I have no PC scruples against the term "world music," but whenever someone asks me what kind of music I listen to, I always feel foolish answering "world music," even though it is my staple fare. It's a cold, half-academic sounding term. That's not to say that any of the other available labels—global rhythm, ethnic groove (!), mondomix, roots music—feel any less awkward. It would be one thing if I were a “specialist”—when I stuck to flamenco, that would’ve been an easy answer—but these days I’m definitely a dabbler rather than a connoisseur.
So here's what I've been listening to in the last few months (don't forget to hover over the links):
Caetano Veloso:
Live in Bahia
Pape & Cheikh:
Mariama
Orchestra Baobab:
Specialist in All Styles
Salif Keita:
Moffou
Cesaria Evora:
The Very Best of Cesaria Evora
Bebel Giberto:
Tanto Tempo Remixes
Ensemble Tartit:
Ichichila
Rachid Taha:
Live
Various Artists:
Rough Guide to Arabesque
Various Artists:
Arabesque
Various Artists:
World of Lusafrica
Check out Part 1: Jazz (More or Less) here.
