Album of the Year: Shi Keyah Songs For The People by Radmilla Cody

Winners were chosen by the combined votes of the Native American Music Awards (N.A.M.A.) Advisory Board Membership Committee with an international general public voting membership. General Public voting was open on the Awards website VOTE NOW page where music selections of all nominees were featured. Over 200 CD and DVD recordings submitted this year for nomination consideration.

Winners of 14th Annual Native American Music Awards:

Artist of The Year
Tony Duncan –...

Son De Pueblo – Traditional Songs and Dances from Colombia

Traditional Songs and Dances from Colombia (Arc Music, 2013)

I suppose if you’re going to celebrate the music of Colombia you would want to travel to the South American country in December since according to the liner notes for Traditional Songs and Dances from Colombia performed by Son de Pueblo, “for several weeks we celebrate the joy of life...” And that joy of life in Colombia includes rousing Afro-Latin musical traditions from the plains, mountains, and the Caribbean flavored with salsa, rumba, and musical genres from throughout Latin America.

Anyone who only...

Various Artists – Sunshine Arabia 2008

Sunshine Arabia 2008 (EMI)

This is an excellent compilation of contemporary Arabic sound, with 18 tracks covering a lot of musical texture. Our picks include “Meen Allak” by Sewar and “Eb Alek” by Soma.

The classic tracks “Bint el Shalabiya” by REG and “El Hob Dayali” by Lella are also included. Other popular Arab musicians Amr Mostafa and Walid Toufic are featured as well.

We would also recommend the earlier annual compilations of this series for good snapshots of Arabic popular music through the years. In sum, this album is a fine start for your parties. Be sure to check out the Putumayo and Petrol compilations of Arabic music as well.

Buy...