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Øystein Sevåg
Global House
Song From the Planet
Windham Hill Records

Blackmore's Night
The Village Lanterne
World of Stone
Artist website: www.BlackmoresNight.com
www.SPV.de
Rennaissance rock music from former Deep Purple guitarist, Richie Blackmore, and vocalist, Candice Night.

Susan McKeown
Blackthorn: Irish Love Songs
The Lass of Aughrim
World Village / Harmonia Mundi
Artist website: Susan McKeown
On her new World Village cd, "Blackthorn" Susan McKeown breathes new life into a dozen little-known Irish love songs, nine of them sung in Gaelic.

Putumayo World Music
Paris
Myrtille: Les Pages
Aldebert: Carpe Diem
Putumayo Records
Paris e-card
As is the case of many trends, "what is old becomes new again." Nouvelle chanson is sweeping Paris with the rejuvinated sounds of traditional chanson although this time around influences from around the global are being infused. Sit back and listen as a new generation of French musicians set the stage for the future by looking to the past.

Slavic Soul Party
Bigger
Shall I Throw it Down?
Missy
www.SlavicSoulParty.com
A nine member brass band based in NYC that melds Gypsy, East European, Mexican and Asian imigrant backgrounds with American jazz and soul.

Gogol Bordello
Gypsy Punks - Underdog World Strike
Illumination
SideOneDummy
Artist website: www.gogolbordello.com
Gogol Bordello mixes punk, ska, jazz, and the traditional Roma music of Ukraine, where band leader Eugene Hutz grew up.
Hutz also acts and can be seen staring, as the Ukranian translator, alongside Elijah Woods, in the movie "Everything is Illuminated."
After watching the DVD last weekend I've been haunted by the movie and humming gypsy-punk tunes.
A fantastic interview with Eugene Hutz on NPR - All Things Considered - Weekend Ed.

Putumayo World Music
Turkish Groove
Nazan Öncel : Atiyosun
Putumayo Records
A Middle Eastern musical mosaic

Rin
Inland Sea
New Day Rising
Artist website: Rin
Domo Records
The Female Japanese Trio, Rin recently released their US debut, "Inland Sea." It fuses traditional Japanese instruments, rhythms and melodies with contemporary Western popular music including the lovely voice of Leigh Nash on "New Day Rising."

Yoshida Brothers
Yoshida Brothers III
Cherry Blossoms in Winter
Artist website: Yoshida Brothers
Domo Records
The new album from the Yoshida brothers, Ryoichiro and Kenichi play the ancient Japanese three stringed, banjo-like Tsugaru-shamisen with a fiery passion.

Johannes Linstead
Café Tropical
The Streets of Old San Juan
Artist website: www.JohannesLinstead.com
www.GeminiSunRecords.com
World Beat Pick of the Month
The sixth album by award winning guitarist, Johannes Lindstead, features musicians from Cuba, Venezuela, and Greece. Kick your feet up and mellow out for an exceptional musical journey to the tropics.

Del Castillo
Brotherhood
Arena Al Viento
Artist website: www.delcastillomusic.com
Smilin' Castle Music
"Best Austin Band of the Year - 2002-2003"

Desemer
Siete Rayo
Pa'arriba
Universal Music Latino
New music, recorded in Florida.

Rough Guides
The Rough Guide to Merengue
Milly Quezada: Caro
World Music.net
subtitle: a fast-paced Latin dance, filling dancefloors across the Spanish speaking world.

Benise
Nights of Fire
Monserrat
Artist website: www.benise.com
Spanish Guitar virtuoso, Roni Benise leads a spectacular stage show called "Nights of Fire." It includes 50 dancers and performers, and has been shown on PBS. You can think of it as the "Latin Riverdance."
"Nights of Fire" will be on nationwide tour during April and May, including a May 14th performance at the Minneapolis Orpheum.

Lura
di korpu ku alma
Na Ri Na
Lusafrica
Artist review: Rock-Paper-Scissors
Lura may be taking over the reins of Cape Verde Islands most famous singer, Cesaria Evora. Lura's songs are based in the musical styles of Cape Verde such as batuku and funana. I've listened this recoding in entirety five or six times and get my highest World Music rating: ****

Marta Gómez
Entre Cada Palabra
Casi
Negrito
Chesky Records
Artist website: www.martagomez.com
Entre Cada Palabra (Between Each Word) is the new album from acclaimed Columbian vocalist and songwriter, Marta Gomez. Her previous album, "Cantos de Agua Dulce" (Songs of Sweet Water) earned Billboard's nomination for Best Latin Jazz Vocalist 2005.

Susanna Baca
Travesias (Passages)
Guillarmina
Luaka Bop
Artist website: Susanna Baca
Peruvian singer/songwriter Susanna Baca sings folkloric Afro-Peruvian songs passed down through the generations. In 1995, she was "discovered" by David Byrne and signed to his Luaka Bop Record Label. This is her fourth record under the Luaka Bop imprint.

Rosa Passos
Rosa
Olhos Nos Olhos
Telarc Jazz
Artist website: www.RosaPassos.com
Brazilian singer Rosa Passos has one of the wourld's most beautiful voices. We will hear her sing the Chico Buarque tune, "Olhos Nos Olhos" from her new self-titled cd.

Oscar Castro-Neves
All-One
Kurski Funk
Mack Avenue
Artist website: www.oscarcastroneves.com
"All One" is a showcase of the artistry of Oscar Castro-Neves and the countless Brazilian music genres and syles reflected in his music.

Kevin Wood
Sacred
Twilight of Hope
New Vision Music
Artist website: Scenic Listening.com
A unique fusion ancient voices, with Gregorian chant and various world vocals woven into a rich musical tapestry.

Mary Youngblood
Dance With The Wind
Dance with Me
Silver Wave Records
Artist website: Mary Youngblood
Mary Youngblood is the premier female Native American flute player in the country. "Dance with the Wind" is her fifth album.

Arvel Bird
Animal Totems 2
Deer Tracks
Singing Wolf Records
Artist website: Arvel Bird
Native American musician Arvel Bird plays the violin and native flutes. Each song on the album is didicated to a different animal totem. The liner notes comment on the meaning of each animal totem. - - "The antlers of Deer symbolize connections to higher consciousness. Pay close attention to your inner thoughts and emotions, for they will tell you much more than you expected."

Wa-Zimba
Mande Wazy
I Soa no tiako
Tinder Records
Artist website: www.Wazimba.com
The polyphonic rhythms of French-Madagascar trio, Wa-Zimba, are anchored in contemporary instrumentation and musical genres, featuring vocals by Malagasy bassist, Julio Rakotonanahary.

Thandiswa
Zabalaza
title track
Artist website: Thandiswa.co.za
www.escondidamusic.com
www.gallo.co.za
Singer/songwriter, Thandiswa is a huge star in her native South Africa. Her background is in pop her music sounds of South African rock.

Kékélé
Kinavana
Tubela
SavoyJazz.com
GreshamRecords.co.za
For their third album Kékélé trace their musical path back to the classic Cuban songs that were the source and inspiration of Congolese rumba..

Ex-Centric Sound System
Afro Riddim Sessions
Babylon by Bus
ITP Music.com
Artist website: www.ex-centric-sound.com

Shaman's Dream
African Dream
Rakandao ("young brother" in Wolof, Senegal)
Artist website: www.JasonHann.com
Sounds True
An incredible African sound journey transporting listeners through an atmospheric soundscape of village voices, and ambient sounds of nature including insects, animals, thunder.

Eufõquestra
Explorations in Afrobeat
"connecting musical traditions"
Obatalá
Artist website: Eufõrquestra
Euforquestra Productions
Eufõrquestra is an eclectic world-beat ensemble from Iowa City, IA with interests in cultural and traditional musics from all over the globe. Their album "Explorations in Afrobeat" is rooted in the traditions of Yorubaland of southwestern Nigeria. This song is dedicated to Obatalá, the King of the Orishis, who is associated with wisdom, cool headedness, morality, humility, creativity and who enforces the idea of ethical rightness

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