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Øystein Sevåg
Global House
Song From the Planet
Windham Hill Records

Susan McKeown
Blackthorn: Irish Love Songs
'S Ambo Éara - The Man for Me
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.

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

Cibelle
The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves
London London
Six Degrees Records
Artist website: www.Cibelle.net
"The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves" is the second album by London-based, São Paulo raised, Cibelle, (pronounced see-BELL-ee). This record is a quiet masterpiece, full of inventive and quirky arrangements.

Putumayo World Music
Paris
Pascal Parasot: Je Reste au Lit
Keren Ann: Jardin d'Hiver
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
Avenue B
SideOneDummy
Artist website: www.gogolbordello.com
Gogol Bordello mixes punk, ska, jazz, and the traditional Roma music of Ukraine, where band leader Eugene Hütz grew up.
Hütz also acts and can be seen staring, as the Ukranian translator, alongside Elijah Woods, in the movie "Everything is Illuminated."

Link toNPR - All Things Considered - Weekend Ed. to listen to an entertaining interview with Eugene Hütz.

Putumayo World Music
Turkish Groove
Bendeniz: Kirmizi Biber
Putumayo Records
A Middle Eastern musical mosaic

Rin
Inland Sea
Solemn
Artist website: Rin
Domo Records
The Female Japanese Trio, Rin recently released their US debut, "Inland Sea" which fuses traditional Japanese instruments, rhythms and melodies with contemporary Western popular music.

Yoshida Brothers
Yoshida Brothers III
My Heart Holds
Artist website: Yoshida Brothers
Domo Records
The new album from the Yoshida brothers, Ryoichiro and Kenichi who play the ancient Japanese three stringed, banjo-like Tsugaru-shamisen.

Karsh Kale
Broken English
Some Things Are OK
Six Degrees
Artist website: Karsh Kale
Karsh Kale says of his cross cultural world music collaboration... "Each piece of music represents the sounds that exists between the doorways of the worlds we travel through... and to communicate we speak in Broken English."

Johannes Linstead
Café Tropical
Para La Habana
Artist website: www.JohannesLinstead.com
www.GeminiSunRecords.com
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.

Lura
di korpu ku alma
Tabanka Assigo
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
De Amarillo se viste la tarde
Casi
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 JazzVocalist 2005.
World Beat Pick of the Month

Benise
Nights of Fire
Tribal
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.

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

Rough Guides
The Rough Guide to Merengue
Azucarado: Llorado Por Ti
World Music.net
subtitle: a fast-paced Latin dance, filling dancefloors across the Spanish speaking world.

Susanna Baca
Travesias (Passages)
Viento del Olvidao
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
Até Quem Sabe
Telarc Jazz
Artist website: www.RosaPassos.com
Brazilian singer Rosa Passos has one of the world's most beautiful voices. We will hear Rosa Passos singing "Até Quem Sabe."

Mary Youngblood
Dance With The Wind
Wind Whispers
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.

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.

Arvel Bird
Animal Totems 2
Badger Boogie
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. - - "Badger represents the need to dig deeper, go beneath the surface of a situation, event or idea."

Wa-Zimba
Mande Wazy
Andeha hody(Aandehoodjo)
Tinder Records
Artist website: www.Wazimba.com
The polyphonic rhythms of French-Madagascar trio, Wa-Zimba, featuring vocals by Malagasy bassist, Julio Rakotonanahary.

Thandiswa
Zabalaza
Nizalwa Ngobani
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
Ba Kristo
SternsMusic.com
We will be hearing the longest track on the record, it features vocals by Kékélé, Mbilia Bel, and Isabel Martinez. Sit back and enjoy the flowing music of the Congolese rumba..

Shaman's Dream
African Dream
Rakandao (Abdou Mbaye, vocals"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.

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