19-12-2021 FAVTRAX:MiX ~ 33 FAVOURiTE tracks 2002-2006 (2h 45m)

HAPPY WiTH WHAT YOU HAVE TO BE HAPPY WiTH FAVTRAX:MiX ~ 33 FAVOURiTE tracks 2002-2006 (2h 45m)  >>King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Radiohead, King Crimson, Steve Winwood, PJ Harvey, Califone, Cowboy Junkies, Adrian Belew, Ali Farka Touré, The Black Keys<<

 M U S I C  (2h 45m)

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favtraxmix label The player always plays the latest playlist tracks. / A lejátszó mindig a legújabb playlist számait játssza.   

2002-2006

If there is one group that embodies progressive rock, it is King Crimson. Led by guitar/Mellotron virtuoso Robert Fripp, during its first five years of existence the band stretched both the language and structure of rock into realms of jazz and classical music, all the while avoiding pop and psychedelic sensibilities. The absence of mainstream compromises and the lack of an overt sense of humor ultimately doomed the group to nothing more than a large cult following, but it made their albums some of the most enduring and respectable of the prog rock era...

King Crimson 

Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With (Adrian Belew / King Crimson) 3:54

Potato Pie 5:03

from Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With 2002

The relationship between this EP and King Crimson's Power to Believe (2003) long-player mirrors that of the six-track Vrooom (1994) sampler and subsequent full-length release Thrak (1994). The music perfectly contrasts the primarily instrumental and live Level Five (2001) EP by honing in on the latest lyrical contributions from Adrian Belew (guitar/vocals)... This slams headlong into the thrashing title track, which is not too far removed from the angst-ridden alternative metal from the likes of Therapy?, Tool, and Rammstein. In true Belew style, he incongruously twists the subject matter into a sonically aggressive backdrop, cleverly dissecting his craft as a singer/songwriter, exemplified in the lyrics: "And when I have some words/This is the way I'll sing/Through a distortion box/To make them menacing."... This is without a doubt one of the most lyrically poignant and musically refined tunes in the King Crimson repertoire, taking its rightful place alongside tracks such as "One Time" or "Frame by Frame." Belew's vocals hang ethereally over the languid, inspired instrumentation. "Potato Pie" is a moody and dark blues containing angular chord structures as well as some symbiotic fretwork from Fripp and Belew... 

As the leader of Genesis in the early '70s, Peter Gabriel helped move progressive rock to new levels of theatricality. He was no less ambitious as a solo artist, but he was more subtle in his methods. With his eponymous debut solo album in 1977, he explored dark, cerebral territory, incorporating avant-garde, electronic, and worldbeat influences into his music. The record, as well as its two similarly titled successors, established Gabriel as a critically acclaimed cult artist...

Peter Gabriel 

Darkness (Peter Gabriel) 5:51

Sky Blue (Peter Gabriel) 6:37

I Grieve (Peter Gabriel) 7:24

from Up 2002 

Ten years is a long time, especially in pop music, but waiting ten years to deliver an album is a clear sign that you're not all that interested in the pop game anyway. Such is the case with Peter Gabriel, who delivered Up in 2002, a decade after Us and four years after he announced its title. Perhaps appropriately, Up sounds like an album that was ten years in the making, revealing not just its pleasures but its intent very, very slowly... Really, there is no other choice for an artist as somber and ambitious as Gabriel to craft an album as dense as Up; those who have waited diligently for ten years would be disappointed with anything less and, frankly, they're the only audience that matters after a decade. And they're not likely to be disappointed, since this album grows stronger, revealing more with each listen. Initially, it seems to simply carry on the calmer, darker recesses of Us, but this is an uncompromising affair, which is to its advantage, since Gabriel delves deeper into darkness, grief, and meditation... But those serious fans who want to spend time with this will find that it does pay back many rewards.

Radiohead is an English alternative rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK which formed in 1985. The band is composed of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, beats), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboard, other instruments), Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals), Colin Greenwood (bass guitar) and Phil Selway (drums, percussion).

Radiohead 

2 + 2 = 5 (Radiohead) 3:19

Sail to the Moon (Radiohead) 4:18

There, There (Radiohead) 5:23

A Punchup at a Wedding (Radiohead) 4:57

from Hail to the Thief 2003 

Radiohead's admittedly assumed dilemma: how to push things forward using just the right amounts of the old and the older in order to please both sides of the divide? Taking advantage of their longest running time to date, enough space is provided to quench the thirsts of resolute Bends devotees without losing the adventurous drive or experimentation that eventually got the group into hot water with many of those same listeners. Guitars churn and chime and sound like guitars more often than not; drums are more likely to be played by a human; and discernible verses are more frequently trailed by discernible choruses... At nearly an hour in length, this album doesn't unleash the terse blow delivered by its two predecessors. However, despite the fact that it seems more like a bunch of songs on a disc rather than a singular body, its impact is substantial. Regardless of all the debates surrounding the group, Radiohead have entered a second decade of record-making with a surplus of momentum.

19-08-2021 WORLD:MUSiC:MiX # 33 selected GLOBAL MUSiC tracks 1998-2007 (2h 48m)

g l o b a l  m u s i c a l   v i l l a g e

19-08-2021 WORLD:MUSiC:MiX # 33 selected GLOBAL MUSiC tracks 1998-2007 # WmW: Jah Wobble, Ali Farka Touré, Lila Downs, Lúnasa, Tenhi, Danyel Waro, Olivier Ker Ourio, Nigun, Amadou & Mariam, Cheikh Lo, Rabih Abou-Khalil

M  U  S  I  C / WmW 2h 48m

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1998-2007

London bassist who brought the funk and dub to Public Image Ltd. before going on to a collaboration-heavy solo career within world music. Jah Wobble is one of the genuine polymaths to emerge from the British post-punk scene of the late 1970s. He is a virtuoso bassist, composer, producer, journalist, poet and author. As a musician, his dub-heavy style weds reggae, jazz, funk, punk, and numerous global folk traditions (from Celtic to Asian music and more)...

Jah Wobble 

Mehmeda Majka Bubage 3:10

St. Mary-Le-Bow 4:04

Mount Zion 12:10

from Umbra Sumus 1998

The strange, spiritual album that is Umbra Sumus is one of the more interesting items released in 1998. Bassist and composer Jah Wobble creates strangely compelling soundscapes that draw textures from a variety of ethnic traditions without explicitly evoking any one of them. .. At times, Jah Wobble's music verges on art-jazz, at times electronica with melodic sound effects, and at times it is in territory that doesn't have a name because nobody else sounds quite like this. Whatever you call this music, it is interesting throughout. .. The name of this album translates as "We Are Shadows," but many listeners will find that this music sheds welcome light on the possibilities of musical fusion.

This talented African guitarist's technique has often been compared to Delta blues legend Robert Johnson. One of the most internationally successful West African musicians of the '90s, Ali Farka Touré was described as "the African John Lee Hooker" so many times that it probably began to grate on both Touré's and Hooker's nerves. There is a lot of truth to the comparison, however, and it isn't exactly an insult...

Ali Farka Touré 

Ali's Here (Ali Farka Touré) 3:13

Saukare (Ali Farka Touré) 2:51

Instumental (Ali Farka Touré) 4:13

from Niafunké 1999

Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure's music has always managed global travel with ease and musical grace, shrinking the miles between Western Africa and the Mississippi Delta and seemingly visiting every city in between. Toure has received his share of accolades for blurring the lines between his contemporary/traditional fingerpicking style and "country blues."... He establishes a firm aesthetic residence on Niafunké, his first and most welcome CD in five years. Niafunké was recorded using a state-of-the-art portable studio in Toure's home village of Niafunke, which clearly lends a decisive authentic flavor and sense of musical place to the disc. Each tune is a lithe and resonant labyrinth of call-and-response patterns: a fingerpicked guitar speaks to a one-stringed njarka fiddle, calabash pummelings weave into those of the conga drums, and a lively small chorus answers Toure's authoritative lead vocals. A couple of the best cuts include "Ali's Here" and "Saukare." A beautifully rendered and intoxicating record.

A Mexican-American Laurie Anderson or if Frida Kahlo were a musician instead of a visual artist. Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Lila Downs is among the most globally popular singers of Latin music. One reason is that despite long established roots in Mexico and the United States, her cultural vision is anthropological. Hers is informed by ancient and earthy cultures both from her native Oaxaca -- boleros, rancheras, and mariachis -- and U.S. with its jazz, blues, and soul standards. Her own songwriting topics reflect themes of political and social justice, immigration, transformation, and environmentalism, all rooted in the human condition.

Lila Downs 

Nueve Viento (Paul Cohen / Lila Downs) 4:46

Luna (Paul Cohen / Lila Downs) 3:38

La Iguana 3:05

from Tree Of Life 2000

Downs' remarkable voice has been compared to both Cesaria Evora and Susana Baca, combining operatic training and jazz chops, while maintaining her Mixtec Indian heritage and incorporating music from many different Latin cultures. Inquisitive fans of worldbeat music will want to investigate Tree of Life.

18-07-2021 > WORLD:MUSiC:MiX # 33 selected GLOBAL MUSiC tracks 1991-2001 # WmW: 2h 21m

g l o b a l  m u s i c a l   v i l l a g e

18-07-2021 > WORLD:MUSiC:MiX # 33 selected GLOBAL MUSiC tracks 1991-2001 # WmW: Cesária Évora, Kiko Veneno, Kampec Dolores, Café Tacvba, Kálmán Balogh & The Gipsy Cimbalom Band, Kolinda,16 Horsepower, Jah Wobble,Ali Farka Touré,Lila Downs, Lúnasa

M  U  S  I  C / WmW 2h 21 m

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1991-2001

The Cape Verdean singer was the preeminent force of morna music, which combines fado, jazz, and Latin. A native of the island nation of Cape Verde, Cesária Évora was known as the country's foremost practitioner of the morna, which is strongly associated with the islands and combines West African percussion with Portuguese fados, Brazilian modhinas, and British sea shanties. 

Cesária Évora 

Mar Azul 3:38

Cabo Verde 3:14

from Mar Azul 1991

From Cesaria Evora's opening wail on Mar Azul's title track, one knows that this disc, a short set comprised of only eight songs, is going to be something special. This is the album that won Evora the praise of Paris, and was released prior to her international hit, Miss Perfumado. These are classic mornas at their most haunting -- all the songs are devastating, slow-burning, and stellar. The subject matter is about love, loss, and the heartbreak of life in Cape Verde. The music is acoustic, with guitars, sweeping pianos, and the occasional horn or violin to augment the effect. The liner notes set up the image of Evora ("Cize," as she is known to those close to her) as she prepares to sing in a smoky Cape Verdean nightclub. The overlying feel of this album is that of a dark and intimate seaside bar, under a starry sky, featuring a beloved singer who woos the audience with her dreamy, mesmerizing voice. Highlights include the haunting "Mar Azul," the elegantly moody "Cabo Verde,"... and its heartbreaking finale, "Separacao." This truly original and understated album burns with the underlying ferocity of an emotional roller coaster, and introduced to the world the mornas of Cape Verde and their most famous interpreter, Cesaria Evora.

Singer/songwriter Kiko Veneno was born in Figueres, Spain, and later settled in Sevilla making his live debut at a local university in 1971. After participating in a duet called Kiko y Germán, he joined brothers Rafael and Raimundo Amador to form Veneno, a flamenco/pop act that disbanded a year later. In 1981, Kiko Veneno made his first solo record, Seré Mecánico por Tí...

Kiko Veneno 

Lobo López 4:55

Echo de Menos 3:47

from Échate un cantecito 1992

...A seminal but erratic artist, Veneno benefited here from the key support of Radio Futura's Santiago Auserón and producer Joe Dworniak, and was thus able to focus his talents for a set that included classics such as "Lobo López," "En un Mercedes Blanco," "Echo de Menos," and "Joselito."...

Listeners who learn the name of this band will in the process learn an old Hungarian proverb, meaning "the end of pains," and normally used to describe the situation when someone dies. Neither of the words is actually Hungarian -- "kampec" is Yiddish, "dolores" is Latin -- but the band itself has been the most successful touring Hungarian rock band since the collapse of the Soviet Eastern bloc in the mid-'60s. 

Kampec Dolores 

Tű fokán 4:41

Jeges hevület 4:04

Ödögök 3:38

from Tű fokán - Eye Of The Needle 1993

...For the following decade Kampec Dolores toured the entire European continent more than two dozen times. Musically the group started with the kind of new wave, post-punk styles that were prevalant in the '80s. The musicians worked with many different influences from ethnic music and avant-garde music including free improvisation. The vocalist Gabi Kenderesi developed her own style of scat singing, using made-up languages and extended vocal techniques. She is also a fine violinist... 

At the forefront of the Rock en Español movement, the band mixes rock, punk, electronics, and the occasional traditional Mexican flavoring. The Mexican quartet has remained one of the biggest acts on the Latin music scene since, inspiring two generations of rockers in their wake... 

Café Tacvba 

El Aparato (Rubén Albarrán) 3:18

Esa Noche (Elorza Rangel) 3:28

El Fin de la Infancia (Joselo Rangel) 2:18

El Puñal y el Corazón (Rubén Albarrán) 4:21

from Re 1994

For Re, Café Tacuba experimented with different styles and sounds, resulting in one of the most wildly varied releases of the '90s... Re proves that Café Tacuba is lyrically and musically more adventurous than most of its '90s peers.

...The band employs a standard rock lineup of guitar/bass/drums with vocals, certainly, but the members also incorporate electronics as well as exotic instrumentation into their music, which encompasses styles as divergent as punk and ballads, as well as regional Mexican sounds like norteña, cumbia, ranchera, and even mariachi and electronica, indie pop, and garage rock. .. While critics look at these reasons to signify Café Tacuba's importance, legions of global music followers are enamored with them simply because of their music, which is broadly appealing not only because of its groundbreaking nature, but also because of it's fun, madcap, and ever-changing...

06-04-2019 WORLD:MUSiC:MiX # 33 selected ETHNiC FUSiON tracks # WmW

06-04-2019 WORLD:MUSiC:MiX # 33 selected ETHNiC FUSiON tracks # WmW   Black Uhuru, Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd, Ali Farka Touré, Kimmo Pohjonen, Xabier Díaz & Adufeiras De Salitre, Buda Folk Band, Estusha, Divanhana, Kandia Kouyate, Las Hermanas Caronni 

M  U  S  I  C / WmW

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Long-running Jamaican roots reggae group who were popular from the late '70s through to the '90s. The most successful of the second-generation reggae bands, Jamaica's Black Uhuru maintained their high quality despite numerous personnel changes throughout their many decades together. The first reggae band to win a Grammy award, for their 1983 album Anthem, Black Uhuru offered a dynamic and progressive sound during their 1970s and early-'80s heyday.
Black Uhuru 
Ion Storm (Michael Rose) 3:49
Big Spliff (Michael Rose) 4:06
Cool Off 3:15
from The Dub Factor 1983
Released the same year as their Grammy-winning Anthem album, Black Uhuru's The Dub Factor figures as one of the most impressive of reggae's electronic age dub releases. Bristling from the fine mixing work of Soljie and Maxie, the album is basically a reworking of the band's breakthrough Chill Out release from the year before, albeit in often unrecognizable form. But if you like your dub with a healthy dose of apocalyptic effects from syndrums, synthesizers, and mixing board alike, then The Dub Factor will do the trick. More than just a empty exercise in knob twiddling, this Black Uhuru dub excursion by Sly & Robbie will no doubt please both fans of the group and habituates of quality dub titles.

During a long and uncommonly productive career, Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida achieved a ubiquity in popular music that has yet to be fully recognized. Largely responsible for the Brazilian/North American "samba jazz" that would eventually catch on in the form of a musical trend known as bossa nova, he played behind dozens of well-known pop vocalists and improved the overall texture of many a studio production ensemble.
Tasteful, low-key, and ingratiatingly melodic, Charlie Byrd had two notable accomplishments to his credit -- applying acoustic classical guitar techniques to jazz and popular music and helping to introduce Brazilian music to mass North American audiences.
Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd
Orchids in the Moonlight (Edward Eliscu / Gus Kahn / Vincent Youmans) 3:11
Jalousie (Vera Bloom / Jacob Gade) 3:20
La Rosita (Gus Haenschen) 2:27
from Tango 1985
This unusual CD finds guitarists Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd (who have both mastered bop and Brazilian music) performing 11 tangoes with the assistance of bassist Joe Byrd and drummer Chuck Redd. Although the two acoustic guitarists have their short solos, the emphasis in this delightful set is on their ensemblework, respectful interpretations of the melodies and those infectious tango rhythms.

This talented African guitarist's technique has often been compared to Delta blues legend Robert Johnson. 
Ali Farka Touré ‎
La Drogue 5:36
Cheri 4:35
Laisse Les Phases 4:38
from Ali Farka Touré (Red) 1984
One of the most internationally successful West African musicians of the '90s, Ali Farka Touré was described as "the African John Lee Hooker" so many times that it probably began to grate on both Touré's and Hooker's nerves. There is a lot of truth to the comparison, however, and it isn't exactly an insult. The guitarist, who also played other instruments such as calabash and bongos, shared with Hooker (and similar American bluesmen like Lightnin' Hopkins) a predilection for low-pitched vocals and midtempo, foot-stomping rhythms, often playing with minimal accompaniment.

01-03-2019 # WORLD:MUSiC:MiX # 33 selected ETHNiC FUSiON tracks # WmW 1993-1983

 Geoffrey Oryema

THE RiVER # WORLD:MUSiC:MiX # 33 selected ETHNiC FUSiON tracks # WmW 1993-1983   Geoffrey Oryema, Agustin Lara, Jean Freber, Manuel Alvarez y Sus Dangers, Abelardo Carbono y su Conjunto, Cumbia Sigo XX, Cumbia Moderna De Soledad, Sheila Chandra, Egberto Gismonti, The Klezmatics, Relativity, Zeca Pagodinho, Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd, Ali Farka Touré, Black Uhuru

1993-1983
M U S I C

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Most artists have to pay their dues, but very few have to be smuggled out of their birth countries to avoid death on the way. But for Geoffrey Oryema, that was the only way to survive. Born in Uganda, he was the son of a civil servant who was a police chief and then a cabinet minister and from his father he learned the local folk music, as well as the nanga (the harp), in addition to studying Western music in school.
Geoffrey Oryema
The River (Jean-Pierre Alarcen / Bob Ezrin / Anthony Moore / Geoffrey Oryema) 6:30
Lajok (Geoffrey Oryema) 2:48
from Beat the Border 1993
This highly creative mix of Ugandan songs and laid-back rock should have been a disaster, since the genres meet on the field of ambient dreams -- a woozy terrain amply littered with the rainsticks of fallen warriors. But expat Ugandan Geoffrey Oryema neither tries mainstreaming African sources to fit rock fissures nor piles extra beats and instruments on the heads of reluctant Western forms. Instead, like any good ambient technician, he subjugates every other element to the service of applying textures so palpably rich you wish you could drizzle them over sautéed vegetables. Just to prove it's not all dial twiddling, he kicks in with first-rate songwriting to boot.

Agustin Lara, Jean Freber ‎
Noche De Ronda (María Teresa Lara) 3:20
Granada (Agustín Lara) 2:47
Novillero (María Teresa Lara) 3:25
from Acordeon De Paris 1992
Unfortunately, the anonymous postcard packaging of Acordeon de Paris reveals nothing of the brilliance and pure joy to be found on this collection of accordion music by master Jean Freber. Recording in the '50s with a band of crack jazzmen, Freber runs through 12 songs by the Mexican bolero king, Agustin Lara, and liberally

Manuel Alvarez y Sus Dangers - Esclavo Moderno 2:54
Abelardo Carbono y su Conjunto - Palenque 3:55
Cumbia Sigo XX - Naga Pedale 3:26
Cumbia Moderna De Soledad - Tetero 3:09
from Palenque Palenque: Champeta Criolla & Afro Roots in Colombia 1975 - 91 (2009)
Boasting twenty one pulsating tracks drawn from the northern coasts of Colombia, ‘Palenque Palenque!’ reveals a unique and fascinating story of how Afro Colombian music developed from the 1970s onwards and how the local sound-systems in Cartagena and Barranquilla played such an important role in shaping the sound of the Colombian champeta...

Pioneer of world fusion weaves Indian, Celtic, middle eastern, and other cultural sounds into her hypnotic music. One of the most unusual and successful singers of the '80s and '90s that has attempted to fuse the music of non-Western cultures with Western pop, Sheila Chandra began recording as a teenager in Monsoon. 
Sheila Chandra
One (Sheila Chandra / Steve Coe) 4:40
Roots and Wings (Sheila Chandra) 4:33
Escher's Triangle (Sheila Chandra / Steve Coe) 2:55
from Roots and Wings 1990
Her newest album is the product of her five-year hiatus, during which time she continued to refine her vocal techniques. In many respects Roots and Wings represents the quintessence of Sheila Chandra's music, stripped down to its essential core. The instrumentation is greatly simplified. Gone are the piano, sitar, and the synthesizers, hitherto the main staples in most of the arrangements, and electronic drums only briefly appear on one older transplanted cut,..

A world-renowned multi-instrumentalist and composer whose work reflects the musical diversity of Brazil. 
Egberto Gismonti 
2 Violões (Vermelho) (Egberto Gismonti)  6:01
Dança Dos Escravos (Preto) (Egberto Gismonti) 14:59
from Dança Dos Escravos 1989
...He was profoundly influenced by Brazilian master Heitor Villa-Lobos, his works reflecting the musical diversity of Brazil. From the Amazon Indians' batuque to the Carioca samba and choro, through the Northeastern frevo, baião, and forró, Gismonti captures the true essence of the Brazilian soul in a way that is primitive, yet sophisticated, and reflects it through his personal vision, elaborated by years of classic training and literacy in a wealth of musical languages in which jazz plays a significant role..

Inimitable N.Y.C. band blends klezmer music and socially conscious lyrics with contemporary rock, funk, and avant-garde jazz. 
The Klezmatics
Ershter Vals (Chaim Towber) 4:08
Tantst Yidlekh (Abraham Ellstein) 4:34
Ale Brider 3:26
from Shvaygn = Toyt 1988
Unafraid of shameless schmaltz when it suits the cause of raising an aorta-busting ruckus, these New Yorkers recognize the bent nature of the tunes they cover, playing up the hokey woodblock percussion on the galloping "Tantst Yidelekh" or altering the last verse of "Ale Brider" (We're All Brothers) to "We're all gay, like Jonathan and King David." Making fun of tradition can be a means of honoring the past -- but lest one still think they're sentimentalists at heart, the Klezmatics uncork a healthy dose of rage in an anarchic rendition of the Israeli song "Bilvovi" that will send the relatives running from the room.

Relativity
Blackwell Court/Highland Laddie/Gillies' Taxis/Double Rise (Phil Cunningham / Traditional) 6:44
Rosc Catha Na Mumhan (Piaras MacGearait) 5:27
Má Théid Tú 'Un Aonaigh (Traditional) 4:32
from Gathering Pace 1987
An occasional Celtic folk group, formed in the 80s, the line-up comprised Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (vocals/keyboards), Micheál Ó Domhnaill (b. 7 October 1952, Dublin, Eire, d. 8 July 2006, Dublin, Eire; vocals/guitar), Phil Cunningham (b. 27 January 1960, Edinburgh, Scotland; accordion) and Johnny Cunningham (b. 27 August 1957, Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland, d. 15 December 2003, New York, USA; fiddle). The members of the quartet each had flourishing solo careers, but cross-fertilised their Irish Scots heritage with absorbing results. A top line draw in the USA, where three of them lived, their British debut was a coup for the small salt-town of Northwich, Cheshire, who presented them in a packed marquee in the local park. Their music fashioned an energetic Celtic force with some graceful rock touches.

Zeca Pagodinho
SPC 3:23
Jogo De Caipira 3:05
from Zeca Pagodinho 1986
Zeca Pagodinho is regarded by the samba traditionalists as a rare talent in the partido-alto lineage. At the same time he is a commercial success. Having won several gold and platinum records with his albums, he had compositions recorded by Beth Carvalho ("Dor de Amor"), Alcione ("Mutirão de Amor"), and Jorge Aragão ("O Vôo do Albatroz"), and was paid tribute by Aldir Blanc and Moacyr Luz with "Anjo da Velha Guarda." Born in the working-class suburb of Irajá, Rio's north side, from an early age he was a regular at the rodas de samba (samba get-togethers) of the suburbs, singing and presenting his compositions...

During a long and uncommonly productive career, Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida achieved a ubiquity in popular music that has yet to be fully recognized. Largely responsible for the Brazilian/North American "samba jazz" that would eventually catch on in the form of a musical trend known as bossa nova, he played behind dozens of well-known pop vocalists and improved the overall texture of many a studio production ensemble.
Tasteful, low-key, and ingratiatingly melodic, Charlie Byrd had two notable accomplishments to his credit -- applying acoustic classical guitar techniques to jazz and popular music and helping to introduce Brazilian music to mass North American audiences.
Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd
Orchids in the Moonlight (Edward Eliscu / Gus Kahn / Vincent Youmans) 3:11
Jalousie (Vera Bloom / Jacob Gade) 3:20
La Rosita (Gus Haenschen) 2:27
from Tango 1985
This unusual CD finds guitarists Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd (who have both mastered bop and Brazilian music) performing 11 tangoes with the assistance of bassist Joe Byrd and drummer Chuck Redd. Although the two acoustic guitarists have their short solos, the emphasis in this delightful set is on their ensemblework, respectful interpretations of the melodies and those infectious tango rhythms.

This talented African guitarist's technique has often been compared to Delta blues legend Robert Johnson. 
Ali Farka Touré ‎
La Drogue 5:36
Cheri 4:35
Laisse Les Phases 4:38
from Ali Farka Touré (Red) 1984
One of the most internationally successful West African musicians of the '90s, Ali Farka Touré was described as "the African John Lee Hooker" so many times that it probably began to grate on both Touré's and Hooker's nerves. There is a lot of truth to the comparison, however, and it isn't exactly an insult. The guitarist, who also played other instruments such as calabash and bongos, shared with Hooker (and similar American bluesmen like Lightnin' Hopkins) a predilection for low-pitched vocals and midtempo, foot-stomping rhythms, often playing with minimal accompaniment.

Long-running Jamaican roots reggae group who were popular from the late '70s through to the '90s. The most successful of the second-generation reggae bands, Jamaica's Black Uhuru maintained their high quality despite numerous personnel changes throughout their many decades together. The first reggae band to win a Grammy award, for their 1983 album Anthem, Black Uhuru offered a dynamic and progressive sound during their 1970s and early-'80s heyday.
Black Uhuru 
Ion Storm (Michael Rose) 3:49
Big Spliff (Michael Rose) 4:06
Cool Off 3:15
from The Dub Factor 1983
Released the same year as their Grammy-winning Anthem album, Black Uhuru's The Dub Factor figures as one of the most impressive of reggae's electronic age dub releases. Bristling from the fine mixing work of Soljie and Maxie, the album is basically a reworking of the band's breakthrough Chill Out release from the year before, albeit in often unrecognizable form. But if you like your dub with a healthy dose of apocalyptic effects from syndrums, synthesizers, and mixing board alike, then The Dub Factor will do the trick. More than just a empty exercise in knob twiddling, this Black Uhuru dub excursion by Sly & Robbie will no doubt please both fans of the group and habituates of quality dub titles.