CD Review: Various Artists' 'Balkan Clarinet Summit'

Various Artists
Balkan Clarinet Summit
Piranha

The neo-classical leanings of Balkan Clarinet Summit present musicians from all over Western Europe for a truly magical recording that is also a film. Goethe-Institut Athina director, Wolfgang Poehlmann, had the original idea, while Claudio Puntin and Steffen Schorn took charge of the musical direction. Artists come from Moldavia, Greece, Serbia, Turkey, and Bulgaria. Each artist contributes to the project in a collective manner, which leaves room for improvisation and innovation, but not straying too far from historic roots. The music is at times very peaceful, while other times it is very energetic and full of life. This is music created in Europe for people of all backgrounds and tastes, as it is completely instrumental and jam-packed with contemplative, relaxing, and even dance-friendly compositions and moments. Whether folk, neo-classical, or roots music is your passion, Balkan Clarinet Summit will surely inspire listeners everywhere to listen up. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Jalilah's Raks Sharki's 'Stagecuts'

Jalilah's Raks Sharki
Stagecuts
Piranha

Jalilah's Raks Sharki is part of an oriental dance series in sixteen tracks or 'stagecuts', which highlight the best dance form influenced by Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey. The instrumental tracks are orchestral, full of percussion, and loads of danceable rhythms in every tempo imaginable. The group is spearheaded by Jalilah (AKA Lorraine Zamora Chamas), Mokhtar Al-Said, Hossam Shaker, and Ihsan Al-Mounzer. There are doumbek solos and tabla showcases, which will blow you away. The incredible musicianship is heartily apparent after the first few sounds on the first track. The entire project contains tracks pulled from six previous albums. Stagecuts does not have lengthy dance tracks, which were something rather commonplace years ago. Instead, the tracks are mostly four to five minutes long. Anyone interested in bellydance, Middle Eastern and African percussion, and Hossam Ramzy will love Stagecuts. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Boban & Marko Markovic Orchestra's 'Gipsy Manifesto'

Boban & Marko Markovic Orchestra
Gipsy Manifesto
Piranha

Boban & Marko Markovic Orchestra's music is steeped in the upbeat brass of Serbia's most popular music form. The fast vocals and musical deliveries are paramount in Balkan brass today, which is especially prominent on "Turbo Diesel" and "Caje Sukarije." There are sixteen songs, but the last one is a radio edit remix of "Sljivovica." Vocals are in English, Romani, and Serbian. Anyone familiar with the punchy, brass-laden tunes of this region will be pleasantly surprised by the intelligent lyrics and dance-heavy elements. Balkan brass is not known for being very smooth or fluid and Gipsy Manifesto is yet another good example of this. However, Balkan fans need not 'balk' at this recording. If you are seeking wild rhythms, brassy sounds, and punchy dance music from Serbia (or surrounding countries), then this one is for you. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Robert Soko and His BalkanBeats' 'BalkanBeats Soundlab'

Robert Soko and His Balkan Beats
BalkanBeats Soundlab
Piranha

Bosnian Balkan-beat master, Robert Soko, presents an array of musicians that know how to perform danceable, Balkan beats. You will hear Watcha Clan, Slavic Soul Party, Besh O Drom, Romzil, Los Colorados, Shukar Collective, Antwerp Gipsy Ska Orkestra, Florian Mikuta, Mode Plagal, Deladap, and others. This is one wild ride into the contemporary world of Balkan music. Nothing is left undone here. There are wild rhythms, boisterous horns, and seemingly cacophonous musical wanderings. However, the result is much more focused and purposeful. There are vocals on some of the tracks, but the instrumental abilities win out hands down. Anyone interested in the skittish Balkan beats and loud horns will love Robert Soko’s selections and mixes. Balkan DJs rejoice and world music fans unite for an unforgettable, foot-stomping, and heart-pounding journey through Europe’s musical corridor. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Various Artists' 'Orient Noir'

Various Artists
Orient Noir
Piranha

This fourteen-track release represents the collective efforts of music curator and collector, Dr. Bertram Nickolay. The musical tapestry of the album traverses the Mediterranean, North African region, and the Middle East. Several notable artists are involved in this project, including Watcha Clan, Bi Kidude Baraka, Mahmoud Fadl, Susan Sandler, Ihsan Al-Mounzer, Maurice El-Medioni, The Klezmatics, Emil Zrihan, and others. The music is joyous, boisterous, and classical with touches of strings, percussion, and chaabi dance music and swirling melodies. There are also elements of gypsy, klezmer, jazz, and improvisation throughout. The mix of styles is not a negative, as each song is something different, but always engaging. Listen to the music of Serbia, Jerusalem, NY, Lebanon, Egypt, Zanzibar, France, and elsewhere. Vocals are in Arabic, French, Hebrew, Ladino, and Swahili. This is a great compilation from the Orient. ~ Matthew Forss 

CD Review: Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar's 'Golden Horns'

Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar
Golden Horns
Piranha

Golden Horns is an album that features the best music from Serbia's Boban i Marko Markovic, as well as his son, Marko, and other hits composed by Husnu Senlendirici, Ljiljana Kolakovic, Lajko Felix, T. Lato, T. Kukurba, and others. The Balkan brass hits are compiled by DJ Robert Soko, who also contributes to the bonus tracks, ''Cinnamon Girl" and "Go Marko Go." The rousing brass and dancefloor melodies are Romani-influenced and Gypsy-celebrated with plenty of majestic horns, whirling rhythms, and catchy tidbits that are a must-have for any celebratory situation. There is even a little rap on "Sljivovica." The music is great for parties, enjoying music from Boban's highlighted career, and learning a bit about Romani music. The mostly instrumental tunes do contain some vocals, though the instrumentation is the real winner here. Fifteen tracks round out the album. Vocals in English, French, and Serbian. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Watcha Clan's 'Radio Babel'

Watcha Clan

Radio Babel

Piranha

Radio Babel is the new sound for the world's languages. Steeped in a cultural brew, Watcha Clan produces Arabic, Middle Eastern, Balkan, and North African tribe-tronica with more of an emphasis on vocals and diverse instruments than the electronic base. The cultural influences mainly stem from Morocco, Israel, Spain, Algeria, Turkey, France, and the Balkans. Furthermore, the vocals are primarily in English, Arabic, Hebrew, Yiddish, French, and Spanish. Everything from dance, trip-hop, folk, Klezmer, jazz, progressive, rock, and classic ballads with a heavy dose of instrumentation are present. The word 'babel' means 'jumble' in Hebrew. Thankfully, Radio Babel is anything but a jumble of incoherent noise. In fact, Watcha Clan produces a fine album that treads nicely between contemporary and traditional mediums with all of the catchy grooves and tunes one expects from a recording of this high-quality. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: WOMEX 2010 - Sounds of the world from Copenhagen, Denmark

Various Artists

The WOMEXimizer 10

Piranha WOMEX AG

As a celebration of world music acts from around the world, WOMEX, or World Music Expo, began in 1994 to foster a global awareness of everything world music. A festival usually held in different locations each year throughout Europe, WOMEX provides a sampling of songs on The WOMEXimizer 10. In fact, the release includes twenty different musicians, sixteen vocal songs, four instrumental songs, and fourteen different languages with a running time approximately seventy-eight minutes. The eclectic musical repertoire features songs from Kamel el Harrachi, Mamer, Phonix, Yemen Blues, Svetlana Spajic Group, Maria Kalaniemi, Bomba Estereo, Danyel Waro, Tremor, Desert Slide, Dancas Ocultas, Malick Pathe Sow & Maoba, Damily, Elisabeth Vatn, OMFO, Yom, LaBrassBanda, Samba Chula de Sao Braz, and the 2010 Womex Award winner, Danyel Waro. Numerous countries are represented and the song selections are top notch. If you can't get to WOMEX for some reason, then WOMEXimize yourself with The WOMEXimizer 10. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Ekow Alabi - 'Going For Gold'

Ekow Alabi

Going For Gold

Piranha

Ghana's Ekow Alabi is joined by a plethora of backing musicians on vocals, horns, guitars, flute, kalimba, keyboards, organ, and others. Going For Gold is essentially an Afro-pop release with contributing musicians from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Kenya. All of the songs feature vocals. A few tracks, notably 'Oye Kor', 'Accra Jumping', and 'Asante Sana', include great rap lyrics. However, Going For Gold is not particularly a rap or hip hop album. In addition to Afro-pop and Afro-beat, Going For Gold touches on a few reggae-infused tracks, including 'Wonsa Beka' and 'Rasta Efutu'. Most of the songs are sung in Akan, Ga, Swahili, and English. The complex instrumentation and expert lyrical delivery presents listeners with a very good musical package. Ekow Alabi's latest release is good as 'gold' to all who listen. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Slovenia's Magnifico

Magnifico

Magnification

Piranha

The somewhat comedic musical and lyrical sensibilities of Slovenia's Magnifico (a.k.a. Robert Peut) brings a lighter side to the Balkan brass world. Keep in mind the music is still lyrically edgy with the characteristic Balkan brass elements, but the rhythms seem complex enough to create a pan-fusion masterpiece with Latino and European influences. Magnifico tackles tough societal situations and crafts them into gritty, punchy beats with a Country-Western, Roma-funk twist. The sensual overtones exist on a lyrical and melodic scale, where Magnifico puts the 'horny' in Balkan horns. A favorite of European youth, Magnification may require a closer inspection from traditionalists. Thankfully, the power of Magnification is found in it's unique delivery and it's word will reach everyone with even a passing interest in groovy, Balkan-pop from a stylish, innovator of unforgettable music. Don't 'balk' at this Balkan release! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: BalkanBeats From German/Bosnian Beatmaster Robert Soko

Various Artists

BalkanBeats: A Night In Berlin

Piranha

BalkanBeats' brainchild, Robert Soko, is the originator and ambassador of the best Balkan beats organized in Germany. Robert Soko includes tracks by some of the most popular groups of gypsy, Balkan, and Rom music today. Boban and Marko Markovic, Vrelo, Kal, Ahilea, Magnifico, Al Jawala, and other musicians are included on this release. Some of the tracks feature vocals in English, Turkish, Slovak, Romany, Lari, Hungarian, German, Czech, Russian, Serbian, and Slovak languages. This attests to the widespread Balkan diaspora. As an added bonus, the CD includes a full-artist information file and slideshow when placed in a CD-ROM. The pulsating, gyrating, and funky brass beats ignite a high-danceability index. Piranha has yet again produced another amazing Balkan beat album for all to enjoy. ~ Matthew Forss