Best of World Music 2010 lists

[kk]

Not sure how many Best of World Music lists will be published at all – maybe this can be the thread where links to those lists can be brought together (and discussed)….

here's the first one

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/13 ... of-2010/P0

[Jonathan E.]

An interesting selection — and I am shockingly unfamiliar with many of the titles. Seemed like a pretty solid intro and recap of "The Year in World Music" to me.

[howard male]

Hi KK.

Having followed up your link to popmatters, Best of World Music, I then branched out into looking at their 70 albums of the year list. Fun to see Janelle Monae at number one, and Konono No1 in their somewhere too.

Believe it or not I had a quick listen to all the albums I’d not heard before (probably about 80% of them) via the one track/video under each accompanying commentary.

Obviously most of it was pretty forgettable and predictably indie/arty, but my best find was the latest album from New Orleans band Galactic (which I do remember vaguely from an earlier album.) But this new one has real guts and a great balance between chunky, organic, rolling New Orleans funk grooves and contemporary hip-hop edge. So in an unprecedented move for a music journalist I’m going to go in to town tomorrow to buy myself a copy. Check out ‘Ya-Ka-May' by Galactic on Spotify and see what you think.

[David Flower]

pop matters' lists are refreshingly different. I'm out spotifying . So far The Punch Brothers sound good. Anyone know anything about them?

it's hard to find other such lists that cover SOTW territory, though here's one that's not so far away

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/list ... -2010.html

[Jonathan E.]

Matt m gave the Punch Brothers the nod over at http://www.charliegillett.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=14280&start=15#p94081, the "other" Top Ten of 2010 topic.

Punch Brothers 'Antifogmatic' was a brain-peeling listen, but a bit too up-its-own-arse. 'Alex' is a great song though.

[Chris P]

World Music Central post up 6 of their & their associates' Top Tens

http://worldmusiccentral.org/2010/12/14/best-world-music-recordings-of-2010-editors-picks/

wide ranging

[kk]

not really a "Best of..." list, but these are Neil Spencer's "favourite overlooked" albums from the Observer

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/de ... -pop-world



(thanks Howard for the Galactic tip. i don't have Spotify here, but the amazon soundsnippets seemed to have a nice party vibe even though I am not too keen on hip hop - maybe it will be something to come back to in the summer...)

[DavidM]

Here is Mark Coles Top Ten for the year, as featured on his latest World of Music programme;

1. The Creole Choir of Cuba
Tande-la, Read World

2. Trumpet Shorty
Backatown, Verve, B0014194-02

3. Sister Fa — Sarabah
Sarabah, Piranha, CD-PIR2334

4. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté
Ali and Toumani, World Circuit

5. Wai
Ora, Te Mangai Paho, CDJAY416

6. Tied result:
Zafer Erda (?)
Beyond Istanbul 2, Trikont, US-0398
+
The Sound of Siam, Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz and Molam from Thailand 1964 -1975
Soundway Records

7. Kiosk
Triple Distilled, 2010 : 9821 Productions

8. Paolo Conte
Nelson, Wrasse Records, WRASS274

9. Hanggai
He Who Travels Far, World Connection, LC10236

10. AfroCubism
Uncut, UNCUT 201101

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00cdz48#synopsis

[Philellinas]

Mark Coles's selection is certainly eclectic and I wouldn't necessarily include any of them in my own top ten but vive la différence ! The Beyond Istanbul 2 compilation on Trikont caught my eye as I claim some interest in Turkish music. The artist featured on the World of Music programme is Zafer Erdaş. Another title on the album I found intriguing:-
Sevil Öztatli : Seks Seks seks. I wonder what that track could be all about?

[Rob Hall]

2. Trumpet Shorty
Backatown, Verve, B0014194-02

That should read "Trombone Shorty". My copy arrived yesterday - after being held up in the post for ages - but I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I'm intrigued to see it listed in Mark Coles' top 10.

[DavidM]

That'll teach me to cut and paste direct from the BBC programme notes. Check your sources.

I think it's an interesting list, and judging from the samples he played on the show, well worth a listen. Like any good deejay, Mark Coles communicates a genuine enthusiasm for the music he's playing, and it seems to me he's covering a wide range of stuff, too. Which just leaves me sad as ever that his show is going to be cut. (...Bastards)

[matt m]

I have a love/hate relationship with the Punch Brothers music. I interviewed em once. Really talented guys, they ooze music. But they just can't resist fiddling around. They have the musician's equivalent of restless leg syndrome.

Anyway, yes, their album from this year, "Antifogmatic", is well worth buying, it has some gorgeous moments and it's their most satisfying so far. If they ever relaxed a bit, maybe stopped practicing their instruments for 6 months, they'd make a brilliant album. Check out that song 'Alex', beautiful.

[matt m]

I'd totally forgotten that there was a Paolo Conte album this year! I'll have to give that a spin. Like Leonard Cohen, his musical backing is sometimes questionable, but his voice never lets you down. And his 'Novecento' album is one of my all-time favourite albums ever.

hmmmm, I see it's on Spotify....

[David Flower]

Mondomix, French based world music portal and hosts of this site and Froots', announce their top 50

http://www.mondomix.com/fr/tag/les-50-a ... 1222145245

[David Flower]

there's lots of interest to check on Mondomix's top 50 of 2010. So here it is in snail pen:

also interesting to note Crammed Discs (Belgian) have 5 entries, and World Village (French) also 5. Perhaps it shows the influence of local press and media (Mondomix being French based that is)

50 Féloche : La vie Cajun (Naïve)
49 Hanggaï : He who travels far (World Connection)
48 Withefields Brother: Earthology (Now Again)
47 Asmara All Stars : Eritrea's got soul (Out Here Records)
46 Cibelle : Las Venus Resort Palace Hotel (Crammed)
45 Clinton Fearon : Mi Deh Yah (Makasound)
44 Trio Joubran : A l'ombre des mots (avec la voix de Mahmoud Darwich) (World Village)
43 Magnifico : Magnification (Piranha)
42 Asa : Beautiful imperfection (Naïve)
41 Panico : Kick (Tiger Sushi)

40 Syriana : Road to Damascus (Real World)
39 Lokua Kanza : Nkolo (World Village)
38 Balkan Beat Box : Blue eyed black boy (Crammed)
37 Bibi Tanga & The Sélénites : Dunya
36 Enrique Morente : Flamenco en directo (Emarcy)
35 Baloji : Kinshasa succursale (EMI)
34 Dhafer Youssef : Abu Nawas Rhapsody (Jazzland Rec)
32 Curumin : Japan Pop Show (Makasound)
31 Fool's Gold : Fool's Gold (Cinq 7)

30 Omar Souleyman : Jazeera Nights (Sublime Frequencies)
29 Tetine : From A Forest Near You (Slum Dunk)
28 Axel Krygier : Pesebre (Crammed)
27 Mahmoud Ahmed & Imperial Bodyguard Band Ethiopiques, vol. 26 - 1972-1974 (Buda Musique)
26 Romane & Stochelo Rosenberg – Djangologists (Enja)
25 Gonjasufi A Sufi and a Killer (Warp)
24 Various Artists "Tradi-Mods VS Rockers" (Crammed)
23 Konono n°1 : Assume Crash Position (Crammed)
22 Bomba Estereo : Estalla (Polen)
21 Various Artists : Afrique 50 ans de musique, 50 ans d'indépendances : 1960-2010 (Discograph / Sterns)

20 Ali Reza Ghorbani : Les chants brûlés (Accords croisés)
19 Various Artists : Shangaan Electro New Wave - Dance Music From South Africa (Honest Jon’s)
18 Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabate : Ali et Toumani (World Circuit)
17 M.I.A. : ^^^y^ (XL Recordings)
16 Jacky Molard & Foune Diarra : N'Diale (Innacor)
15 Fantazio : Cinq Mille Ans De Danse Crue et de Grands Pas Chassés (La Triperie)
14 Yom : Unue (Buda Musique)
13 Antonio Zambujo : Guia (World Village)
12 Various Artists : Next stop to Soweto, vol.2 : Soultown. R&B, Funk & Psych Sounds from the Townships - 1969-1976 (Strut / K7 Records)
11 Femi Kuti : Africa for Africa (La Cile)

10 Areski : Le triomphe de l'amour (Emarcy / Universal)
9 Dave Holland & Pepe Habichuela : Hands (Emarcy / Universal)
8 Amazigh Kateb : Marchez Noir (Iris Musique)
7 Johnny Cash : American VI : Ain't no grave (American Recordings)
6 Natacha Atlas : Mounqaliba (World Village)
5 Ibrahim Maalouf : Diachronism (Mis'Ter Productions)
4 Seu Jorge & Almaz : Seu Jorge & Almaz (Now Again)
3 Kyrie Kristmanson : Origin of stars (No Format)
2 Tumi & The Volume : Pick a dream (Sakifo Records)
1 Danyel Waro : Aou Amwin (Cobalt)