Whatever Stan Wants, Stan Getz
Stan Getz

Release Date: July 10, 2008
Total Songs: 8
Genre: Jazz
Price: $7.92
Copyright 2008 Acrobat Music Group Ltd.

Stan's Tune
Stan Getz

Release Date: July 10, 2008
Total Songs: 9
Genre: Jazz
Price: $8.91
Copyright 2008 Acrobat Music Group Ltd.

Pure Magic
Bob Marley

Release Date: July 01, 2008
Total Songs: 48
Genre: Reggae
Price: $19.99
Copyright 2008 Goldenlane Records

Song for an Ocean
Steve Jordan

Release Date: July 14, 2008
Total Songs: 11
Genre: Easy Listening
Price: $9.99
Copyright 2008 Smugglers Cove Records

S**k My Mind!
James Brown

Release Date: June 12, 2008
Total Songs: 3
Genre: Spoken Word
Price: $2.97
Copyright 2008 James Brown

Ultimate Blues - Live In Concert
Various Artists

Release Date: July 01, 2008
Total Songs: 28
Genre: Blues
Price: $9.99
Copyright 2008 Goldenlane Records

The Greatest Blues Recordings Ever Made Vol. 3
Various Artists

Release Date: July 01, 2008
Total Songs: 33
Genre: Blues
Price: $9.99
Copyright 2008 Goldenlane Records

The Greatest Blues Recordings Ever Made Vol. 1
Various Artists

Release Date: July 01, 2008
Total Songs: 33
Genre: Blues
Price: $9.99
Copyright 2008 Goldenlane Records

The Greatest Blues Recordings Ever Made Vol. 2
Various Artists

Release Date: July 01, 2008
Total Songs: 33
Genre: Blues
Price: $9.99
Copyright 2008 Goldenlane Records

Heigh-Ho! Mozart - Favorite Disney Tunes in the Style of Great Classical Composers
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Paul Barritt & English Chamber Orchestra

Release Date: January 01, 1995
Total Songs: 16
Genre: Classical
Price: $9.99
Copyright 1995 Delos

L.E.S. Artistes - EP
Santogold

Release Date: August 05, 2008
Total Songs: 4
Genre: Alternative
Price: $3.96
Copyright 2008 Downtown Music LLC. Downtown Records Is A Trademark Of Downtown Music LLC.

Berlin, Germany - WOMEX announced this week the winner of 10th Annual WOMEX Award for World Music. The award goes to Hungarian band Muzsikás. This is the group of artists who put Hungarian folk music on the international map. With their collaborations with Márta Sebastyén, and now in their superlative work since she departed, they have been the foremost ambassadors for music  from Hungary, with a special emphasis on music from Transylvania.

 

"Without Muzsikás, the Hungarian "táncház (dancehouse)" movement, the special Hungarian klezmer-revival and the bridge between Hungarian folk music and Béla Bartók's work would not exist," says Csaba Lokös, Promoter of the world music stage at the Sziget Festival and a long-term collaborator with the artists.

 "If you want to hear Hungarian traditional music at its best then start with Muzsikás," says Songlines editor Simon Broughton. "They can play with the authenticity and energy of a real village band, but also make sense of that music for an international audience in a big concert hall. Muzsikás know their music inside out - they have been to the Transylvanian villages where it is played and have worked with the master musicians who live the music. In Hungary, the band have brought traditional Hungarian music to thousands of school kids showing its beauty and relevance. Sadly, as the villages of Romania catch up with the rest of Europe, this music is disappearing. The international success of Muzsikás not only makes the music better known, but helps it survive at source as people realize that it has a value internationally."

Muzsikás will be performing live at WOMEX to close the Sunday Awards ceremony on the 2nd of November 2008.

The WOMEX Award is now ten years old. "In the past we have alternated our honours between the extraordinary artists and professionals from our community," says the WOMEX press release. "This year we have decided to present two WOMEX Awards, one to Muzsikás and the other to the folk music department of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland."

 

 

Photo credit: Béla Kása

For more information:

• Muzsikás
• womex.com/realwomex/awards

 

Fania Records has released the the first tile of its International DJ collection with a compilation by Gilles Peterson. This is the first Latin compilation for the British musical tastemaker, whose is widely acclaimed for unearthing and compiling some of the finest music from around the world. Peterson assembled 26 tracks in this double CD production, the first in a three part International DJ series for the famed Latin label.

 

“We are very excited about the launch of the first international DJ release,” said Giora Breil, C.E.O of Fania Records. “With his exceptional ability to select and blend tracks, Gilles Peterson has put together one of the best collections of Latin music, highlighting some of the finest gems from the prolific Fania catalog of music.”

 

“This is my first Latin compilation, and I’m proud of it. I must have listened to 200 albums to get to this,” added Peterson. “These are all tried and tested cuts and some of finest moments from the collective of labels that were Fania, Tico, Alegre and Cotique.”

Fania DJ Series, Gilles Peterson was originally released in Europe in 2007 and has now become available to U.S. audiences. The second release in the series will feature rising pioneer and vinyl fanatic Matt Ford, aka DJ Format, who has a solid name as a DJ and remixer and hails from the UK as well.

 

Gilles Peterson is an influential British DJ and record-label owner. Through his labels Acid Jazz and Talkin’ Loud, Peterson has been associated with the careers of countless artists. Well known as a radio DJ, Peterson hosts the worldwide radio show on BBC radio 1, which is also broadcast live from the Radio 1 website and is syndicated to radio stations all over the world. Peterson is known for his eclectic musical selections, spreading his influence on music listeners around the world. His wide musical collection includes everything from dub and reggae to jazz, nu-jazz, soul, neo soul, R&B, to name just a few musical genres.

 

Fania DJ Series, Gilles Petersonn contains vocal and instrumental tracks from such legends as Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Roberto Roena, and Eddie Palmieri, among others. The compilation also includes a write up by Peterson.

 

Fania artists mixed a cornucopia of styles that transcended the boundaries of traditional Latin music and set the path for the genres of salsa, boogaloo, Latin R&B, and afro-Cuban jazz. Throughout its forty-two year history, Fania has been home to some of the greatest Latin musicians in the history of 20th century music. Johnny Pacheco, Ray Barretto, Joe Cuba, Joe Bataan, Larry Harlow, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades and Celia Cruz are just a few of the musical legends that form part of the Fania legacy.

 

Buy the CD:

• In North America: Fania DJ Series, Gilles Peterson
• In Europe: Fania DJ Series - Gilles Peterson

Track Listing

 CD 1
 1. “Wata Wasuri” by Tito Puente
 2. “Chinito Boogaloo” by Rafael Cotijo
 3. “Rush Hour in Hong Kong” by Louie Ramirez
 4. “Shades of Time” by Roberto Roena
 5. “Coco Seco” by Bobby Valentin
 6. “Mi Mambo Conga” by Eddie Palmieri
 7. “Ya Yi Ki” by Johnny Colón
 8. “Mambo de Bataan” by Joe Bataan
 9. “Latin Soul Drive is Here (Progresso Del Alma Latina)” by Chollo Rivera
 10. “Tighten Up” by Al Escobar & His Orchestra
 11. “Freak Off” by Orquesta Harlow
 12. “Acid” by Ray Baretto

 CD 2
 1. “Saona” by Noro Morales
 2. “Lluvia Con Nieve” by Efrain “Mon” Rivera
 3. “Sandstorm” by Charlie Palmieri
 4. “Last Tango in Paris” by Willie Rosario
 5. “Mambo Moderno” by Vladimir & His Orchestra
 6. “Vitamina” by Kako
 7. “El Molestoso” by Eddie Palmieri
 8. “El Rey Del Timbal” by Tito Puente
 9. “The Oracle” by Sabu Martinez
 10. “Manteca” by Alegre All Stars
 11. “La Odisea de Tito” by Tito Puente

Suarasama

 

Fatas Di Atas Awan (Drag City, 2008)

 

At last, Indonesian band Suarasama has been given the opportunity to reach international audiences. American label Drag City Records recently released Fajar Di Atas Awan, an album of delicate and beautiful trance-like songs inspired by Sumatran, Sufi, Middle Eastern, Malay, Eastern European and African music. The composer of the music is Irwansyah Harahap, an ethnomusicologist and multi-instrumentalist based in Medan (Indonesia) who plays gambus, ud, guitars and also provides vocals.

 

Saurasama is led by Irwansyah Harahap and Rithaony Hutajulu (who is also an ethnomusicologist), but the group has many members that change with each performance. The musicians featured on Fajar Di Atas Awan disc include Syainul Irwan (lead vocals and sruti box), Nandang Kusnandar (kendang and Persian duf) and Erni Zulfan (tabla, rebana, Persian duf, vocals).

The CD was originally released in France by Radio France Internationale. Drag City Records discovered Saurasama in a Smithsonian folkways compilation titled Music of Indonesia, Vol. 20: Indonesian Guitars, released in 1999. That song is the title track of the record.

Buy the CD:

• In North America: Fatas Di Atas Awan
• In Europe: Fajar Di Atas Awan

I Love Tibet (Discovery Sound, 2008) is a classy collection of Tibetan samples with a specially included movie. The faithful performances of sacred instruments & voices. In the Tibet Autonomous Region under the occupation of China, extreme human rights violations have continued, and their traditional Buddhist music is also in peril to disappear. Soon after his arrival in India in 1959, Dalai Lama re-organized the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, and their tradition and culture are still maintained by many Tibetan exiles settled in the town.

 

To record the genuine Tibetan samples on this library, Discovery Sound visited the refugee settlement under the Tibetan Government-in-Exile located in Dharamsala, Northern India.

I Love Tibet is a CD-ROM with 644 MB of 16-bit/44.1kHz recordings of loops, one-shots, and multi samples made using a varied cross-section of instruments – indispensable sacred percussion, wind instruments and sutras used in Tibetan Buddhist music - together with some more traditional percussion, string and wind instruments and Tibetan Opera which are familiar to Tibetan people.

 

Users will enjoy the instrumental performances included as a special movie as well as the live performance by monks in a temple on the disc.

 

Thre collection is available from www.discoverysound.com/en/DFSD700.

Johannesburg, South Africa - : Preparations for the fifth annual Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition are in full swing ahead of the September event. Organizers report a growing interest in the upcoming conference and exhibition which will once again see industry professionals from across South Africa, Africa and the international music business meet in Newtown, Johannesburg to network, exchange ideas and opinions, showcase their goods and services and much more.
 
 Already Moshito ’08 - as this year’s event is known – will introduce an exciting new element in the form of a partnership with WOMEX, globally recognized as the premiere World Music Expo on the global music calendar and this year taking place in Sevilla, Spain at the end of October. “WOMEX will be developing key sessions with us,” reports Moshito chairman, Arnold Mabunda, “and we are very excited about what this highly regarded and very experienced project will bring to Moshito.”

Commented WOMEX General Director, Gerald Seligman "We've visited the last two editions of Moshito and were so enthusiastic about what was taking place at this dynamic conference. It's a focused, well-structured event dedicated to developing skills, supporting national cultures, opening up the international marketplace and, in general, to providing a platform to discuss this challenging moment in the industry. We're honored to be working with Moshito and feel privileged to be collaborating in the home of one of the world's richest musical cultures."

WOMEX will be co-developing sessions on the Digital and International Environments with Moshito – and this is just one of the many exciting working relationships that Moshito ’08 will boast.

Already the project has a new partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Government, Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. The Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition also enjoys the ongoing support of the City of Joburg and the Department of Arts and Culture nationally.

Moshito ’08 takes place from Wednesday September 10th to Saturday September 13th and is once again built around the participation of registered delegates and the public.

Delegates will have access to the full spread of activities at this year’s event, which includes plenary sessions featuring keynote speeches, breakaway sessions which allow for more focus on the issues being discussed and the hugely popular “Hot Seats” where controversial – but important – topics affecting the South African music industry are put in the spotlight.

The public will be able to attend open information sessions and master classes on Friday September 12th and Saturday September 13th as well as the many fringe events (featuring live performances) that will take place in the Newtown Precinct during Moshito ’08. The exhibition – expected to be much bigger than 2007’s already substantial one – will be open to delegates throughout Moshito ’08 and the public on the two key public days.

Taking place at Museum Africa in Johannesburg’s Newtown Precinct from September 10th to 13th, Moshito ’08’s aim is to broaden the business intelligence of music industry professionals, strengthen business networks for participants and inform delegates, traders and the public about the multifaceted and dynamic nature of what is truly a global cultural industry.
Once again, Moshito’s Conference element will be themed – this year topics include technology, new markets, live music, social development and piracy and these will be spotlighted, debated and unbundled in plenary, breakaway and hot seat sessions. The digital aspect of the global music business will form a key element of Moshito ’08.

Says Mabunda: “We feel extremely proud to be in our fifth year and can look back at the development from Moshito’s inception with a real sense of pride. There have been challenges along the way but we are always pushing our benchmark out and this year are confident of offering a range of presentations, discussions, exhibitions, and networking opportunities that you will not find anywhere else on the African continent.”

Should you want to register as a delegate or company please log onto www.moshito.co.za.

S.O.B.'s in New York will present the Queen of Soca Music, Alison Hinds, on Tuesday August 26th. The "Roll it Gal" gave a memorable performance last year, attracting a sell-out crowd and a surprise guest performance by reggae mega-star Shaggy. Alison Hinds lastest disc, Soca Queen, with production from Salaam Remi (Nas, Fugees, Amy Winehouse) has been burning up dancehalls across the Caribbean. With her women-empowering lyrics and up-tempo dance tracks, Alison seems poised to follow the footsteps of fellow Bajan beauty, Rihanna, to superstardom.

Doors: 7pm
Show: 9pm
Admission: $20 In Advance/$22 Day of Show

The popular rap artist Snoop Dogg – his real name is Calvin Broadus – has stirred the cultural pot in India by partnering with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar in the video Singh Is Kinng as part of a soon to be released film under the same name.
 
 According to Studio 18, owned and distributed by Viacom, the soundtrack of the film has sold over 5 million copies. Singh is Kinng can be heard throughout India on many radio stations.
 
 Seen as a cultural cross-pollination of Bollywood and rap, music and film industry movers and shakers are taking notice of the shift to lure the American-Asian and British-Asian youth markets. Sporting traditional Sikh apparel, including a turban, on the video, Snoop Dogg is being seen by some as culturally insensitive. Further stoking the fires are Snoop Dogg's provocative "Represent that Punjabi" vocals on the track and his shout out, "What up to all my ladies hangin' out in Mumbai."

While it isn't the first collaboration of its kind, it is a first for an American artist to appear on a Bollywood soundtrack. Despite the grumblings, most seem delighted with the rap star's performance, including Vipul A. Shah, the film's producer, who was pleased by the chemistry between Snoop Dogg and Akshay Kumar.

Greeted by enthusiastic fans in India and exhilarated by the experience, Snoop Dogg is rumored to be planning a tour of the country.

The film Singh is Kinng is set for release on Friday, August 8.

Links:

• You Tube: http://in.youtube.com/watch?v2Y-shHxcXi4
• Movie website: http://www.singhiskinng.com

The fifth annual Madison World Music Festival will be held from September 12-20, 2008, in the Memorial Union and other venues. On the 14th it will be held at the Wisconsin Union Theater and The Annex and on the 20th it will move to the Willy Street Fair. Again this year, all events are free and open to the public. Patrons who wish to can donate to help the festival thrive for years to come.
 
 In its fifth and biggest year so far the festival again brings extraordinary artists from all over the world for free performances, workshops, lectures, and other outreach events. This year, we’re showcasing the many faces of Indian music and dance. Stiltwalking puppeteers Dragon Knights return for the second year, this time with Corto the Pink Flamingo. Additional workshops and events, as well as a guide to the festival, this year written by musician and notable world music writer Andrew Cronshaw, will be available later at the festival’s web site,

The tentative schedule is as follows:

Friday, 9/12/2008

Terrace (Rain: Wisconsin Union Theater):
5:30 Prasanna (India)
7:30 Mamak Khadem (Iran)
9:30 Nation Beat (Brazil/USA)

Dragon Knights (stiltwalking puppeteers)

Saturday, 9/13/2008

Terrace (Rain: Wisconsin Union Theater):
4:30 Little Cow (Hungary)
6:30 Plastic People of the Universe (Czech Republic)
7:45 Reelroad (Russia)
10 Maraca (Cuba)

Dragon Knights (stiltwalking puppeteers)

Tripp Commons
9:45 Dance workshop with Reelroad

Sunday, 9/14/2008

Wisconsin Union Theater:
Time TBA Kumar Sambav (India, dance), presented by the Indian Grad Students
Association

The Annex:
6:30 local band TBA
7:30 Little Cow (Hungary)
9:00 Plastic People of the Universe (Czech Republic)

Wednesday, 9/17/2008

Humanities 2441, 2451, 2511, 2521
6:00 Singing, instrumental, and dance workshops with Kabile

Thursday, 9/18/2008

Humanities 1101
4:00 CREECA lecture with Kabile

Terrace (Rain: Wisconsin Union Theater):
5:00-8:00 Student and Community Showcase
8:30 Kabile (Bulgaria)


Friday, 9/19/2008

Memorial Union Great Lounge
Noon Indian dance workshop with Dya Singh members

Terrace (Rain: Wisconsin Union Theater):
5:30 Gaida Hinnawi (Syria)
7:30 Dya Singh (India)
9:30 Baba Zula

Saturday, 9/20/2008

Willy Street Fair:

1:45 Chiwoniso (Zimbabwe)
3:45 Zazhil (Mexico)
5:45 Etran Finatawa (Niger)
7:45 17 Hippies  (Germany)

Sunday, 9/21/2008

Mills Hall:
Time TBA: A journey in Hindustani music: Vocal concert by Rajan and Sajan Mishra

The festival is sponsored by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Union Theater Committee and supported by: Evjue Foundation, Wisconsin Arts Board, American Family Insurance, Anonymous Fund, Associated Students of Madison, Multicultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, M & I Bank, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission, Willy Street Fair, International Student Services, CREECA, The Onion, Wisconsin Public Radio’s Higher Ground, WORT 89.9 FM, Capital City Hues, Asian Wisconzine, and individual donors.

As in past years, the festival is free and open to the public. Audience members may contribute to help keep it free, fabulous and accessible to all in future years. On-line donations may be made here or directly from the Madison World Music Festival site. Donations may also be sent to: Wisconsin Union Theater / MWMF Fund, 800 Langdon Street, Madison, WI 53706

Links:

• uniontheater.wisc.edu/worldmusicfest/.
• www.stiltshow.com

Photo: Mamak Khadem

Bloomington (Indiana), USA - Reggae legend Burning Spear has been through more than his share of trials, but the biggest test of Spear’s positive message of unity, peace, and love came on his first trip to Kenya last year.
 
 The country had been rocked with violence when a bitter election campaign sparked intergroup conflict that raged for months. The United Nations called on Spear, who had adopted at the start of his career the nom de guerre of Kenyan freedom fighter and first president Jomo Kenyatta, to perform in Nairobi. Spear was welcomed like a long-lost king and stayed on the spot where Kenyatta fought for the country’s independence from the U.K. Nonetheless, the concert organizer was so nervous about the potential for bloodshed among listeners that she was sick to her stomach.

“Kenya was really rough at that time; people bang against people,” Spear recalls, in his Jamaican accent. “All the guys were fighting each other, hurting each other in some viscous and terrible ways.” But the 65,000 Kenyans gathered at the outdoor venue came together peacefully, waved their flags, and walked home without incident. “I bring them together for about three hours. They were hugging and jumping up together. One can see the force of the music.”

This force is evident on Spear’s new album, Jah Is Real (Burning Music; release date: August 17, 2008, Marcus Garvey’s birthday), the latest in a long, productive career that began with a chance meeting with Bob Marley and has finally reached a place of peace and self-sufficiency that shows the relevance of Marcus Garvey in the age of the Internet.

Burning Spear’s musical journey began in a field in his home parish of St. Ann, Jamaica, where he ran into Bob Marley and struck up a conversation about breaking into the music world. “Bob was traveling with a donkey and all these various plants. We were there talking,” Spear explains. “Bob was young, dreadlocks just start to spring. I was asking Bob how I could get started and where could I go to get that start. He asked me if I know Studio One.”

Studio One was the Kingston-based center of the Jamaican music storm brewing in the 1960s and 1970s, often compared to Motown. Its main producer, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, was one of the first people to hear Burning Spear’s songs, and he asked him to come back and record. Spear was so excited, he returned to Studio One early the next morning. “When I get there so early, the place didn’t seem open. I was so anxious. I stood there until the place open and musicians show up. I go in, do my thing. It came out sounding good,” so good that Spear eventually cut four singles and two albums for the label.

But despite Spear’s strong songs and growing popularity, getting paid for his work became a nightmare. After repeatedly wrangling with Dodd, Spear sighs, “I just get fed up and decided to stop going. Then I start to think, ‘Because I am a Rastaman, that is why Mr. Dodd is not doing what he should do for me.’ So I decided to cut my dreadlock and back to Studio One, thinking I am doing the right thing. It became worse. It became worse.”

Discouraged, Spear headed back home and chilled on the beach until his singing attracted the attention of young producer Jack Ruby. With Ruby, Spear cut one of reggae’s most important records, Marcus Garvey, which set the musical tone and message for Spear’s long career. Garvey, philosopher, activist, orator, and prophet to Rastafarians, became one of Spear’s greatest inspirations, and he still reads Garvey’s writings on a daily basis. Garvey’s message of self-reliance, economic independence, and self-respect gradually took on new meaning for Spear as his career blossomed, yet he reaped none of the benefits.

After years on the road, multiple successful albums, and endless hard work, Spear found himself back in Jamaica in the 1980s, struggling to provide the basics for his family. Labels, distributors, and booking agents along the way bilked Spear of payment for his music. He began to realize that he had to go into business for himself to gain the respect he deserved: “I insist that I need to own something. I would do anything which is good to own something. But it take time and patience and discipline.” Much as Marley did when he founded Tuff Gong, Spear knew he had to apply Garvey’s teachings to the business end of his music and he has succeeded. While much has been said about new models for independent musicians in the age of the Internet, Spear is one of the few who has come to it from the teaching of a Black nationalist.

Last year on his blog (yes, the 63-year old has an eight-year old blog), Burning Spear wrote, “You cannot remain silent while people trample on your rights. For year reggae artist have been going through hell. None ’as any respect for us. Records label continue to collect our publishing, and royalty without paying us, even when agreements are up. Then when I man manufacture my own CDs and watch as this illegal Distribution label start to control all what mines. I decided I would no longer be silent’s.”

Now thriving in Queens, New York as an independent artist and a vital Rasta elder, Spear is done with compromise: No shady industry shenanigans, no bikini-clad babes on the cover, no nonsense, just good solid music, thanks in part to America’s founding funk fathers Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell, who appear on Jah Is Real, and a remix of “Step It” by Brian Hardgroove of Public Enemy fame. Spear has made it his mission to remind both staunch fans and new listeners of their historical and musical roots, drawing on his own experience.

“Grandfather” reminds listeners of slavery’s mark on places like the Carolinas, a mark that Spear feels too many have forgotten, as proven by media reports of enslaved workers on Long Island and nooses hung on doorknobs. “Stick with the Plan,” harkening back to the days of Studio One when Spear cut his hair, reminds listeners that “We can’t turn our back on our trail, the original trail.”

“One Africa” reflects the lessons Spear learned while in Kenya, and asks African leaders to band together and look forward, setting aside old grievances for the good of all. His social involvement in Kenya is reminiscent of the time he wrote “First Lady,” which called for Jamaica to elect its first female prime minister and which appeared on the album Our Music. When Portia Simpson-Miller became the country’s first female head of state, she insisted on meeting Spear personally, with tears in her eyes. Spear’s wife and manager Sonia Rodney recalls Simpson-Miller saying, “Burning Spear, people don’t know you, they don’t know what you do for Jamaica.”

 

Buy the CD:

• In North America: Jah Is Real
• In Europe: Jah Is Real

Photo credit: Alexei Afonin