World music, compiled by Carolien Cleiren.
New releases from Poland, East Africa, Iran, Corsica, and Burkano Faso.
The Warsaw Village Band is an 8-piece band from Poland that has been around for over 24 years now. The band is most known for its social-critical lyrics. That is why the band regularly travels through Poland, to find older musicians who still play musical styles that have been nearly forgotten. In 2020, there well-received CD Waterduction was released. The album is currently number 1 on the World Music Chart.
Buda Musique released the Zanzibara series of popular Swahili music from the East African coastal regions, and it is now number 10 on the market. Titled: First Modern: Taarab Vibes from Mombasa & Tanga / 1970 – 1990. It is a compilation CD with musicians such as Zuhura Party, Shakila & Black Star and many others.
Ziya Tabassian is a master percussionist, mostly on the tombak, bendir, daf, tamburello, etcetera. His newly released CD is titled Zarb-e Osul. The pieces on this album are based on the rhythmic cycles from 17th and 18th-century Persia. The length of the cycles varies from 2 to 88 beats.
The CD À Principiu by L’Alba, a six-piece band from Corsica that honours the musical traditions of this island. They use many Mediterranean aspects, but also Arabic, Greek, Portuguese and Italian influences. Along with their polyphonic singing, this makes their album just that bit different.
Singer Kady Diarra 
hails from Burkina Fasso. Her third studio album Burkin Hakili was recorded in a garden in the Ardèche, because of the lockdown. Dutch music library Muziekweb says about her: “Diarra sings in multiple (folk)languages, and the fusion of cultures and languages also extends itself to Western music. Her lyrics are about the strength of women, and about themes like luck, forgiveness, patience, freedom and the migration of the Bwaba people and the African diaspora.
Playlist:
- Drowned Bride, Warsaw Village Band (05:12)
- Hasidic Dance from Urzecze, Warsaw Village Band (04:30)
CD: Warsaw Village Band, Waterduction (2020) Karrot Commando - Zein Musical Party, Help me my love (04:35)
- Malika & Party, Nothing comes for free (06:34)
CD: Zanzibara No. 10, First Modern: Taarab Vibes from Mombasa & Tanga / 1970 – 1990 (2020), Buda Musique, 860354, Xango Music Distribution - Khafif, Ziya Tabassian (06:18)
CD: Ziya Tabassian, Zarb-e Osul (2020). Support Canadian Council for the Arts. Xango Music Distribution - Indiferenti, L’Alba (3:09)
- So diventatu, L’Alba (04:21)
- Ancu Sfarente, L’Alba (03:46)
CD: L’Alba, À Principiu, Buda Musique (2020). Xango Music Distribution - Bi Bé Kè Di, Kady Diarra (05:41),
- Fantam, Kady Diarra (04:17)
CD: Kady Diarra, Burkina Hakili (2021), Lamashock LAM 114385 - Krempiansky, Warsaw Village Band (04:43),
- Water Lullaby, Warsaw Village Band (03:24)
CD: Warsaw Village Band, Waterduction (2020) Karrot Commando
