FEATURE WORLDBEAT ALBUMS 

Makana – Different Game (Makana Music)  If you want to see how the guitar fits into the bigger picture of global music, you have to spend some time in Hawaii … not a bad place to do some research! Hundreds of years before Hendrix first drop-tuned his guitar, Hawaiian players developed a method of finger-style playing called ‘slack key’. As the name suggests it involved slacking off one or more strings on the guitar so the player could tune to a single chord. It’s been around longer than the blues. Manaka is considered the youngest living master of the Hawaiian slack key guitar and he’s rocketing the native style forward into the 21^st century. In his words, “Slack key is not so much a cultural thing as an ingenious approach to the guitar that allows me to create my own style of music.” His latest personal expression is called ‘Different Game’, the next step in Makana’s evolution of slack rock. “My music is about exploring”, he says.' Different Game’ expertly explores the possibilities of slack key combined with folk, bluegrass, the blues and especially rock. Makana’s growing list of fans includes Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam and Kirk Hammett from Metallica.

 Key Tracks: Necksnap Blues, Away

 

Rupa & The April Fishes – (Cumbancha) In a world so hung up on labels, a band that defies categorization is bound to get noticed. That’s why critics are clamoring to define Rupa and The April Fishes.

Their impossible mash-up of styles, from French chansons to Argentinean tangos, Gyspy swing to American folk and Latin cumbias to Indian ragas only makes sense when you get to know a bit about Rupa. She was born to Punjabi parents living in San Francisco. They fell in love with southern France and moved to Aix-En-Provence where Rupa began to write music in French, Spanish, Hindi and English. As she puts it, “she learned to use languages like paint strokes on a canvas”. Her ultimate goal is to break down borders both real and imagined, which she applies herself to, not only musically but in her other profession as a medical doctor! On Extraordinary Rendition there's always plenty more than meets the ear. The April Fishes’ name was inspired by a French April Fool’s Day custom where little paper fishes are stuck on the backs of unsuspecting people.  You have to admit, it’s a little kinder that a sign that says, “Kick Me”.

 Key Tracks: Une Americaine À Paris, Plus Que Moi

 

Swami – Equalize (Desirock/Cigale Ent.)  Musically speaking, some of today’s most advanced global grooves come from the UK where the urban melting pot has had more time to stew than here in North America. DJ Swami is one of those visionaries whose vibe is triggering the next wave in the South Asian Invasion. Swami’s latest CD, ‘Equalize’ bands together musicians from France, South Africa’s Zulu nation and America’s urban underground, wrapping the desi dhol and tumbi sounds in a driving mix of funky soul, hip hop and samba-bhangra. The music business is a struggle for recognition. However, when your reputation precedes you, you can do no better than generate a little intrigue. DJ Swami is an accomplished producer who has lent his ears and his talents to releases by platinum selling artists like Apache Indian, Erasure and Canada’s Shania Twain. But, together with his band, the name, Swami becomes an acronym for So Who Am I? Equalize brings a world of influence and the weight of experience to bear on the South Asian vibe. 

Key Tracks:  Hey Hey, Can't Let Go

 

Sona Mohapatra – Sona (Sony BMG India) Home is where the heart is and despite earning an engineering degree, an MBA and a plum management position, Sona Mohapatra’s heart just wasn’t in it.

The Indian beauty with the ‘ancient voice’ had been balancing the corporate world and her musical passions for years. Then the moment came when, she explains, “the idea of an album was shaping up and I wanted to work on this full time.  That’s when I decided to quit. ” While her self-titled debut is firmly grounded in the tenets of Hindustani classical music, it sounds completely fresh and accessible to western ears, and that was all part of her original idea. Sona believes, “She can be a part of that set of people who can define a contemporary Indian sound outside of just film music.” Her stunning new video is a testament to her own convictions to “live life and be elevated by the spirit of the song”. A chance collaboration with INXS hasn’t hurt Sona’s new career as a pop star. While touring India, the band picked Sona to cut a new track with them because her voice was a good match for their new Canadian frontman, J.D. Fortune.

 Key Tracks: Aaja Ve, Ishq Nachaya

 

DeVotchKa – A Mad And Faithful Telling (Anti-) A fresh sound demands a fresh approach to music making. Nick Urata, one of the multi-talented members of DeVotchKa explains that when he was growing up in New York, “Everyone was doing the two guitars, bass and drums thing.” So, he began writing for more exotic instruments like accordion, bouzouki and theremin. Eventually he found three others to share his vision of accessible music with an exotic edge. And, it doesn’t get more exotic than the mix of Romani, Greek, Slavic, Bolero, Mariachi, American Folk and Punk that permeates the tracks of  DeVotchKa’s acclaimed new release. Strip away the exotic, layers of DeVotchKa’s arrangements and you will inevitably find something pure and simple … a pretty, little pop song.  It’s a recipe that’s echoed in the film Little Miss Sunshine, which may have been what made DeVotchKa a perfect fit for it’s score … a contribution that earned them a Grammy nomination. 'A Mad And Faithful Telling' continues the dance between old world sounds and new world pop but with a hint of dark intrigue in the title borrowed from Edgar Allen Poe.

 Key Tracks: Basso Profundo, Comrade Z

 

Morcheeba – Dive Deep (Ultra) The world’s oceans have long held a fascination for Paul and Ross Godfrey, the brothers at the heart of Morcheeba. On their latest album, Dive Deep, they immerse themselves in the mysteries of the sea and sail uncharted musical waters for the band. Replacing the satiny voice of Skye Edwards is a rotating cast of female and male vocalists who float through Morcheeba’s signature vibe of global chill and trip hop. With Dive Deep, Morcheeba’s Paul and Ross Godfrey hope to make a statement about the delicate eco-system of the world’s oceans. Their sixth album also demonstrates a fresh approach to the whole notion of what makes a band. The brothers consider their job to be that of ‘directors’ while the vocals are shared by a cast of ‘actors’, each suited to play a different role. Among the voices are acclaimed singer, Judie Tzuke, Norwegian newcomer, Thomas Dybdahl and Manda … a French singer who auditioned to the Godfrey’s on MySpace! Paul Godfrey says that Morcheeba’s new approach has opened up new possibilities for the band. As he puts it, “We are free again to dive deep within and bring the music out naturally.”

 Key Tracks: Enjoy The Ride, Thumbnails

Yoav – Charmed & Strange (Field Recordings)  Yoav uses every surface of the guitar to blur the lines between acoustic and electronic. Light music was never tolerated in his home in Israel and later, in Cape Town where he grew up. His mother was an opera singer and ‘Classical’ was the only sound heard in the house. So, as a nine year, Yoav would sneak next door to his friend’s place to listen to Wham and OMD. From there he was hooked on the beat. After years of piano and cello lessons he rebelled and started to learn guitar, but it was hard to emulate the chilled rhythms of Massive Attack or Portishead with just an acoustic … until he started to experiment with tapping, live sampling and basically, DJing with his guitar. “The more I did it,” he says, “the more possibilities I found.” Every note and beat you hear on his new album, Charmed and Strange has been coaxed out of his trusty acoustic. Check out the album’s first single which proves that in Yoav’s hands, it’s more than just a guitar… it’s a Club Thing. Yoav’s first taste of the spotlight came as a 15 year old at a Crowded House concert in South Africa. He was invited on stage to sing with band in front of 15 thousand people and received a standing ovation.

Key Tracks: Club Thing, Yeah, The End

 

Señor Flavio – Supersaund 2012 (Nacional) Senor Flavio, the founder and bass player of Argentina’s seminal ska-punks, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs says, “Being Latin American and being mestizo, fusion is part of our continent, our folklore and our pride.” The Cadillacs still tour from time to time but its members are now involved in personal projects. Senor Flavio has just put the finishing touches on his solo album, Supersaund 2012, which continues the fusion ska, rock and Latin elements that made his original band so legendary. And, all his experience lends an air of relaxed good humour to the new album that super-serious baby bands just can’t quite pull off yet. Flavio says, “He learned about music through the University of The Clash. They taught him to listen to everything and keep an open mind. Senor Flavio’s real name is Flavio Cianciarulo. His ten year old son, Astor is drumming with a band his father produces called Misterio. Keep watching WorldBeats for a debut.

Key Tracks: Malito, Retirada Murguera Portena

 

Ojos de Brujo – Techari Live (Six Degrees)  If Ojos de Brujo is the next step in the evolution of global music, then the future is fresh, fun and fearless. One of global music’s most revolutionary collectives, the 'Eyes Of The Wizard' blasts the boundaries between Flamenco and Hip Hop, Rock and Reggae, Indian and Arabic. After a world-wide tour and receiving universal praise for their latest studio album, Techari, (Techari literally means ‘free’) the ‘Eyes of the Wizard’ boldly planned a home coming concert in Barcelona. The show would reunite them with all the guests who performed on the studio recording. And, the spectacle would produce a new CD and DVD package called Techari LIVE. The package is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears, including a fabulous documentary look at preparations for the big show and several striking video clips. Xavi Turull, the group’s percussionist says, “What keeps Ojos de Brujo together is that nobody is looking to make the deal of their life and get rich. We are a self –managed band with no sponsoring from multinationals."

Key Tracks:  Silencio, Color

 

Tambura Rasa – Kamanala (Tambura Rasa Prod.) A musical journey begins with a single note. Four years and many notes later, Tambura Rasa’s culture crossing adventures have bridged the distance between Spanish flamenco, Balkan gypsy and Middle Eastern baladii rhythms. They are one of Vancouver’s busiest groups of border benders, who in a few short years have racked up a string of successful performances, radio broadcasts, CD recordings and video productions. Now, they’re pleased to debut their third album of global rhythms that span the Mediterranean from Spain, The Balkans, The Middle East and beyond. Kamanala is a Sanskrit word that means 'fire of love', and the disc is abundant in passionate performances. The Vancouver collective has also expanded their performances to include not only a fusion of sounds but of dance expressions as well. Mujeres, their latest video finds common ground between flamenco and belly dance. You never know where their continuing journey might take you next.

Key Tracks: Mujeres, Estrella

 

Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend (XL Recordings) Four Columbia University grads are lighting up the internet and leading the parade to a new sound in popular music. Vampire Weekend  have developed their own mix of indie rock and South African pop that has sent journalists scrambling for new adjectives to describe it. Among the best so far is ‘Passport Rock'. Think of it as the flip side of the coin from Worldbeat, which describes music by global artists who have adopted western influences, and adapted them to their own traditions. Vampire Weekend says, “It was just important to them not to use the same rhythms and styles of playing that so much rock music has used.” Is it cultural appropriation or appreciation? You be the judge. The band shifts gears constantly between itchy township jive, reggaeton, western classical and even Celtic. Vampire Weekend themselves describe their sound as ‘Upper West Side Soweto’.

Key Tracks: A-Punk, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

 

Magnifico – Grande Finale (ARIH Dobra Ideja)  Slovenia is the perfect place to give birth to the last of the Balkan desperados. Nestled between the Adriatic Sea and the Italian Alps, it has defiantly survived the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and Soviet rule as a part of the former Yugoslavia. When he was just a child, Slovenia’s most celebrated pop hero had just two wishes in life; to be a famous soccer player or a rock star. One day his father went out to buy him a new pair of shoes and came back with a guitar instead, and the dye was cast for the boy who would someday become Magnifico! Always changing his image and his sound, Magnifico’s latest album, Grande Finale is a wild mash up of spaghetti western guitars, gypsy horns, funk, techno and a trashy Balkan style known as turbo-folk. The album sets the tone with a twisted take on an old favorite you’re bound to recognize which Magnifico calls ‘The Land Of Champions’. BTW, any artist worried about internet piracy should take a page out of Magnifico’s book. True to his unpredictable nature, he made Slovenian history by releasing 100 thousand copies of his new CD for FREE, as an insert in the daily newspaper. It’s gone on to become one of the country’s best selling albums to date.

Key Tracks: The Land Of Champions, Pismo Kumu (Rambo Rambo)

 

Compadres – Buddy Where You Been? (Celtino Music)  What keeps world music a step ahead is the dialogue it encourages across barriers of language and culture. It leads to innovation and collaboration and … in some instances, to lasting friendships. But, music can also create a synergy between players that can bond them together in a way that surpasses mere friendship. In Spanish they are called compadres. Compadres are two brothers from different mothers; both exceptional guitarists, united by a unique fusion of Celtic roots and Latino flamenco which they’ve dubbed, ‘Celtino Music’. After a ten year separation Compadres are touring again with an album appropriately titled, “Buddy Where You Been?” James Keelaghan and Oscar Lopez have been through individual struggles since they released their first Celtic and Latin collaboration under the name Compadres a decade a go. Reuniting and recording a new album together appears to be just the tonic they both needed to reignite their careers.

 Key Tracks: Buddy Where You Been?, Playa, Compromiso

 

 

Champion et ses G-Strings – Live DVD + CD(Saboteur Records ) Brian Tracy, a Canadian–born motivational speaker is quoted as saying, "All successful people are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, goal or purpose." In Brian Tracy’s book, Maxime Morin would be worthy of his stage name, DJ Champion, because he had the courage to dream big … really big! He always wanted to mix musicians the way other DJs mix vinyl. Recently at the Montreal Jazz Festival he got his wish, and carried out the experiment on a grand scale, bringing four guitarists, a battery of samba drummers, a gospel choir and one DJ together on stage before an audience of thousands. Champion’s latest release includes a DVD documentary with some thrilling concert footage from his date at the Bell Centre, the home of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. In the documentary Morin explains that originally, the G-Strings were to be four female guitarists, but due to critical shortage of such in Montreal, he settled for guys instead. The arrangement with his building waves of beats, old tyme gospel melodies and the wall of sound from the electric axe quartet is nothing short of ecstatic!

Key Tracks: No Heaven, Two Hoboes,  The Plow

 

The Garifuna Women's Project - Umalali (Cumbancha)  In 1635, two boats loaded with West African slaves were shipwrecked on the shores of the Caribbean isle of St. Vincent. It was the beginning of one of the most unique and threatened cultures in the Americas … the Garifuna. With a distinct language and traditions, the total population of Garifunas in the world today is only about 250 thousand. And, on January 19^th, 2008 they lost one musician who had accomplished so much in helping them retain their identity. A heart attack and stroke took Andy Palacio at the age of 47, but his recording with the Garifuna Collective stands as one of world music’s most inspired achievements. Watina became one of the most critically acclaimed world music albums since the Buena Vista Social Club. While his untimely passing has shocked fans around the globe, his work continues through a new recording project, exposing the songs of the Garifuna women The disc showcases their soaring and distinctly West African sounding harmonies. As with Watina, the songs are a celebration of day to day life but they sparkle with emotional weight. Don't expect an Alan Lomax field recording either. Palacio was a gifted producer with a modern sensibility that keeps the tunes fresh and interesting.

 ey Tracks:  Mérua, Barübana Yagien, Fuleisei

 

Shantel & The Bucovina Club Orkestar – Disko Partizani (Crammed Discs) So often we go in search of one thing and come back with something else entirely. German sound designer, Shantel journeyed to Bucovina, a region split between the Ukraine and Romania, in search of his family’s roots. What he came back with was a brilliant idea for bringing Eastern European music to Western Europe’s night clubs. With his studio partner, Marcus Darius, Shantel started assembling a diverse cast of instrumentalists and singers from, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Israel, Austria, Germany and, even one Canadian. The eight, multi-national members became The Bucovina Club Orkestar. Underpinned with thick dance beats and topped off with Shantel’s production and DJ skills, The Bucovina Orkestar Club Nights have become notorious scenes of stage-diving, belly-dancing and general madness. Disko Partizani makes no political statements or asks any serious questions, it's simply a fun-loving fusion designed to bring the Balkan beat to the dance floor.  BTW, Shantel’s search did eventually help him trace his family’s roots back to the Bucovina city of Czernovitz, which turned out to be his grandmother’s hometown.

 Key Tracks: Disko Partizani

 

Te Vaka – Olatia ('Warm Earth' ) Through several strong CD and DVD offerings, Te Vaka have come to represent the new sound of Pacifica. Spreading from the atolls of Tokelau throughout the South Pacific and on to the rest of the world the band has had time to gel a sound that's characterized by sugar cane-sweet harmonies and punctuated by tribal fits of broiling percussion on the pate (the log drum, not the chopped liver). On their latest album, Olatia, Te Vaka has come closer than ever to perfecting their recorded presentation. Not that the material is so much stronger than on previous outings, but the balance between the beautiful conscious ballads (often focused on environmental issues) and the log drum instrumentals is strangely reminiscent of the way the tunes on Celtic albums are often arranged. Call it a formula if you will, but it works exceedingly well for the band. Singer/composer Opetaia Foa'i continues to grow into a confident and poetic voice for the preservation of the islands of paradise in the wake of the new global environmental reality. Working from such a resonant perspective, Te Vaka is destined to win the hearts and loyalty of global music fans around the planet.

 ey Tracks: Lelei Ilo Tenei (Better Than This), Te Kupu (The Word)

 

Various Artists – 20 Ways To Float Through Walls (Crammed Discs) he global music media are prone to go on a bit about music’s ability to break down language boundaries and blast away the borders that divide and isolate. We wouldn’t say it if it didn’t carry the ring of truth. Now Crammed Discs present a package that accomplishes this without the explosive adjectives.  20 Ways To Float Through Walls as the name suggests is a compilation of 20 different tracks by a variety of bands, artists and collaborations which exemplify the leading edge in contemporary global beats. One could imply from the provocative title that it's an album of atmospheric 'chill grooves' and certainly with offerings from Cibelle, Tartit and Sussan Deyhim & Bill Laswell the trancier side of global music is well represented. But, you could hardly say the same of Kocani Orkestar VS Senor Coconut, Think of One or the venerable Taraf de Haidouks. No, despite the philosophizing in the liner notes about what constitutes world music and why this album doesn't deserve that label, 20 Ways To Float Through Walls seems to illustrate the masterful ease with which these artists manage to accomplish the task. As with any music, the adequate appear to struggle while the truly gifted float through it.

 

Key Tracks: De Dar Do by DJ Dolores, Usti, Usti Baba by Koĉani Orkestar vs Señor Coconut

 

 

Badakhshan Ensemble - Song and Dance from the Pamir Mountains (Smithsonian Folkways) In Volume 5 of their Music of Central Asia series, Smithsonian Folkways take us for an exotic musical journey high up into the Pamir Mountains to meet the Badakhshan Ensemble of Tajikistan. Their unique instruments and devotional songs have evolved in splendid isolation from Persia to the south, and China to the north. The Pamir Mountains are overshadowed only slightly by the Himalayas. This Central Asian range is known as The Roof of the World and form one of the borders of modern-day Tajikistan. It’s an important intersection between the sedentary urban life of Iran to the south, and the nomadic life of the Inner Asian Steppe to the north. The Badakhshan Ensemble represents three different musical traditions from the region: popular music for festive dancing, devotional music from their Ismaili faith and healing music known as ‘falak’. The group’s founder explains that, “It is her goal to ensure that future generations of musicians will know this music and perform it with all their heart and soul.” The package includes a beautifully shot 24 minute documentary that offers plenty of insight into the world of the Badakhshan Ensemble, at home in Tajikistan and on stage at the Sacred Music Festival in Fez, Morocco.

 

Byron Lee & The Dragonaires – Essential (VP Records)  Along with his renowned band, The Dragonaires, Byron Lee pioneered the ‘tropical big band’ sound and continues to record and tour well into his golden years. His legacy is a longtime personal dream; to create a Carnival for Jamaica! Byron Lee and The Dragonaires’ legendary performances have no doubt contributed to increased sales in white towels, as they encourage their legions of loyal fans to wave their soca rags in the air. After tracing Jamaica’s musical evolution, Byron Lee is now preparing to step back from the touring and recording after a lifetime of achievement. But like an old soldier, he’s got some great stories to tell. On the companion DVD, The Dragon takes us back to the start of his love affair with music and then relates his association with Jamaican dance rhythms from mento to ska and soca. Then, his band digs some classic ska out of the vault and a few old friends out of retirement to help him celebrate his landmark achievements.

 

Key Tracks:  Walk Like A Dragon, Dragon Dance feat. The Mighty Sparrow

 

Dharmakasa – Between Worlds (Independent) Between Worlds is where you’ll find Dharmakasa, a band of uncommon invention. Between Worlds is also the name of their debut album which they describe as, “a meeting between the ancient realm of the mystics and the modern realm of the mad scientist.” They formed in 2001 after the core players met at a yoga class. As you might guess, their music is meditative but it’s even more inventive. The Vancouver quartet of Andrew Kim (sitar, guitar disciple and instrument inventor), Alcvin Ramos, Japanese shakuhachi and didgeridoo virtuoso, Cameron Hood on electric bass and Steven 'Sambunata' Daniluk on kit thrives on gathering unrelated sounds together or, making new ones by creating their own ingenious instruments. World Music defines itself from other genres by erasing borders and absorbing influences from every corner of the planet. But, what if the earth itself imposes limitations on your imagination? Then you enter  Dharmakasa's unique realm. The album beautifully pins acoustic against electronic and invented sounds in textured moods, without being too dreamy. This is Pink Floyd for the global granola set.

 

Key Tracks: Ganges Blues (feat. Wes Mackey), Celtic Raga, The Storm

 

Movado – Gangsta For Life - The Symphony Of David Brooks (VP Records) Movado, the name of a high-end brand of Swiss watches is the Esperanto word for ‘movement’. It also accurately describes what’s happening in Jamaican Dancehall today. A new generation of ‘Young Turks’ is moving the island’s indigenous urban music toward a new hardcore attitude. David Brooks is a case in point. He grew up in Cassava Piece, one of Kingston’s notorious ghettos. It’s an upbringing that has left him indelibly marked. Although he’s adopted the stage name, ‘Movado’, his sound isn’t about the bling.  Instead, it reflects the lack of movement and the harsh reality of street life, in a place where there are no social safety nets to break your fall. His lyrics, thick in the patois of the island’s poor, are raw and uncompromising. And, the title of his break-through album, ‘Gangsta For Life – The Symphony Of David Brooks’ makes no excuses for where he’s come from. After leaving high school, Movado found work in a liquor store, but the job only lasted one day. He says he always knew that music would provide for him

 

Key Tracks: Dreaming

 

Raul Midón – A World Within A World (Manhattan Records) Raul Midon is a singer and guitarist who owes some of his inspiration to a make-believe planet he dreamed up as a child. This muse becomes even more compelling when you consider that Raul has been blind since he was a baby. Musically, he spices up R&B with dashes of Latin rhythm, tap-style guitar playing and a unique instrument of his own invention … the mouth trumpet! Space was the place for Raul and his brother, growing up under the big sky of New Mexico. They dreamed up entire solar systems and galaxies though they’d never see a single star. Both boys were born premature and were blinded in incubation. Raul’s brother, Marco actually went on to become a NASA engineer, but Raul inherited a passion for music from his father who was a dancer from Argentina. On his new album, A World Within A World, Raul Midon combines soulful R&B with a Latin pulse he developed from touring with the likes of Shakira, Ricky Martin and Jose Feliciano.

 Key Tracks: Pick Somebody Up, Tembererana

 

Donna Kay – The Journey (Donna Kay Music ) Hollywood’s images of teepee villages and painted warriors on horseback have skewed the world’s perception of North America’s indigenous people. In fact, the movies don’t come close to capturing the beauty and harmony of life for the First Nations of the Great Plains. Donna Kay spent most of her life by the shores of Ministikwan Lake in northwestern Saskatchewan. The rhythm of the native ‘ghost dance’ drumming of the region has influenced her compositions, which fuse together a wide range of contemporary styles like rock, R&B and country. Her latest album, ‘The Journey’ delivers an award-nominated video that presents a compassionate, beautiful and real life glimpse into the Aboriginal culture of Canada’s heartland. The artist describes her new album, The Journey as “more than a discovery.” “It’s an assembly … a gathering of spirit.” Find out more at www.donnakaymusic.com

 Key Tracks: Round, Round, Round

 

Wyclef Jean – Carnival Vol. II (Sony BMG) Wyclef Jean has been collecting famous friends since striking out on his own from the Fugees in 1997. His first solo album, generally known by the title, ‘Carnival’ drew on the talents of the Neville Brothers, Celia Cruz and many others. His latest release is a kind of sequel called ‘Carnival Volume 2’, and like his first album, the list of guests is impressive, including Paul Simon, Mary J. Blige and Shakira. The album is subtitled, ‘Memoirs Of  An Immigrant’, which points to the struggles his fellow Haitians have faced in coming to America; a plight that ties his music to his heritage and his humanitarian effort as Haiti's official 'Roaming  Ambassador'. The album’s first single, Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) about an immigrant girl who turns to life on the street, gets vocal props from Akon and Lil Wayne. The lyrics reference a song by Wu Tang Clan called ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ or ‘Cash Rules Everything Around Me’. Wyclef’s own sweetest girl is his daughter, Angelina Claudelle, who is named after one of her parents’ good friends, Angelina Jolie.

 Key Tracks:  Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill), Hollywood Meets Bollywood (Immigration)

 

Delhi 2 Dublin – Delhi 2 Dublin (Independent) In traffic or in contemporary global music, all the action happens at the intersections. Fortunately, in music, the results are dynamic rather than dangerous. Delhi 2 Dublin is a cultural collision between east and west; between tradition and experimentation. The five members of this Vancouver collective came together in 2006 for one impromptu festival performance, and the combination worked so well that they’ve had to catch up with their own success ever since. Their debut album has finally hit the streets. The road from Delhi to Dublin is long, but musically, Ireland and India may be closer than you might think. Historians now believe that the Celts originated in Central Asia near modern day Kazakhstan and migrated west into Europe and South into Persia and India. More connections between Celtic and Vedic cultures are being drawn all the time. For the players, there has never been any doubt of a connection between us all. Their project began on stage as a way to blast away the borders that stand between us and a universal party. That energy comes through on disc which is always challenging to accomplish. But, while the Afro Celt Sound System to whom they credit much influence, accomplish the cultural meld seamlessly, Delhi 2 Dublin still show the stitch-work of a design in progress, hardwiring obvious bhangra and Celtic flavors. With such a wind at their backs, I'm sure time will only refine the mix.

 Key Tracks: Dil Nachde, Apples