How does one go about building a world music collection.

rob kilbride · 04-09-2003, 03:02 PM

Its been hit and miss when I purchase world music because I simply am not familiar with the foreign labels and artists. Is there a good website for reviews of music from different countries? I'm interested in buying well recorded and well performed cd's of more traditional acoustic music than modern electronic.

Zane Charron · 04-09-2003, 03:44 PM

This is a topic I would also like some advice on. I browse through the World Music section occasionally but never know what is crap and what is good. I am also interested in more traditional music, as opposed to say the latest rock band from South Africa or something.

Sathyan · 04-09-2003, 04:01 PM

There is a radio show on Public Radio International (PRI) every weekend called Afropop (their web site) you may wish to give a listen to.

MusicChoice has a few world music stations. You can also get material by internet radio (RealMedia) or shortwave.

If you have a local HMV ( I don't so am assuming the one in Harvard Square, Cambridge MA I've been to is typical) they have a world music room (which will include non-English pop) where you can listen to some samples. And their prices are pretty good.

I'm less into traditional music but do have a 3-CD set that came with the book Worlds of Music edited by Titon (?). This was the text when I took an ethnomusicology at Northwestern Univ. This got me interested in the Indonesian gamelan

I'm not aware of a review website beyond the CD stores. Of course do not overlook Amazon's foreign affiliates which I've found post more samples than the US site. And if you can read foreign languages, reviews. Also search usenet.

Post what you like maybe you can get similar suggestions here.

Sathyan

Ted Lee · 04-09-2003, 11:54 PM

although i haven't kept track lately, i've always liked peter gabriel's world music label:

http://realworldrecords.com/index.html

their sampler albums are usually quite entertaining. may be worth a visit.

Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm · 04-10-2003, 06:29 AM

I concur with the purchasing of a sampler. RealWorld is good, so is the "Rough Guide" series by World Music Network. I just got the "Rough Guide to the Music of Russia," and there are several artists featured on it that I want to explore.

**HTF Ads**

Philip Hamm · 04-10-2003, 07:27 AM

If you're interested in music from the Carribean, I highly recommend reggae band Third World's latest album "Generation Coming". It's a couple years old, and was nominated for a Grammy. It's not often that a band that's 30 years old (Third World was a reggae pioneer in the 70s) releases an album of all new material that is this good. It could be their best.

Andrew Chong · 04-11-2003, 11:13 AM

You could give mp3.com a try.

Some time ago, I became intensively interested in listening to Andean, Mariachi, African, Latin, and Indian music. I found everything I was looking for from the aforementioned Web site. Many of the artists also sell their own CDs at nice independent-level prices.

Rick Deschaine · 04-11-2003, 03:06 PM

I heartily agree with the Rough Guide music series.

But you should start with The Rough Guide books on World Music. There are 2 volumes and are probably the definitive road map to the genre of World Music. Every country and style of music is covered. Each section has some interesting recommendations to get you on your way.

here's a link http://www.roughguides.com/music/

Final note: Rough Guide has a bunch of other books on different styles of music like Rock, Classical, Opera, Country and Jazz.

Peace, Rick

NP: World Without Tears, Lucinda Williams