Global Sounds

Celebrate our planet by celebrating its diverse sounds. Here are our top 10 favourite world music albums.

Ali & Toumani

Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabeteé

Lyrical phrasing and spiritual sounds define the last recording The late Malian guitar legend, Ali Farka Toure made. Kora (a 21-string lute, originated in West Africa) great, Toumani Diabete joins him on his last musical journey. www.nonesuch.com

Rising Sun

The SoulJazz Orchestra

This multi-cultural Ottawa-based jazz group fuses the sounds of funk, soul, jazz, Afro and Latin rhythms to create a new collective sound. They have collaborated with such artistes as Jamaican reggae singer Horace Andy, Rwandan guitarist Mighty Popo and have shared stages across the world with music legends like Fela Kuti and Etta James. This is the group’s first all-acoustic Afro-Jazz album, and introduces fans to fresh new directions in jazz. And in response to the earthquake in Haiti will donate part of the proceeds of the alum to Haiti relief. www.souljazzorchestra.com

Zebu Nation

Razia

While Razia Said’s heart and soul may lie in her home land of Madagascar, her inspiration lies in her travels across Africa, Italy, France, Brazil and New York. So explains her musical inspirations drawing from French chanson, jazz and the pulse of her local Malagasymusic, from which this labour-of-love album draws, four years in the making. Sultry lyrical sounds similar to Sade, hints of the French-inspired accordion fused with the magical sounds of her cultural roots deliver a magical musical experience. www.raziasaid.com

Imagine Africa

Various Artistes

The Imagine Africa campaign is the brainchild of Mimeta, a Norwegian-based cultural organization to promote and strengthen African arts. They collaborated recently with Norwegian-based producers Kirkelig Kulturverksted, to produce an album that captures a piece of East Africa through its music. The artistes were specially chosen for their dedication to continuing East African music traditions, seeking musical inspiration from their homelands. And while the names of the artistes like Bizmana Ztavoyo, Mahsein Ally and Susana Owiyo may not be familiar, they share an intimate piece of their soul through their music. www.imagineafrica.org

I speak Fula

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba

Sub Pop Recrds/Next Ambiance

Another definitive sound of West Africa, is the ngoni, another type of lute and ancestor of the American banjo. Malian ngoni player Bassekou leads Ngoni Ba, a group that draws together ngoni players, percussion, a chorus, and lead vocals of Amy Sacko, Kouyate’s wife. Other guest musicians including Toumani Diabete and Vieux Farka Toure lend their eclectic sounds to the album.

Throw Down Your Heart: Africa Sessions: Vol. 3

Béla Fleck

When this New York-native and world-renown banjo player, went on a journey to discover the beautiful beginnings of the banjo, his journey took him to Gambia, to the home of the akonting. He recorded with a range of musicians from Tanzania, Uganda, Gambia and Mali, blending his banj riffswith compelling African vocals and rhythms. This soundtrack in fact accompanies a documentary of Fleck’s journey, of the same name. www.belafleck.com

Mouna

Iba Diabeté

Singing mostly in his native Bambara language, Iba Diabeté is the son of the Great Malian singer, guitarist and percussionist, Abdoulaye Diabeté. Drawing from great musical traditions, Iba sings of respect, peace, love and social injustice, in a language that is foreign to our ears, but will resonate in your soul. www.akwaabamusic.com

Next Stop…Soweto Township…Sounds from the Golden Age of Mbaqanga

Various Artistes

Take a trip back in time, to the underground music scene of South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. This compilation, created by producers Strut, will be the first in a three-part series. While the first volume focuses on the more traditional Mbaqanga, the second and third volumes will take on the more modern sounds of South African soul, funk and jazz. www.strut-records.com

Rise and Shine

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

(Released March 23, 2010)

Formed in West African refugee camps, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars has grown into an international musical sensation. Knowing the horrors of war, they have become ambassadors of peace, spreading their message through the upbeat music that at times channels reggae and the lyrics of Bob Marley. A documentary film crew followed the group for three years, as they travelled from Guinean refugee camp to camp, to the recording of their first album, Living Like a Refugee. Rise and Shine, is their second album, and saw the group travelling to New Orleans, to work with legendary musicians Trombone Shorty, Washboard Chaz and Bonerama Horns.

www.refugeeallstars-audience.fm

If the Rains Come First

Somi

Born in Illinois to immigrants from Rwanda and Uganda, Somi spent her early childhood in Zambia. This blending of cultures blossomed into a genre that Somi calls New African Soul, and a sound that resonates through her multi-cultural experience. Working with an all-star African rhythm section, as well as Senegalese guitarist Herve Samb, Nigerian bassist Olatuja, and even the legendary trumpeter Hugh Masekela who makes a guest appearance, Somi’s flawless and delicate vocals soar beautifully over the precious melodies.

www.somimusic.com