The Appalachian Mountains reach across the Eastern portion of the United States, from Georgia to deep into New England. A wide array of different musical types flourish in this region, including bluegrass, gospel and some styles of old-time folk music whose roots can be traced back to the British/Irish immigrants who settled here centuries back. This edition in the Rough Guide series presents a sampler of some of the diverse musical influences that call the Appalachian Mountain region home. Listeners can expect an exciting blend of fiddles, banjo, guitar, bass and country style vocals. Artists featured here include: Cox Family, Peter Rowan, Claire Lynch, Larry Sparks, Laurel Canyon Ramblers and more.
London, ever the epicenter of club culture innovation, is responsible for perpetuating one of the electronic scene's more inspired movements: the Asian Underground. Fueled by the passion of artists like Talvin Singh and Fun-Da-Mental, who thrive on merging India's best bhangra and Indian classical tunes with the latest trends in genre-bending studio wizardry, the Asian Underground has risen from its esoteric East London following to a worldwide phenomenon. Interested in learning more? Never fear, it's Rough Guide to the rescue. This compilation offers a comprehensive sampling of the Asian Underground's characteristic beats, breaks and flute swirls via artists like TJ Rehmi, Ananda Shankar, Joi and State of Bengal.
During the late 1800's, Western eyes were seduced for the first time by the enchantment of bellydance. A century may have passed, but the allure of this Middle Eastern dance form has not diminished… in fact, its popularity continues to surge. Despite its title, the 70+ minutes of music contained this album from the Rough Guide series goes beyond feminine dancing; it offers a taste of traditional, rhythm-based music from North Africa and the Middle East. Amidst frenetic beats and regional instruments (oud, ney, riq, tabla, qanun), artists like Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Mahmoud Fadl, Reda Darwish and Jalilah continue to mystify audiences and define the sounds of the Mediterranean's southern shores.
Bhangra music, a traditional celebratory (dance) music form of India's Punjab region, has not just been revived, but completely reconstructed halfway across the world as part of the U.K.'s underground music scene. Traditionally, no bhangra would be complete without the characteristic low thump of the dhol or dholak. This rule still holds true, however experimentations with synthesizers, guitars, electronic beats and ethnic fusion have brought the genre well into the new millennium, turning this humble style of Indi-Pakistani folk music form into a burgeoning trend. BHANGRA, from the "Rough Guide" world music traveler series, exposes some of the greats of this nouveau bhangra movement including legends like Alaap and late qawwali master Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, modern mixmaster Bally Sagoo, female crooners Sangeeta and more.
Although you can likely trace the history of bluegrass back to 17th century settlers, who arrived on American shores with the musical influences of their homeland (especially Ireland and Scotland), modern day bluegrass first became a recognized musical force in the 1950's. A combination of Celtic folk music, blues, Southern spiritual/gospel music and eventually pop/rock, bluegrass conjures up images of the rural lifestyle, especially in the Appalachian Mountain region. This collection from the "Rough Guide" series offers a multi-faceted look at the different sounds of bluegrass music, with selections from Bela Fleck, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Larry Sparks, Claire Lynch, Country Gentlemen and more.
Majesty. Glamour. A star-studded subculture that rivals its American counterpart. All of these characteristics define India's film industry, dubbed Bollywood. Out-pacing Hollywood in terms of film output, Bollywood is a multi-million dollar industry where music and pageantry are commonplace. Interestingly, the music of Bollywood has become almost as prolific as its films, with its colorful dance numbers, enchanting love songs and pure exoticism on all fronts. This compilation from Rough Guide delves into the music of Bollywood, with a focus on love songs. Featured are heavyweights of the Bollywood music scene, including Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, Lucky Ali, Kishore Kumar, composer R.D. Burman and more.
The Himalayan Mountain region isn't referred to as "the roof of the world" for nothing. With peaks reaching to some of the highest elevations on the face of the Earth, it's only natural that surrounding cultures would look to the beautiful, majestic Himalayan landscape as a wellspring of inspiration and spiritual enlightenment. This edition in the "Rough Guide" series of world travels albums looks at some of the many musical styles of the people from the Himalayan region, including both sacred and secular music from India, Nepal, Tibet, China and Bhutan. Highlights include the sweet singing of Buddhist nun Choying Drolma (against Western instrumentation from Steve Tibbetts), Krishna Das with the Modern Light Music Brass Band and Bill Laswell's project Hooked Light Rays.
If you're looking for a highly comprehensive album of traditional folk music from Ireland, you can't go wrong with this sampler (the second edition) from the "Rough Guide" series. The album covers Irish music from almost all angles, offering a selection that contains both vocal and instrumental tunes, polkas, jigs, reels, ballads and more. Rather than filling the album with artists that are well-known on this side of the Atlantic (Altan being the exception), most of these artists are more obscure, yet equally talented. As a result, you feel like you are experiencing the real thing - authentic music that might be overheard in a Donegal tavern, rather than a big city recording studio.
Ah, Paris. Few cities have seen such an interesting mix of cultural influences, especially in the arts. Despite its colorful musical landscape, France has one musical style that's virtually synonymous with the romantic cafes that line its rues - the "bal-musette" (often dubbed "French accordion music" due to the frequent inclusion of the instrument). Sometimes fast-paced like an Italian polka, at other times mid-tempo with spirited Gypsy flair or quiet and sentimental like a serenade, the music is as richly influenced as the culture that spawned it. This exploration of Parisian Cafe Music features classic artists as well as modern innovators including Edith Piaf, Les Primitifs du Futur, Marc Perrone and Ramses.
Untrained ears may immediately mistaken Scottish music for traditional Irish music. That's not too surprising, the neighboring cultures have been known to influence one another. On the other hand, Scottish music has a rich history all its own. This edition from the "Rough Guide" series exposes the roots of this culture through a variety of contemporary and traditional folk tunes, often centered around instruments like the fiddle and the Highland pipes (the robust cousin to the Irish uilleann pipes). Artists include renowned supergroup Capercaillie, Boys of the Lough, Cliar, Emily Smith, the Battlefield Band and more.
The Appalachian Mountains reach across the Eastern portion of the United States, from Georgia to deep into New England. A wide array of different musical types flourish in this region, including bluegrass, gospel and some styles of old-time folk music whose roots can be traced back to the British/Irish immigrants who settled here centuries back. This edition in the Rough Guide series presents a sampler of some of the diverse musical influences that call the Appalachian Mountain region home. Listeners can expect an exciting blend of fiddles, banjo, guitar, bass and country style vocals. Artists featured here include: Cox Family, Peter Rowan, Claire Lynch, Larry Sparks, Laurel Canyon Ramblers and more.
MP3 clip
London, ever the epicenter of club culture innovation, is responsible for perpetuating one of the electronic scene's more inspired movements: the Asian Underground. Fueled by the passion of artists like Talvin Singh and Fun-Da-Mental, who thrive on merging India's best bhangra and Indian classical tunes with the latest trends in genre-bending studio wizardry, the Asian Underground has risen from its esoteric East London following to a worldwide phenomenon. Interested in learning more? Never fear, it's Rough Guide to the rescue. This compilation offers a comprehensive sampling of the Asian Underground's characteristic beats, breaks and flute swirls via artists like TJ Rehmi, Ananda Shankar, Joi and State of Bengal.
During the late 1800's, Western eyes were seduced for the first time by the enchantment of bellydance. A century may have passed, but the allure of this Middle Eastern dance form has not diminished… in fact, its popularity continues to surge. Despite its title, the 70+ minutes of music contained this album from the Rough Guide series goes beyond feminine dancing; it offers a taste of traditional, rhythm-based music from North Africa and the Middle East. Amidst frenetic beats and regional instruments (oud, ney, riq, tabla, qanun), artists like Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Mahmoud Fadl, Reda Darwish and Jalilah continue to mystify audiences and define the sounds of the Mediterranean's southern shores.
Bhangra music, a traditional celebratory (dance) music form of India's Punjab region, has not just been revived, but completely reconstructed halfway across the world as part of the U.K.'s underground music scene. Traditionally, no bhangra would be complete without the characteristic low thump of the dhol or dholak. This rule still holds true, however experimentations with synthesizers, guitars, electronic beats and ethnic fusion have brought the genre well into the new millennium, turning this humble style of Indi-Pakistani folk music form into a burgeoning trend. BHANGRA, from the "Rough Guide" world music traveler series, exposes some of the greats of this nouveau bhangra movement including legends like Alaap and late qawwali master Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, modern mixmaster Bally Sagoo, female crooners Sangeeta and more.
Although you can likely trace the history of bluegrass back to 17th century settlers, who arrived on American shores with the musical influences of their homeland (especially Ireland and Scotland), modern day bluegrass first became a recognized musical force in the 1950's. A combination of Celtic folk music, blues, Southern spiritual/gospel music and eventually pop/rock, bluegrass conjures up images of the rural lifestyle, especially in the Appalachian Mountain region. This collection from the "Rough Guide" series offers a multi-faceted look at the different sounds of bluegrass music, with selections from Bela Fleck, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Larry Sparks, Claire Lynch, Country Gentlemen and more.
Majesty. Glamour. A star-studded subculture that rivals its American counterpart. All of these characteristics define India's film industry, dubbed Bollywood. Out-pacing Hollywood in terms of film output, Bollywood is a multi-million dollar industry where music and pageantry are commonplace. Interestingly, the music of Bollywood has become almost as prolific as its films, with its colorful dance numbers, enchanting love songs and pure exoticism on all fronts. This compilation from Rough Guide delves into the music of Bollywood, with a focus on love songs. Featured are heavyweights of the Bollywood music scene, including Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, Lucky Ali, Kishore Kumar, composer R.D. Burman and more.
The Himalayan Mountain region isn't referred to as "the roof of the world" for nothing. With peaks reaching to some of the highest elevations on the face of the Earth, it's only natural that surrounding cultures would look to the beautiful, majestic Himalayan landscape as a wellspring of inspiration and spiritual enlightenment. This edition in the "Rough Guide" series of world travels albums looks at some of the many musical styles of the people from the Himalayan region, including both sacred and secular music from India, Nepal, Tibet, China and Bhutan. Highlights include the sweet singing of Buddhist nun Choying Drolma (against Western instrumentation from Steve Tibbetts), Krishna Das with the Modern Light Music Brass Band and Bill Laswell's project Hooked Light Rays.
If you're looking for a highly comprehensive album of traditional folk music from Ireland, you can't go wrong with this sampler (the second edition) from the "Rough Guide" series. The album covers Irish music from almost all angles, offering a selection that contains both vocal and instrumental tunes, polkas, jigs, reels, ballads and more. Rather than filling the album with artists that are well-known on this side of the Atlantic (Altan being the exception), most of these artists are more obscure, yet equally talented. As a result, you feel like you are experiencing the real thing - authentic music that might be overheard in a Donegal tavern, rather than a big city recording studio.
Ah, Paris. Few cities have seen such an interesting mix of cultural influences, especially in the arts. Despite its colorful musical landscape, France has one musical style that's virtually synonymous with the romantic cafes that line its rues - the "bal-musette" (often dubbed "French accordion music" due to the frequent inclusion of the instrument). Sometimes fast-paced like an Italian polka, at other times mid-tempo with spirited Gypsy flair or quiet and sentimental like a serenade, the music is as richly influenced as the culture that spawned it. This exploration of Parisian Cafe Music features classic artists as well as modern innovators including Edith Piaf, Les Primitifs du Futur, Marc Perrone and Ramses.
Untrained ears may immediately mistaken Scottish music for traditional Irish music. That's not too surprising, the neighboring cultures have been known to influence one another. On the other hand, Scottish music has a rich history all its own. This edition from the "Rough Guide" series exposes the roots of this culture through a variety of contemporary and traditional folk tunes, often centered around instruments like the fiddle and the Highland pipes (the robust cousin to the Irish uilleann pipes). Artists include renowned supergroup Capercaillie, Boys of the Lough, Cliar, Emily Smith, the Battlefield Band and more.
MP3 clip
