Brand-New Reviews
ARTIST: various artists
TITLE: Desert Blues, The Rough Guide To
LABEL: World Music Network
REVIEW: “Desert blues” is the term commonly used to group together the variety of droning, minor-key, electric-guitar-driven musical styles coming out of the countries of the southern Sahara Desert (Niger, Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara). It’s more a marketing concept than a genre – there are major distinctions among the artists on this compilation – but then again so are many of the genre terms used in world music (with “world music” being first on that list). Some of the bands on here have gotten plenty of attention already, (Tinariwen (track 4) most prominently), a few are pretty unknown, and a couple really aren’t desert blues by any stretch of the imagination. Nonetheless, the key feature of this disc is that the music is excellent throughout – pick any track and you’ll have a winner. Extra kudos to the Rough Guide folks for including often-overlooked female singers Malouma (track 7) and Mariam Hassan, and for giving us a first taste of Tamikrest (track 13), whose debut release isn’t available yet in the USA.
REVIEWER: Bill Lupoletti
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 4 7 8 13
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Desert Blues, The Rough Guide To | (various artists) | World Music Network
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SMOD | SMOD | Because Music
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1 KONONO NO. 1 | Assume Crash Position | Crammed Discs
2 VIEUX FARKA TOURE | Live | Six Degrees
3 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Palenque Palenque: Champeta Criolla And Afro Roots In Colombia | Soundway
4 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Shangaan Electro | Honest Jon's
5 SMOD | SMOD | Because Music
6 SOUNDTRACK | Fela! Original Broadway Cast Recording | Knitting Factory
7 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Next Stop Soweto Vol. 2 | Strut
8 GOGOL BORDELLO | Trans-Continental Hustle | American
9 GRUPO FANTASMA | El Existential | Nat Geo Music
10 VARIOUS ARTISTS | African Pearls: Congo, Pont Sur Le Congo | Syllart
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1 COCHEMEA GASTELUM | The Electric Sound Of Johnny Arrow | Mowo
2 LUISA MAITA | Lero-Lero | Cumbancha Discovery
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4 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rough Guide To Desert Blues | World Music Network
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Tribute To A Reggae Legend | Putumayo
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