Antonis Xylouris, the aforementioned Psarantonis, is a wizard of the Byzantine lyra, a musical instrument with powerful roots in Crete. Several friends have introduced me to his work, and it amazes me that I missed this man’s work for so long.
Ethnic
[Music] Amira Medunjanin & Mostar Sevdah Reunion – Mito Bekrijo
Sevdalinke is Bosnia’s gift to the world, and the pairing of a wonderful songbird like Amira Medunjanin, known as the Bosnian Billie Holliday, with the amazing gypsy troupe Mostar Sevdah Reunion is a blessing to a sore head at the moment.
[Music] Sauce Llorón – Sauce Llorón EP
This charming EP by Sauce Llorón came during a late night stumble on Tumblr. It seems like it’s a combination of Mexican folk music and something that Yann Tiersen might come up with.
[Music] Shoom – Tried To Sing But Couldn’t
Thirteen years ago, I was given an opportunity to work with Shoom, an Israeli band whose sound nestles comfortably within the realm of Mediterranean ethnocore, avant-rock and ethno-rock, a term I’ve not heard in quite some time, but which seems appropriate for this band.
Lots of percussion and guitars flow quite nicely with a duduk making melodies on top. Definitely worth a listen to this album, as well as their back catalog.
[Music] Tomáš Kočko & Orchestr – Velesu
Tomáš Kočko and his orchestra hail from the Czech Republic, and have been storming their way up World Music Charts Europe recently. It’s pretty easy to see why. The music mixes Moravian music elements in an updated framework, adding touches of progressive rock, neo-folk, and even trends in electronic music. Ancient Great Moravia comes to life in this album, and its sound is breathtaking.
Here’s a taste from the upcoming album:
[Music] Toshiko Yonekawa – The Cherry Blossoms (Sakura Sakura)
Here is some classical music featuring the koto, composed by Toshiko Yonekawa from Japan.
[Music] Mohammed Abdu / Morning Breeze (محمد عبده – يا نسيم الصباح)
For a country which purportedly frowns on secular music, this is pretty joyful music with no muezzin to be heard anywhere. Mohammed Abdu cuts a cheerful track, though with a title like ‘Morning Breeze,’ one must be careful of what else he may have cut…
[Music] Makhfirat Hamroqulova & Gulshan / Махфират Ҳамроқулова & Гульшан – Дилро Бубин
There isn’t a lot of information on wild psych music coming out of places like Tajikistan, but this isn’t a bad slice of Central Asian arabesque disco-prog, courtesy of Makhfirat Hamroqulova & Gulshan. Hamroqulova is not only a famous singer in the country, but an actress of note as well.
[Music] Аукцыон / Auktyon – Птица / Bird
Auktyon were one of Russia’s best post-punk bands, and certainly among the most creative in what was then Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, Russia.
[Music] Zakir Hussain – The Great Indian Desert
Zakir Hussain is one of India’s national treasures. The tabla player is featured here providing a wonderful beat for this tune.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 