The Night: World Music

1-
Quinteto Tango Extremo.
Tango Extremo is led by the young violinist Tanya Schaap and has an unusual line-up. The group derives its specific sound from the use of accordion and soprano saxophone and the original repertoire. The repertoire is broad: European and South American folklore, classical music, jazz and Brazilian music are combined with ‘tango nuevo’.
CD. Toujours Bizarre – Quinteto Tango Extremo.
LABEL: Tango Extremo (2012), code: CD59712. VIDEO

2- Brazil – Stacey Kent, Bernard Lavilliers, Quatuor Ebène.
After their Jazz/rock/pop fusion album, the Ébène Quartet have created a mix of bossa nova and samba, stirred up into a cocktail of rhythms and melodies from a wide range of cultures, countries and musical traditions. The music includes the score of Terry Gilliam’s 1985 film Brazil, Argentine tango and songs from various songwriters such as Stevie Wonder, Sting and Charlie Chaplin. French singer-songwriter Bernard Lavilliers and stylish American jazz singer Stacey Kent join the Ébène Quartet to add even more spice to the album. CD. Brazil – Stacey Kent, Bernard Lavilliers, Quatuor Ebène.
LABEL: Erato (2014), codes: 632046 +  6320431. VIDEO

3- Dutch exotica.
Exotica is a term used in the music world to define early Western interpretations of exotic music. Big band orchestras played mambo, calypso, surf, Hawaiian and Arabic music. The trend first caught on in America where artists like Harry Belafonte made a good impression with their exotic origins. Dutch orchestras also showed their worth, this compiled album contains a multitude of artists, from Rinus van Galen’s Jungle Fantasy, via Max Wolsky’s Bron bon calypso, to Johnny Meijer’s El Cumban chero.
CD. Dutch exotica. LABEL: Sonic Scenery (2009), code: SON 708025. VIDEO

4- The king of rumba – Xavier Cugat.
Xavier Cugat (1900-1990) was one of the most important ambassadors of Latin music from the 1920s onwards. He managed to polish this dance music so that it also became attractive to a white audience. Cugat, the son of Catalan/Cuban migrants, lived in New York from the age of fifteen, where he learned to play the violin. He proved himself to be a musical omnivore who played cha-cha-cha, mambo, tango and ‘easy listening’ just as easily. He had a feeling for drama and show. For example, he married five times and wore a chihuahua on his left arm during his performances.
CD. The best of Xavier Cugat: the king of rumba – Xavier Cugat. LABEL: Not Now Music (219), CODE: NOT2CD755. VIDEO

5- Los Lobos.
They hail from East L.A. and initially played traditional Mexican music. Inspired by the California punk movement, the band shifted its sound. In the early 1980s, Los Lobos were a rock band to be reckoned with. The band’s souped-up roots rock was colored with influences from conjunto and other popular Latin styles. Under the guidance of producer Mitchell Froom, Los Lobos explored new territory in the 1990s, both lyrically and musically.
CD. Disconnected in New York City – Los Lobos. LABEL: Proper (2013), code: PRPCD118. VIDEO

6- Mercedes Sosa.
One of the best Mercedes Sosa compilations on the market, 30 Años is filled with many of her biggest hits and goes back three decades to the early days of her recording career. Highlights include Gracias a la Vida. Given its early 90s release, 30 Años lacks much of her later material but makes up for it with an emphasis on certifiable classics. 30 Años is a beautiful 1993 LP by legendary Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa, nicknamed La Negra. She was born in 1935 in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina and died in Buenos Aires in 2019 at the age of 84.
CD. 30 años van Mercedes Sosa. LABEL: Universal Records (2995), codes: 00731451878923 + Verve World 5187892. VIDEO

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