What's New In The World Of Music

A Festive Collection of Upbeat Songs from Carnivals in Brazil, Trinidad, Colombia, Cuba, New Orleans and more. Carnival Putamayo celebrates Carnival, the annual festival that lights up city streets from Rio to New Orleans, with this fun selection of songs that will create an instant party. Label: Putamayo World Music Carnival features songs from Brazil, New Orleans, Trinidad, Barbados, Haiti, Cuba, Colombia and other countries where the annual bacchanal allows people to leave their problems behind and enjoy life. Carnival is a magical event where everyone can dress up like imaginary characters and forget their troubles. The history of Carnival dates back to Greek and Roman festivals, and eventually evolved into one last chance to sing, dance and drink before Lent, 40 days of personal reflection, abstinence and fasting until Easter. The word itself comes from Latin, "Carne Vale" or "farewell to the flesh". Carnival music reflects the celebratory essence of the event as people rush into the streets with whatever instruments they can get their hands on and join together in a group celebration. Carnival features artists who are legendary carnival figures as well as a few exciting new discoveries. Very few of the tracks on this collection have ever been released outside of their native countries. Carnival includes Ara Ketu, a leading group in the carnival of Salvador, Bahia, a stronghold of African culture in Brazil. The more familiar Rio de Janeiro carnival is represented by Martinho da Vila, a legendary samba star whose name is inseparable from Carnival in Brazil. Mardi Gras, the New Orleans equivalent of Carnival, is reflected in the music of Eddie Bo and Kermit Ruffins. Haitian superstars King Posse regularly win the top prize for their annual contributions to Haiti's carnival song contest. Also featured are artists from Cuba, Trinidad, Barbados, Colombia and Venezuela.

From A Family Tradition In Banares, Northern India Gopal shankar Misra - Out Of Stillness "The veena is just like an ocean." - Gopal Shankar Misra Label: Realworld The liquid and expressive sound of the vichitra veena lends itself wonderfully to Indian classical music's general aim of making an instrument emulate the human voice. While there are many types of veena found in India, it is still rare to hear the vichitra veena played to any high standard outside of the subcontinent. Moreover, the style of playing heard on this album comes from a much-defined family tradition in Banares, in Northern India. Born in Kampur, India in 1957, Gopal Shankar Misra took up his father's mission to establish the veena in the panoply of Indian instruments and to carry it out into the world. Not only was it unusual for the vichitra veena to be taken out of the country, but it was also unheard of for it to be moved out of the classical tradition. In 1998, Gopal toured with Ananda Shankar and State of Bengal, as well as appeared on their critically-acclaimed album Walking On, and fulfilled hi dreams of matching up the veena in different ways than the usual Hindustani combination of tabla and tanpura. Sadly, just one month after this recording was completed, Dr. Gopal Shankar Misra died in Bhopal at a concert dedicated to his father.

Mexican-Anglo Beauty Lila Downs - Tree Of Life "Exotic beauty and startling voice...she is a reflection of a 21st century world culture where ethnicity and national boundaries blur." - Los Angeles Times Label: Narada World Lila Downs' sultry and exotic world vocals have captivated sold out audiences at the Sacred Music Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, the World's Fair in Lisbon, and throughout France and Mexico. Daughter of a Mixtec (mes-TEK) Indian woman and Anglo-American father, Lila Downs unites cultures and boundaries with her extraordinary voice. Born near the mountains of Oaxaca (wa-HA-ka) Mexico, Downs studied music and anthropology at the University of Minnesota and at the University of the Arts in Oaxaca. But it was only through music that Downs reconciled her heritage. "It took a long time to decide that I wanted to sing," she says. "Something needed to motivate me." That motivation came from the songs and stories of her Mexican ancestors. Downs explores the great ballads, boleros and rancheras, bringing to life the codices of the Mixtec and Zapotec (za-po-TEK) Indians.

A Celebration of Jewish Music Around the World A Jewish Odyssey This compilation explore the richness and diversity of Jewish music. From the Mediterranean flavors of Sephardic music to energetic emotive klezmer, A Jewish Odyssey follows the long journey of A Jewish music from the Middle East to Spain, Italy, Turkey, Eastern Europe, the U.S. and beyond. Label: Putumayo World Music For thousands of years, Jewish communities have migrated throughout the world, bringing their own traditions and incorporating local elements into their own music. The result is a striking range of styles and forms that reflect Eastern European, North African, Spanish, and Middle Eastern musical traditions, not to mention close connections with early American jazz and popular music. This compilation features well-known artists such as Chava Alberstein (Israel), The Klezmatics (USA), and The Klezmer Conservatory Band (USA), as well as rising stars like The Burning Bush (UK), Fortuna (Brazil), Finjan (Canada), KlezRoym (Italy), Uzca (USA), Zohar (USA/Morocco), Consuelo-Luz (Chile/Cuba/USA) and Janet & Jak Esim (Turkey). A Jewish Odyssey also includes a rare track by Ofra Haza, the Israeli word beat superstar who passed away unexpectedly in February 2000.

From The Streets Of Naples Spaccanapoli - Lost Souls (Aneme Perze) Vibrant energy, impassioned vocals and wild abandon - modern protest songs from ancient roots is what Lost Souls is all about. Label: Realworld Posters of Lenin, Marx, Che Guevara, and bright red hammer and sickle flags adorn the halls at Spaccanapoli's electrifying concerts - before packed audiences of Italian youth, who'd more typically be found at hip-hop or rock show. Formerly know as E Zezi, the band are a bona fide gruppo operaio (worker's group) - the revolutionary socialist collective of automotive factory workers in their native Naples. Most of the members - playing mandolins, rattles, throbbing drums, flutes, violins, accordions, tambourines, and singing ancient a cappella chants - still work at the factory, and must take unpaid leave to go on tour. The original "e zezi" were anti-clerical troubadours, gypsy rebels eventually suppressed by the police in southern Italy, but their present-day namesakes are not about to disappear. Their impassioned songs - about racism, drugs, unemployment, and corruption - draw upon Neapolitan folk music, at times sounding positively pre-Judeo-Christian, yet filter reggae, rap and jazz into a potent mix that clearly drives a message still relevant to disaffected youth in the grimy shadow of Vesuvius...and beyond.

Sizzling Latin Jazz Oscar Lopez - Armando's Fire Never afraid to venture into different genres, Oscar Lopez is known as one of today's most daring and eclectic artists, creating music without boundaries. Label: Narada World His music is an open door, allowing him ot take a free approach each time for his masterful improvisations, while infusing it with the passion that is his unique style, What may start as a Latin groove evolves over time, taking on many different forms with elements of blues, jazz, flamenco, rock, rhumba, and other flavors. The Latin feel in his music is an important element for Lopez. Born in Santiago, Chile, Lopez moved to Canada in 1979 and now calls Calgary home. "My roots are here. I have adapted myself, learned the language and I am an active part of this society. Of course, all that I am I owe to my mother country - she made me what I am today. There is always a strong Latin beat in my music, definitely, because that's who I am." A cultural crossover suits Lopez's eclectic tastes and styles. "There has been so much music that has touched me." This global fusion has made Lopez a standout among Latin world-class guitarists. Performing to sold-out audiences across the country, he has earned three Juno nominations (Canada's Grammy) and was named Instrumentalist of the Year by the Prairie Music Awards. His earlier albums blazed to the Top 20 of Billboard's "New Age" music chart and received widespread critical acclaim.