3MA is the meeting of three string-instrument virtuosi, Ballaké Sissoko (kora), Driss El Maloumi (Oud) and Rajery (valiha), all three are symbolic of their countries in Africa. Centuries of kora musical traditions run through Ballaké Sissoko’s fingers. In 1997, together with his cousin Toumani Diabaté, he recorded New Ancient Strings, which refers to the very … Read more
Tribal Seeds is a US rock-reggae band that was formed by brothers Steven (lead vocals, guitar, and producer) and Tony Ray “Maad T-Ray” Jacobo (producer) in 2005. Tribal Seeds brand new EP, Roots Party, takes us on a party trip through eight tracks. It has been three and a half years since their last studio … Read more
With a progressive world sound that embodies all the qualities that make world music so enjoyable, 3-time JUNO nominees, and 3-time CFMA winning ambassadors of musical diversity Sultans of String have expanded the traditional notion of Christmas music with their new, genre-hopping album, Christmas Caravan. Recorded and co-produced with JUNO Award winning engineer John ‘Beetle’ Bailey, … Read more
Croatian vocalist and composer Astrid Kuljanic has released Riva. She combines Croatian rhythms and melodic structures with jazz and switches from Croatian to English-language lyrics throughout the album. The quartet is comprised of: Astrid Kuljanic on vocals; Ben Rosenblum on accordion; Mat Muntz on bass; and Rogerio Boccato on percussion. The album concentrates on jazz-style … Read more
We are going medieval on you! There is a musician out there that has taken an ancient instrument and turned it lose, he breathes new life and innovation into this old-world instrument. French musician Guilhem Desq, electrified his hurdy-gurdy and connected it to a sampler to create amazing sounds that seem to come straight … Read more
The Kingston-based production crew Equiknoxx is back with a new album, Colón Man. The Jamaican musicians build their own cast of experimentation to form a music that combines noise and music in ways we haven’t heard before. Gavin “Gavsborg” Blair, the Kingston-based producer and center of the Equiknoxx sound, describes Colón Man as, “an album … Read more
Project Mama Earth is a fascinating band, and with their 2017 debut, Mama Earth, we get to enjoy the fruits of this multi-cultural union. British vocalist Joss Stone is collaborating with a select team of musicians, led by drummer Jonathan Joseph. Comprising of Stone (vocals), Nitin Sawhney (guitar), Jonathan Joseph (drums), Étienne M’Bappé (bass/guitar) and … Read more
Looking Forward is the latest release from an ensemble that combines Indian classical music with western colors in a highly improvisational format to create their own unique brand of world music. The ensemble is called Melodic Intersect and Looking Forward is their sixth CD. Consisting of: tabla player and leader Enayet Hossain, Hidayat Khan who … Read more
The Green has released Marching Orders, an appealing mix of reggae, dancehall, R&B and pop all with Hawaiian flavors. Marching Orders marks the band’s fourth studio album and is the follow-up to 2013’s Hawai’i ’13. The lineup includes: Caleb Keolanui on lead and backing vocals; Zion Thompson on guitar and lead and backing vocals; JP … Read more
Irish Jigs n’ Reels is Alban Fùam’s new album that mixes various jigs and reels to form ten tracks of authentic Irish playing. Released on the Maxy Sound label, Alban Fùam (from the Gaelic “celebration of light and sound”) is an Italian band whose music describes Ireland by performing captivating Irish and Celtic songs, skillfully … Read more