On 31 October 2000, Cuban jazz pianist Omar Sosa gave an extraordinary concert at Bremen's Schlachthof with a magnificent band, including US rapper and hip-hopper Sub-Z. Sosa's musical work covers an enormous range. Of course, his music is characterised by his musical roots and his Cuban origins, but the basis is formed by Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms as well as traditional North African music, which he likes to combine with elements of merengue, salsa, soul, funk, classical music and even hip hop. In other words: Omar Sosa is always exciting, especially live. This was also ensured by the superb backing band that accompanied Omar alongside Sub-Z at this concert from the Bremen Schlachthof: saxophonist Sheldon Brown, bassist Geoff Brennan, percussionist Gustavo Ovalles and drummer Elliott Kavee.

Night Reign is the new album from GRAMMY-winner Arooj Aftab, an ode to the night as her primary source of inspiration and a vivid reflection of the creative community she has fostered in her home of Brooklyn, New York. Featuring nine original compositions, three English-language tracks, and an array of guest artists, Night Reign is a perfumed, public garden of renewal, desire, shelter, and love guided by Aftab’s voice – its reach and intensity complementing the sun’s departure.

The latest album by the Malian griot couple is centred around Bassekou Kouyate's adventurous lifejourney together with his wife, the worldwide praised singer, Amy Sacko. The Garana natives invites us onan intimate journey into their musical universe. It is also an invitation to travel to the source where it allbegan for Bassekou and his other long-time companion, his N’goni. Bassekou Kouyaté reveals the secretsbehind the beautiful love story between himself and his instrument. Amy and Bassekou chant to us abouttheir fears and hopes for the future, give philosophical advices and sing tributes to important people ofpresent and historical society of the Bambara Empire. New texts and re-interpretations of ancient texts,song in Bambara and Peul.

Santana Drum Legend Michael Shrieve To Release New Album “Drums of Compassion” on May 24, 2024 featuring Jack DeJohnette, Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira, Trey Gunn & others!

“It’s probably fair to say that only Cyro Baptista could concoct a mix of music to include Brazilian, Mexican, and Afro-Cuban forms with hints of jazz, funk, and whatever else may fit, sometimes with multiple forms within the same song. Yet, even while you may not detect the particular style or have a total grasp on what he’s up to, he somehow makes it accessible and infectious.” Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine

Gambian kora virtuoso Dawda Jobarteh and Danish master drummer Stefan Pasborg join forces to release their exhilarating live album, ‘Live In Turku’. A captivating fusion of traditional West African sounds and contemporary improvisation, the record is set to release on April Records on May 17th.

The latest Album by OKAN. Fuses Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, electronica and pop, with contributions from stellar artists from the Cuban diaspora and other musical cultures.

In November 2022 world-renowned kora player Ballaké Sissoko and acclaimed guitarist Derek Gripper spend just three hours recording a wordless album together. The kora and guitar in the hands of masters - a session where New Ancient Strings meets One Night On Earth.

Anders Jormin’s new Swedish-Japanese project returns the highly distinctive voice of Lena Willemark to ECM – it’s her first appearance on the label in more than a decade - and introduces koto player Karin Nakagawa. In this trio music the Japanese classical tradition and the stark, archaic sounds of the koto, allied to Jormin’s powerful and subtle bass playing, form a unique context for Lena’s sung poems, delivered in her native Älvdals-dialect. Traditions and non-idiomatic improvising are cross-referenced and new paths opened up in these compositions.

Using voice, drum, whistle, chimes, shakers, rattle, tambourine, and didgeridoo, Airto and company make music that comes from all regions and belongs to none. These are songs for ritual and healing, based on many cultures. The mood is ethereal, yet because of the predominance of percussion, also powerful. New age music with punch.

Shamans is the seventh album released by Azeri jazz artist Aziza Mustafa Zadeh. It was released in 2002. In the liner notes, Aziza left a comment about each song. The artwork also contains a number of paintings by Aziza. Around 2.000.000 copies of this album were sold worldwide.

Born in Istanbul in 1939, Okay Temiz was influenced early by his mother, Naciye, who was classically schooled in music. Playing professionally since 1955, Temiz studied at the Ankara Conservatory and at the Tophane Art Institute to learn to build his own unique instruments. After meeting Maffy Falay and Don Cherry, he settled in Sweden; with Cherry and bassist Johnny Dyani he toured the U.S. and Europe (Live in Ankara, Sonet 1971). The group Xaba, with Dyani and trumpeter Mongezi Feza, was founded in 1972 (Rejoice, Cadillac 1972; Music for Xaba, Sonet 1972; Music for Xaba 2, Sonet 1979).

On Sentir, the globetrotting, Cuban-born pianist Omar Sosa is joined not by a full band, but rather by a host of percussionists and vocalists. Sosa remains focused on communicating a kind of ecstatic, multicultural religiosity – most of these tracks are dominated by fervent chanting in one of several languages, underscored by rolling percussion grooves. Sosa's piano is the only Western instrument on the scene, a fact that somehow gives it added power. Like his previous album, Prietos, this one also has a hip-hop element, with Terence Nicholson (aka Sub-Z) contributing rap poetry on five of the tracks.

Acoustic pianist Omar Sosa has done his share of ensemble work, and he has often demonstrated that he is an insightful, thoughtful arranger. But the Cuban improviser takes a break from ensemble work on Ayaguna, which focuses on a July 25, 2002, concert in Yokohama, Japan. This time, Sosa forms an intimate duo with Venezuelan drummer Gustavo Ovalles, who plays a variety of Latin percussion – not only the Afro-Cuban percussion one would expect to hear on a Sosa album, but also various Venezuelan percussion instruments that are used in traditional joropo music. The two musicians enjoy a strong rapport throughout this Latin jazz/post-bop CD, which tends to have a very spiritual quality. In fact, some of the material is mindful of Santeria, a Caribbean faith that contains elements of Catholicism as well as the West African Yoruba religion.