‘Putumayo Presents Afro-Cubano’ Is An Enjoyable Tribute To The Musical Roots, Connections Of Africa And Cuba

Courtesy: Putumayo World Music

Music that so many people call Latin and Spanish is neither Latin nor Spanish.  It is, at its root, African.  The bongos and congas that are so commonplace in “Latin” and “Spanish” music came from Africa. So did drums, such as timbales, and even other so-called Latin percussion.  Considering the very close connection between Latin and African music, World Music label Putumayo World Music has assembled a new compilation of songs that celebrates that connection in the form of Putumayo Presents Afro-Cubano.  Scheduled for release Friday, the 10-song collection is another enjoyable presentation from the famed World Music label.  Its appeal comes in part through its featured musical content, which will be discussed shortly.  The liner notes featured with the collection make for their own appeal and will be discussed a little later.  The digital download card that comes with the set rounds out its most important elements and will also be examined later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the recording.  All things considered they make the collection yet another fully enjoyable offering from Putumayo World Music.

Putumayo Presents Afro-Cubano is hardly the first time that Putumayo World Music has ever released a compilation centered on music from Cuba.  It is also hardly the first time that the company has released a record centered on music from Africa.  It is something of a rarity though, for the company to release a compilation that bridges the music and cultures of both nations.  So to have music from both regions in one setting here is unique and welcome.  As pointed out in the liner notes (which will be addressed a little later), the music in this record comes from Cuba, as well as African nations, such as Congo, Angola, and Senegal.  That blending of nations’ cultures and music is evident right from the set’s opener, ‘Bessoka.’  Composed by Manu Dibango, the song comes by way of Cameroon.  The use of the marimba alongside Dibango’s distinct vocal style and delivery – he sings in his native tongue – alongside the African percussion make that obvious.  At the same time, listeners can hear how that instrumentation brings about thoughts of Cuba.  It is an interesting connection that is certain to engage and entertain audiences.

On another note, the sounds of Senegalese music are just as clear in ‘Femme Noire.’  Composed by the single-named Meissa, the stringed instrumentation and equally distinct vocal delivery style here immediately take listeners to the West African nation.  At the same time, the arrangement also boasts just as much of a clear link to Cuba as to Senegal.  That is made clear in the distinct sound of the guitar line.  There is a certain tinge (for lack of better wording) to the guitar line that immediately cries Cuba.  That blending of culture and music once again makes this another clear example of what makes the compilation’s primary content so important to its presentation.  It is hardly the last example of what makes the set’s musical content important.  ‘N’dona,’ which closes out the collection, is another way in which African and Cuban influences come together.

‘N’dona’ is an interesting addition to this compilation in that so much traditional music from that nation actually does already have some very close stylistic similarity to music from Cuba.  That is evidenced through the use of the percussion and guitars.  The similarity is likely due to the fact that for a certain period of time, Angola was colonized by Portugal, which is also connected musically and culturally with Spain and Latin America.  To that end, the sounds of those song are that much less of a surprise.  To that end, the song is yet another clear example of the importance of the collection’s musical content.  When it is considered along with the other songs examined here and with the rest of the set’s other entries, the whole of that primary content makes clear why the record’s musical content is so important.

As important of a role as the record’s musical content plays to its presentation, it is just one part of what makes the record another successful offering from Putumayo World Music.  The liner notes featured with the record once again make for their own appeal.  As with every other compilation that Putumayo World Music has released to date, the liner notes here give brief but concise histories of the acts featured in the record.  The brief bio of Mel Malonga for instance, outlines his talents as a multi-instrumentalist and his experience working with a variety of well-known African acts.  It also outlines the meaning behind his song, ‘Requiem De L’Amour,’ noting that the song is about the rise of African musical influence in Cuban music.

The information about Meissa’s ‘Femme Noire’ is apparently a tribute to African women in terms of their physical form.  In other words, it is apparently meant to be something of a sensual song.  That understanding definitely adds another layer of interest to the song.  Further, it continues to show the importance of the collection’s liner notes.  It shows just how much the liner notes add to the record.

On yet another note, the brief bio on Los-Angeles-based artist/producer Ricardo Lemvo makes for its own appeal.  It is here that audiences learn of his and his family’s roots in Congo-Kinshasa, and how that played into the music that he crafts to this day.  The notes point out the blend of Congolese rumba and soukous has on those creations.  This revelation is certain to serve as a starting point for many audiences into those genres, just as much as his music.  Once again, it means the record’s liner notes play a pivotal role in its presentation, very much to the positive.  When the positive impact of this information and the other information addressed is considered with the positive impact of the rest of the record’s liner notes, the whole makes just as clear why the set’s liner notes are just as important to its presentation as its musical content.  The two elements together give audiences plenty to appreciate here.

While the primary and secondary content featured in Putumayo Presents Afro-Cubano are unquestionably important to the record’s presentation, they are not all that is worth discussing.  The inclusion of a digital download card with the compilation adds even more appeal to the presentation.  That is because in having that, audiences can…well…download the collection onto their phones, computers, or other digital devices so that they can have the set in physical and digital form.  The digital will allow audiences to have the record on computer, and in turn, potentially burn it to disc with an external drive, or simply carry it with them on their portable streaming devices.  So really, the download card allows audiences who buy the compilation to enjoy it anywhere they go.  Providing that option once again is yet another win for the company and for audiences alike.  The label is to be commended for once again going this route, as it puts that proverbial cherry on top for the record.  When this is considered along with the impact and importance of the compilation’s overall content, the whole makes the record yet another enjoyable World Music offering from Putumayo World Music and one more of the year’s top new World Music offerings.

Putumayo Presents Afro-Cubano, the latest World Music compilation from Putumayo World Music, is hardly the first time that the label has taken on the music of Cuba and Africa.  It is however, one of only a handful of times that the label has paid tribute to the nations’ music in terms of their connection to one another in one setting.  The music that makes up the collection’s body does well to exhibit those links.  Whether listeners are casual audiences of either musical genre or more seasoned, those connections are clear throughout, and can in turn serve as a starting point for those casual audiences in discovering even more music from either side of the Atlantic.  The liner notes that accompany the record make for their own interest.  That is because of the background that they offer on the artists and songs featured throughout the compilation.  That background adds to the listening experience, and in turn, the engagement and entertainment.  The inclusion once again of a digital download card with the compilation allows audiences to enjoy the set no matter where they go and where they are.  It puts the finishing touch to the whole and when considered with the record’s overall content, shows why this collection is yet another successful offering from Putumayo World Music.

Putumayo Presents Afro-Cubano is scheduled for release Friday through Putumayo World Music. More information on this and other titles from Putumayo Music is available at:

Website: https://putumayo.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Putumayo

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Holiday Music Purists Will Appreciate Putumayo World Music’s New Compilation Record

Courtesy: Putumayo World Music

With the holiday season here once again, the stores are full of records loaded with cookie cutter holiday tuned.  From one genre to the next and even on the stores’ speakers, it is everywhere.  That can honestly become rather infuriating.  Thankfully for all of the same old same old that said music offers audiences, there are at least some diamonds in the rough so to speak that change things up this time of year.  One of those records is Putumayo World Music’s recently released compilation record, Jazz Christmas.  Released Nov. 26, just in time for the start of the holiday shopping season, the 10-song record is a welcome change of pace for those looking for something a little different from everything else.  That is due to the featured arrangements, which will be discussed shortly.  The compilation’s liner notes are just as much importance as its musical content and will be discussed a little later.  The record’s sequencing rounds out its most important elements and will also be addressed later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the collection.  All things considered, they make the compilation a welcome addition to this year’s field of holiday music collections.

Putumayo World Music’s newly released holiday music collection, Jazz Christmas, is a surprisingly enjoyable new offering for those who are looking for something a little different in their annual holiday music presentations.  The record proves so enjoyable in large part because of its featured musical arrangements.  The arrangements are jazz takes on so many well-known holiday tunes.  Each one is so unique in itself and from its counterparts featured in this record.  It would have been so easy for any of the featured acts to either just try to make the songs in the vein of Vince Guaraldi or in another direction, to be just full on cheesy like a bunch of lounge acts.  Thankfully that did not happen.  Instead, each act gave each song its own touch.  Case in point is Lars Edegran and his Santa Claus Revelers’ original tune, ‘Christmas Time in New Orleans.’  The song title is a take of Louis Armstrong’s ‘Christmas In New Orleans.’  What’s interesting here is that where Armstrong’s famous rendition is a big band style composition, Lars Edegran and His Santa Claus Revelers turn the song slightly on its ear by giving the song more of a Dixieland sound.  Even in that unique take, the group still gives the song something of that big band sense.  Vocalist Big Al Carson even does a respectable job emulating the smoky, gritty sound of Pops’ vocal delivery style.

Another example of the importance of the record’s musical arrangements comes in the form of Chad Lawson Trio’s take of ‘Angels We Have Heard on High.’  Everyone Knows the sort of pomp and circumstance that is associated with this song, what with the pipe organ, choir, etc.  In the case of this rendition, Lawson and company give the song a lighter touch that is about as close as any of the featured groups come to Guaraldi’s work.  The song stays true to the roots of the original composition, but opts instead here to use a light piano touch, subtle bass line and equally subtle approach on the drums.  It really sounds like something that one would expect to hear on A Charlie Brown Christmas.  The swinging touch that the trio puts on the song and that there is no real sense of ego here makes it such a fun composition.

Yet another example of the importance of the record’s featured musical arrangements comes in Tom Grant’s take of ‘Winter Wonderland,’ which opens the compilation.  Considering how many times this song has been covered since it was first composed by Dick Smith in 1934, this rendition is honestly one of the better takes to come along in a long time.  There is no sense of pretense here.  It is just a piano, bass, and drums lightly playing the jazz classic while also giving it a touch that is just as soft as the snow about which Smith wrote.  Many of the bands out there that take on the classic tend to take such a down tempo approach to the song.  It is a nice change of pace here to have a group that ever so slightly picks up the pace and still gives the song a nice, light swing.  It is just one more example of the role that the arrangements play to the record’s presentation.  When it is considered along with the other arrangements examined here and with the rest of the collection’s featured arrangements, the whole leaves no doubt that the record’s musical content forms a solid foundation for its overall presentation.  It is just one part of what makes the record stand out, too.  The collection’s liner notes are of their own importance, too.

The liner notes featured with Jazz Christmas are important to note because of the background that they provide on the record’s featured artists and on the history of the featured songs.  Referencing again ‘White Christmas,’ the liner notes point out that Smith composed the song while recovering from tuberculosis in an asylum.  That’s not exactly what one might think of when one thinks of someone writing about the romantic nature of snow falling quietly and gently on the ground.  On a related note, the liner notes point out that Grant, who performed the piano line on this song, had a lifelong affinity for music, having grown up in a record store.  On a related note, audiences will be interested to learn that Grant had the honor of playing with famed jazz performers, such as Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson, and Jim Pepper.  That is not a bad resume to say the least. 

Just as interesting to point out in reference to the record’s liner notes is the revelation that Oscar Peterson, whose rendition of ‘Let It Snow’ is featured in the record, enjoyed a career that spanned more than six decades.  Ironically, it was just before Christmas in 2007 when Peterson passed.  So to have one of the tunes that he helped make so beloved here and knowing that he died just before Christmas makes for an interesting irony.  Staying on that note, the people at Putumayo World Music also make sure to note that the story of the song’s original creation is itself ironic.  As the liner notes point out, the song was written during the dead of summer in 1945 by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne.  It additionally points out that despite not mentioning Christmas even once in its lyrics, the song is still so strongly associated with Christmas just because of the matter of snow.  Considering that snow happens around the country today as early as October, one can not help but start really thinking about this added irony.  Again, here is more proof of the importance of the record’s liner notes.  When everything pointed out here and in the liner notes for the other songs examined here  and with the rest of the record’s songs, the whole of the liner notes’ content makes clear that the liner notes with the collection are just as crucial to the record’s presentation as the songs.  To that end, the whole of that primary and secondary content makes for so much reason for any holiday music purist to appreciate the collection.  Even with that in mind, there is still more to examine to the record’s positive.  That one more item is the record’s bonus content.

The bonus content in question noted is the bonus download card.  As is the case with Putumayo World Music’s recently released compilation, Acoustic Paris, the download card is so important because of the listening options that it allows audiences.  In an age when streaming and digital itself is so big a deal for so many consumers, the ability to download the collection will allow audiences to stream the music anywhere or even download it and burn it to disc.  Audiences can give the card to a friend or family member and let that person download the album, thus further spreading the music among audiences to more audiences.  It is a way to reach as many audiences as possible and appeal to all of those audiences, rather than risk alienating any one group of listeners or another.  It reaches out to almost all audiences in one package.  For that, all involved at Putumayo World Music are to be commended for including the download card with the collection.  When the big positive of that tiny card is considered along with the impact and importance of all of the record’s content, the whole puts the final touch to the presentation and makes the whole that much more enjoyable for fans of the holiday standards.

Putumayo World Music’s newly released holiday music collection, Jazz Christmas, is a presentation that is sure to appeal to a wide range of audiences.  The record’s appeal comes in large part through its featured arrangements.  The arrangements are important to note because they give the 10 holiday standards unique takes without ever having any sense of pretense, unlike so many holiday standard covers.  The liner notes that accompany the record’s songs add their own appeal.  That is because of the background that it all provides on the songs and the acts that performed the songs here.  The bonus download card that comes with the collection rounds out the record’s most important elements.  That is because of the fact that it shows once again, Putumayo World Music’s officials reaching out to as many audiences as possible.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the collection.  All things considered, they make the collection a surprisingly welcome addition to this year’s field of holiday music releases.

Jazz Christmas is available now. More information on this and other titles from Putumayo World Music is available online at:

Website: https://putumayo.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Putumayo

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Audiences Will Enjoy Putumayo World Music’s Latest Musical Trip To Paris

Courtesy: Putumayo World Music

Putumayo World Music has, over the years, taken audiences on so many memorable musical trips around the world with its compilation records.  Early this month, the label took audiences on another fun musical trip back to Paris with its new compilation record, Acoustic Paris.  Released Nov. 5, the 10-song compilation offers much for audiences to appreciate, beginning with its featured songs, which will be discussed shortly.  The liner notes that are featured with the collection add even more to the appeal established through the songs.  They will be discussed a little later.  The bonus content featured with the record rounds out the set’s most important items and will also be addressed later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the record.  All things considered they make Acoustic Paris another enjoyable musical trip back to the city of lights and love through Putumayo World Music.

Acoustic Paris, Putumayo World Music’s latest collection of music from France, is another enjoyable musical trip back to what is one of the world’s most beloved metropolises.  Its appeal comes in part through its featured songs.  The songs that make up the record’s body are important to the collection because they are largely original compositions from one to the next.  What’s more they are performed by acts and artists that call Paris and France in general home.  On another note, the songs’ arrangements are all very similar in their stylistic approach, but still thankfully boast their own unique sounds from one to the next.  So even with those similarities in mind, each still gives audiences something unique from the last song.  What’s more, the arrangements, through their sounds, stylistic approaches and even production lend themselves to thoughts of the old Parisian cafes and streets that have been so romanticized by Hollywood over the course of the past half century plus.  Though, there is at least one more modern sounding work featured in this record.  It comes in the form of ‘Tu Es Le Roi.’  The two-part harmony and the simple guitar line together make that modern touch so clear.  ‘Quel Temps Fait-Il a Paris?’ also presents its own semi-modern sense, too, sort of like a jazz/pop hybrid composition.  Overall though, so much of the musical content featured in this record is a fun trip back in time that audiences are sure to enjoy.  It is just a part of what makes the collection enjoyable.  The liner notes featured with the compilation are just as important to examine as the songs themselves.

The liner notes featured with Acoustic Paris’ packaging are important in part because they point out that for the most part the songs are original compositions.  Now there is at least one song – ‘Swing de Gitanes’ – that is semi original.  According to the liner notes, it was inspired by a song made popular by French singer Rina Ketty in 1938.  It is the only “cover” featured in the record.  While the liner notes do well to point out that the songs here are mostly original, they do more than just that.  They also provide brief but concise introductions to each of the acts featured across the album.  In reading through the liner notes, audiences will be pleased to learn that, again, each act featured in the record is either from Paris or from some part of France.  That adds even more to the appeal because it means that the performers are fully educated about their own city/nation’s music and its history.  Add in that the songs are mostly theirs and that they are each influenced by the classic music of the region and audiences gain even more appreciation for everything displayed through the liner notes.  Because of all of this information, it could lead many listeners to become new fans of the featured acts, pointing out even more, the importance of the record’s liner notes.  Together with the record’s musical content, the two items give audiences more than enough reason to take in this record occasionally.  The bonus content that accompanies the record rounds out its most important items.

The bonus content featured with Acoustic Paris comes in the form of a digital download card.  This might not seem like much on the surface, but in reality, it plays a very pivotal part in the record’s presentation.  That is because it shows the people at Putumayo World Music wanted to prevent alienating any audiences.  Whether one is a fan of digital or physical media (or maybe even both), that download card  allows for a wide range of audiences to enjoy the record.  Those who prefer the physical object could give the card to someone they know who prefers digital content.  Those people could even keep it for themselves and download the album so that they can carry it with them digitally and be able to keep the album at home for listening there, too.  In looking at this, that simple little card proves to be much more than just that.  It ensures audiences can enjoy the record when, where and how they want.  To that end, it truly is a bonus.  Keeping that in mind along with the impact of the record’s featured songs and the information that accompanies them in the liner notes, the whole makes this compilation a record that will appeal easily to any fan of French and Parisian music.

Putumayo World Music’s recently released compilation record, Acoustic Paris is a presentation that will certainly appeal to fans of music from Paris and from France in whole.  Its appeal comes in part through its musical content.  The songs featured in this record are, for the most part, original works.  There is one work that is a semi-cover, but for the most part they are originals.  That in itself is appealing because it means that only certain audiences know the songs.  For many others, the songs will be new, and in turn a welcome introduction to music of the region.  On a related note, the liner notes included in the album’s booklet point out that the songs are originals from acts that call Paris and France home.  That background enhances the listening experience because it lets listeners know that those who crafted the featured songs are not just phoning it in.  They are people who know the music of the region, its history, and the related culture.  This enriches the listening experience even more.  The bonus download card that comes with the collection rounds out its most important elements.  That is because it allows audiences to take in the album when, where and how they want.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the collection.  All things considered, they make Acoustic Paris a positive addition to this year’s field of new World Music offerings.

Acoustic Paris is available now through Putumayo World Music.  More information on this and other titles from Putumayo World Music is available online at:

Website: https://putumayo.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Putumayo

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

‘Putumayo World Cafe’ Is An Enjoyable Taste Of Music From Around The World

Courtesy: Putumayo World Music

Cafes are key parts of societies around the world.  They are places where people can go to relax and enjoy each other’s company, talking about everything from the silly to the serious.  However, with nations around the world still battling the COVID-19 pandemic, many cafes still sit empty and quiet, waiting for people’s return.  Enter World Music company Putumayo World Music.  The company is helping audiences get in the café mindset (so to speak) with its new compilation record, Putumayo World Café.  Released Friday,   the 10-song record does well in putting listeners in that positive mindset.  That is due in part to its featured songs.  They will be discussed shortly.  The booklet that accompanies the compilation plays its own important role and will be discussed a little later.  The record’s sequencing rounds out its most important elements.  Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of the compilation.  All things considered, they make the record another welcome addition to Putumayo’s ongoing series of musical trips around the world.

Putumayo World Music’s latest compilation, Putumayo World Café is a presentation that any fan of the genre will find appealing.  That is due in part to the songs that make up the record’s body.  The songs are from artists from around the world. Famed Israeli musician Idan Raichel’s ‘Achshav Nish’Arnu Shney’Nu’ (roughly translated it means ‘Now There Are Only The Two of Us) and its gentle Middle Eastern infused song about two people just enjoying each other’s company at a café is its own good fit here.  Much the same can be said of Italian singer-songwriter Alessandro D’Orazi’s ‘Profumo Di Caffe.’  Fittingly this song’s title translates into English as ‘Scent of Coffee.’  As noted in the record’s liner notes, one of the song’s key lines states, “I pass the window of that bar/The same where I expected you/I can’t help but think of you/It’s been a while since I’ve heard from you.”  So yes, the song is in essence a work about a breakup.  At the same time, its central theme also connects to the role of a café, so it is another good fit, lyrically speaking.  The song’s musical arrangement, with its surprisingly light, gentle guitar line and snare drum presents the song perhaps as more of a story of someone looking back more fondly on the previous relationship than with remorse or regret.  It will resonate easily with any listener.  ‘Resonances,’ comes from Constance Amiot and JD Nataf.  Amiot, according to information in the compilation’s booklet, has lived in the Ivory Coast, Washington, D.C., Cameroon, and now Paris.  So what audiences get here is even more music from a quite well-traveled figure.  The song itself is a light, graceful composition that lends itself to comparison to works from the likes of Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz.  It is hardly the only song featured in this recording that presents comparisons to so much Western music.  What’s more, the song’s light, gentle approach can just as easily be imagined playing through the speakers of a café in Paris as in the U.S. and any other nation around the world.  Add in an equally light lyrical theme that finds the subject looking optimistically at the future, and it can even more easily be considered for any café setting.  Considering that and everything featured in the compilation’s other noted songs (and the rest of its   featured works), the compilation’s songs do plenty to generate their own interest for listeners here.  They are just a part of what audiences will appreciate.  The information provided about the songs (and more) that is provided in the compilation’s booklet adds its own interest.

The companion booklet that accompanies Putumayo’s new compilation record is important because, as noted, it provides so much information.  The information in question is not limited to just background information on the songs.  Each track receives a brief but concise discussion on the songs and the artists in terms of their backgrounds.  Audiences also learn in regards to the songs, the albums to which the songs are connected.  All of that information can and does serve as a starting point for any World Music fan’s discovery of new music and artists. 

As if all of the noted background information is not enough, the booklet also provides recipes for food and drink that one might expect at cafes around the world.  The featured recipes are provided by some of the acts featured in the compilation.  One of the best of the recipes is for Cadurei Schokolade.   In layman’s terms, the recipe is for coconut covered, chocolate balls.  It comes from Idan Raichel.  There is also a recipe for a delectable brunch dish calledCroque Monsieur/Croque Madame from Constance Amiot.  It is essentially a specially made ham and cheese sandwich topped with a sunny side up egg.  It features gruyere ham and béchamel sauce, and is baked in an oven.  Foodies who want a cool drink for the increasingly warmer temps can enjoy African Ginger Juice.  The recipe, from Mali, was provided by Moustafa Kouyate and Romain Malagnoux.  It incorporates fresh peeled and chopped ginger, lemon juice, orange juice, and nutmeg combined with sugar and water.  It is just one more tasty treat presented in the booklet.  When it and all of the other recipes are joined with all of the songs’ background information, that whole proves the compilation’s booklet to be just as important to its presentation as the record’s songs.  The booklet is just one more of the important elements to consider in examining the compilation.  The sequencing of the record’s songs rounds out its most important elements.

The sequencing of Putumayo World Café is important to note for two reasons.  First and foremost, the sequencing ensures that from one song to the next, audiences do not stay in one region of the world for too long.  Case in point, the record opens with the traditional Aruban traditional song ‘E Ta Gia Me’ from Wally Warning.  From there, audiences are taken across the sea to Paris in Miroca Paris’ ‘Mund Amor.’   The compilation then takes listeners off to Mali in ‘Moustafa Kouyate and Romain Malagnoux’s ‘Profumo Di Caffe.’  The journey continues from there back to Paris and then on to Israel, Estonia, and Haiti before closing out in Brazil.  Simply put, the sequencing ensures that audiences get here, music from a variety of nations and from artists who have themselves called various regions of the world home.  It is just one way in which the record’s sequencing shows its importance.  The sequencing is also important because of its role in the record’s energy (and by relation its pacing), and change in styles.

The various styles presented in the songs have already been discussed in part through the discussion on the songs themselves.  At this point, it is known that the styles change from one to the next.  What is most interesting to note is that even with those changes, the blending of Western influence is still evident, making for more interest.  Staying on that note (no pun intended), the sequencing keeps the record’s energy and pacing relatively stable.  Each song is light in its own way, some a little lighter than others.  Even with that relatively constant light sense, each song remains engaging and entertaining.  What’s more, the positive mindset that each arrangement ensures (again thanks to the sequencing) ensures the compilation’s pacing remains stable.  The result of all of this is that the record will leave listeners feeling fulfilled by its end.  Taking that into account along with the importance of the songs themselves and the background provided through the record’s booklet, the record in whole becomes a presentation that any World Music fan will find worth hearing every now and then.

Putumayo World Café, Putumayo’s latest addition to its ongoing series of World Music offerings, is a presentation in which plenty of listeners will find enjoyment.  The songs featured in the compilation will take listeners on a musical journey around the world’s cafes.  The booklet that accompanies the record provides lots of interesting background on the songs and the artists performing each work.  It also provides recipes for some rather delectable dishes served at those cafes.   The record’s sequencing rounds out its most important elements.  It ensures the record’s pacing remains stable and that the songs’ styles and nations change from one to the next.  Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of the compilation.  All things considered, they make the record another welcome World Music offering from Putumayo.  Putumayo World  Café is available now.

More information on this and other titles from Putumayo World Music is available online at:

Website: https://putumayo.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Putumayo

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Women, Celtic Music Fans Will Appreciate Putumayo’s Latest Celtic Music Offering

Courtesy: Putumayo World Music

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner once again, and while this year will be quite different thanks to people’s fears over the COVID-19 virus, one agency that isn’t letting the virus ruin celebrations is Putumayo Music.  The label, known for its extensive catalog of World Music offerings, released a new collection of songs from acclaimed female Celtic singers Friday.  The compilation, titled Celtic Women features 10 songs from the likes of Cathie Ryan, Karen Matheson and Rebecca Pidgeon performing their own originals and updates of other Celtic tunes.  That variety of songs is one of the record’s key elements to address in examining its presentation.  The liner notes that are featured with the collection play into its presentation in their own way, and will be addressed a little later.  The compilation’s sequencing rounds out the most important elements of Celtic Women, as it does its own part to ensure listeners’ engagement and entertainment.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of this musical collection.  Collectively, they make Celtic Women a presentation that needs no luck to be successful among its targeted audiences.

Putumayo World Music’s new compilation Celtic Women is a presentation that is certain to appeal to its targeted audiences – primarily fans of said genre and female audiences in general.  That is proven in part through the songs that make up the body of the record.  The 10-songs featured in the compilation are a mix of originals and covers.  The arrangements range from the melancholy to the playful throughout.  The lyrical themes range from the lighthearted to the all-too-familiar topic of relationships to even the sociopolitical.  The fact that the arrangements and lyrical theme featured throughout the album are so easily able to connect with listeners through their variety ensures in its own way, the record’s ability to appeal to the noted audiences.  That the songs are covers and originals (and in some cases re-imaginings of originals), adds to their interest even more.  All things considered, the songs that make up the body of Celtic Women go a long way toward making the compilation appealing for its target audiences.  They are collectively, just one of the record’s key elements.  The liner notes featured with the recording add to that appeal.

The liner notes featured in Celtic Woman are important to address in that they provide the background information about the songs that make up the record’s body.  They also give background on the women who perform each song and their fellow musicians.  Audiences learn for instance, that performer Cathie Ryan is the descendant of Irish immigrants and that she was first introduced to Celtic music through her parents’ singing when she was a child.  Her notes state that her performance here of the song ‘Garden Valley’ is a cover of Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean’s song of the same name.  Listeners learn that the song, at its heart, focuses on the forced Scottish migration sparked by the Highland Clearances that took place from 1750-1860.  That in itself can serve as a starting point in research for some who might be history buffs.  To that end, that information proves valuable in its own way, not just for its entertainment value.  The liner notes additionally note that Karen Matheson’s performance of the song ‘Ca Na Dh’fhag Thu M’fhichead Gini’ was based on an old Celtic work sung by Celtic women as they beat wool to soften it.  In other words, it is based on a work song.  Here in this note, is more interest for history buffs, as it could serve as a starting point on the trend of people even in Celtic culture using music to help keep work progressing.  We’ve all heard about work songs that African-American slaves used and that railroad workers used while building the Trans-Atlantic Railroad.  This in itself shows another way in which music and work have traditionally been coupled.  It shows once more, the importance and value of the liner notes.  Another example of the importance and value of the record’s liner notes comes in the background on Eilis Kennedy and her performance of Cailin Mo Runsa.’  The liner notes state of Kennnedy, she is full-blooded Irish, having grown up with a large family in west Kerry “in the southwestern corner of Ireland.”  The liner notes state her performance of the aforementioned song is another cover, this time of Highland tenor Donald Ross’ song by the same name.  The story of how Kennedy learned and sang the song offers its own share of interest for audiences.  Not to give too much away, the story is somewhat bittersweet.  Between this story and the other information provided throughout the compilation’s liner notes, the whole of the record’s liner notes offers plenty of added value to the LP.  That value, considered alongside the value in the songs, shows even more why this compilation will appeal to its target audiences.  It is just one more aspect of the record worth noting.  The collection’s sequencing rounds out its most important elements.

From start to end, this compilation’s sequencing does its own share to keep audiences listening without skipping any songs.  It starts off with a reserved, mid-tempo arrangement in ‘Take You Home’ but immediately after, pulls back dramatically in the song’s second offering.  That reserved energy remains through the first half of the album’s 36-minute run time before finally picking back up slightly in ‘Do O Deighdl Lom,’ which comes just past the record’s midway point.  The album’s energy pulls back immediately after that song in ‘Garden Valley.’  That reserved sense remains in place in ‘Cailin Mo Runsa,’ but in a distinctly different fashion.  It is something that has to be heard to be understood.  The reserved energy eventually gives way to something slightly more light in the record’s finale, ‘Wild Mountain Thyme,’ but only slightly.  Even with that in mind, it is still just enough of a change to keep the record engaging for its target audiences.  Keeping all of this in mind, the subtle changes in the songs’ energies does its own share to keep audiences engaged and entertained.  When this aspect is considered along with the album’s overall content, the whole of these elements makes Celtic Women a work that will easily appeal to women and the most devoted fans of Celtic music and music with Celtic roots.

Putumayo World Music’s latest Celtic music collection – its fourth at least in recent years – is a presentation that will appeal to its target audiences.  That it features a variety of songs performed by female vocalists will make it appealing to female audiences.  The balance of covers and originals adds to that appeal for the noted audiences.  The liner notes that come with the album add to its appeal for their intrinsic and extrinsic value.  The record’s sequencing ensures in its own way, listeners’ appeal because of the subtle balance of the songs’ energies throughout.  Each item noted is key in its own way to the whole of Celtic Women.  All things considered, they make Celtic Women a work that women and Celtic music devotees alike will enjoy.  More information on this and other titles from Putumayo World Music is available online at:

 

 

 

Website: http://putumayo.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Putumayo

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Putumayo World Music Taking Listeners On A Worldwide Trip For The Holidays

Courtesy: Putumayo World Music

With the holiday season officially here, Putumayo World Music has announced it is releasing a new holiday music compilation to celebrate.

Joy to the World is scheduled to be released Nov. 16. Instead of just being another holiday music compilation, the record presents holiday songs from around the globe.  It features works, such as a Portugese-language take of ‘The First Noel’ from Nossa Bossa Nova, an international take of ‘Silent Night’ from multicultural group Arspop and a French Canadia-language version of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ just to name a few entries.

As if those songs are not enough, the compilation also features a tropical take of ‘Winter Wonderland’ from famed ukelele performer Jan Luna, an Italian-language take of ‘White Christmas’ from Marina del Gaudio’ and an original composition titled ‘O Natal Ja Comecou’ from Portugese duo Ines Pupo and Goncalo Pratas.

Those wanting something more “domestic” get an upbeat take on ‘Little Drummer Boy’ from Alabama’s own Roman Street and an original zydeco work from Lynn August in the form of ‘Christmas By The Bar-B-Que.’  In one of the record’s most interesting moments, listeners get a reggae-infused take on ‘Frosty The Snowman’ from Jamaican outfit The Mighty Diamonds.

The record wraps with a Hawaiin-infused original titled ‘Christmas Island’ by Leon Redbone.

Audiences can hear samples of each song noted here online now here.  More information on Joy to the World and other titles from Putumayo World Music is available online now at:

 

Website: http://www.putumayo.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Putumayo

 

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International Collective’s Joint Album Tops Phil’s Picks’ 2017 Top 10 New World Music Albums List

Courtesy: World Circuit

World Music, it seems, is one of the most under appreciated genres in the vast universe of music.  That at least seems to be the case among American audiences.  Hopefully this critic is wrong in that interpretation.  Yet, when one looks at the fact that most World Music is relegated to public radio stations instead of having any major mainstream presence, one can’t help but think that it is not one of the most commercially accepted genres.  Ironically, those who give World Music a chance will find that it is in fact quite the interesting realm, as has been proven again by this year’s new field of World Music offerings.

This year has seen a wide array of interesting new World Music albums.  From South America to Africa to the Middle East and even to Spain, the World Music Realm has produced albums from around the globe that deserve at least one listen if not more.  Topping this year’s list of the best new World Music offerings is Ladilikan, the most recent recording from Mali-based Trio Da Kali.  Joining the group on the new album is the famed American string group Kronos Quartet.  The arrangements created by this collective are works that simply must be heard to be fully appreciated.  Also included in this year’s list are new compilations from Putumayo World Music featuring Italian and Cuban selections alongside Argentinian artist Fer Isella’s new album The Art of the Possible among others.

As with every one of this critic’s previous lists, this collection features this critic’s Top 10 Best New Albums in their category, with five additional honorable mention titles.  That brings the count to 15 total.  Without any further ado, here for you is Phil’s Picks’ 2017 Top 10 New World Music albums.

1. Trio Da Kali & Kronos Quartet — Ladilikan
2. Red Baraat — Bhangra Pirates
3. Music Action Ensemble — Foundation
4. Fer Isella — The Art of the Possible
5. Synthesize The Soul — Astro-Atlantic Hypnotica From The Cape Verde Islands 1973 – 1988
6. Las Cafeteras — Tastes Like L.A.
7. Putumayo World Music Presents — Cuba! Cuba!
8. Putumayo World Music Presents — Classic Italia
9. Battle of Santiago — La Migra
10. Ani Cordero — Querido Mundo
11. Jenny & The Mexicats — Open Sea
12. Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society — Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society
13. Free Radicals — Outside The Comfort Zone
14. Tamikrest — Kidal
15. Tinariwen — Elwan

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Putumayo World Music’s Latest Cuban Music Compilation Is Another Magical Musical Journey

Courtesy: Putumayo World Music

Cuba has been in the news quite a bit lately.  It hasn’t been for the best reasons, either.  Luckily though, where certain events have caused quite the division among Americans and natives of the island nation, Putumayo World Music has bridged that gap with a new collection of Cuban music in the recently released compilation record Cuba! Cuba!  The 10-song record is a collection that will unite everyone regardless of political persuasions and ethnic backgrounds.  That is due in part to the songs featured in this latest collection of Cuban compositions.  It will be discussed shortly.  The artists and acts featured throughout the record are collectively just as important to discuss in examining the record’s whole as its songs.  This will be discussed later.  The record’s companion booklet rounds out its most important elements.  Each element is important in its own right to the album’s whole.  All things considered, they make this record one of the year’s top new World Music offerings as well as one of the year’s top new Jazz and Blues records.

Putumayo World Music’s latest Cuban music compilation Cuba! Cuba! is one of this year’s top new World Music albums and new Jazz & Blues offerings.  That is due in part to the 10 songs that make up the record’s body.  From start to finish, the songs vary in regards to the eras in which they were released and in terms of their styles.  From Samba to Rumba to Bossa Nova and beyond, so many sub-genres of Cuban music are represented throughout the course of the album.  This shows that those behind the record’s sequencing clearly put a lot of time and thought into assembling and sequencing the songs.

That time and deliberate thought is exhibited just as much in the variety of eras represented here.  The balance of new and classic Cuban works is expertly balanced with five classics and five originals featured here.  Even more interesting to note is the fact that some of those classics are presented in a new setting through younger acts who specialize in Cuban music.  Case in point Asere’s take on Cuban composer Luis Marquetti’s song ‘Oriente,’ which was included in his 1980 album Fe, Esperanza y Caridad and Septeto Nacional Ignacio Pineiro’s cover of singer-songwriter Marcelino “Rapindey” Guerra’s ‘Me Dieron la Clave.’  On the more modern side, listeners get Sonlokos’ original tune ‘Rumba Con Sabor a Melao’ and Palo!’s original composition ‘Al Monte.’  This is just a glimpse into the division of new and classic tunes that complete this record.  Audiences will hear for themselves the full division when they pick up the album for themselves.

Staying on the matter of the album’s featured songs and their performers, the performers featured in this record are just as important to discuss as the songs and their variety.  That is because the list of featured performers is just as varied as the songs.  Those behind the record’s creation put just as much thought into choosing the record’s featured performers as the songs.  Legendary Cuban singer Roberto Torres is featured as part of the collection alongside fledgling Miami-based outfit Sonlokos while fellow up-and-coming Miami-based Palo! is set alongside veteran Cuban-American musician Jose Conde to round out the record.  Earlier in the record’s run, Al Valdes is partnered alongside veteran La Familia Valera Miranda for a solid 1-2 classic Cuban pairing – one more example of the diversity in the record’s performer lineup.  Keeping this in mind, the diversity in the songs and performers featured in this record becomes clear along with the importance of said diversity.  Even with this in mind, that extensive diversity is only a portion of what makes this record so enjoyable.  The companion booklet that comes with the record rounds out its most important elements.

The musical diversity and that of the acts chosen for the record are both critical to its overall presentation.  They are not its only key elements, though.  The record’s companion booklet is just as important to its whole as the songs and their featured performers.  That is because the booklet provides a brief but concise history on each performer and its associated song.  For instance, audiences learn in reading the booklet that while Roberto Torres started his career as a performer, he is now a successful label owner.  Audiences also learn through the booklet’s notes that La Familia Valera Miranda’s musical roots reach back generations, going all the way back to Santiago de Cuba, “the largest city in the eastern part of the island.”  As if that is not enough, another Santiago de Cuba resident, Armando Garzon gets his own highlight here.  Audiences learn of his history that he was born in the city in 1948 and lived most of his life exposed solely to the region’s music thanks to his grandmother and great-aunt.  These are just some examples of the depth of information provided in the album’s booklet.  Again, even more information is provided both on the featured acts and songs throughout the booklet.  The whole of that collective information makes for an educational experience that is just as enjoyable as the experience provided via the album’s songs.  Keeping all of this in mind, the songs that make up the album, their performers and the record’s booklet join to make the album in whole a collection that will take listeners to Cuba without the need for expensive passports, tickets, vaccinations or anything else.  Considering this, they make the record in whole, one of this year’s top new World Music records and one of the year’s top new Jazz & Blues offerings.

Putumayo World Music’s new Cuban music compilation Cuba! Cuba! is a hit twice over.  It is one of the year’s top new World Music offerings and one of the year’s top new Jazz & Blues albums. As has already been noted, that is due to the partnering of 10 songs and acts that span the rich, expansive history of Cuba’s musical history.  The companion booklet that comes with the record, which is nothing new to Putumayo World Music’s offerings, puts the finishing touch on the album’s overall presentation.  All things considered, the album proves wholly that it deserves a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new World Music albums list as well as the year’s top new Jazz & Blues albums.  It is available now in stores and online.  More information on this and other titles from Putumayo World Music is available online now along with all of the company’s latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.putumayo.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Putumayo

Twitter: http://twitter.com/putumayomusic

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

‘Vintage Italia’ Is Sure To Become Vintage In Any Listener’s Music Library

Courtesy: Putumayo World Music

Putumayo World Music is one of the leading names in the World Music realm.  That is thanks to recordings that have taken listeners on great musical adventures to almost every corner of the globe.  From Latin America to Ireland to Australia and many other points, Putumayo World Music has consistently offered audiences great music from so many nations.  Its latest musical outing Vintage Italia is no different.  This 11-song album is a work that will appeal both to fans of World Music and Jazz.  This is due in part to the record’s featured songs and their performers.  This will be discussed shortly.  The record’s companion booklet is just as important to its overall presentation as its songs.  This will be discussed later.  The bonus Sgroppino (Italian cocktail) recipe included in the album’s booklet rounds out the record’s most important elements.  Each element is important in its own right to the record’s overall presentation.  All things considered, Vintage Italia proves to be one of the year’s top new World Music offerings and one of the year’s top new Jazz & Blues offerings.

Putumayo World Music’s new classic Italian Jazz compilation Vintage Italia is one of this year’s top new World Music offerings and one of the year’s top new Jazz & Blues albums.  That is due in part to its featured songs and the artists who performed said songs.  The songs themselves are so notable because they are in large part classic jazz compositions from the 1950s and 1960s that are the original recordings no less.  Hearing those original compositions is like opening yet another time capsule, taking listeners back to those eras.  Not all of the songs included in this compilation are from the 20^th Century, though.  A small handful of the record’s featured songs are from the 21^st Century and their associated acts, too.

Speaking of the acts performing the featured songs, listeners will be interested to learn that the acts featured throughout the record are themselves largely Italian.  From legends such as Julia De Palma and Fred Buscaglione to more modern acts such as Gianmaria Testa and Emanuele Tozzi, the record’s featured artists present the past present and future of Italy’s rich jazz scene.  Just as interesting to note is the fact that the performers featured here also include a Canadian-born performer of Italian descent, an Austrian group known for covering music from around the world and even an American act formed in Washington state.  One might ask on the surface why this is so important.  The answer is that it shows the far-reaching impact and influence of jazz (and music in general) crafted by Italian artists throughout the nation’s history.  Keeping that in mind, it shows why the performers featured in Vintage Italia and their songs are so important to the record’s overall presentation.  They are collectively only part of what makes this compilation so enjoyable.  Even as important as they are to the record’s overall presentation, they are not its only important elements.  The record’s companion booklet plays its own key role in the record’s presentation, too.

The songs and artists featured in Vintage Italia are in themselves key pieces of the record’s whole.  That is because of the picture that they paint both by themselves and together.  While they are important parts of the record’s whole, they are not its only key elements.  The record’s companion booklet plays its own key part in the record’s overall presentation.  The booklet is so important because of the history that it provides audiences.  It starts with a history of how jazz became so popular in Italy after World War II thanks to American GIs still living there at the time.  The history is brief but concise, showing the influence that American and Italian Jazz in fact had on one another.  From there, the booklet presents equally brief but concise bios on the record’s performers, even offering some insight on their associated songs.  That insight adds to the songs’ enjoyment even if listeners might not speak Italian.  Precise translations are provided of key passages that help illustrate the songs’ subjects.  When those translations are coupled with the history and insight offered on each song and artist, they make the record’s overall listening experience even more enjoyable.  That is because said material adds to the appreciation of the songs in regards to their content and history.  That added depth is not the last important element to discuss in examining this record’s overall presentation.  The bonus cocktail recipe puts the finishing touch to its presentation.

The musical and informational content provided throughout Vintage Italia are both key pieces of the record’s overall presentation.  They are not its only important elements, though.  The record also includes a bonus recipe for a Sgroppino, or Italian Cocktail in the booklet.  The recipe includes a detailed list of ingredients and instructions for the drink, which is itself a vintage Italian beverage, even offering a little bit of information on the drink itself as part of the recipe.  Audiences who enjoy a cool drink especially on warm summer nights will enjoy this drink while perhaps hosting a party with the record’s music as a backdrop on a warm summer’s eve.  The addition of the recipe is nothing new for compilations  from Putumayo World Music.  Most, if not all, of its compilations come complete with a recipe for an associated drink or dish to go with the music featured on said records along with an equally rich depth of background history information from their companion booklets.  Keeping all of this in mind, the bonus drink recipe included in Vintage Italia’s companion booklet makes this recording *refreshing* in more ways than one.  That recipe joins with the record’s musical and informational content to make this collection so refreshing that it proves to be one of the year’s top new World Music and Jazz & Blues records.

Putumayo’s latest World Music offering Vintage Italia is a record that World Music and Jazz & Blues fans of all ages will appreciate.  That is due to musical and information content that will keep them fully engaged from start to finish.  The bonus drink recipe included with the record’s booklet puts the finishing touch on the record’s presentation.  Each element proves positive in its own right to the record’s whole.  All things considered, they make Vintage Italia a record that is sure to become vintage in any of the noted audiences’ music libraries.  It is available now in stores and online.  More information on this and other titles from Putumayo World Music is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.putumayo.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Putumayo

Twitter: http://twitter.com/putumayomusic

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Celtic Cafe A Welcome Record For Fans Of Real Celtic Music

Courtesy: Putumayo World Music

Putumayo is one of the leading names in the World Music community. The Charlotte, Vermont-based company has proven this time and again for more than two decades, churning out compilations containing some of the most impressive music from every corner of the world. 2015 has been no different as Putumayo released a new collection of classic Latin tunes this summer titled Vintage Latino that will transport listeners back to the smoky clubs of Cuba. It isn’t the only impressive compilation that Putumayo has released so far this year. This past February Putumayo also released an interesting new collection of Celtic music in the form of Celtic Cafe. The central element of Celtic Cafe that makes it such an interesting listen is its overall musical content. When most people think of Celtic music, the instant reaction is to think of bagpipes and step dancers. That is not the case here. There are no bagpipes or such here. Rather the music presented here is classic Celtic in every sense of the word. The album’s sequencing is another of its positives. Those charged with ordering the songs are to be applauded for their efforts. That is because their efforts resulted in a ten-song compilation that will keep listeners engaged from beginning to end. Last but hardly least of note in this collection is its companion booklet. Much as with so many of Putumayo’s compilations, this one also boasts its own companion booklet that is loaded with an interesting history on the compilation’s featured songs and background on those that recorded the featured songs for the compilation. That depth of information serves as a solid starting point for anyone wanting to learn about true Celtic music. All three elements combined make Celtic Cafe yet another enjoyable collection of songs from one of the leading labels in the World Music realm and one more of the best of the genre’s new offerings.

Putumayo’s new Celtic music compilation Celtic Cafe is one of the best of this year’s new world music offerings. It is a solid starting point for anyone that has a yearning to learn about true Celtic music. The main reason for this is that its music is not what most people think of when they think of when they think of Celtic music. There are no bagpipes to speak of anywhere throughout the course of the disc’s ten tracks. There’s no over-the-top style sound that has been made so popular by Michael Flatley and company. Rather, this is pure Celtic music at its finest. Right from the album’s outset listeners will be quite surprised in hearing Michael McGoldrick’s performance of ‘waterbound.’ This song sounds more similar to today’s country hits than anything Celtic. But the fact of the matter is that Country and Celtic are quite closely related as are bluegrass and Celtic. That revelation itself serves as its own excellent starting point for a discussion on the intersection of the noted genres. It’s just one way in which the compilation’s content proves that it is in whole such an interesting collection. ‘Star of the County Down’ is another example of what makes Celtic Cafe’s content such an important part of its presentation. The classic Irish tune tells the story of a young man who went head over heels for a certain young woman. It comes from a poem written by Cathal McGarvey. The young woman’s name is Rose and she is the “star” in question. The unnamed man sings of his love for her, dreaming of all of the joy that he would bring to her right up to marrying her. The Baileys, who perform the song here, do an expert job of translating the young man’s dreaming with their gentle delivery of the song. ‘An Eala Bhan’ is one more clear example of what makes this compilation’s content so enjoyable. The song is another classic Celtic piece. It is a painfully beautiful composition that centers on a young man that has gone off to fight in World War I. He is writing a letter to the woman that he loves. He tells her in the letter that he doubts he will survive, but expresses his love regardless. The gentle strains of the guitar set against the equally light cadence of the drum adds even more emotion to the song. The combination of that musical and lyrical content (the lyrics are sung, by the way entirely in Gaelic) makes this song a deeply moving song. It isn’t one of those over-the-top tear-jerkers that are all too commonplace in today’s music industry. Rather it is a deeply heartfelt song that exhibits so much true, deep emotions. It makes obvious why this song is another clear example of what makes the record’s collected songs so important to its overall presentation. They are just a few examples of how the collected songs make Celtic Cafe so enjoyable, too. All ten songs featured throughout this record show in their own way why it is so enjoyable for those that enjoy true Celtic music. They are only a portion of the presentation’s positives, too. The sequencing of the songs is another positive to this record.

The songs that make up the body of Celtic Cafe are in themselves reason enough for audiences to check out this record. That is because they are pure Celtic compositions. There are no bagpipes or Riverdance-style pieces anywhere in this record. It is all Celtic music in its purest form. While the songs are important in their own right, the songs’ sequencing is just as important as the songs themselves. Over the course of its first three songs, the record goes from a Celtic song that openly shows the roots of today’s Country music to a decidedly more Celtic composition to something more akin to today’s pop music in the form of ‘Him Bo.’ From there it goes back to a more pure Celtic sound before presenting the roots of today’s Bluegrass sound in the form of ‘School Days Over.’ It could be argued to a point that ‘Braw Sailin’ is another example of the link between Celtic music and Country through the use of its fiddle and guitar. The same could be said of the record’s penultimate presentation, the fully instrumental ‘Looking at a Rainbow Through a Dirty Window.’ The only difference between this song and some of the others is the lack of a guitar. But the work of the musician on fiddle here instantly conjures thoughts of so many of today’s country music. ‘Tramps and Hawkers’ closes out the record and fittingly so. Considering the mix of emotions that it generates through each of its movements, it will keep listeners just as engaged as any of the album’s other featured works. The variance in the songs’ styles and emotional energy shows even more why the sequencing of the songs is just as important as the songs themselves to Celtic Cafe’s overall listening experience. It still is not the last element of this record that makes it such a worthwhile listen. The record’s companion booklet rounds out its presentation.

The songs that make up the body of Celtic Cafe and their sequencing are both important in their own right to the record’s overall presentation. While there is no denying both elements’ importance, they are only two-thirds of the record’s positives. The companion booklet that comes with the record is just as important to the record as the record’s songs or their sequencing. That is because the booklet offers both a history on the featured songs and background information on the artists and groups that recorded the featured songs. It clearly points out which songs are classic, original Celtic pieces that have been re-imagined and which are newer pieces. Each is presented in a clear and concise fashion. The result is that listeners get just enough information to serve as a solid starting point for an introduction to Celtic music both past and present. This applies whether listeners read through the booklet before, during, or after listening to the record. Case in point the history behind ‘An Eala Bhan.’ The companion booklet provides a short but concise behind the song and the group that recorded it–Manran–and even a short lyrical run that even more clearly explains the song’s story. The booklet also explains in just enough depth the history behind ‘Tramps & Hawkers’ explaining that it was originally written in the late 1800s and celebrates the traveling salesmen that trekked across the Scottish countryside selling their wares and spreading news and gossip. It’s just one more example of how the information provided throughout Celtic Cafe’s companion booklet proves it to be so important. And as if all of the history and background information shared throughout Celtic Cafe’s booklet isn’t enough, there is also a recipe for a real Irish Coffee complete with Irish Whiskey. Now if that isn’t reason enough to read through the booklet then nothing is. But luckily that recipe comes together with the collective background history and background information to make Celtic Cafe’s companion booklet truly just as important to the whole of the record as the songs and their sequencing. All things considered Celtic Cafe proves in whole that, just as with its recently released Latin collection Vintage Latino, it is another of the best of this year’s World Music offerings.

Putumayo’s new Celtic collection Celtic Cafe is one more of this year’s best new World Music offerings. It is yet more proof of why Putumayo is one of the leading names in the World Music community. That is thanks in large part to the songs featured in the body of the record. The songs are a mix of classic and modern, pure Celtic compositions. There is no hint of bagpipes or any other similar sound to be heard anywhere across the course of the compilation’s ten tracks. The sequencing of the featured songs is just as important as the songs themselves. That is because the album’s emotional energy is expertly balanced from beginning to end, ensuring that audiences will remain engaged the entire time. The companion booklet, with its history and background on the collection’s songs, artists, and groups ads even more interest to the record. The recipe for a real Irish Coffee is the finishing touch to the booklet. Each element is equally important in its own right to the whole of Celtic Cafe. All three elements together make Celtic Cafe a listening experience that any fan of true Celtic music will enjoy and appreciate. It is available now in stores and online and can be ordered online direct via Putumayo’s online store at https://www.putumayo.com/shop/celtic-cafe/. More information on this and other titles from Putumayo is available online now at:

Website: http://www.putumayo.com

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