STACK NZ Mar #71

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antidote to the brutal rhymes of gangsta rap. Includes the hit singles Me Myself and I , Eye Know and The Magic Number .

Diego El Cigala (Spain) The reigning king of flamenco has never been afraid to incorporate the music of other cultures into his own sounds. He announced his presence

recent records – like last year’s Edge Of The Sun – have seen them follow a more traditional country pop path.

RECOMMENDED LISTENING: Garden Ruin (2006) Although there are a few nods to their earlier records, this was the first Calexico LP to unashamedly

Asha Bhosle (India) Immortalised in Cornershop’s indie classic Brimful Of Asha , Bhosle is Bollywood royalty. The sister of the legendary Lata Mangeshkar, she has been singing in Indian movies since the 1940s and is renowned for her range and versatility. With more than 13,000 recording credits to her name, it’s hard to know where to start, although her recent Live In Holland album with the Metropole Orchestra is a useful primer. RECOMMENDED LISTENING: The Rough Guide To Psychedelic Bollywood (2013) This splendidly bonkers collection features 12 tracks from Bhosle, including an early version of the thrilling Dumo Maro Dum (an exhilarating new live take features on the WOMAD sampler) and the trippy funk of Pyar Zindagi Hai , which also features her sister. Calexico (US) Joey Burns and John Convertino first came to our attention with Howe Gelb’s Giant Sand before going their own way with Calexico. Their early albums ( Hot Rail , The Black Light ) were mainly instrumental Tex-Mex affairs that often resembled soundtracks to forgotten Spaghetti Westerns, but their more

on the global stage with the 2003 release Lágrimas Negras , an elegant collaboration with legendary Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, while more recently he has been immersing himself in the

embrace pop via acoustic-flavoured jangles like Bisbee Blue and Lucky Dime .

sounds of Argentina. RECOMMENDED LISTENING: Romance De La Luna (2013) Drawing on both

his most recent tango collaborations and his love of his Cuban music, this is a must for fans of Buena Vista Social Club; Mexican guitarist Diego ‘El Twanguero’ Garcia provides an extra layer of Latin spice with his dazzling electric fret work. John Grant (US) Once with alt-country outfit The Czars, singer John Grant came out and transformed himself into a wittily mischievous electro-popster. Although he is perhaps best known for the electronic stylings of his last two LPs, his solo debut Queen Of Denmark – recorded with folk rockers Midlake – is also well worth seeking out. RECOMMENDED LISTENING: GreyTickles, Black Pressure (2015) Blending lush

De La Soul (US) Their 1989 debut LP guarantees them a place in hip hop’s all time hall of fame, but they were always more than a one tricky pony. Both De La Soul Is Dead (1991) and Buhloone Mindstate (1993) are in a similar class, while the 2000 comeback Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump and the 2012 concept album First Serve have their moments, too. RECOMMENDED LISTENING: 3 Feet High And Rising (1989) Still one of the most inventive and uplifting hip hop albums ever made, De La Soul’s blissful blend of peace and positivity was a much needed

chamber pop (the title track, Global

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