[FA Worldmusic] NAWMC: Aug/Sept 2007 Newletter

[Sabrina Sadeghi]

If you are not on the NAWMC mailing list, please email info at worldmusic.org 
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*some additions have been made to this version that did not appear in the 
original version!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
North American World Music Coalition Newsletter
August/September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INDEX
--COALITION NEWS
--CD RELEASES
--TOUR DATES WANTED
--MORE TOUR DATES WANTED
--SIGNINGS
--PEOPLE
--RETAIL NEWS
--VENUE/FESTIVAL NEWS
--MEDIA NEWS
--INDUSTRY EVENTS
--OFFER SERVICES
--WILD CARD - NEWS YOU CAN USE
--Join The World Music Coalition Today!

Greetings!

Welcome to the 10TH e-newsletter of the North American World Music Coalition 
(NAWMC), www.worldmusiccoalition.org. Thank you to all who have submitted 
items for this newsletter. This will be the last newsletter until many 
Coalition members meet again face-to-face in Seville at WOMEX 2007; we look 
forward to meeting and mingling and sharing news en vivo in just over one 
month! Special props again to those who took advantage of NAWMC's WOMEX 
registration discount earlier this summer.

Don't see your info listed in this newsletter? JOIN US!!!

To join NAWMC, please print, fill out, and mail in our membership form on 
our website. Basic membership is more affordable than you might think! 
Encourage your colleagues to join - the more people that join, the more 
useful this tool will be for members. For questions/comments about this 
newsletter, please send them to: info at worldmusiccoalition.org.

Happy Reading!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COALITION NEWS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NORTH AMERICAN NETWORKING MEETING at WOMEX SEVILLA
Friday, October 26 from 18:00 - 19:00 in the Ronda Room
North Americans! If you really want to meet your North American
counterparts and colleagues, fly across the Atlantic to WOMEX and attend 
this session! Put faces with
names, exchange ideas, hear updates from the North American World Music 
Coalition, and add your voice to the community.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CD RELEASES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COLOMBIAFRICA: THE MYSTIC ORCHESTRA, Voodoo Love Inna Champeta Land 
(Colombia)
Champeta is the riotous Afro-Colombian street sound
of Colombia's Caribbean coast - a powder-keg of
rhythms from local slave descendents brewed
together with Congolese soukous, Ghanaian highlife,
and Nigerian Afro-beat. Three years in the making,
Voodoo Love Inna Champeta Land  finds
Colombian Champeta stars Viviano Torres, Luis
Towers and Justo Valdez jamming with African
legends Dally Kimoko, Diblo Dibala, Sikou Diabati,
Nyboma and Rigo Star, bringing roots Afro-
Colombian grooves back home to African soil. Afro-
Latin grooves have never sounded like this before.
Label: Riverboat/World Music Network
Distributed by: Ryko
Contact: Mark Gorney, 415-826-2638, mark at worldisc.net, www.worldmusic.net
Release date: 11/9/07

CYRO BAPTISTA'S ANTHROPO-FAGIA (US/Brazil)
An ambitious and exciting new release from virtuoso
percussionist Cyro Baptista and his new project:
Anthropo-Fagia.  The band's concept is a musical
manifestation of the process of eating, swallowing,
and digesting all the tendencies that are part of the
sonic landscape and our environment. Their music is
the product of all sounds that each has consumed
over the years; some sounds were digested and
others were thrown right back up. The result is a
sound that makes it difficult to identify a specific
country, culture, or religion.  A distinctive composer
and vocalist in his own right, Cyro Baptista has
played with an incredible range of musicians, from
Paul Simon, Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson and
Herbie Hancock to Medeski, Martin and Wood, Phish
and Sting.
Label: Tzadik
Contact: Eleonora Alberto, 201-569-6083, ele at cyrobaptista.com, 
www.cyrobaptista.com
Release date: 03/08

PUERTO PLATA, Mujer de Cabaret (Dominican Republic)
Puerto Plata's debut album  Mujer de Cabaret
will take you back to the golden age of Dominican
guitar music.  A contemporary of the Cuban greats of
the 1930's and '40's, Puerto Plata sings classic son,
bolero and merengue in a style that gives testament
to a time gone but not forgotten: of serenades,
carousing and revelry.  Plata's sweet, nostalgic voice
is accompanied by those of requinto virtuosos Edilio
Predes and Frank Mendez.
Label: IASO Records
Distributed by RYKO USA and WARNER Digital Worldwide
Contact: Benjamin de Menil, 212-372-7535, ben at iasorecords.com, 
www.iasorecords.com
Release date: 11/6/07

SHANTEL,  Disko Partizani (Germany)
After pioneering the concept of Balkan clubbing with
his now legendary Bucovina Club parties and
albums, Stefan Hantel, aka Shantel, moves on to the
next level with his first solo album in seven years,
Disko Partizani!  which lays the foundations for an
innovative new brand of pop music. This is the sound
of New Europe, centered in the middle of the old
continent but incorporating vibrant influences from
the emerging new frontiers which stretch all the way
from Europe to the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, and
beyond.
Label: Crammed Discs
Distributed by: Ryko
Contact: Mark Gorney, 415-826-2638, mark at worldisc.net, www.crammed.be
Release date: 10/9/07

TAJ WEEKES & ADOWA,  Deidem  (St. Lucia)
A more conscious and timely record than their
critically acclaimed debut release,  Hope &
Doubt,  Taj Weekes & Adowa introduce
audiences to  Deidem  - a classic roots reggae
album filled with melodies that are deliberate and
focused.  Taj's songwriting is stellar, discussing more
global and humanitarian issues such as global
warming, the effects of Hurricane Katrina, and the
crisis in Darfur.  Though the topics are insightful and
serious, the grooves, melodies and rhythms are the
familiar backbeats that reggae and world music fans
of all ages know and love.   Deidem  is
destined to be a classic album, one that critics no
doubt will embrace, examine and emulate as they did with Hope & Doubt.
Label: Jatta Records
Contact: Shirley J. Menard, SJM Media Consulting & Management, Inc., 
516-482-4530 or 917-488-5982, smenard683 at aol.com, www.sjmmedia.com, 
www.tajandadowa.com
Release Date:  10/07

TARAF DE HAODOUKS,  Maskarada (Romania)
On their first studio recording since 2001's acclaimed
Band Of Gypsies,  the world's premier Balkan
Gypsy band tackles classical music! In the early 20th
century, many composers drew their inspiration from
national folklore, often borrowing from Roma
musicians to create their own vision of an exotic and
largely imaginary Orient. Things have now been
turned around as one of the world's leading Gypsy
bands has taken hold of classical pieces by Bartsk,
Khachaturian, Albeniz and others and have "re-
gypsyfied" them, giving them an exhilarating make-
over - a new kind of folklore returning with a
vengeance.
Label: Crammed Discs
Distributed by: Ryko
Contact: Mark Gorney, 415-826-2638, mark at worldisc.net, www.crammed.be
Release date: 11/9/07

VARIOUS ARTISTS,  Bachata Roja: Acoustic Bachata from the Cabaret Era  
(Dominican Republic)
Bachata Roja  is the first ever compilation of
classic Dominican bachata.  Arising from the urban
bordellos and the rural campos, bachata music grew
to become wildly popular across all strata of society.
>From the early 1960's to the late 1980's, the defining
sound of bachata was that of the Spanish acoustic
guitar, whose florid phrasing seduced dancers,
chastised faithless lovers and softly serenaded coy
mistresses of the night.
Label: IASO Records
Distributed by: RYKO USA and WARNER Digital Worldwide
Contact: Benjamin de Menil, 212-372-7535, ben at iasorecords.com, 
www.iasorecords.com
Release date: 11/6/07

VARIOUS ARTISTS,  Caravan of Light: Incantation  (USA)
Caravan of Light: Incantation  draws from a
rich catalog of global-minded artists using music as a
means for social and spiritual connection.
Incantation  spans the gamut of acoustic and
electronic music, merging powerful artists of many
diasporas into one unified culture. From Persian
electronica and Turkish flutes to remixed Tibetan
monks' chants to Californian dub,  Incantation
sonically invokes the spirit of a growing community of
musicians. Compiled by Sahar Farmanfarmaian and
Joshua Jacobs, the result is an enchanted journey
through future and ancient music.
Label: Lua Productions/Quango/Universal
Contact: Joshua Jacobs, 917-464-3863, 333 at ambientgroove.com, 
www.caravanoflight.com
Release Date: 10/9/07


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TOUR DATES WANTED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANDY PALACIO & THE GARIFUNA COLLECTIVE: Belize, 8 members
The Garifuna represent a unique cultural hybrid
distinguished by African and Amerindian elements.
Their music draws equally on sacred ancestral
chants and the distinctive parandero rhythms in its
secular form. Punta rocker Andy Palacio's
charismatic vocals front a line-up that includes
traditional Garifuna drummers and incendiary guitars.
Tour dates begin: September 2008
Tour dates end: November 2008
Contact: Alison Loerke, 206-525-2425, alison at aliaagency.com, 
www.aliaagency.com

ALTAN: Ireland, 5 Members
For over twenty years no Irish traditional band has
had a wider impact on audiences and music lovers
throughout the world than Altan. Their award winning
recordings and live performances bring the beauty of
traditional Celtic music, particularly that of Donegal
fiddlers and singers, to contemporary audiences.
Tour dates begin: Late February 2008
Tour Dates end: March 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/altan

ANGILIQUE KIDJO: Benin, 7-9 Members
One of the world's most electrifying performers,
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angilique Kidjo has
garnered four Grammy nominations while cross-
pollinating the West African music of Benin with
elements of R&B, funk, jazz, and Latin. With her fun-
loving personality and her on-stage charisma,
Angilique is one of the most popular artists on the
current world music scene.  Her new album,  Djin
Djin,  was released earlier this year via Razor &
Tie and Starbucks Entertainment featuring duets with
notables such as Josh Groban (who has tapped her
as sole support for his North America tour that kicks
off in February), Carlos Santana, Peter Gabriel, Alicia
Keyes, Joss Stone and more.
Tour dates: Summer 2008 and Spring 2009
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/angeliquekidjo

ASHLEY MAHER, US/Canada, world/folk/jazz/pop, 2-9 members
Ashley Maher is an original - a singer-composer-
bandleader who lives in the West yet is truly at home
with African and other world music traditions. Her
highly individual and infectious brand of world/folk/
jazz has gained her an international following, four
acclaimed albums, and performances with several
major African icons.  Ashley has opened for Salif
Keita, Baaba Maal, Vusi Mahlasela, Zap Mama, and
Dobet Gnahore.  Youssou N'Dour just released a
song Ashley co-wrote ("Boul Bayekou) as the first
track on his new Senegalese CD, Alsaama Day.  She is touring to promote her 
fourth CD,
Flying Over Bridges, produced by Cameroon's Andre
Manga.  Her lineups are flexible, ranging in size from
acoustic to world/jazz to her Big Global Band,
featuring world-class musicians from West Africa and
Latin America and fiery West African dancers.  Ashley
will attend WOMEX this October.
Tour dates:  Open
Contact:  Melissa Philips, Swift Entertainment Booking, 510-734-5149, 
melissa.swiftbooking at gmail.com, http://www.ashleymaher.com

ASWAT-CELEBRATING THE GOLDEN AGE OF ARAB MUSIC: Palestine, Egypt, Syria, 
Lebanon, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, Arabic, 25-30 members
Working with a traditional Arab orchestra and the
leading singers of the Arab world today, violin/oud
virtuoso Simon Shaheen directs an evening of soul-
stirring music and multi-media that traces Egypt,
Lebanon and Syria from the 1920's to the 1950's.
Proposed vocalists include world-class artists such
as Amal Maher of Egypt, Sonia M'barek of Tunisia,
Rima Khcheich of Lebanon, Mohammed Abdo of
Saudi Arabia, Saber Al Rebai of Tunisia, and Shadi
Jameel of Syria. Along with the live performance
aspect of the show, Shaheen is also pulling together
some of the best film footage available of the great
singers of the era, thus creating a multi media
experience of historical depth and lasting emotional
impact.
Tour dates begin: March 2009
Tour dates end: April 2009
Seeking: all North American cities
Contact: Steve Heath, SRO Artists, Inc., 608-664-8160, 
sgheath at sroartists.com, http://www.sroartists.com/artists/aswat

BAABA MAAL: Senegal, 10-13 members
Praised as one of Africa's finest artists, Baaba Maal
creates music for the world that is "a triumphant
image of tradition surviving amid modernity."  -
New York Times  His stunning, high-energy
performances in traditional Senegalese costume
include dancing interspersed with driving rhythms
and music, and are a magnificent balance of
Senegalese roots and western pop. A new album,
produced by The Roots, is to be released on PALM in
February 2007.
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.baabamaal.tv

BALLET FOLKLORICO "QUETZALLI" DE VERACRUZ: Mexico, Mexican music and dance, 
16 members
Founded in 1985, Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli has
crisscrossed the globe, exciting audiences of all
ages. Their visual fiesta of culture and folklore
features many regional dances of old Mexico, in
particular, their home state of Veracruz (birthplace of
the world-famous "La Bamba"). The music, performed
live on authentic stringed instruments, punctuates the
meticulous movement, colorful clothing and perfect
pulse established by the dancers. Earning standing
ovations from Cuba to Malaysia, Quetzalli proves
they are one of Mexico's most popular exports!
Tour dates begin: mid-April 2008
Tour dates end: mid-May 2008
Seeking: West/Northwest United States
Contact: Steve Heath, SRO Artists, Inc., 608-664-8160, 
sgheath at sroartists.com, http://www.sroartists.com/artists/balletfolklorico/

CiU: Brazil, 3 members
"Bringing in elements of jazz, soul, samba, Musica
Popular Brasileira, electronica, reggae, hip-hop and
trip-hop, her relaxed tunes are packed with lovely
melodies and her colorful voice." -Billboard
Her self-titled debut (released April 3, 2007) was co-
released by Starbucks Hear Music and Six Degrees
Records. In the first two weeks of the release, her
album peaked on Billboard's top 200 at #57.  In the
first three weeks of its release, the album has sold
almost 30,000 copies in addition to knocking Celtic
Woman off the #1 spot (which had been holding on to
it since August of 2005) on Billboard's Top World
Album chart.
Tour Dates: Summer 2008 and Spring 2009
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/ceu

CHERISH THE LADIES: Ireland/USA, 9-11 members
Celebrating two decades as the most successful and
sought-after Irish-American group in Celtic music
history, Cherish the Ladies share the timeless Irish
traditions passed down from fathers to their
daughters.  The all-female ensemble's spectacular
blend of virtuosi instrumental talents, beautiful vocals,
captivating arrangements and stunning step dancing
showcases all the facets of traditional Irish
culture.
Tour dates: March through April 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/cherishtheladies


CYRO BAPTISTA'S ANTHROPO-FAGIA: US/Brazil, 4 members
As a band, Antropo-Fagia is a musical manifestation
of the process of eating, swallowing, and digesting all
the tendencies that are part of the sonic landscape
and our environment. Their music is the product of all
sounds that each has consumed over the years;
some sounds were digested and others were thrown
right back up. The result is a sound that makes it
difficult to identify a specific country, culture, or
religion.  Cyro Baptista has played with an incredible
range of musicians, from Paul Simon, Wynton
Marsalis, Yo Yo Ma, Cassandra Wilson and Herbie
Hancock to Medeski, Martin and Wood, Phish and
Sting.
Seeking:  All Cities/All Dates
Contact: Myles Weinstein, 732-566-2881, myles at unlimitedmyles.com, 
www.unlimitedmyles.com, www.cyrobaptista.com

CYRO BAPTISTA & BEAT THE DONKEY: US/Brazil, 7 members
Beat The Donkey is more than just a band. It is a
multicultural, polyphonic, highly creative and
entertaining group that takes rhythms beyond their
natural frontiers and creates a brand of music too
innovative and varied to be labeled.  It is a wild,
unstoppable and torrid world beat percussive
ensemble that blends and beats a bewitching stage
stew of untamed percussion, tap dance, martial arts,
samba, jazz, rock and funk.  The musicians hail from
all over the world, wear wild, elaborate costumes and
frequently leave their instruments to break into
spontaneous dance, making the group fascinating to
watch as well as listen to.  Educational activities and
workshops offered.
Seeking:  All Cities/All Dates
Contact: Myles Weinstein, 732-566-2881, myles at unlimitedmyles.com, 
www.unlimitedmyles.com, www.cyrobaptista.com

DI MADRE IN FIGLIA (From Mother to Daughter): Italy, Italian choir, 
traditional and contemporary music, 25 members
Mondine di Novi (the Novi Rice Weeders Choir), a
living legend in their native Italy, consists of 20
women who earned a living weeding rice in the fields
and resisted the Nazi occupation during World War II.
They sang while they worked, to beat fatigue and the
burning heat. From this toil were born several of the
songs in their repertoire. Over time, the original rice
weeders' daughters, joined the group. Most of the
women in the choir are now 70 to 80 years old. They
became friends of Fiamma Fumana and are featured
on the band's recent album, home. Fiamma Fumana
bring the perspective of yet another generation, that
of women in their twenties. The traditional choir and
the ethno-electronic band, grandmothers and
granddaughters gather to perform a full-length
concert including segments from the choir alone, FF
alone, and all singing & playing. For the first time
outside their native Emilia Romagna, a rice weeders'
choir, a piper, an accordionist and a DJ will share the
stage. The result is a "traditional digital" supergroup.
Tour dates begin: September 2008
Tour dates end: October 2008
Seeking: all North American cities
Contact: Steve Heath, SRO Artists, Inc., 608-664-8160, 
sgheath at sroartists.com, http://www.sroartists.com/artists/mothertodaughter

DOBET GNAHORE: Ivory Coast, 5 Members
Introduced to North American audiences on
Putumayo's Acoustic Africa Tour, Ivory Coast vocalist
Dobet Gnahori has ignited stages in Africa and
Europe with her vibrant performances. As a child,
Dobet was trained in the music and dance traditions
of the Biti people by her father, a well-known
performer in West Africa. Dobet sings in various
African languages and her music reflects a variety of
influences from the Ivory Coast.
Tour dates: Summer 2008
Seeking these cities: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/dobetgnahore

GILBERTO GIL: Brazil, 12-15 Members
Gilberto Gil has developed one of the most relevant
and renowned careers as a singer, composer and
guitar-player in both world and pop music. In a career
that has spanned four decades, with over 30 albums
released, Gil has six gold records, four platinum
singles and five million records sold. His extensive
and prolific catalogue of work has been covered and
recorded by Joco Gilberto, Elis Regina, Gal Costa,
Sirgio Mendes, Ernie Watts, and Toots Thielmans.
As a musician and as a diplomat, Gil possesses a
key role in the constant modernization of Brazilian
popular music and culture throughout the world.
Tour dates: Summer 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/gilbertogil

GLOBAL DRUM PROJECT Featuring Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju, 
and Giovanni Hidalgo:  USA, 6 Members
Planet Drum reunited in 2006 to celebrate the fifteen-
year anniversary of the critically acclaimed album of
the same name.  The first Grammy Award winner in
the World Music Category, this all-star global
percussion ensemble - featuring percussionists from
India, Africa, Cuba, and North America - defines the
term "world beat."
Tour dates: Summer 2008
Seeking: All Territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/mickeyhart

HABIB KOITE: Mali, 6 members
In the past decade, Habib Koiti has emerged from
being one of Africa's best-kept secrets to become an
international star and one of the leading figures in
contemporary world music.  Bonnie Raitt proclaimed,
"First there was Hendrix, then Stevie Ray, and now
Habib!" Called "the biggest pop star of the West
African nation of Mali" by  Rolling Stone,
Habib Koiti's artistry and powerful personality have
earned him the adoration of fans worldwide.
Tour dates: Spring and Summer 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.habibkoite.com

IDAN RAICHEL PROJECT: Israel, 8 members
Producer, keyboardist and composer Idan Raichel
joins forces with musicians from Israel's Ethiopian
community, reflecting the diversity of the
contemporary Israeli music scene. Raichel's
entrancing fusions, sung in Hebrew, Arabic and the
Ethiopian languages of Amharic and Tikrit, have
made him Israeli popular music's greatest recent
success story. Ancient tradition meets contemporary
technology in one of the most inspirational projects in
world music today.
Tour dates: Summer 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/idanraichel

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO: South Africa, 10 members
It is Ladysmith Black Mambazo who represents the
traditional culture of South Africa. They are regarded
as South Africa's cultural emissaries at home and
around the world.  "It isn't merely the grace and
power of their dancing or the beauty of their singing
that rivets the attention, but the sheer joy and love
that emanates from their being." - Paul Simon
Tour dates: January-March and September-October 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/Ladysmithblackmambazo

LENINE: Brazil, 4 members
With his husky voice, unique style of guitar playing
and his irresistible blend of Brazilian Popular Music,
rock, and traditional music, Lenine is considered the
standard bearer of the Brazilian music scene for the
21st century. In the past year, Lenine has won two
Latin Grammys and virtually swept Brazil's annual
music awards, winning "Best CD," "Best Male
Vocalist" and "Best Song."
Tour dates: April-May 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/Lenine

NIYAZ: Persian-American, 4-5 members
Niyaz brings excitement and mystery to the stage
with performances that integrate traditional sounds
from Iran and India with 21st century technology. The
music is at once hypnotic, transcendent, and
eminently danceable. Azam's spellbinding voice
evokes images ranging from medieval Europe, to the
Middle East of the 21st century. A veteran of film
soundtracks (The Matrix: Revolutions) and
television programs (The Agency, Alias),
Azam's voice "is a glorious, unforgettable instrument."
-  Billboard  Niyaz returns with a new release
due out in the late spring of 2008.
Tour Dates: September-November 2008; April-May 2009
Contact: Alison Loerke, 206-525-2425, alison at aliaagency.com, 
www.aliaagency.com

OJOS DE BRUJO: Spain, 10 members
Awarded the "Best European World Music Artist" title
by the  BBC, and with a gold record in their
native Spain, Ojos de Brujo is leaving their mark all
over the globe. By taking all of the romantic and
percussive elements of traditional Flamenco music
and symbiotically melding it with a free mix of more
contemporary musical styles including hip-hop, folk,
Latin, funk and rock, the Barcelona band has shaken
up the world music scene with their own genre-
hybrid. "Ojos de Brujo don't just make great music,
they also generate all manner of other cultural
artifacts, all in the cause of forward thinking ~ and for
those who understand their lyrics, a 'respect for the
Planet Earth and the importance of popular wisdom'."
  -BBC Radio  Six Degrees Records released
their new record,  Techarm,  in North America
on October 31, 2006.
Tour dates: Summer 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/ojosdebrujo

ROKIA TRAORI: Mali
Mali's Rokia Traori is recognized as one of the
greatest voices in all of Africa today. Full of freshness
and verve, and with natural authority and great
integrity in her artistic choices, she has already
charmed many of the most influential musicians on
the African continent. She is perhaps most celebrated
for her live shows, which  Time Out London
says are "arguably the most exciting, most thrilling
live African music show around."
Tour dates: Summer 2008
Seeking: All Territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/Rokiatraore

SAMARABALOUF: France, gypsy jazz swing, 3 members
France-based trio playing original gypsy jazz music
inspired by Django Reinhardt, combining musical
influences as diverse as calypso, boogie-blues,
flamenco-rock, waltz and Eastern European themes.
Already ten weeks of successful North American
touring (from Alaska to New Brunswick via California
and New York) since their first US tour in Spring
2004!
"Brisk musical intensity, articulate playing and
infectious enthusiasm."  - Los Angeles Times
Tour begins: April 10, 2008 (Mid West)
Tour ends: May 11, 2008 (Alaska)
Seeking: dates for Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Louisiana and 
Washington States
Contact: Bernard Schmidt, 212-564-4443, bschmidtpd at aol.com,
www.bernardschmidtproductions.com, www.samarabalouf.fr

SLAVIC SOUL PARTY! Brooklyn, NY, Balkan Brass, 9 members
Fiery Balkan brass, throbbing funk grooves, killer
Gypsy accordion, and virtuoso jazz chops make
Slavic Soul Party! NYC's official number-one brass
band for Balkan Soul Gypsy Funk. With Mexican,
Jewish, Gypsy, and American roots, SSP! makes new
music out of the unplanned results of immigration,
proximity, and globalization, pumping a strong
Balkan brass sound through the filter of life in New
York's outer boroughs.
Listen to Slavic Soul Party! On NPR's Weekend
edition at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10859007
Tour Dates begin: March 1, 2008
Tour dates end: March 12, 2008
Seeking:  Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Phoenix, 
Denver, Salt Lake City
Contact: Alexandra Casazza, alex at troubleworldwide.com, 
http://www.troubleworldwide.com/bands/slavicsoulparty.html

SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA: Spanish Harlem/New York, 13 members
The Grammy Award-winning Spanish Harlem
Orchestra has quickly established itself as the
curators of the tradition borne of the integral East
Side community known as "El Barrio."  Led by Oscar
Hernandez, who has enjoyed a prolific musical
career as a pianist performing, arranging and
directing the groups of Rubin Blades, Tito Puente,
Celia Cruz, Julio Iglesias, and Paul Simon, the
Spanish Harlem Orchestra is taking their appeal and
rhythmic seduction to the next level.  Six Degrees is
slated to release their next record due out in May
2007.
Tour dates: March through April 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/Spanishharlemorchestra

TLEN-HUICANI (The Singers of Veracruz): Mexico, 5 members
Tlen-Huicani remains among of the most faithful
interpreters of the traditional folk music of Veracruz,
Mexico and most of Latin America. Since 1973, their
music and international achievements have earned
the honor of 'Best Folk Group in Mexico' by the Union
of Music and Theater Critics. Tlen-Huicani, which
means "the singers" in the indigenous Indian
language of Nahuatl, makes the beautiful "harpa
jarocha" or folk harp, the centerpiece of their music.
Maestro Alberto de la Rosa is respected throughout
Mexico and considered among the world's best folk
harpists. Along with their traditional costumes and
instruments, a concert with Tlen-Huicani is like taking
a journey of Mexico's music, time and place.
Tour dates begin: March 2008
Tour dates end: March 2008
Seeking: West Coast/United States
Contact: Steve Heath, SRO Artists, Inc., 608-664-8160, 
sgheath at sroartists.com, http://
www.sroartists.com/artists/tlenhuicani

UMALALI: Belize, 8 members
Another project from the award-winning team of Andy
Palacio and Ivan Duran, Umalali ("voices") captures
the beauty and power of the Garifuna female
experience. With singers from Belize and Honduras,
the women are backed by members of the Garifuna
Collective to present a program that cuts straight to
the heart of Garifuna culture.
Tour Dates: June-August 2008; March-April 2009
Contact: Alison Loerke, 206-525-2425, alison at aliaagency.com, 
www.aliaagency.com

VUSI MAHLASELA: South Africa, 4 members
Vusi Mahlasela is an accomplished singer, guitarist,
and bandleader.  His music was recently featured in
the Oscar-winning South African film  Tsotsi.
A superstar in his native South Africa and a goodwill
ambassador to Nelson Mandela's 46664 Foundation,
Vusi now enjoys an ever-growing worldwide
following. "He was a voice during the revolution, a
voice of hope, like a Woody Guthrie or a Bob Dylan of
South Africa, and he still is," says Dave Matthews. His
new recording,  Guiding Star,   was released
on ATO Records in March 2007.
Tour dates: Spring 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/Vusimahlasela

YOUSSOU N'DOUR: Senegal, 10-15 members
Grammy Award-winning Senegalese singer Youssou
N'Dour is one of the world's most important artists.
Known for breaking down linguistic and cultural
barriers, his thoroughly modern African pop style has
influenced artists as diverse as Peter Gabriel and
Paul Simon. "If any third world performer has a real
shot at the universal popularity enjoyed by Bob
Marley, it's Youssou."  -Rolling Stone
Tour dates: Summer 2008
Seeking: All territories
Contact: alex at imnworld.com, www.imnworld.com/Youssoundour


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SIGNINGS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Label: IASO Records
Distributed by RYKO USA & WARNER Digital Worldwide
Signed: July 20, 2007
Contact: Benjamin de Menil, 212-372-7535, ben at iasorecords.com, 
www.iasorecords.com

Meta4 Music Announces New Signing: Simon Shaheen
Meta4 Music is extremely pleased to announce the addition of Simon Shaheen 
to their roster. The renowned oud and violin virtuoso is now managed 
exclusively worldwide by Ian Menzies and Meta4 Music.
Contact: Ian Menzies, ian at meta4world.com; all North American booking 
inquiries can be directed to Steve Heath, sgheath at sroartists.com

New Signings at On Queue Performing Artists: Cooperstown, NY
The following artists have signed with On Queue Performing Artists; 
effective immediately:
*Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Turkey, Sextet; traditional and original music from 
world-touring artist; Territory: North America
*Stephane Wrembel Trio, France, Trio, gypsy-jazz guitar; Django Reinhardt 
style and original compositions; Territory: Worldwide
*Spindel, Norway, Duo; traditional/original music played on hardanger 
fiddles; Territory: Worldwide
*Gilles Le Bigot Trio, Brittany, France (members of Skolvan), Breton 
traditional/original music played on guitar, accordion and soprano sax; 
Territory: Worldwide
*Lost Bayou Ramblers, Lafayette, Louisiana, Quintet, traditional/original 
Cajun music; Territory: Worldwide
*Jake Schepps and Expedition, Boulder, CO, Quartet, bluegrass/jazz, banjo, 
fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass; Territory: Worldwide
*James Leva and Purgatory Mountain, Quintet,Appalachian music; Territory: 
Worldwide
Contact: Sandra Peevers, On Queue Artists, 607-547-9494, 
info at OnQueueArtists.com, www.OnQueueArtists.com


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PEOPLE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ON QUEUE PERFORMING ARTISTS:
Cooperstown, NY
Seeking qualified booking agents. Artist roster includes Vdsen (Sweden), 
Marta Gomez (Colombia), Le Vent du Nord (Quibec) Genticorum (Quibec), Alex 
Torres y su Orquesta (Puerto Rico/US), Yves Lambert et Bibert Orchestra 
(Quibec), Nightingale (Newfoundland/VT), Tony McManus (Scotland), Don Ross 
(Canada) and many others.
Contact: Sandra Peevers, On Queue Artists, 607-547-9494, 
info at OnQueueArtists.com, www.OnQueueArtists.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RETAIL NEWS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
None.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VENUE/FESTIVAL NEWS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Earshot Jazz Festival: Seattle, WA
October 19 - November 4
The 2007 Earshot Jazz Festival kicks off October 19 and continues through 
November 4 with more than 70 events in concert halls, clubs, and community 
centers around the Seattle area. Now in its 19th year, this festival 
celebrates Jazz from A to Z, beginning with sophisticated jazz master Ahmad 
Jamal and ending with MacArthur Foundation "genius" grantee John Zorn. The 
program includes emerging international stars Jean-Michel Pilc, Dafnis 
Prieto, and Luis Perdomo, and world music sensations Tinariwen, Oliver 
Mtukudzi, Vieux Farka Toure and Musafir. Festival activities include a 
series of rare jazz films, photo exhibitions, panel discussions, and 
educational programs.
Contact: 206-547-9787, www.earshotjazz.org

KIRAN AHLUWALIA US Tour Continues
Kiran Ahluwalia is heading out on the second leg of her US tour in support 
of her new album Wanderlust (Times Square/4Q Ent). The remaining dates are:
October 11th - Cayuga Vault: Santa Cruz, CA
October 12th - St. Gregory's Church: San Francisco, CA
October 15th - Triple Door: Seattle, WA
October 17th - Joe's Pub: New York NY
For further ticket and venue information go to: 
www.rockpaperscissors.biz/go/wanderlust

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MEDIA NEWS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
None.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INDUSTRY EVENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
None.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OFFER SERVICES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IODA (Independent Online Distribution Alliance)
Industry leader IODA offers digital distribution and
marketing solutions for the independent global
content community.  IODA works with a quality roster
of labels from all over the world and across all
genres, including World Music Network, Sterns, Six
Degrees, Luaka Bop, World Connection, Wrasse
Records, Naove, World Village and others, providing
them a full suite of distribution tools that allow a
seamless entry the digital market and access to over
350 digital points of sale.  IODA's top-of-the-line
reporting and catalog management tools ensure that
labels are involved in the distribution process from
start to finish and always have control over their catalog.
Contact: Erik Gilbert, VP Content, erik at iodalliance.com;
Michele Amar-Ouimet, Director, International Content, 
michele at iodalliance.com;
Erol Cichowski, Content Manager - Latin/South America,  erol at iodalliance.com

TimnaTal Music: Davis, California
World music concerts in Davis, California and on location recordings of 
small acoustic ensembles(more details on website).
Contact: Gil Medovoy, cell 530-867-1032, home 530-753-0147, ag at omsoft.com, 
www.timnatalmusic.com


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WILD CARD - NEWS YOU CAN USE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michel Winter of Divano Productions will host a session at WOMEX 2007 
focusing on the visa crisis for touring international musicians. The meeting 
takes place on Thursday, October 25 from 16:30 - 17:30 in the Ronda Room.  
The session will examine the increasing difficulties facing European 
promoters and booking agencies in obtaining visas for artists from non-EU 
countries. What are the potential dangers in the current situation? In what 
way do the procedures differ from country to country? Why are visas often 
rejected even when correct procedures are followed? Do these rejections and 
the increasingly exorbitant visa prices of some countries conform to 
international law and the European Human Rights Charter? What could be done 
on a political level and how can it be achieved? What are the real (and 
hidden) costs of staging European tours by non-EU artists? Booking agents, 
promoters and artists with stories to share are most welcome.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join The World Music Coalition Today!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connections to the world around us are increasing every day, opening up a 
vast global cultural interchange for those who are willing to embrace it. 
Music is on the leading edge of this trend, bringing with it sounds and 
styles from around the planet. Like never before, new sounds are finding 
their way into our heads and our hearts, opening new routes to the discovery 
and deeper understanding of the world around us.

The North American World Music Coalition (NAWMC) is made up of professionals 
and organizations from all areas of the North American world music community 
including; agents, artists, concert and festival presenters, managers, 
media, recording arts, retailers and fans. We are committed to advocating 
for and promoting international music and artists -and we encourage you to 
get involved on the ground floor of this new organization. The NAWMC is a 
member-driven organization so whether you are an artist, an industry 
professional or a devoted fan - we welcome you to become part of our growing 
community of diverse supporters of world music in North America.

Act now! New members will receive a free 3-issue subscription to Global 
Rhythm magazine.

BRONZE MEMBERSHIP
Dues: $35/year
Benefits:
- one vote in annual Board election
- ability to be nominated or make nominations to Board
- receive e-newsletter
- get listed in our membership directory and on the website
- submit up to three items to e-newsletter annually

SILVER MEMBERSHIP
Dues: $100/year
Benefits: all of the Bronze membership benefits plus ...
- digital copy of membership directory
- submit up to 10 items to e-newsletter every year
- utilize Coalition exhibit space at industry
conferences for placing print materials
- obtain industry conference discounts by registering as a Coalition member

GOLD MEMBERSHIP
- For contributions of $500 you or your organization can become a Gold 
Patron Member
**please contact the NAWMC to discuss the list of benefits for this level of 
membership**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact Us
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: info at worldmusiccoalition.org
web: http://www.worldmusiccoalition.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

World Music Coalition | PO Box 1788 | Bloomington | IN | 47402-1788