CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Tribal Derivations

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Beats Antique

Release Date April 10, 2007
I stumbled upon this CD in my quest for finding good, danceable music to practice my fledgling dancing skills...I am very pleased! The music is a grooving mix of percussion, electronic, and traditional sounds with some great musical surprises that can lend themselves well to choreography. I look forward to more innovative sounds coming from this group. :) Happy listening!

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

The Essential Ravi Shankar

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Ravi Shankar

Release Date October 04, 2005
Other reviewers here have noted that, if all you want is one CD of Ravi Shankar's music, this 2-CD set ought to do the trick. It also works as a good capsule introduction to Ravi-ji and his music; Disc One is a more pure distillation of Hindustani music, where Disc Two gives the listener a sampling of his collaborations with Western artists, all of whom seem to have had a good grasp on what was needed to make the collaborations work (not always the case with cross-cultural experiments).

Another bonus is that many of these tracks are not as readily available as one might like (I've yet to find a copy of the Chappaqua soundtrack anywhere), so their inclusion here is all the more welcomed. It is also helpful if one does not wish to ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Arabic Groove

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Various Artists

Release Date June 12, 2001
I heard this in a retail store first and resisted buying to get it from amazon...love it. and everyone wants a copy....lol.

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Harem

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Sarah Brightman, Frank Peterson

Release Date June 10, 2003
I bought this four years ago when it was first released and didn't like it. I only listened to it once back then - I think I was expecting another Eden or La Luna. I put this cd in my player last month and fell in love with it. This is my favorite Sarah Brightman cd. I actually love it more than Eden and La Luna (both were extremely good). I own all of her cds, but this one is her best. My favorite tracks are 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13 and 14. Sarah's voice is so beautiful - she's extremely talented. I'm going to add the DVD to my wish list.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Putumayo Presents: Turkish Groove

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Various Artists

Release Date March 21, 2006
I have been an avid follower of Putumayo for some time. The music on this disc simply stated is uplifting, gets your feet moving, and quite catchy. I buy music as I hear it, rarely do I turn the radio on to catch what's new. Simply put, this CD offers a change to the groove series, a departure maybe, which in this world it is pretty cool to be different. So overall the CD lives up to my expectations.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Bellydance Superstars, Vol. 5

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Various Artists

Release Date October 23, 2007
As a fan of BDSS music and shows, I've been disappointed with the latest efforts (Versions 3 and 4). While I still think nothing will top the first music CD put out by the BDSS, Volume 5 is a great CD.

I agree with the previous reviewer that the opening song is simply the most beautiful piece of belly dance composed in a long time. It's haunting and I can't help but dance when I hear it. There are also some fun, upbeat danceable songs on this CD, but there are several songs that I couldn't use for my style - too repetitive in their beats.

By biggest complaint is the same complaint I've had with past BDSS CDs, there is no good drum solo on the CD! My favorite CDs are those that contain music from which I can create a complete ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Desert Crossroads

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Etran Finatawa

Release Date April 22, 2008
With the recent popularity of Tuareg rock group Tinariwen, it seems that Tuareg music has experienced something of a blossoming on the so-called World Music scene. Unfortunately, few can meet the passion or intensity of the original. What sets Etran Finatawa apart, however, is that they combine the music traditions of the Tuareg with that of their Wodaabe Fulani from across the Sahara. The result is a very interesting, cross-cultural project that still manages to retain that cool, rootsy blues sound of the Sahel. Having seen Etran Finatawa live, I have to say this album does a great job capturing the mood and feeling of their music.

Desert Crossroads is actually their second commercial release, and it shows. Although the album is very smoothly ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Putumayo Presents: Sahara Lounge

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Various Artists

Release Date January 20, 2004
THIS IS BY FAR ONE OF THE BEST CD'S I HAVE PURCHASED WITH MIDDLEASTERN MUSIC ON IT. AND THAT SAYS ALOT FOR ME AS AN AMERICAN. lOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT. NICE GROOVE LOUNGE TYPE OF MUSIC AND NOT OVER WELMING. A MUST BUY.

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Elysium for the Brave

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Azam Ali

Release Date July 25, 2006
My husband likes this cd very much. His choice when drifting off to sleep.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

The Rain

CD-Charts > Music > General
by: Ghazal

Release Date August 26, 2003
World fusion music generally involves the merging into one piece of divergent types of music from different countries. Sometimes it succeeds, sometimes not; in this case, it does because the two musics represented here, raga (Indian classical music) and Persian classical music, are from closely neighbouring regions of the world. In fact, it works beyond the musicians' wildest dreams. The Rain is an amazing performance very much in the tradition of Middle Eastern and South Asian music.

Kayhan Kalhor (a master kamancheh player) and Shujaat Husain Khan (a 7th-generation master raga musician) are joined on these three extended pieces by Sandeep Das on the tablas. My only complaint is that no lyrics are included for us to get an idea of what Khan is singing, ... Read More: