A New Day; Laya Project Remixed, Various Artists (EarthSync) A New Day; Laya Project Remixed, Various Artists (EarthSync), In the lonesome voice of a Sri Lankan fisherman or a Thai market seller’s flute vibrate sorrow and substance, heart and hope. The reverberations of the 2004 tsunami along the Indian Ocean coasts, as expressed in the everyday music of ordinary people, have global resonance, sounds that can connect and inspire. 08/17/10 >> more  Written by FlipSwitch icon

Cuchata, Amor, Cambio, Y La Verdad Cuchata, Amor, Cambio, Y La Verdad, Cuchata’s original compositions can rarely be classified into one genre. Integrating Afro-Latin traditions with modern elements of Rock, Hip-Hop, Dub, Ska and Afro-Beat, to create the hybridized sound that Cuchata is known for. The inspiration for Cuchata came from a pilgrimage to Marcelo E. Quinonez’s ancestral home of Nicaragua in 1999. Mesmerized by the musical heritage of the country, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Marcelo formed the band Cuchata 07/06/10 >> more

Daniel Cros, Las vueltas que da la vida (ROSAZUL) Daniel Cros, Las vueltas que da la vida (ROSAZUL), Much rain has fallen since the days when he was the singer and lead guitarist in a mod band appearing on National TV in Spain. Since then, Daniel Cros has followed a trajectory that has been seduced progressively by pop, jazz and Latin rhythms, now he has brought all these genres together into one unique style. 08/10/10 >> more

Janaka Selekta, Pushing Air (Chaiwalla’s Boombox) Janaka Selekta, Pushing Air (Chaiwalla’s Boombox), Imagine a place where Indian classical folk traditions collide into the fringes of electronic music. Where the laid back space of dub reggae meets the energy of bass rattling dancefloors. This is the contoured landscape San Francisco based DJ and Producer Janaka Selecta evokes with his debut album, Pushing Air, out on the new label Chaiwalla’s Boombox on July 6, 2010 07/06/10 >> more

Laya Project, Various Artists (EarthSync) Laya Project, Various Artists (EarthSync), Envisioned as a response to the tsunami, the epic journey of the Project—envisioned from the start as both a 2-CD set and a documentary film—was initiated and entirely supported by friend and patron of music arts Sastry Karra, who along with the many dedicated members of the multi-national team behind the Laya Project, felt they needed to do something more than simply provide material relief. “While the massive aid that came in addressed the basic crisis of food, clothing, and shelter,” Project director and producer Sonya Mazumdar recalls, “there was little assistance for music or the local performing arts, which form the cultural spine of villages in rural communities of the region.” 07/13/10 >> more  Written by FlipSwitch icon

Magnifico, Magnification (Piranha) Magnifico, Magnification (Piranha), Dressed to the nines in a retro-chic suit,Slovenia's Magnifico (Robert Peut) gyrates with Euro irony and sultry smoothness,backed by a burst of Balkan brass and a chorus of go-go dancers. The bad boy cum hit maker glories in the pleasures of pan-European English, pop culture, and the sillier side of porn, all with a distinctly Slavic wink. 07/13/10 >> more  Written by FlipSwitch icon

Mohammed Alidu and the Bizung Family, Land of Fire (Self-Release) Mohammed Alidu and the Bizung Family, Land of Fire (Self-Release), Mohammed Alidu has ways of making drums talk. Centuries-old ways passed down through dozens of generations of Bizungs, the hereditary talking drum masters of Northern Ghana. These ways turn drum strokes into speech, transmit instructive proverbs and ancient histories, and spark new exuberantly danceable songs 09/21/10 >> more  Written by FlipSwitch icon

Occidental Brothers on Tour Occidental Brothers on Tour, Chicago’s Occidental Brothers Dance Band Int’l are pleased to announce a new collaboration with Congolese music legend, the great Samba Mapangala! Playing the best-loved songs from both artists’ repertoires, the group is now also playing new songs that fuse together all their strengths 07/22/10 >> more

Shye Ben-Tzur, Shoshan (EarthSync) Shye Ben-Tzur, Shoshan (EarthSync), Bouncing along in a brightly painted cab or breathing the sweet sanctity of a Sufi shrine, melodies come unbidden to musician and composer Shye Ben-Tzur. And they burst into full blossom on Shoshan (EarthSynch, distributed by White Swan; September 16, 2010), a funky filigree of unexpected trans-cultural devotional songs encompassing the soaring sounds of Rajastan, the literary cadences of Hebrew, and the pulse of a rock bass line. >> more  Written by FlipSwitch icon

Te Vaka, North American Tour Te Vaka, North American Tour, Te Vaka, which means “The Canoe”, is due to embark on its first major tour of the United States in August 2011. Hailed by critics as "the finest South Pacific roots band" (World Music Central) and “one of the greatest South Pacific bands of all time” (Fiji Times), Te Vaka is an original voice in the contemporary music of the Pacific. Led by award-winning singer-songwriter Opetaia Foa‘i, [Pronounced oh-peh-tie-ya for-aye], Te Vaka’s infectious melodies, Polynesian drums, and world beat rhythms draw on its roots in the cultures of Tokelau, Samoa, Cook Islands, and New Zealand Maori as well as today’s funk, pop, and rock sensibilities. 08/01/10 >> more

Toussaint, Black Gold (I Grade Records) Toussaint, Black Gold (I Grade Records), I Grade Records is pleased to introduce, Black Gold, the debut solo album by Toussaint. Most well known as the former lead singer of the Stax Records and Blue Note recording group Soulive, Toussaint is poised to bring forth his unforgettable blend of soul and roots to the world. Black Gold embodies a unique combination of the American soul of Toussaint’s upbringing and the African-Caribbean roots he has gravitated towards. His compelling storytelling and seamless vocal range (as heard on the standout tracks “Roots In A Modern Time”, “Unforgettable”, “Black Gold”) are a perfect match for the cutting-edge, soul-tinged roots grooves assembled by Virgin Islands-based I Grade Records (Midnite, Dezarie, Pressure, Niyorah). Black Gold will be released digitally on August 10 through Zojak Worldwide, and distributed physically through VIROOTS.COM, Ernie B’s Reggae and VP Records starting August 24. 08/24/10 >> more

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