Label: Oi Va Voi
Country: United Kingdom
Release Date: 2009.05.15

Oi Va Voi’s third album ‘Travelling the Face of the Globe’ is the sound of a band absolutely at the top of their game. All the elements that the band has developed over the past five years are realised with new found confidence and independence. The band have returned to their roots, taken control of every aspect of their career and reunited with the Grammy award winning producers of “Laughter Through Tears”, Kevin Bacon and Jonathan Quarmby. Travelling is the main theme of this album, besides that the band took influences from different countries and cultures they also use different languages. Vocal wise I have been blown away. Three of the band members contribute vocals but the first one that got me was Bridgette Amofah. She uses her voice on such a controlled way where many other vocalists can learn of. Take a song like “I Knew What You Are” or the title track for a repeated listen and you will be blown away by the sound of this poppy voice with classic influences. Instruments like the trumpet and clarinet bring atmosphere in the music. Don’t forget to pay attention to the string section which is added by violist Anna Phoebe.
The traveling goes on and on and the song “Magic carpet” brings you to the middle east. Remember those nights in such a lovely village restaurant where you hear this music as well. The album ends with a song called “Photograph” featuring guest vocalist Dick Rivers, which has a typical sound from an Ayreon musician. He sings in French and so the journey has ended there.
With Oi Va Voi you don’t need to bring your camera equipment on holiday, just this album is enough to bring up memories of places where ever you go. For a music fan this band is very interesting. For some shallow music listener I can not tell whether the band can deliver their message clearly or not. It is music you really have to listen to and you don’t just put it on as a background sound. I say, it is a jewel. Very pleasant and a lot to discover. It even inspires me to go and visit places I have not been to yet. (by sabine van gameren)

Scene Release: Oi_Va_Voi-Travelling_the_Face_of_the_Globe-2009-ONe
Release Info: 56Mb / 320Kbps

Label: Diquela Records
Country: Spain
Release Date: 2009.03.17

Aocaná means “Now” in the Spanish Romany language of caló and the album begins with “Todos Mortales” which is classic Ojos with a base of Catalan Rumba, a memorable melody and a tasty scratchy topping; “Nueva Vida” is a tango/rumba inspired by Marina’s recent motherhood. “Dónde te has metío” is a funky rapped rhumba with cajón and scratchismo while “Corre Ve Y Dile” (Run Go Tell Him) is about women and war: “How absorbed the women weave, with black thread and lace adornments, a tapestry of a boy laughing innocent, among grenades and rivers of blood.
“Una Verdad Incómoda” is a “Jipjopaos” Tango with tabla plus Kumar helping out; “Baraka” has elements of Tango, Rumba and Bolero and is a poignant description of the life of an immigrant and his feelings of solitude and constant struggle; “Rumba Del Adios” is where Rumba Catalana meets Salsa with a jazz horn arrangement garnish; a melancholy 7/4 intro featuring mandolin and violin announces the Electronic Bulería of “Tócale ya”; “Busca Lo Bueno” is a joyful Rumba in 5/4 featuring Cuba’s legendary Los Van plus Cuban pianist Roberto Carcassés. Prior to his involvement with OdB Xavi Turull led an outfit called Amalgama who collaborated with India’s Karnataka College of Percussion – “Tantas Flores” shows the relationship is still strong. On “Perico Y Juliana” Marina sings of a couple who only have their love to cling to in these hard times to a fine melody underpinned by Rumba, Flamenco and Cuban Timba; “Lluvia” is a down tempo meditation and literally ends “Aocaná” with a splash. In a world where music becomes more bland and inconsequential Ojos de Brujo still mean it. Their passion, experimentation and collaborative nature is real and ongoing and “Aocaná” is a testament to their collective adventurous spirit.

Label: YBrazil
Country: Brazil
Release Date: 2009.03.14

Comadre Fulozinha started in 1997 in Recife, Brazil and plays mainly a mix of rhythms and traditional poetry and music from northeast of Brazil. The bombo, zabumba, congas, djembê, ilú (Brazilian percussion instruments), saxophone, cavaquinho, guitar and rabeca (Brazilian cord intrument, similar to the violin) are used so that the group can creat its language full of presonality. Althought the band formation has changed many times, the music they play did not suffer from those changes. The group took part in recordings from another bands of the manguebeat movement like Dj Dolores, Mundo Livre S/A, Eddie, Bonsucesso Samba Clube e Erasto Vasconcelos. The group also produced music for theater plays and soundtracks.

Label: Chat Chapeau Records
Country: Austria
Release Date: 2008.10.07

After two successful full length records and five years of touring Europe, by now !DelaDap are considered among the worldwide respected fixtures in both, World Music- as well as in the club-scene. Some of the notable highlights in those eventful years were two nominations for the “price of German record critics”, the “Donauinselfest” performance in front of 10.000 thrilled fans and several live-radio-concerts on German WDR, Austrian ORF and Radio Troika in Poland. Furthermore !DelaDap seized the chance to present their spirited show to worldwide expert public at the Sevilla World-Music fair WOMEX 2007. In the neighbouring country Hungary they are already reckoned as an international top act, annually invited to the major festivals and steady broadcasted on popular tv and radio stations. In September 2008 the group around mastermind and producer Stani Vana finally release their third album “Sara La Kali”. This new longplayer even more emphasis the Magic of the voices of the three wonderful singers Melinda Stoika, Simona Senkiova and Kristina Gunarova. Also the Mystery that lives in the lyrics in the Roma-language that made it’s way from ancient India surviving centuries without a written word and transporting miracles and wonders from ine generation to another until now. And finally it is the Energy rooting in the emotionality with wich the musicians especially from the eastern parts of Europe are playing their typical Roma instruments, such as Violin, Guitar and Accordion, combined with powerful and tartfully set beats which gives the sound of !DelaDap it’s very original touch.

Label: Lusafrica
Country: Cape Verde
Release Date: 2005.05.17

Fans of Cesaria Evora have been kept in short commons for some years by a relative dearth of new material and emerging talent. But Lura, who was born in Portugal of Cape Verdean parents, is clearly a contender for latter’s throne. The beautiful young singer describes herself as a country girl and as such, is more interested in rural styles like the funana, bataku and the European, colonial-based mazurka than in the more urban morna, a barroom blues associated with the elder diva. Her songs, many of them self-composed, deal with small-town realities like a mother’s advice to her son in hard times, an unplanned pregnancy, uninhibited holiday celebrations and other tales that might well be discussed on a neighbor’s door-step. This is not to say that she is a narrow-minded provincial or hide-bound traditionalist; her arrangements are paragons of acoustic elegance, owing as much to R&B, Argentinean tango, post-Tropicalia Brazilian pop and French chanson as hometown firesides. Her voice, a clear mezzo-soprano-to-alto, ranges from girlish to smoky but as her material tends toward upbeat rhythms, it is her sun-drenched, precisely calibrated melodic sense and crackerjack phrasing that anchors each tune. The title track, a frenetic hip-swinger sung as a duet with Zeco di Nha Reinalda, could make a stone dance. (by christina roden)

Label: Because Music
Country: Mali
Release Date: 2008.11.17

African superstars Amadou & Mariam release their new album, ‘Welcome to Mali’ through Because Music on 17th November. The new album features Damon Albarn as guest producer on the opening track, plus special guest appearances by Keziah Jones, ‘M’, Tiken Jah Fakoli, Toumani Diabate and Juan Rozoff. The album was recorded over the past twelve months in Bamako, Dakar, Paris and London and was produced by their long-time manager and artistic director Marc-Antoine Moreau and Lauren Jais who, together with Manu Chao, were co-producers of ‘Dimanche à Bamako’.
‘Welcome to Mali’ expands their horizons and yet remains true to their core sound, putting the spotlight firmly back on their unique mix of sweet melodies and funky rhythms, driven by Amadou’s bluesy guitar and the duo’s compelling voices. The album’s opening track, and first single, ‘Sabali’, will be released digitally on the 27th October, is the couple as you’ve never heard them before, an extraordinary mix of Albarn’s ethereal keyboards, Mariam’s haunting voice and a timeless Africa-goes-global vibe. (in myspace)

Label: Six Degrees
Country: Mali
Release Date: 2008.10.27

Issa Bagayogo is one of the true innovators of West African music, mixing the traditional sounds of his native Mali with elements of electronica and dancehall. On his latest release, Mali Koura, Issa continues to mature, adding jazz inflected horns to his organic blend of roots music and Western dance technology.
Mali Koura is an essential album that stands head-and-shoulders above most of the new world electronica outings that are being released at such an astonishing rate these days. Throw away your musical preconceptions. Leave your prejudices at the door. Mali Koura is a heady and exhilarating ride. It will rock and shake you to the core.

(“Dambalou” clip from “Timbuktu” album 2001)