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.

TÌR - Highland Life & Lore

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.

Turkish classical music is one of the greatest art traditions in the world. It reflects the magnificent philosophy, lyricism and Sufism of the Ottoman Empire's reign, and embodies the qualities of many civilizations, cultures and societies that have thrived in Anatolia. Here, Baha Yetkin demonstrates his magnificent makam and seyir skills with traditional pieces dating back to the 14th century. Turkish oud player and composer Baha Yetkin grew up in Istanbul, the melting pot of European and Middle Eastern musical cultures. This is reflected in his methodically-written compositions, which are an amalgamation of improvisations based on Istanbul music and the complex rhythmic structures of Middle Eastern music, all with an emotional, meditative and spiritual undertone.

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.

Bhangra Beatz

Alessandra Belloni: Tarantelle E Canti D'Amore

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.

Douduk - The Sound of Armenia