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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
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
embrace pop via acoustic-flavoured
jangles like
Bisbee Blue
and
Lucky
Dime
.
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
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
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
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
chamber pop (the
title track,
Global
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