Alevanta!

Benjamín Escoriza
(Riverboat, TUG1044)

Alevanta! is the debut solo album of Granada-born vocalist and lyricist Benjamín Escoriza whose raw and distinctive voice led the ground breaking Spanish band Radio Tarifa to worldwide acclaim. Known for his blend of traditional North African music with flamenco, Latin rhythms and a pop sensibility, on this release Escoriza develops this powerful Latin-Arabian sound, exploring more acoustic and flamenco directions while continuing to delve into Spain's Moorish roots.
 

**** (four stars) '[a] stew of medieval, Moorish and flamenco influences’ The Independent On Sunday

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Sahara

Javier Ruibal
(Riverboat, TUG1030)

A highly regarded singer-songwriter from Cádiz, Javier Ruibal has created a new type of modern music that blends North African sounds with flamenco and other diverse influences. With the richest rhythms and harmony forming the basis of Sahara, Ruibal draws his inspiration from his love of life and beautiful women, resulting in lyrics dripping with fantastic tales and evocative Spanish poems of love. A well-kept secret beyond Spanish borders for far too long, this album is Javier Ruibal’s international debut.
 

**** (four stars) ‘A gutsy singer-songwriter and virtuoso guitarist.' The Guardian

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The Rough Guide To Gypsy Music (Second Edition)

Various
(Rough Guide, RGNET1220)

This Rough Guide celebrates the freedom of Gypsy nomadic life. Balkan brass, gypsy swing, flamenco and Romanian remix signpost the long road from past persecution to world recognition.

2xCD Special Edition - Featuring a bonus source CD by Bela Lakatos & The Gypsy Youth Project
 

'covers as comprehensive a range of modern Romani music as 14 tracks will allow' 4.5 stars The Weekend Australia

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The Rough Guide To Flamenco

Various
(Rough Guide, RGNET1189)

Flamenco is undoubtedly the most important musical-cultural phenomenon in Spain, and its huge resurgence in popularity has seen its profile reaching out far beyond its Andalucían homeland. Flamenco artists are creating work at the cutting edge while keeping firmly attached to ‘deep song’ roots. Powered by poetry and wit, evoking every emotion from despair to joy, melancholy to happiness, anger to serenity, doubt to pleasure, The Rough Guide To Flamenco (Second Edition) showcases this dramatic and passionate musical genre.


'Anybody wanting a quick immersion in all varieties of flamenco should get this.' The Independent On Sunday

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The Rough Guide To Flamenco Nuevo

Various
(Rough Guide, RGNET1170)

Flamenco is the emotionally charged and expressive Gypsy soul music of Andalucía, where each hand-clap is a scream from the heart and every heel-smack an act of defiance. Featuring stunning vocals and mesmerizing guitar-picking, this album seduces the listener with innovative developments on a genre that draws on the traditions of Moorish and Iberian music.


'A good summer soundtrack.’ Songlines

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The Rough Guide To Mediterranean Cafe Music

Various
(Rough Guide, RGNET1143)

Over the years, an intricate web of musical links has formed across the Mediterranean, despite various political borders, linguistic differences and religions. The ancient links forged by the travelling sailors and merchants that plied the Mediterranean, the conquests of the Romans, Moors and colonialists, and the influences of the modern media, have created musical connections that resonate throughout the region. The Rough Guide To Mediterranean Café Music explores these influences as reflected in the varied café cultures these countries share. Traversing the diverse European sounds of Greece, Italy, France and Spain, the compelling North African music of Morocco, Algeria and Egypt, this album presents some of the Mediterranean’s most exhilarating coastal sounds.


'A very satisfying musical meze.’ HMV Choice Magazine

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The Rough Guide To Rebetika

Various
(Rough Guide, RGNET1142)

Rebétika is the music of the Greek underworld, whose golden years started shortly after Greek national independence and lasted until the 1950s. A rich and heady stew, rebétika focuses on hopeless love, disease, drugs, death and imprisonment. As a musical form, it draws on numerous sources such as the formal instrumental suites of the Ottoman court, the solo vocals of Turkey and Iran, and the captivating, sophisticated instrumentation of the café aman in Istanbul and Izmir. The Rough Guide To Rebétika showcases some of the best rebétika artists from its early roots to the rising stars from the more recent revival movement.


**** (four stars) 'The best available single-CD introduction to the genre.’ Songlines

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The Rough Guide To Gypsy Swing

Various
(Rough Guide, RGNET1138)

Forged by the work of Django Reinhardt – arguably the finest jazz guitarist of all time – Manouche or Gypsy swing is a fascinating blend of Gypsy virtuosity and American jazz. In 1930s France, this new ‘swing’ music had a profound impact on the local musical scene and although the music’s creator died in 1953, his music remains highly influential to this day. Django Reinhardt created a tradition, which has been perpetuated and developed by many exceptional contemporary musicians. The Rough Guide To Gypsy Swing celebrates this style from the original Gypsy musicians of the time to those French and German musicians, mainly of Manouche origin, who have built on Django’s legacy and continue down the road of innovatio


**** (Four stars) 'You’ll be hooked.' Independent On Sunday

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