[zzffnn]

My current mood favors upbeat music with some drum. Thus I like the Rough Guide to Gypsy music and Bhangra music; they make me want to dance. The Rough Guide to Sufi music is not so much of dancing music, but still very very beatiful listening. Likewise, I like Putumayo's Gypsy, Turkish, Mediterranean and Arabic music. I found that funny because I am a Chinese, LOL.

I guess some of the Putumayo / Rough Guide series are indeed too modernized or westernized. The Rough Guide to Chinese music, for example, contains mostly Pop songs from 80s to 90s and lacks ethnic diversity or use of traditional instruments. However, most Putumayo or Rough Guide series are good easy listening with delicious ethnic "spice". They can introduce you unknow artists as well.

The Nonesuch series are indeed kind of like anthropology material. I would appreciate better recording but totally understand the difficulties in those scenarios.

 

[scompton]

I don't mind the Westernized music of Putumayo.  Just a quick search, I own 56 Putumayo discs.  I love the Lounge and Groove series.
 
BTW, Sufi music is dance music.  It's just not the type of dancing most people think of.
 

 

[rroseperry]

I've been listening to this CD a lot for the last month

[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGdbhAFy0MI[/VIDEO]

 

[tru blu]

…gonna check out Khaira Arby from Timbuktu, Mali tonight in NYC…
 

 

[zzffnn]

Quote:

I don't mind the Westernized music of Putumayo.  Just a quick search, I own 56 Putumayo discs.  I love the Lounge and Groove series.
 
BTW, Sufi music is dance music.  It's just not the type of dancing most people think of.
 
 

 
Wow, scompton you have lots of Putumayo CDs. I have between 10 to 15 of them. I like the Putumayo series better than the Buddha Bar / Claude Challe series (own about 10 albums of them). Putumayos are more of ethnic songs with vocals, while Buddha Bars are more Chillout/Downtempo/Lounge with much less vocals.
 
Sorry about the confusion with Sufi music.
 
Somehow I prefer to stay with general compilation rather than going with individual artists, when it comes to World Music.  I do appreciate talented artists such as Ofra Haza and Natacha Atlas though. 

 

[mutabor]

It's possible to make a nice beautiful collection from Bollywood music. For example, check this
 

 

 

 

[FalconP]

If you prefer your World Music more traditional and less westernized, you should go for Radio France/Ocora or Buda Musique.  They have exceptional sleeve notes to boot.

 

[zzffnn]

Thanks FalconP. Those Ocora Radio France series are indeed quite traditional. I can tell by looking at their Chinese classical music selection, which is surprisingly good to a Chinese like me. In a way they are similar to the Nonesuch Explorer series. Probably not for beginners but good for understanding the deep roots of a culture.

I guess I prefer the modernized Rough Guide and Putumayo series, for casual listening xP

And to all World Music Veterans, please recommend me some modern compilation albums of:
Gypsy, Mediterranean, Sufi, Arabic or Indian music. I guess some kind of music that is uplifting, happy and with multiple instruments.
I already have some of those albums from the Putumayo and Rough Guide series; that is how I found out my preference in world music.

Thank you all!

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by moriez /img/forum/go_quote.gif …and so I learned about Oumou Sangare and totally dig the style on her album Seya. It feels a bit like a home coming even. Not a pretty vid but hey, an impression

Seya was one of my favorite records of last year, but then, Oumou and I go waaayyy back. I took my wife to an Oumou Sangare concert on our first date. Sangare is so popular in her home country (Mali) that a Chinese car manufacturer exported a line of jeeps there with her name: They're called Oum Sangs…which I think is just hilarious.

 
 
tru blu, I know what you're saying about your date in front of Oumou Sangare. Just about 12 years ago, Oumou came out to the University of Southern California. And my date and I sat front and center, taking in her sweet honey-drenched voice, along with her gorgeous looking and sounding backup dancers, and it was quite the date! 

 
Afterwards, we hung out and contemplated what to eat. And we both noticed the same thing - how the concert still lingered with us into the rest of the night.

 

[mutabor]

If somebody is interested in Indian music: Bhangra, Sufi, Ghazals, Pop etc. I recommend http://www.songspk.pk/ where you can listen to music and also download it.

 

[scompton]

For Indian, the obvious choices are Ravi Shankar for Indian classical and Zakir Hussain for western fusion.  I especially like Tabla Beat Science. They're an Indian/electronica mix.  Other groups in the same vein that are good are MIDIval Pundits and Bombay Dub Orchestra. 
 
For me, Putumayo is only so so for Indian music.  You'd be better off going with Rough Guides I think.  I only own one The Rough Guide to Bollywood Legends: Asa Bhosle.  It's very good.
 
One artist I really like and is not to well known (at least in the US) is Tarun Bhattacharya.  He plays santoor which is a hammered dulcimer. 
 

 
For the Explorer series type stuff, I just bought two of the records from Amarrass Records.  http://www.amarrass.com/

 

[FalconP]

I'd say the prime source of Indian music, outside national labels, is Navras Records.  Nimbus Records is also noteworthy, especially their The Raga Guide set with 4 CDs and book.  Nimbus underwent restructuring some years back though so much of their Indian records might not be readily available.

 

[deepshikhanc]

I would highly recommend anything by Tinariwen (from Mali too) - in particular, Matadjem Yinmixan. If you like African Jazz, Franco and OK Jazz are awesome. 

 

[ahshan06]

Bombay Dub Orchestra. Their latest stuff is really good, enjoyable as much as it is relaxing and almost second nature to listen to

 

[tru blu]

 
…used to be skeptical about Francis Bebey's music 'til I heard this new compilation…it was kinda "electro" back when nobody used that term…