The Rough Guide to the Music of the Balkan Gypsies..virtuoso music to energetic brass bands

The Gypsy Road stretches from Rajasthan, India to Andalucia, Spain and beyond, but it is the Balkan countries of Eastern Europe that are home to the largest Rom populations. Often scape-goated and caught in the middle of the twentieth century's worst injustices, from Belgrade to Bucharest to Skopje the Rom have had a profound impact on Balkan culture and music. Throughout the region, Gypsy music is Balkan music, transcending borders and ethnicities: energetic brass bands, violin and cimbolom virtuosos and captivating voices, The Rough Guide To The Music Of Balkan Gypsies has it all.

  1. Mahalageasca - Mahala Rai Banda
  2. Cintec De Dragoste Si Joc - Taraf De Haidouks
  3. Mundo Cocek - Boban Markovic Orkestar
  4. Lenorije Chaje - Ivo Papasov
  5. Di, Murgule, Di - Nikolae Simion
  6. Opa Cupa - Saban Bajramovic
  7. Lume, Lume - Fanfare Ciocarlia
  8. Pranvera - Vangelis Vasiliou
  9. Romano Oro - Esma Redzepova
  10. To Tsantiraki - Eleni Vitali
  11. Espresso - Taraf De Metropulitana
  12. Felix Kolo - Boban Markovic Orkestar
  13. Kadife - Omar Faruk Tekbilek
  14. Taraf - Shukar Collective
  15. Sofyisky Kjuchek - Ibro Lolov
  16. Rom - Nikos Kypourgos
  17. Tsiganka Sam Mala - Vera Petrovic

Balkan Gypsies

                                                                       

Putumayo Presents Tango Around the World by various artists

The elegant style and restrained passion of tango has made it one of the most recognized and popular forms of music and dance around the world. Its romantic allure has earned it such a wide following that there are now tango clubs from Seattle to Sydney. Over the past decade, DJ's and contemporary musicians have taken tango in new directions with electronic-based compositions known as "new tango." Putumayo has traveled the globe to find many of the best tango and tango-influenced songs the world has to offer. From tango's birthplace in Buenos Aires to its adoptive homes of Athens, Lisbon, Helsinki and other cities, Tango Around the World weaves together passion, style and elegance to create a rich musical tapestry that features traditional tango alongside contemporary fusions.

  1. Dimba - Ousmane Toure
  2. Kangastus - M.A. Numminen & Sanna Pietiainen
  3. Leonel El Feo - Melingo
  4. Tango Idishe - Fortuna
  5. Pena - Federico Aubele
  6. Felino - Electrocutango
  7. Gia Ligo - Alexis Kalofolias & Thanos Amorginos
  8. Gipsy Tango - Earth Wheel Sky Band
  9. Estrela Da Tarde - Liana
  10. Jose Marmol Y Tarija - Caceres
  11. Mi Buenos Aires Querido - Hugo Diaz

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Putumayo World Music was established in 1993 to introduce people to the music of the world's cultures. The label grew out of Putumayo clothing company, founded by Dan Storper in 1975 and sold in 1997. Co-founder Michael Kraus joined Dan to launch Putumayo World Music and establish a non-traditional sales division. Putumayo World Music has become known primarily for its upbeat and melodic compilations of great international music characterized by the company's motto: "guaranteed to make you feel good!" Putumayo's CD covers feature the distinctive art of Nicola Heindl, whose colorful, folkloric style represents one of Putumayo's goals: to connect the traditional to the contemporary. By combining appealing music and visuals with creative retail marketing, Putumayo has developed a unique brand identity - a rarity in today's artist-based music industry.

Go to Putumayo official website HERE

The String Principle - Guitar Music by Liad Abraham..Game of Thrones medley with Ariella Zeitlin

Liad Abraham is an Israeli acoustic guitarist and musician. For the last few months he has formed a duo with the very talented violinist/singer Ariella Zeitlin. They have just released a beautiful Game of Thrones medley for guitar, violin and looper, and it is unlike anything you have ever heard.

39 year old Liad Abraham was born in Israel and has studied guitar from the age of 14. He studied in Jerusalem's music academy concentrating on classical guitar and has been teaching and playing ever since, only on steel string and nylon string acoustic guitars ("no electric ones for me" he says!).

Ariella Zeitlin was born in Baltimore and studied  violin from the age of seven. She moved to Israel at 17 and studied at the same music academy as Liad a few years after he originally did. She also participated in the last season of The Voice Israel.

They have been working together for 4 months, building a beautiful set list and touring the country with them. They play a mixture of Irish music, folk songs, virtuosic arrangements from film music, and of course some original compositions.

Visit Liad's FACEBOOK PAGE to read the full story of their Game of Thrones medley and to find out more about their other collaborations and Liad's music.

Ariella's Facebook page The Inner World and Workings of Violinist Ariella

See also their cover of "City of Stars" from the movie La La Land

Out of This World 10 Years of WOMADelaide in Australia..25 tracks by various artists

Excellent 2 disc compilation of 25 tracks celebrating the 10th anniversary of WOMADelaide plus WOMADelaide 2003. Featuring artists such as Papa Wembo, Afro Celt Sound System, Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn, Peter Gabriel, The Waifs, Vika and Linda, Jimmy Little, Temple of Sound, King Kadu, Te Vaka, Toto La Momposina and Yungchen Lhamo. 

10th Anniversary of WOMADelaide

WOMADelaide 2003

A Voyage to The Sahara and The Middle East....music by Yeskim

Yeskim is a producer, arranger, engineer and musical contractor. He has produced over 250 CD's, mostly New Age and World Music among many other music styles. 

Born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands - 4th March 1949, Levantis Yeskim was a Guitarist/Keyboard player in Dutch Rock bands, (e.a. The Tee-Set with Peter Tetteroo "Ma belle amie" ) before switching to the music publishing field. The experience honed his skills at hearing a good song. Around 1986, Yeskim became the vice president of Syntron Studios Santa Fe NM, and a staff music producer with Philips USA- Digital Recording division. Some of the highlights of his stint were producing gold records ( Venus 1972 w Robbie van Leeuwen - Shocking Blue) and the achievement of many Music Awards (e.g. Golden Harp 1984) . He co-engineered the Beach Boys "Holland" album early in his career begin seventies. 

Later in his Career he composed the hit "Never heard a better song" (Vocals by Pim Elshof), a Surf song inspired by the Beach Boys, used as title track for the movie "American Summer" (Seven Arts). Using the same recording techniques and tricks as Brian Wilson did in the heydays of the Beach Boys. The lyrics were actually the titles of Beach Boys songs. 

UA president Denny Diante tapped Yeskim's music in the USA and introduced Yeskim to the film industry. Yeskim was then contracted by Seven Arts film company in 2008, to produce film-music scores, sound effects and soundtracks , e.a. for "American Summer" (Seven Arts) , "Incident in paradise"(WB) and many other movies. 

"Sahara and the Middle East" is a new age/world/ambient mix released in 1998. It combines sounds and atmospheres from North Africa where "hidden life awakes under the canopy of stars" where impressions of ancient cultures still live on today. A beautiful album to listen to it will give you a taste for sounds of the region with voices, instruments and themes that are unique to that part of the world.

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Visit my other blogs and pages here:

Blues Jam Session Blog

The Aussie Music Blog

The Blues and Roots Music Blog

The Jazz Music Blog

This Jukebox Rocks

Soundtrack Heaven

The Vintage Music Blog

Music from Our World

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The Rough Guide to Zydeco...various artists compilation

Zydeco is the rollicking accordion-led dance music of Louisiana's Creole culture. It was invented by people of color whose ancestry included freed slaves and groups with whom they intermarried. It's not to be confused with the European-derived Cajun style created by descendants of French settlers from Nova Scotia. Zydeco, while as infectiously melodic, is rhythmically harder-edged than Cajun music and incorporates R&B, soul and hip-hop. 

While popular lore places it in New Orleans, the groove actually developed in the countryside, where groups of Francophone musicians formed combos fronted by squeezeboxes and frottiors, a metal washboard peculiar to Zydeco which was adapted into a vest in the interest of efficiency. Modern bands commonly include electric guitars, bass and keyboards. 

This set showcases some of the genre's indelible hits, from Rockin' Sidney's playfully belligerent My Toot Toot, to Clifton Chenier's Calinda, to Beau Joque's virile take on John Lee Hooker's Voodoo Chile.


  1. Boogie Chillun - Beau Jocque
  2. Jack Rabbit - Zydeco Joe
  3. Hard To Stop - Buckwheat Zydeco
  4. Madeline - Zydeco Force
  5. Calinda - Clifton Chenier
  6. Joe Pete Got Two Women - John Delafose
  7. My Toot Toot - Rockin Sidney
  8. Johnnie Billy Goat - Boozoo Chavis
  9. Don't Bother Me - The Zydeco Blazers
  10. Les Blues De Crowley - Amede Ardoin
  11. Allons Danser - Canray Fontenot
  12. Get On Boy - Keith Frank
  13. Days Gone By - Rosie Ledet
  14. Hard To Love Someone - Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas
  15. Here To Stay - J. Paul Jr & The Zydeco Nubreedz
  16. Blackberry - Donna Angelle & The Zydeco Posse
  17. Gotta Find My Woman - Geno Delafose
  18. All About You - Chris Ardoin & Double Clutchin'
  19. Dreamin' - Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble

click here for more information

Visit my other blogs and pages here:

Blues Jam Session Blog

The Aussie Music Blog

The Blues and Roots Music Blog

The Jazz Music Blog

This Jukebox Rocks

Soundtrack Heaven

The Vintage Music Blog

Music from Our World

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Twitter

 

Dutch Bohemian Music band Zorita live performance of "Holy Grail"

Zorita are a raucous rousing rabble. The band’s bohemian music boasts an eclectic mixture of instruments like the accordion, trumpet and violin. In combination with bass, drums and guitars, as well as front man Carlos Zorita Diaz’ raw voice, this creates a completely unique sound. Boldly blending influences from South America, the Mediterranean, Balkan and Folk music, an evening with Zorita is guaranteed to breathe life into any party. In their own words, the eight musicians of Zorita describe their well-oiled ragtag collection of instruments, styles and personalities as ‘Musica Vagabunda’.


Dutch Success Story
Founded in Amsterdam in 2009, Zorita impressed judges and audiences in the finals of competitions like ´De Grote Prijs van Nederland’ (2010) and the ‘Amsterdamse Popprijs’ (2009). In the Dutch Popronde, Zorita wowed audiences nationwide. The past four years saw these seasoned musicians play dozens of festivals like Zwarte Cross (NL), Copacobana (BE), Oerol (NL), Lowlands (NL) and Boomtown Fair (UK).

Until We Die
Zorita recorded their EP 'Until We Die' in a remote studio in the Belgian Ardennes. In complete isolation from the rest civilization the band worked on five brand new songs. Until We Die was released on April 4th 2015 together with a documentary about Zorita's UK tour. The release was followed by a successful
summer tour with 35 shows in The Netherlands and Belgium, where the band proved to be a first class festival headliner.