Introducing Kenge Kenge

Kenge Kenge
(INTRO107)

Kenge Kenge symbolise all that is great about African traditional music; they are the guardians and masters of an ancient but living tradition. They breath new life into Kenya's Luo musical roots, continuing its evolution, from the hand-made instruments of the past, through the popular guitar-based benga, and now returning to both re-explore the acoustic origins of benga and embrace their Luo musical heritage.
 

'The songs praise the band’s neighbours and supporters, love, dance.' Financial Times

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Introducing Bela Lakatos & The Gypsy Youth Project

Bela Lakatos & The Gypsy Youth Project
(INTRO106)

Introducing Bela Lakatos & The Gypsy Youth Project tells the story of Hungarian Gypsy youth, with poignant tales of lost love, hardship and reflections on the life of an outcast people. Known as 'Ternipe' (meaning 'youth') at home, the group - which is predominantly vocal, with percussion from sticks, foot-stomping and a metal can, and an acoustic guitar and mandolin - was formed with the aim of ensuring the survival of Gypsy folk music and to launch the next generation of Hungarian Gypsy music.


**** (four stars) 'It all has poise, simplicity and charm’. The Independent 2006

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Introducing Etran Finatawa

Etran Finatawa
(INTRO105)

Etran Finatawa combine the rich nomadic cultures of the Tuareg and Wodaabe people from the West African country of Niger – a region that for thousands of years has served as a crossroads between the Arabs of North Africa and the sub-Saharan traditions. Etran Finatawa blend traditional instruments with electric guitars, combining the polyphonic songs of the Wodaabe people with modern arrangements, transporting you to the Sahara with their evocative sound.
 

**** (four stars) The Guardian
**** (four stars) The Times

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Introducing Daby Balde

Daby Balde
(INTRO104)

Daby Balde is one of Senegal’s best-kept musical secrets, long celebrated at home and now exploding on to the international scene. His stunning arrangements are based on his Fula traditions from the south of the country and feature the fiddle, accordion and flute alongside the more familiar West African sounds of the kora, acoustic guitar and percussion. With strikingly rich and beautiful melodies, captivating vocals and a repertoire that ranges from euphoric to melancholic, Daby Balde is a West African star on the rise.
 

***** (five stars) 'Extraordinary quality.’ Observer Music Monthly

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Introducing Sukke

Sukke
(INTRO103)

Sukke unites three leading members of the European klezmer scene under a single roof. Three individuals, top-flight musicians with deep roots in Yiddish music, who discovered and learned to appreciate one another on the stages of international klezmer and Yiddish festivals, and then decided to focus their diverse talents and backgrounds on a common project: the first European klezmer band. Standards and rarities from the East European instrumental repertoire and original music featuring lyrics by Yiddish poet Michael Wex combine in a unique and evocative sound that is like nothing else in the Yiddish music world.


**** (four stars) ‘Jewish music of inventiveness and quality.' Songlines

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Introducing Vakoka

Vakoka
(INTRO102)

Vakoka brings together thirteen of Madagascar’s most talented musicians to explore diverse traditions and push the boundaries of Malagasy music. Over a six-week period this ‘all-star’ cast from around the country worked together to create a record that showcases the island’s incredibly diverse musical and cultural heritage. The resulting songs carry the joy and emotion of a remarkable group as they explore each other’s musical traditions, blending the old and new in a way rarely heard – on this island or any other.


**** (four stars) 'Top Of The World.' Songlines

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Introducing Shiyani Ngcobo

Shiyani Ngcobo
(INTRO101)

Born of the Zulu experience of labour migrancy, maskanda is a musical dance style dominated by lush acoustic guitar ‘picking’ and distinctive rhythms. Born in 1953 in Umzinto, on KwaZulu-Natal’s south coast, Shiyani Ngcobo has been a maskanda musician for more than thirty years. The winner of numerous maskanda awards, his use of a mixture of the rhythmic patterns associated with its different styles has earned him a reputation in South Africa as something of a maskanda maestro. This album captures how he has remained true to the aesthetic of early maskanda, while at the same time nurturing his own individual style.


**** (four stars) 'Simply magnificent.' Songlines

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