The traditional music of Western Africa and Ireland is fused into a seamless blend by Afro Celt Sound System. The band's exciting performances have become a popular attraction at the WOMAD festival in Reading, England, since 1995, while their 1996 debut album, Volume 1, remains one of the most successful examples of cultural exchange. Afro Celt... [+] Read More

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Afro-funk, reggae, samba, salsa, gospel, jazz, Zairean rumba, zouk and makossa are combined through the music of soulful, Benin-born and Paris-based, vocalist, Angelique Kidjo. Since the release of her self-produced, debut, solo album, Pretty, in 1988, Kidjo has been embraced by the international press. "The New York Times", hailed her for... [+] Read More

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Cirque du Soleil revolutionized the circus arts, transcending the traditional big-top approach of the past to spotlight elaborate sets, lavish costumes and original music. Founded in Quebec in 1984 by Guy Laliberté and Daniel Gauthier, the original group comprised local street performers; shunning animal acts to focus exclusively on human... [+] Read More

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Djavan is a Brazilian composer, singer, and the owner of a respectable discography. His international success has taken him to the highest-ranking venues worldwide and his songs have been recorded by Al Jarreau, Carmen McRae, the Manhattan Transfer, and, in Brazil by Gal Costa, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ed Motta, Leila Pinheiro, Chico César, Dori... [+] Read More

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The Gipsy Kings are largely responsible for bringing the joyful sounds of progressive pop-oriented flamenco, called Sevillana in Spain, to the world. The band started out in Arles, a village in southern France during the '70s when brothers Nicolas and Andre Reyes, the sons of renowned flamenco artist Jose Reyes, teamed up with their cousins... [+] Read More

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The Mysterious Voices of Bulgaria belong to The National Radio And Television Chorus, the premier women's choir popularized worldwide through the efforts of ethnomusicologist Marcel Cellier. His recordings, issued on various import labels before appearing on Nonesuch, made a big splash in western Europe and the US, cultivating vast new audiences... [+] Read More

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An unconventional female duo that came out of Bordeaux, France, in the 1990s, Les Nubians offered a jazzy, sophisticated style of R&B that combined French lyrics with the influence of Sade, Soul II Soul, hip-hop, and African pop. The duo consists of sisters Helene and Celia Faussart, who were born in France to a French father and a Cameroonian... [+] Read More

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Long one of Israel's most popular singers, Ofra Haza broke through to international recognition during the mid-1980s when her traditional music found favor on the U.K. club circuit, its success leading to a series of unlikely pop projects. Born in Tel Aviv on November 19, 1959, Haza was the daughter of Yemenite parents forced to flee from their... [+] Read More

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These days, the voice as a dominant instrument is finding new favor among music lovers. The group that has been central to this development within the contemporary music scene is a quintet of electrifying vocalists based in Washington, D.C., Sweet Honey in the Rock.

Singing unaccompanied, except for body and hand percussion... [+] Read More

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Since 1993 Tarika have established a reputation for themselves on the world music circuit, and become successful enough to be called Madagascar's biggest musical export. The five-piece band (whose name translates simply as "the group"), led by singer and percussionist Hanitra Rasoanaivo has managed to stick to its instrumental and rhythmic... [+] Read More

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