MAY 15 2007

Balkan Beat Box "Nu Med"
(JDUB / USA)
Here on their second album, Nu Med, Balkan Beat Box continue to play at the nexus of Eastern European, klezmer, Arabic, hip-hop, rock and electronic music. Headed by Israelis Tamir Muskat (drums, programming) and Ori Kaplan (saxophone), the band's sound is far from forced, easily summing up the musicians' lives in their homeland as well as their current experiences living in New York City. AMAZON.COM

Jorge Drexler "12 Seconds De Oscuridad"
(Warner Music Latina / Uruguay)
Jorge Drexler is an Academy Award-winning Uruguayan singer. On 2004 Drexler won wide acclaim after becoming the first Uruguayan ever to win an Academy Award, which he won for composing the song "Al Otro Lado del Río" from The Motorcycle Diaries. His music is a combination of Uruguayan traditional music, pop, electronic, which results in very personal compositions with original arrangements.

Nawal "Aman"
(Nawali Records / Comoros)
Between traditional and contemporary, Nawal’s music weaves a rich dialogue of cultures. Indo-Arabian-Persian music meets Bantu polyphonies, the syncopated rhythms and Sufi trance of the Indian Ocean. Nawal sings in Comoran, Arabic, French and English. SCOTTY WHY SAYS "There are so many different sounds on this disc. Nawal finds so many ways to entertain you."

Slavic Soul Party "Teknochek Collision"
(Barbes Records / Japan & USA)
The band, made up of members of varying backgrounds from the U.S. and Japan, introduces the brash-but-intricate horn lines of the Balkans and adds some New Orleans grit and groove to the stew. No matter which direction the nine-piece band goes, it easily takes the listener along for the ride. AMAZON.COM

Taffetas "Fanta"
(Rasa Records / Guinea & Switzerland)
This trio creates a soundscape that's fresh, diverse, organic, and steeped in Afro-Portuguese, jazz, blues, Indian raga, and Western classical music traditions. A distinct sound that's deceptively placid with acoustic guitar and bass ebbing around sweet melodies and vocal improvisations. A unique listening experience that sets lyrical exploration against powerful African instruments. SCOTTY WHY SAYS "This CD is so uniquely beautiful and easy to listen to"