Black Masala, Trains and Moonlight Destinies Review Black Masala is a Washington DC based world music band that combines world rhythms, and colors it with second-line, bhangra, and funk horn parts and vocal harmonies. Black Masala offers hints of Arabic pop and influence from Romania and Serbia. Started by drummer and vocalist Mike Ounallah in … Read more
Cachaíto Review Candelario Orlando López Vergara, better known as Cachaíto, was a Cuban bassist and composer, who gained international fame after his involvement in the Buena Vista Social Club recordings. He was nicknamed Cachaíto (“little Cachao”) after his uncle, the famous bassist and innovator of mambo music Israel “Cachao” López. His father and Cachao’s older … Read more
With sounds from the East and the West, vocalist and composer Somesh Mathur is offering a mix of different styles of music, including Sufi, Indian classical, Ghazals, R&B and jazz-fusion with his new album, Time Stood Still. Recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Scott Kinsey, Mathur is the featured artist, instrumentalist and vocalist. Mathur … Read more
Datura Road is a world music ensemble that is combining the sounds of East and West with the energy of the Hudson Valley and greater New York area. Datura Road was created when guitarist, oudist, vocalist, and pennywhistle player, Matt Nobile invited guitarist/mandolinist, and former teacher Raphael Garritano, to work through some songs. Percussionist David … Read more
In the next evolution of human and machine creativity, Turning Jewels Into Water brings us a sound that combines Indian born percussionist Ravish Momin and experimental Haitian electronic artist Val Jeanty. Together the two create music that is rich with ritual beats global rhythms, electronica, and improvisations. The duet is celebrating their debut album, … Read more
Tribu is a sextet that is following in the Latin Jazz traditions of Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria and Machito. Lead by pianist and composer Steve McQuarry, they have released an album titled, El Matador. The album presents twelve original compositions that are inspired by the world music sounds of: Afro-Caribbean and Latin jazz with a … Read more
Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius and Heard is an amalgamation of highly talented musicians from upstate New York, that have come together to create music that reaches into the world genre with a seasoning of Brazilian jazz that adds warmth and spontaneity to each tune. The core ensemble is comprised of Jonathan Greene: woodwinds, vocals; Bobby Kendall: … Read more
Japanese born Yuko Ito is an anomaly in the Brazilian field, her heart belongs to Brazil, yet she was born in Japan. Her previous albums Mania De Voce (09), O Cantador (14), and her latest Esperança (17) introduced the vocalist to the jazz and world listener as a seasoned craftsman of the Portuguese language in … Read more
The reggae band who call themselves Dojo is a collective of jazz and reggae musicians from London, Paris, Nigeria, and Lebanon that have combined together to bring us an uncanny collection of melodies, harmonies and reggae feels that are rich in the heritage from African, European, and American. Dojo formed in 2014 when punk Hammond … Read more
Dwiki Dharmawan is back with another outstanding release on MoonJune records, (meaning “the stone house” in Indonesian Bahasa language). The iconic keyboardist, composer, and producer, Dharmawan, brings sounds from jazz influences of tonal color and improvisation and then mixes it with his rich Indonesian cultural heritage, to create a sound that is unified and highly … Read more