On this CD, Eduardo Dur�o can be heard as a composer, timbila player, singer, and occasionally percussionist.

After penning Runaround Sue and the Wanderer for Dion & the Belmonts, Ernie Maresca saved a hit for himself with Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out), which went to #6 in 1962 and provided the title cut for this album.

Includes work(s) by various composers.

Mizu means roots in Chichewa, the national vernacular language in Malawi. For Code Sangala it marks a musical journey back into the authentic sound of Malawi. The music is inspired by traditional Malawian dances, giving them a contemporary flavour.

The excerpts presented in this CD by the ensemble Rabita Andalusa originate in the nuba Istihal, created in Fez in the XVIII century by Hajj Allal and Batla, and for this reason are included within the Kunnash of al-Ha'ik as one of the two strictly Moroccan nawbat among the original body of eleven. According to the typical taste of the embroidery, the last section of the nuba played by Rabita Andalusa (track 15) is an insiraf excerpted from the nuba Rasd ed Dhil, the other nuba of Moroccan origin. The last two pieces (tracks 16 and 17) belong to the repertoire of urban popular music (sha'abi) from the North of Morocco. Rabita Andalusa is the name given to an ensemble composed of soloists of the Larache Conservatory, the ancient Roman city of Lukhos where, during the golden age of Andalusian-Maghrebi civilization, the sultan Youssef 'Abdelhaqq El M�rini (1258-1281) reigned. The goal of this free-wheeling association of musicians is to give life to the Andalusian-Maghrebi musical repertoire without forgetting it's connections to the popular music of Northern Morocco or the practices of religious brotherhoods.

This recording is a tribute to the celebrated Russian-Gypsy diva Stepanida Soldatova (1787-1822), whose talent and imaginative performances influenced several generations of Russian musicians, composers, and writers. Professionally trained in bel canto, Stepanida synthesized her own signature style, combining the qualities of virtuoso operatic style and the oral performance tradition of Eastern-European Gypsies (Rroma). Stesha, as she was known to her friends, started her performing career very young, singing with the famous Gypsy choir that was founded by Count Orlov during the reign of Catherine the Great. When she was only sixteen, she had a chance to listen to Teresa Maciurletti, an actress of the St Petersburg Italian Opera who performed several concerts in Moscow in 1803. This encounter apparently defined young Stesha's aspirations to study professional music and the art of bel canto, and to apply these skills to her performance of Russian folk-songs. The direction this young singer chose for herself was completely atypical for a Gypsy musician of the time. Stesha was lucky to find a wealthy and competent music-lover who 'applied all possible means to educate her extraordinary talent and taste'. She soon began to perform with her own ensemble, consisting of a male guitarist, a male violinist, and two more women singers. Typically for the Gypsy ensembles of the time, all members of the group also sang in choruses and danced; Stepanida herself was described as an extraordinary dancer. The album concludes with a suite, based on two arrangements by Ivan Rupin (1792-1850), a talented singer and composer sometimes referred to as 'The Russian Nightingale'. Like Stesha, he too was trained in bel canto by the Italian singer P. Muscetti in Moscow, and even Italianised his last name in his publications as Rupini. For Rupin and his peers it was customary to pair a slower song with an upbeat one: this is how My Little Dove [17] and I Walked On The Flowers [18] were originally published. In our performance we add the Rroma folk-song Kaj jone romale? [19]. The juxtaposition of Rupin's Italianate style and the genuine Rroma sound of the living Gypsy tradition, as well as the striking contrast between classical and Rroma vocal production make this suite the epitome of Talisman's 'Stesha' project.

Evergreen Club: Sunda Song

Mali's Les Escrocs are pioneers in the fast-growing world of African Rap and Hip-Hop. Since the early 1990s, the group has helped define the cutting edge of new music in West Africa, mixing traditional instruments with contemporary international beats, and boldly addressing sensitive issues of social and national politics: polygamy, AIDS, corruption, and the changing role of women in society. Les Escrocs made their first recording with help from another Griot, the master of the 21-string kora, Toumani Diabate. Toumani and other older musicians encouraged the group to stick with it's engaged, roots approach, and before long, Les Escrocs found themselves on national television, giving all of Mali a powerful rebuttal to the common idea that rappers were all dropouts and delinquents. From there on, the group's popularity has climbed steadily. Les Escrocs started out as a trio of rappers, but after Mamadou's two cohorts left to study abroad, he was joined in 1999 by Salim Diallo. The two went on to make four albums, Kokadje (Transparency), Kalan (Study), Can 2002, and a new work nearing completion as this CD goes to press. These fourteen tracks offer a retrospective of the first decade of Les Escrocs, one of the most innovative and talented groups to emerge from the awesome crucible of ancient and modern arts that is Mali.

Dave Swarbrick: English Fiddler

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.

The singer-songwriter tradition of any country reflects the hearts and thoughts of the people, and in Russia this is no different. In quiet, often acoustic settings, the artist performs his music, making the song and it's words the focus above all else. Through vivid lyrics, metaphorical language, and soulful melody, the singer-songwriter can mask controversial and difficult topics to bring his message home, or simply convey his most personal thoughts through music. During the days of the Soviet Union, artists like Vysotsky, Vertinsky, and Okudjava pioneered the Russian singer-songwriter style. All wrote on themes central to Russian life, sang with heartfelt passion, popularized a genre for the people and about the people, and, through their individual and unique styles of performances, ensured the lasting popularity of the singer-songwriter.

I found the best singers and instrumentalists in Bikutsi Pop (my genre) in Yaounde, the town where I live in Cameroon, and started working with them on the songs, then I booked a professional studio, one of the best in the town, Studio Karel DC, for 12 days. We started the recording, using the programmed sounds with the background vocals and after three days we continued with the guitars and bass. We then took two days to edit those recordings before I recorded the lead vocals. I took three days for my leads, then a day for a break, which allowed us to listen to all this. Two days for the addition of my leads, then we prepared the mix. The genre I perform is Bikutsi Pop music. Bikutsi is a genre coming from the south province of Cameroon, and means "the hit of the floor," the dance of Bantu fighters. I add sounds to my music from South Africa and from some other African countries I visited while touring with another band I was in before starting to work on my solo album. These sounds, like flutes, xylophone, kora, etc., allow that new style to be appreciated by a larger number of people out of Cameroon and even Africa. The vocalists I used in this album were Lary and Henry-Georges, the bass guitarist was Gordon, and I did the guitars and the leads. The songs had been arranged by Mr. Isidore Modjo, Gordon and myself. I also helped Mr. Isidore Modjo in the production, as I myself am a sound technician.

Andr� Toussaint was a native Haitian who made his home in Nassau, Bahamas, for most of his singing career. He was known for his golden voice, sometimes compared in his calypso lounge-style to Harry Belafonte, and thrilled guests everywhere he performed. Toussaint was a regular at the popular Bay Street bistro Blackbeard's and the famous La Fin, where one of his live shows was recorded. Several selections from that performance are featured on this collection.

Electric Highlife: Sessions From the Bokoor Studios

Takillacta: Music of the People. It dates back to the mid-eighties, when I was a newcomer to New York City. One day I was walking down through Soho and heard music that was familiar, but with a distinctive flavor in the sound. It turned out to be some of my future bandmates playing on the street. What I was hearing was a new way of expressing the folklore of our latitudes: Andean highlands and valleys; Patagonia; South American pampas; and the Tateyama Mountains of Japan. We, the members of Takillacta, come from different countries and musical backgrounds: Per�, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Japan. Beneath the sound of our music are the life stories and traditions brought by each of us from those distinct places. This project is a reflection of those backgrounds and the folklore carried in each of us, the memories of which have nurtured us through our years of living in New York, the city where you can't escape blending with so many people and cultures. This album is dedicated to the native people of the Americas, and to artists and poets of all backgrounds who embrace tradition while letting it grow into new forms.

Fong Naam is one of the great musical acts from the under-heard Southeast Asian nation of Thailand. It is a culture rich in sounds and tradition but the culture we are mostly exposed to is often just vapid exotica. To preserve and revitalize the country's music, Thai renat instrumental great Boonyong Kaetkhong and American musicologist Bruce Gaston formed the stellar group, Fong Naam. And they've been doing that for over a decade. Since the mid-90s though, Fong Naam has rarely been heard on record and sadly Boonyong Kaetkhong has passed away. However, they did record five sessions for the label, Marco Polo-an affiliate of the Naxos family. This re-release of the first of those classic sessions-made in 1990, before all of Fong Naam's other international releases-with Gaston's original notes will hopefully bring their eminence back into the world music spotlight. This mixture of the very old and the very new in the group's repertoire seeks to emphasize the ever-changing nature of this ancient but still-living musical tradition. With The Piphat: Siamese Classics Vol.1 Fong Naam has given us something fascinating and breathing. Similarly this re-release on acclaimed international budget label Naxos World aims to keep the legend of Fong Naam alive.

Recorded in Maputo, Mozambique in April 2000, this collection of southern African music brings together some of Mozambique's best musicians for a benefit record in aid of rebuilding and helping victims of the country's flooding disaster. The intensive recording session was made in three days in the living room of local residents, Elia, Myriam and Iwan Irawan. The South African Broadcasting Corporation loaned the use of a mobile studio van, which engineers Eugene Pretorius and Kevin Starbuck drove from Johannesburg to Maputo. Keyboard player Seppo Kantonen joined Koivistoinen journeying from Finland to Maputo, and supplied his talents on many of the tracks. Final touches and mixing was done in South Africa by Peter Pearlson and in Finland. A portion of the proceeds of Mozambique Relief will go to Oxfam for aid, reconstruction and development projects in Mozambique. This project is sponsored in part by the Optiroc Group (Finland) and the Mozambican-Finnish Development Co-operation Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

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.

About the artist Originally formed in the early 1970s to play Afro-inspired music, the present group has maintained a consistent lineup since the early 1990s. While the band started performing covers of West African tunes, Good People has evolved to be a repertoire of original material with some traditional tunes with new arrangements. As more and more African immigrants entered Finland, they joined the band and now Good People can boast it features top West African musicians as well as some of the best Finnish professionals around. About the music Drawing inspiration from both traditional West African music and Western pop-based music, the group combines these distinctive styles for a special 'Good People' sound. The percussive beats make use of indigenous instruments like djembe drums, balafon, marimba while modern equipment like guitar and saxophones provide a contemporary air to the melodic proceeding. Mix in it's inspirational lyrics of harmony and fabled stories, and the result is a pulsing delight of Afro-Nordic jamming.

India/Canada Ritesh Das Toronto Tabla Ensemble: Weaving

Klezperanto: Klezperanto

The artists - percussionist Glen Velez, pianist Jovino Santos Neto, mrdangam drummer Poovalur Srinivasan, Qiu Xia He on the Chinese pipa, Harishankar on the kanjira (tambourine) and Ravikiran - tackle some very intricate compositions. They have made a concerted effort to study the music and then re-create them with ingenious interpretation. The production's nine tracks include well-known and exclusively composed pieces from different countries in various moods, tempos, melodies and rhythms, embellished with pure melodic, melo-rhythmic and pure rhythmic improvisation. Most of the CD was recorded in Seattle, USA, with a couple of tracks done in Madras, India. The tracks stretch the boundaries of Indian, Chinese and fusion with it's percolating warmth and energetic approach. Leader Chitravina N Ravikiran has established himself as one of the foremost performers, composers, teachers and ambassadors of Indian Carnatic music. His accomplishments extend back to being the world's youngest public performing musician ever. At the age of two, he stunned audiences in India by identifying and demonstrating over 325 ragas (melodic scales), 175 talas (rhythm cycles) and answering technical questions. Trained by his father, maestro Narasimhan, he commenced his career as a vocalist at age five. At 12, he switched to the chitravina, and once played a non-stop 24-hour concert in 1985. He has since performed across the world in a variety of settings including as a guest of the BBC Philharmonic. World music aficionados will recognize Ravikiran from his work with V.M. Bhatt and Taj Mahal on the CD, Mumtaz Mahal on Water Lily Acoustics.

Embark upon a wondrous musical and cultural exploration into the connections between the Gaels and their Northern European neighbours. Featuring ancient and modern texts, the songs speak to our past, present and future with music ranging from the simple voice to expansive arrangements and exquisite sound design. (Naxos World)