Staff Picks Blog
This 2-disc sampling of contemporary world music is one of the annual compilations from the BBC radio program Sound of the World. DJ Charlie Gillett has chosen 34 tracks representing 28 countries including established artists like Senegal’s Orchestra Baobab and Youssou N’Dour, as well as relatively unknown artists like Israel’s Yasmin Levy, France’s Soha, and the up and coming young Brazilian singer Ceu. There are even tracks by the U.S. based groups Dengue Fever (Sleepwalking Through the Mekong) and Devotchka (Undone, one of my favorites). The inclusion of Slave by Lucky Dube is a tribute of sorts to the recently murdered South African reggae star. I enjoyed almost all of the tracks , but I was most taken by Soha’s earthy vocals on C’est Bien Mieux comme Ca, the haunting melody of Una Noche Mas by Yasmin Levy, and the laid-back, down-home vibe of Beautiful in Beaufort-Wes by South African poet/singer Gert Vlok Nel.
