HABILIDADES EXTRAORDINARIAS

MIKKOU

ETERNAL BIRTH

Celebrating Fran�oise Hardy's indelible mark on the history of modern music. � Comprehensive collection of Fran�ois Hardy's English-language studio recordings. Fran�oise Hardy's Vogue years have left a mark on the history of French and international music. Even today, the 5 years between 1962-67 remain an exceptional moment in her career, the ones when she exploded in the eyes of a generation that was born during or just after the World War II, the generation that would be part of the May 1968 Paris protests. Hardy exploded not only in France alongside her fellow "Y�y�s," but also internationally, where she became the symbol of French elegance, talent and charm. The United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain-no one could resist Fran�oise, who recorded most of her hits in English, Italian, and German. In English collects her English-language studio recordings. All tracks have been fully remastered.

ETERNAL BIRTH

Adouna (Life) by Senegalese singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Cheikh Ibra Fam is a rich and deeply personal album that reflects on knowledge, faith, unity, migration, love, and the courage to transform one's circumstances. Recorded between Reunion Island, Senegal, France, and Canada, the album blends Afro-pop, soul, and the traditional musical languages of West Africa with a modern sensibility shaped by Cheikh's extensive travels and spiritual perspective. Cheikh describes Adouna as "a mirror of life's beauty and struggle," and each song offers a different facet of that reflection. The track, "Xam Xam," honors the influence of his uncle Coly Ciss�, the beloved guitarist who first awakened Cheikh's artistic curiosity. Built on a shimmering foundation of kora, zouk, and Angolan kizomba rhythms, the song celebrates knowledge as the key to empowerment-an idea that has guided Cheikh since childhood. From there, the album moves into tender territory with "Sali," a celebration of African femininity and grace that features warm mbalax rhythms infused with funky interwoven guitar lines. As Adouna unfolds, Cheikh expands his storytelling into larger social themes. "Gnou Mbollo," meaning "Let's Unite," is a resounding call for connection across the African diaspora, weaving together rhythms and imagery that travel "from Congo to Panama, from Gor�e Island to Brazil." Musically, it draws inspiration from James Brown's classic funk and mixes it seamlessly with West African guitar lines and grooving drums. "Amoul Solo" speaks to the strength that emerges when individuals and communities refuse to face adversity alone. Musically, the song reflects Cape Verdean inspirations with it's lilting swing buoyed by Wilfrid Zinsou's captivating trombone lines. Elsewhere on the album, Cheikh reflects on faith and perseverance in "Weurseuk," urges the power of communication in "Wakhtane," and honors the strength, dignity, and essential role of African women in "Mama Africa." Together, these songs form a cohesive mosaic-one that captures both the complexity and the hope of modern African life. After releasing several albums under the stage name Freestyle, Cheikh joined the legendary Orchestra Baobab, a turning point that awakened a deeper connection to his African heritage. Touring the world with Baobab inspired him to embrace singing in Wolof and Bambara and to align his music more closely with his cultural roots. "Baobab awakened the Africa that was sleeping in me," he recalls, reflecting on the mentorship of figures like Balla Sidib� and Issa Sissokho. The making of Adouna reflects both Cheikh's nomadic life and his collaborative spirit. He began shaping the songs in his home studio on Reunion Island, sketching out melodic ideas, rhythmic frameworks, and vocal arrangements before inviting musicians from Senegal, The Gambia, France, Rwanda, Canada, and Reunion Island to contribute their parts. A crucial creative partner throughout this process was producer and arranger Hakim Abdulsamad, an American producer living in Rwanda whose deep musical intuition and attention to detail helped refine the album's sound and bring Cheikh's vision into focus. Together, they crafted a collection that feels grounded in West African heritage yet expansively connected to the broader African world.

20 hits from the legendary "El Mero Leon Del Corrido".

Work of Art is not merely a sophomore album; it is a victory lap run with the precision of a master artist. Following the stratospheric global ascent of his debut, Mr. Money with the Vibe, Asake faced the kind of pressure that usually demands a pivot. Instead, he treated that intensity like clay, sculpting a project that feels at once more expansive in scale and more intimate in spirit. Released in 2023, the album serves as a definitive statement on Asake's sonic identity, deepening his signature fusion of Amapiano, Fuji-inspired percussion, and Afrobeats while moving with a newfound sense of deliberate poise. If his debut was a high-octane sprint to introduce his sound to the world, Work of Art is a confident stroll through his own creative museum. Anchored once again by the masterful production of Magicsticks, the album serves as the perfect architectural space for Asake's erratic, infectious flows. The record feels richly textured-brimming with pulsating log drums, soulful samples, and the specific, ecstatic chaos of Lagos nightlife. Asake successfully bridges the gap between traditional Yoruba heritage and the deep, percussive basslines of South African Amapiano, resulting in a sound that feels simultaneously ancestral and futuristic. The project thrives on a unique duality: it is introspective, yet undeniably club-ready. Tracks like "Amapiano," featuring Olamide, provide the anthemic energy his fans crave, while cuts like "Basquiat" showcase a lyrical swagger that frames his life as high art set to a relentless four-on-the-floor beat. By leaning into his "Mr. Money" persona with added vulnerability and a clearer focus on the craftsmanship of his vocal delivery, Asake avoids the dreaded sophomore slump entirely. He proves that he isn't just making pop songs; he is curating a moment. Ultimately, Work of Art captures the feeling of an artist standing at the peak of his powers, looking out at the landscape he has helped reshape, and confirming that, indeed, he belongs there. It is not about reinventing the wheel-it's about proving that the wheel he built is a masterpiece.

In the rapidly shifting tectonic plates of the global Afrobeats scene, few arrivals have been as seismic as that of Ahmed Ololade-better known to the world as Asake. With his breakout project Mr. Money With The Vibe, the artist didn't merely debut; he effectively recalibrated the tempo of the Nigerian pop soundscape. The EP functions as a masterclass in synthesis, pulling from the ornate, percussive history of Fuji music and grafting it onto the driving, bass-heavy architectures of contemporary Amapiano. It is a calculated, deeply rhythmic hybridization that manages to feel both nostalgic and jarringly modern. From a critical vantage point, Mr. Money With The Vibe is defined by it's brevity and density. Asake treats each track as a focused vignette, utilizing a vocal delivery that oscillates between a melodic, almost liturgical chant and the staccato urgency of a Lagos street orator. The production-characterized by sharp, frenetic percussion and deceptively simple melodic loops-creates a high-intensity atmosphere that mirrors the relentless pace of urban life. He avoids the pitfall of bloated experimentation; instead, he doubles down on a "street-pop" ethos, prioritizing accessibility without sacrificing the complex rhythmic interplay that gives the genre it's distinctive texture. Ultimately, Mr. Money With The Vibe stands as a pivotal document of the current era, capturing the transition of Afrobeats from a regional powerhouse to a dominant global force. By blending the aspirational "hustle culture" narrative with an increasingly sophisticated sonic palette, Asake established a blueprint that has since influenced a new wave of artists. The project is a testament to the idea that authenticity, when paired with relentless precision, remains the most effective currency in contemporary music. Includes the singles, "Sungba (Remix)," "Peace Be Unto You (PBUY)," & "Terminator."

Monique Leyrac recites and sings the poetry of Émile Nelligan.

BETWEEN HEAVEN & EARTH

Arrangements of well known classical pieces in Cuban dance band style.

Grammy Winning band Bajofondo release their latest album, PRESENTE, an epic 21-track high energy tour de force that blends of tango, milonga, folklore, rock, hip-hop, electronica, jazz, classical and a world of sounds from the Rio de la Plata.

Classical Music

ONDAS

Following the huge success of their award-winning debut release ‘Clychau Dibon’ back in 2013, Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita release their long-awaited second album SOAR. The album takes flight on the wings of the osprey, the magnificent bird of prey recently returned to Wales after centuries of absence, which makes its annual 3,000 mile migration from the coasts of West Africa to the estuaries of Wales, soaring like music and dreams over man-made borders, on its innate and epic journey of endurance. Drawing deep on their own diverse traditions and transforming them with remarkable synergy, audiences the world over have been captivated by Catrin and Seckou’s exhilarating live performances. Entrancing, mesmeric, intricate and ethereal, this is remarkable music. “A sublime duo of two artists who are masters of their instruments… musicality and architecture at work.” (Simon Broughton, London Evening Standard)

This release is a unique gold-mine of an album focusing on the world’s most prominent dulcimer players. This collection presents international performers, providing not only a brilliant listening experience but also an education in cross-cultural history. The dulcimer is a percussive stringed instrument that is seen in various forms across the globe. From the Eastern European cimbalom to the Chinese yangqin to the Indian santur, and every variation in between, the dulcimer appears in musical cultures all over the globe. The pieces on this collection feature songs, musicians, and instruments from Belarus, the British Isles, China, Greece, India, Iran, Mongolia, Slovakia, Uzbekistan, and more. “Sure to turn heads with the music’s positive, spiritual energy.” (Ascentor, Russia) “…A delight to listen to from start to finish.” (Nonsuch News, UK) “…Great to get if you want to see how the instrument differs around the world.” (Amazon)

With this new release, enjoy over an hour of party music, including salsa, cumbia, merengue, lambada, calypso, and more. Some of the featured artists include Pablo Carcamo, who hails from Chile and is known for the variety of instruments that he can expertly play, Hossam Ramzy, an internationally renowned percussionist composer and arranger who has twenty-plus albums to his name, and groups such as the Latin Sextet, which was founded in 1993 by musicians from Brazil, Chile, and Germany, combining Latin American tradition with European and American styles. All of these artists bring the tropics right into your home.

This new release contains well-known and much loved steeldrum hits, such as Jamaica Farewell, Guantanamera, Yellow Bird, El Cumbanchero, Island in the Sun and many others, presented by two of London’s champion steel bands, the Southside Harmonics Steel Orchestra and the London All Stars Steel Orchestra, both multiple winners of many steel band competitions. The Southside Harmonics Steel Orchestra (formerly the ‘Lambeth Community Youth Steel Orchestra,’ re-named in 1998) was formed in the summer of 1979. Since then the band has gone on to become one of London’s finest steel orchestras. They have participated in the National Panorama Steel Band competition every year. In 1998 they were placed second, which proves the capabilities of the group. Since 1987 the band has also taken part in Europe’s largest street festival, the Notting Hill Carnival in London. They made first place four times in the “Best Steel Band on the Road” competition, entertaining carnival audiences with performances to remember. The London All Stars were the initial winners of the Lambert Steelband Festival Championship and the Jamorama Competition. Between 1980 and 1989 they won the Mangrove Trophy twice, the Panorama Championships three times and the first and second British National Steelband Festival Championship. They made history by being the first steelband to be invited to play at the 1990 BBC Proms and to represent Britain at the 1990 World Steelband Music Festival in Trinidad and Tobago.

Folk songs are the songs of the people. From ancient times to the present, regardless of location, each era will inevitably produce a unique historical story, due to differences in culture, language, and religion. Most Chinese love songs are about human emotions and reflect the culture and tradition. In a conservative culture with generational differences, true love was not always easy nor always had a happy ending. Sometimes young lovers needed to fight their way through. This release is a stunning collection of Chinese love songs, including well-known traditional folk tunes and new compositions based on famous poems from dynasty poets. The works are performed by the renowned Heart of the Dragon Ensemble and played on traditional instruments with both male and female voices.

Classical Music

VERY BEST OF RUSSIA

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music