Label: Six Degrees
Country: United States
Release Date: 2009.02.17

It’s no coincidence that Nancy Kaye, Ireesh Lal and Carmen Rizzo chose to name their groundbreaking collaboration after the ancient Sufi folk song, “Lal Meri,” an interpretation which closes the trio’s seductive and refreshing Six Degrees Records debut. “The message of the song is unifying different people from different cultures and beliefs,” says Nancy, the mystery-laden honey-and-sand voiced siren, with a gift for expansive turns of phrases and indelible melodies. “Why can’t we basically be together as one? It’s a beautiful message.”

If ever a band represented such ideals, it’s Lal Meri, with each musician coming in from different backgrounds, cultures and musical sensibilities, all combined into a unified, vibrant whole. Nancy’s singing and writing – both urgent and timeless – have powered her forays in pop (a 2002 debut album for Island/Def Jam Records) and jazz (her recent, saucy tour de force Luckiest Girl), both under the artist name Rosey. Ireesh’s multiple instrumental, composing and arranging talents have been spotlighted in his previous bands Hot Sauce Johnson and Animastik. Carmen’s global-conscious sense has brought him to the forefront as a writer, producer and remixer with Seal, Coldplay, Paul Oakenfold, Jem and countless others, while his expansive vision is at the core of his own wide-ranging album and his work as a member of the groundbreaking world-fusion act Niyaz.

On their self-titled debut album, these distinctly creative musical minds and strong individual personalities form at once a microcosm or mirror of the whole world — and a whole new world unto itself. Nancy’s voice intertwines with R&B punches and smoky cabaret inflections, while Ireesh blends reggae & jazz on the trumpet. Seductive trip-hop beats mix with oud and tabla. Emotions run deep, in matters of romance and the state of the world, the music and lyrics alike questing for the best instincts of the human spirit. From the soulful bounce of opener “Dreams of 18” through the closing title song, Lal Meri is three artists inventing a new common language. (by last.fm)

Label: Six Degrees
Country: Brazil
Release Date: 2009.07.07

Ever since Brazilian phenomenon Céu captivated the world with her self-titled debut album in 2007, her follow up release has been widely anticipated. After being chosen as the first international artist featured in Starbucks Hear Music™ Debut series, Céu earned both Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations, countless press accolades, and chart topping numbers. So how does one of the most successful Brazilian female artists of our time respond? With her typical grace and artistry.

Label: Six Degrees
Country: India
Release Date: 2009.03.30

On their newest release, Hello Hello, the Midival Punditz marry Indian raga, Bollywood pop, and regional folk dance rhythms to several decades of Western dance music, with echoes of everything from Bhangra to rock music to Daft Punk. This is global electronica on shuffle: Led Zeppelin’s “Four Sticks” gets an authentically South Asian treatment that builds on the faux-Indian sounds in the original; a few minutes later we’re in the 19th century with a setting of the poet Ghalib’s beautiful “Har Ek Baat” over a decidedly 21st century beat. All in all, Hello Hello is the duo’s most adventurous and mature release to date and one that promises to excite old fans while attracting new listeners.

Label: Six Degrees
Country: Algeria
Release Date: 2008.02.11

Algerian born electronic adventurer Cheb i Sabbah has returned to India for his seventh album on Six Degrees. His last album, 2005’s La Kahena was the result of a visit to Algeria and Morocco, gathering some of the most unique vocalists and musicians from throughout the Magreb and uniting their traditions with his more electronic dance orientated concerns. What was incredible about La Kahena was the subtlety of his integration. Make no mistake this was world music fusion, of which there are numerous manipulative, at times positively colonial train-wrecks, yet this was not an addition to the pile. Sabbah’s electronics seemed entirely consistent with the spirit and the traditions of his sources and the music was positively joyful. Devotion unites Hindu, Sufi and Sikh traditions under one umbrella. His approach is consistent with its predecessor, gathering incredible vocalists and instrumentalists from across the subcontinent. His focus is on the vocalists who he often allows to begin a piece, gorgeously recorded wails, often in isolation before the instrumentation begins. When it does Sabbah’s focus is on percussion, often building upon the percussion and integrating electronic percussive elements as a means to take the piece into a more beat/ dance orientated realm. The pieces invariably begin untreated and move into a more electronic realm, though discovering just where and how this occurs takes some investigation. Unlike La Kahena there’s a certain sheen to the music, the kind of impossibly lush production that is entirely too prevalent in world music, where everything is heavily reverbed like it’s occurring in a large hall. This kind of perfect production really impacts on your ability to connect emotionally with the music which is a real shame because Sabbah is an incredibly interesting producer and there’s no doubting his own spiritual and emotional connection, it’s just a shame that his techniques have distanced it somewhat for the rest of us. (by bob baker fish)

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)