African Blues
Artist: Ali Farka Toure

Born in the Southern U.S., the blues contains elements that can be traced back to Africa. In the African country of Mali, the distinctive, unorthodox singer/guitarist Ali Farka Toure takes the process full circle by fusing the blues with elements of Malian folk on the heartfelt African Blues. With his acoustic guitar being the only instrument... Read More

My People
Artist: Joe Zawinul

If one must indulge in categories, My People, featuring the Zawinul Syndicate and a United Nations coterie of guests, probably belongs on the vast world music shelf, the links to so-called jazz now so tenuous as to be nearly, but not quite, invisible. On the percolating "Slivovitz Trail," "Orient Express," "Many Churches," and the... Read More

The River
Artist: Ali Farka Toure

Toure's second release expands his adventuresome blues-based approach, with a harmonica, sax, and native violin beefing up the sound on several cuts. ~ Bob Tarte, All Music Guide Read More

Lost Tribes
Artist: The Zawinul Syndicate

Now reduced in size to a quintet (dropping the extra percussionist), Zawinul's Syndicate delivers its most overtly political album -- or shall we say, its most anti-political album with its forget-our-differences, one-world tone poems. If Lost Tribes sounds more like a Weather Report album than its Syndicate predecessors, it may be because the... Read More

Beatin' Aroun De Bush
Artist: Hugh Masekela

With a mix of smooth contemporary jazz, Afro-beat and world music, Beatin' Aroun De Bush is a highly accessible presentation of Hugh Masekela's flugelhorn expertise, as well as a visit to his South African homeland. This album was completed as his native country was voting to abolish apartheid, and the music contained herein is at times mellow... Read More

Live!
Artist: Gipsy Kings

As captivating as the Gipsy Kings are on their studio albums, it's hard to imagine how a recording mixed by a studio engineer could compete for sheer impressiveness with the spectacle of six acoustic guitars ablaze simultaneously in the same room. Particularly when the guitars are managed with the flamboyant virtuosity of the Reyes and Baliardo... Read More

Living Magic
Artist: Trilok Gurtu

With Jan Garbarek (saxes), Nana (per), Daniel Goyone (k). This is a septet doing Indian, Turkish, Scandinavian, and Brazilian world fusion, which is very well conceived. One of Garbarek's better efforts as collaborator or leader. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide Read More

Presents a Musical Childhood with Infancia
Artist: Egberto Gismonti

Much of this CD is at a quiet volume, but the music is full of tension and inner excitement, with repetition used very effectively. Filled with memorable folk melodies that flow logically (the jubilant main theme of "Infancia" is a high point), the music is quite stimulating, often shifting moods gradually and coming up with unexpected twists.... Read More

Solo
Artist: Egberto Gismonti

Featuring his popular composition "Frevo," Egberto Gismonti's Solo disc finds the great Brazilian guitarist ranging wide on a handful of stunning originals. Having already established himself as a composer in his native country and in Europe, Gismonti began to gain even wider notice with a series of topnotch ECM releases starting in 1977. His... Read More

Niafunké
Artist: Ali Farka Toure
Community Score: 10.00

Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure's music has always managed global travel with ease and musical grace, shrinking the miles between Western Africa and the Mississippi Delta and seemingly visiting every city in between. Toure has received his share of accolades for blurring the lines between his contemporary/traditional fingerpicking style and... Read More