world music

Dub reggae icon Lee “Scratch” Perry is a one-of-a-kind dude whose influence cannot be overstated — and where a term like “eccentric” is probably an understatement…

If you watched the 2014 World Cup, chances are you saw a Southern Comfort commercial titled “Dance” which featured multiple versions of actor Onosky Ujorha boogieing to Marcus Valle‘s 1983 tropicalia/disco single “Estrellar…

Syrian singer Omar Souleyman will release his new album, Bahdeni Nami, on July 28 via Modeselektor‘s Monkeytown Records. That’s the cover art above and Modeselektor produced some of it, like the nine-minute “Enssa El Aatab” which you can stream below…

Rap was not popular in Vietnam when Suboi was growing up, so anything she heard remotely like it made a big impression. Before Eminem, the energy of Will Smith’s song, “Nod Ya Head,” from Men in Black II, captivated her when she saw it on TV…

Ex Hex have just made a video for “Don’t Wanna Lose,” which is the opening track to last year’s awesome Rips (one of my favorites of last year)…

The annual NYC world music festival globalFEST returns in 2015 to Webster Hall on January 11. This year’s performers — many of whom are making their US or NYC debuts — include (descriptions via press release):Bixiga70 (US debut; Brazil): Brazil’s brassy Afrobeat orchestra Emel Mathlouthi (Tunisia/France/US): Electro-inspired voice of Tunisia’s Arab Spring Emil Zrihan (Morocco/Israel): Soaring Moroccan improvisations and Jewish songs The Jones Family Singers (US): Hard-driving Gospel funk from Texas Just a Band (Kenya): Nairobi’s Super-Nerdy Electronic Music & Art Collective Kahulanui (US): Hawaii’s kings of swing Kevin Johansen + The Nada (Argentina): De-genre-ate Sub-tropicalia from Argentina The Nile Project (US debut; various): Trans-border collaboration across the Nile Basin Puerto Candelaria (NYC debut; Colombia): Colombia’s rebellious cumbia experimentalists Riyaaz Qawwali (various): Pakistani Sufi Music made in the USA Sam Lee (NYC debut; UK): Unconventional Songs of the British Isles Zap Mama (Belgium): Polyphonic a capella Afropop pioneersTickets are on sa…

The leading light of Garifuna music has come home to roost. After his adventurous 2011 release –for which he traveled to Senegal and recorded with West African musicians–Aurelio understood anew that his strength as a musician lay in his own roots…

Paul Simon at Webster Hall in 2011 (more by Ryan Barkan) From October 8 – November 5, Carnegie Hall will be hosting the UBUNTU: Music and Arts of South Africa festival which includes events at Carnegie as well as other NYC venues…

The 2014 World Cup is over but for those in NYC who want to keep some of it’s locale’s spirit can do so via the Brasil Summerfest which is currently underway and runs through July 26…

Omar Souleyman at BV-CMJ 2013 (more by Amanda Hatfield) Syrian pop singer Omar Souleyman, who recently put out a Four Tet-produced album and whose live shows are always a party, will return to North America this June to play Bonnaroo, NXNE, and Brooklyn’s just-announced Northside Festival…