The Whole Music Experience

Best Newcomer, Brianna Lea Pruett, Gypsy Bells, Canyon Records Top World and Traditional Album Ana Alcaide, La Cantiga del Fuego, Arc Music 2. Vieux Farka Toure, Mon Pays, Six Degrees 3. The Idan Raichel Project, Quarter to Six, Cumbancha 4. The Henry Girls, December Moon, independent release 5. Mario Adnet, Villa Lobos, Boranda 6. Maria Ana Bobone, Fado and Piano, Arc Music 7. Nitanas Largo, Serenity, Canyon Records 8. R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman, Awakening the Fire, Canyon Records 9. Vasco Hernandez, Luz de Otro Manana, Arc Music 10. Techung, On the Road, Arc Music Honorable Mention: Cheevers Toppah, A Good Day, A Better Tomorrow, Canyon Records

Top Album Best of Ravi Shankar, Arc Music  2. Javier Perianes, Debussy Meets Chopin, Harmonia Mundi 3. Godwanda Dawn (South African and Indian), Arc Music 4. William Byrd Ensemble, In the Company of William Byrd, Scribe Records 5. Angela Hewitt and Andrea Oliva, Bach's Flute Sonatas, Hyperion  6. Stile Antico, The Phoenix Rises, Harmonia Mundia 7. La Nuova Musica, Handel/Vivaldi Dixit Dominus, Harmonia Mundi 8. Ballake Sissoko, At Peace, Six Degrees  9. Jerusalem Quartet and Sharon Kam, Brahms Clarinet Quintet, Harmonia Mundi 10. Orchid Ensemble, Life Death Tears Dream, independent release

TOP CD #1 Virginie Teychene, Bright and Sweet, Jazz Village 2. Deborah Latz, Fig Tree, June Moon Productions 3. Mark Winkler, The Laura Nyro Project, Cafe Pacific Records 4. Nilson Mattas, Black Orpheus, Motema  5. Joe Barbieri, Chet Lives!, Le Chant du Monde 6. Hector Del Curto, Eternal Piazzolla, Green Parrot 7. Ahmad Jamal, Saturday Morning, Jazz Village 8. Joe Locke, Lay Down My Heart, Motema 9. Ablaye Cissoko and Volker Goetz, Amanke Dionti, Motema  10. Mulatu Astatke, Sketches of Ethiopia, Jazz Village Coming up Top 10 Classical Albums and Top 10 World Music Albums...

Final CD Review World   Kevin Seddiki and Bijan Chemirani   Imaginarium   World Village    Sometimes we need to lose ourselves in our imagination and often time music provides us this avenue as fodder for fantasy.   For anyone with the desire to escape to somewhere truly exotic, the percussionist and lute duo Kevin Seddiki (guitars and percussion) and Bijan Chemirani (saz (Iranian/Turkish long-neck lute, Persian/Arabic drums and percussion) provide the soundtrack on their CD, Imaginarium (try getting that word past spell check). The mix of music genres ranges from Persian classical with improvisations to Arab-Andalusian and classical guitar.   The guitars along with the drums/percussion provide snaky rhythms, but even so, the music leans towards revelry and not foot-tapping.   La Bohême takes us on a Spanish guitar flight in all its lushness and warmth.   On Saturn’s Rings has a distracting raspy vibration which...