Xango Music celebrating 23 years distributing local music from all over the world Office: Singelstraat 1, 3513 BL Utrecht, NL www.xmd.nl - [email protected] - +31 6 260 263 60 Warehouse: Berenkoog 53 C, 1822 BN, Alkmaar (NL) e: [email protected] t: +31 (0)72 - 567 3030 NEW RELEASES NO. 2 – 2021 Sam Mangwana: Lubamba (release February 5th, 2021) MDC 27 / € 10,95 / 3770002263303 / label: Music Development Company / format: CD / Congo – Rumba Sam Mangwana, 75, born in Kinshasa (DRC) to Angolan parents, now embodies the golden age of Congolese rumba. A herald of pan-Africanism, a contemporary witness of the great era of independence, he is still capable of getting all generations to dance, as in the ballrooms of old times. ‘Lubamba’, his latest album is the ultimate proof that emotion and commitment have no age limit. Sam Mangwana has lived, played and sang Rumba right through the golden period of African music accompanying and packing stadiums with Franco Luambo’s TPOK Jazz throughout the seventies to the early eighties and prior with Tabu Ley Rochereau in the late sixties in his African National Fiesta with another stint to follow in the late seventies with him. San Salvador: La Grande Folie MDC 26 / € 10,95 / 5051083162722 / label: Music Development Company / format: CD / France – Folk Six powerful, united, earthy, almost shamanic voices with a deep percussion accompaniment producing unforgettable hypnotic folk. Meet San Salvador, a young French group that sings in the Occitan dialect. In their captivating debut album 'La Grande Folie' the sextet impresses with its mastery of harmonies, exuding emotion and modernity. They went through rock and punk, mixing brass instruments with their voices, before returning six years ago to an a cappella format reinforced by two bass toms and a tambourine. Their polyphony is as rooted as it is creative, as traditional as it is resolutely contemporary. Listen. Various: Zanzibarra 10 – First Modern: Taarab Vibes From Mombasa & Tanga 1970-1990 BUDA 860354 / € 11,05 / 3341348603544 / label: Buda Musique / format: CD / Zanzibar – Popular Taarab is a music genre popular in Tanzania and Kenya. It is influenced by the musical traditions of the African Great Lakes, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. In the early 1970s a new taarab emerged in the East African coastal cities of Mombasa and Tanga: In Mombasa, Matano Juma’s Morning Star replaced strings with distorted organ sounds, amplified violin or clarinet; Zuhura Swaleh promoted an electrified tashkota as a major new sound in her band, digging deep in coastal ngoma rhythms and dances. Crossing the border from Kenya to Tanzania, in Tanga, Black Star Musical Club’s electric guitars and dance music rhythms paved the way for a broader audience away from the coastal Swahili towns. Tao Ravao & Vincent Bucher: Piment Blue BUDA 860363 / € 11,05 / 3341348603636 / label: Buda Musique / format: CD / Madagascar – Blues Haunting and melancolic melodies delivered with subtle and spicy elegance, ‘Piment Blue’, Tao Ravao and Vincent Bucher new album takes us on board for a trip landing on the shores of southern creole Blues, Malagasy infectious beat and African echoes. An authentic and unique blend in today’s musical landscape. Tao’s love for Malagasy music led him to work as artistic director to great artists such as D’Gary, Jean Émilien, Sengue and Rajery. For the moment, alongside his collaboration with Tao, Vincent accompanies the great Boubacar Traoré on stage and on record. Listen to a track. Joao Farinha: Solto FAC 2868718 / € 10,95 / 7427128687181 / label: Fado ao Centro / format: CD / Portugal – Fado In this new album of originals, Joao Farinha presents 11 songs in which he breaks new ground for music that is (still) fado: through fusion with other instruments, but also through collaboration with artists he admires. On this album, his voice is joined by the guitars of Hugo Gamboias and Diogo Passos, the bass of Ricardo Melo, the percussion of Quine Teles and instruments such as the ukulele and electric guitar. Among the guests, in addition to Jose Rebola, who wrote the lyrics for the song that gives the album its title, next Joao Farinha invited Tiago Nogueira and Viviane. But also, on this album, Joao Farinha travels to the other side of the Atlantic, with the Brazilian artist Beto do Bandolim who participates in a popular theme. Listen. Astori Amsterdam: Verhalen uit Buenos Aires AACD 1 / € 9,45 / 0195448589627 / label: Astori Amsterdam / format: CD / Netherlands – Tango Many compositions on this CD are by Astor Piazzolla, the king of the tango nuevo. He renewed the tango and he often worked together with poet Horacio Ferrer. Astori Amsterdam has also included a number of beautiful songs made famous by Mercedes Sosa, one of the great interpreters of Argentine song. Finally, famous names such as Carlos Gardel and Horacio Guarany could not be missing, of course. Let the subtle poetry and rousing music take you to the heart of Argentina, to a world of crazy love, heartbreaking homesickness, raw poverty and the shimmering energy of the city of Buenos Aires! Teaser. Xango Music Distribution Release #2 – 2021 Pagina | 1 Moonshye: Curtain Of The Moon RRMCM 4 / € 10,95 / 8595026642256 / label: Rustical Records / format: CD / Czech Republic – Fusion Czech singer and songwriter Moonshye originates from Silesia - the crossroads of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. The collection of ten songs combines the genre´s incomprehensibility with elements of world music and alternative folk, the diversity of vocal expression, the atmosphere of songs and musical instruments. In her songs she seeks the beauty of the human soul through symbols from nature. She tries to capture its bright and dark sides, desires and moments of ascension and enlightenment. Two song best illustrate this: the title song is inspired by the moon, she is fascinated by its variability and the fact that its beauty is often hidden from your eyes. The song Garden is then about what we do not see. Listen to a track. Marjo Smolander: Cosmologies MKM 1 / € 9,95 / 6420114021625 / label: Manus / format: CD / Finland – Fusion On the album 'Cosmologies' Marjo collaborates with different artists from different countries. West Africa is strongly presented. The album was recorded in living rooms and standard recording studios across four different countries, Finland, Senegal, Denmark and Mali. The driving force behind the album was the exploration of musical communication between artists from different cultures and how emotions and stories were transmitted to people who have different cosmologies. The musical traditions of the different cultures represented on the album are presented in an inspiring and fluent way. Music is not just music. It talks. It comforts, and it nurtures. Watch the album presentation. Poklade: Balkantransz FA 4592 / € 11,95 / 5998048545926 / label: Fono / format: CD / Hungary – Balkan The new album of the band from the multi-ethnic town Mohacs brings a real Balkan athmosphere to us! Poklade the Balkans. The song of the cicadas, shards of breaking glasses, the fire of rakia. Flavors, colors, spices, pain and the will to live, but most of all the kind of ancient energy that sticks to the hand, then flies off. Another superb Balkan record from Fono! The music on 'Balkantransz' is a true 'poklade' – this great fullblooded music is like a real transformation. Mohacs is a multi-ethnic town on the banks of the Danube; in Hungary it is known as "the acropolis of tambura music". 'Balkantransz' is Balkan music transformed and restated in Poklade style. Listen. Bea Palya: Elet – Life PBPE 8 / 12,95 / 5999886178055 / label: PBPE / format: CD / Hungary – Folk Bea Palya is a distinctive figure of the Hungarian world music and songwriter scene. Her early career was influenced by Hungarian folk songs mixed with Bulgarian, Jewish and Gypsy music as a result of her inquiry to learn more about her ethnical roots. Bea takes traditional elements and builds something completely new from it. The pure honesty of her lyrics inspires you to think, as she taps into social and personal topics of everyday life. Her amazing vocal skills gives her the ability to connect with her listeners. Bea is ready to return to the international scene with her always renewing soundscape. Listen to a track. Cimbaliband & Alexandra Horvath: Gipsy Fusion FA 4582 / € 11,95 / 5998048545827 / label: Fono / format: CD / Hungary – Gypsy Roma voice and string jugglers with characteristic voices are eluded from the Wild East in Cimbaliband’s new album 'Gipsy Fushion'. Alexandra Horvath, who came to Budapest from Transylvania, sings on the album of this band, led by the unique cimbalom player, Balazs Unger, bringing with her the most beautiful treasures of the gypsy folklore. This record is a tribute to the memory of the great Roma ancestors. It contains adaptations that have been passed down to posterity by singers and musicians of Roma descent who have made considerable popularity in the past. To this day, they have an impact on the ever-changing, evolving ‘language’ of world music. Listen. Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band: Road To Glenfinnan OLP 8 / € 10,95 / 0880992156769 / label: Birnam Music / format: CD / Scotland – Folk The Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band are delighted to announce their third album release, ‘Road to Glenfinnan’, which brings Scottish & Irish jigs, reels, sing-a-long ceilidh songs and joy direct to your home. The band is made up of stalwarts from the traditional music scene, equally at home touring the great stages of the world as performing in the local village hall. On fiddle is Iain MacFarlane, Iain MacMaster on accordion, Ingrid Henderson on piano & Colm O’ Rua on banjo along with special guests, Hugh MacCallum & Joe Gillies on drums & vocals. Without doubt the number one exponents of real Scottish West Highland culture bar none, the epitome of what it means to be an authentic Highland Band.