Originally Posted by kwitel
Salif Kaeita-have you heard?
I do have Folon from the mid 90s. To be honest, I never got too much into it, but I tend more toward traditional guitar music than the dance oriented music. He is pretty amazing though.
Also, i dont know if youd consider this "world", but Peter Gabriels' soundtrack of "the Last Temptation of Christ" is a terrific album with all sorts of influences.
Yeah, that and his touring with all those artists helped to bring them Western acceptance and popularity. I'm sure you know, but that Passion album featured Baaba Maal and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou N'Dour, and Baaba and Youssou continue to create amazing albums as did Nusrat until his death. I especially like the somewhat non-traditional albums Nusrat made with Michael Brook and Gabriel, Mustt Mustt and Night Song. Really amazing, with an almost trip hop flavor at times on Night Song, and that voice! And Youssou N'Dour did that one in 1990 called Set with Michael Brook production too. Great Afro-pop. Baaba did some work with Gabriel and Brian Eno that was kind of cool too, including a fantastic 10 minute Eno soundscape called "Lam Lam" that closes out Nomad Soul, with Baaba'a plaintive vocals and that same Jon Hassel horn blowing across the desert like on Gabriel's Passion, but I think he's at his best in more traditional African musical forms, such as the brilliant one markl mentioned above.
Anyway, lots of great music the world over and many of my favorites already mentioned within this thread, including on of my very favorites Cesaria Evora.