The Country, Folk & World Recommendation Thread

[Safar]

After meeting Quincy Jones at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2006, Alfredo left Cuba and his family behind to immigrate to the United States to pursue his dream. Alfredo was schooled in the rigorous classical conservatories of Havana.
Hailing from a small town in Cameroon, Richard Bona became fascinated with the great American bassist, Jaco Pastorius, at a very early age. Pastorius inspired him to pick up the instrument, and years later, Bona would eventually become one of the most highly-acclaimed bass players in the world. After winning his first GRAMMY in 2002, his fourth-studio album Tiki was nominated for “Best Contemporary World Music Album” at the 49th GRAMMY Awards.

Richard Bona & Alfredo Rodriguez Band - O Karaka (Live at Jazz à Vienne 2021) (Cameroon/Cuba)

Spoiler for Richard Bona & Alfredo Rodriguez Band - Ay Mama Ines (Live at Jazz à Vienne 2021):

[Safar]

A new project that aims to recontextualize African traditional and Western chamber instruments, African Chamber Music: Zimbabwean and Ghanaian Traditions Reimagined with Strings,performed by Vancouver-based masters of those traditions, Kurai Mubaiwa (mbira, voice, percussion/Zimbabwe) and Kofi Gbolonyo (voice, percussion/Ghana).

African Chamber Music - Todzungaira (Zimbabwe/Ghana/Canada)

"Bhukatiende" is an important piece of the repertoire of the mbira dza vadzimu of the Shona people of Zimbabwe.

Spoiler for African Chamber Music - Bhukatiende:

The Shona song to end all suffering played by Gwenyambira Forward Kwenda in 2011 on his bass Nemakonde Mbira .

Forward Kwenda - Tadzungaira (Zimbabwe)

Obert Chari is a Zimbabwean musician and leader of the band ZCC Hakireni Stars. He is mostly known for his 2017 hit song Mebo.

Mabvazuva Choral Group ft. Obert Chari - Zvifananidzo (Zimbabwe)

Brother Culture is an MC based in Brixton, London. He started his career around 1982 for Jah Revelation Muzik sound system. As part of the Twelve Tribes of Israel Rasta brotherhood, Brother Culture toured in the USA, Jamaica, Caribbean and Canada throughout the 80’s.

Brother Culture & Dougy - Still & Solid (England/Australia)

Jeneile Osborne (born c. 1981), better known as Queen Omega, is a reggae singer born in Trinidad.
Osborne was born in 1981 in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. After singing in calypso and soca bands, she turned to reggae, and began performing roots reggae influenced by her adoption of the Rastafarian faith. She became based in England, where she began recording in 2000, releasing her self-titled debut album in 2001,

Queen Omega & Little Lion Sound - No Love (Trinidad and Tobago)

[Safar]

The enchanted landscapes in the border region of the Italian north-east literally invite conspiratorial togetherness - also musically. This "big band" is a collaboration between the "magicians of dub and the masters of big band ska-jazz", as they describe it themselves. "In perfect symbiosis", they bring the Jamaican ska and reggae sounds into an orchestral modernity.

Wicked Dub Division meets North East Ska Jazz Orchestra - Mama (Italy)

Cajun music comes from southern Louisiana, and is a juicy gumbo of French folk music, Caribbean music, Scots-Irish Appalachian music, Native American music, Jewish-German music, and the Blues. Typically, Cajun music will mostly feature guitar, fiddle, accordion, and triangle, yet will also have some various other folk instruments thrown in for flavor.
The whole story goes all the way back to 18th century Canada when the Acadian people of eastern Canada were expelled by the British after the French and Indian War. As far as the British were concerned, the Acadians had two major strikes against them. First, they were French, and second, they were Catholic. Both of these characteristics made them terribly untrustworthy, so the British (and Puritan New Englanders) kicked them out. Over 11,000 Acadians were forcibly expelled from their homeland, and many of them migrated all the way around to Louisiana, which was still under Spanish rule at the time. The migrant Acadians specifically sought to settle anywhere that was both Catholic and allied with the French, so the isolation of southern Louisiana was perfect for them.
The Balfa Brothers first played together at family gatherings in the 1940s.

The Balfa Brothers - Two Step de lanse a paille (USA)

[Drjohnrock]

Originally Posted by Safar

The Balfa Brothers - Two Step de lanse a paille (USA)

Absolutely love Cajun music and all of the other great music from southern Louisiana and New Orleans: zydeco, jazz, and so much more.

[Safar]

I have never had Gumbo, but the music from that southern region ...my taste.

In Roots of Fire, a group of musicians honor the rich history and cultural legacy of Cajun music. The genre's contemporary scene in Louisiana has found mainstream success with Grammy Award nominations and wins, but shuttering venues and aging fans leave some questioning the music’s longevity. Featuring electrifying performances, this vibrant documentary examines the intersection between music and preserving tradition for future generations.

Feufollet - Si T’as Fini Avec Moi at Blackpot Festival (USA)

The musical styles Cajun and Zydeco were both born in this part of the world [ Louisiana] and have certain similarities. The origins of Cajun music go back to the Acadian (French Canadian) settlers who came to Louisiana in the late 18th century. Accordingly, these songs are almost always sung in French. Zydeco, on the other hand, was developed by African-American sharecroppers, slaves and farmers from the middle of the 19th century. The two genres were strongly influenced by each other and sometimes use the same instruments, especially the accordion. However, while Cajun music is more closely related to French and other European folk music, zydeco is more closely associated with blues, Afro-Caribbean music and R&B.
Beau Jocque (born Andrus Espre; November 1, 1953 – September 10, 1999) was a Louisiana French Creole zydeco musician and songwriter active in the 1990s.
Beau Jocque is known for his gruff vocals, his fusion of many musical styles into zydeco, and above all, for the powerful energy of his rhythm and sound.

Beau Jocque and The Zydeco Hi-Rollers - I'm Coming Home (USA)

In the southern states of the USA, particularly in Louisiana, Bayou is a common term for standing or slowly flowing waters.

Spoiler for Mudcrutch - Lover Of The Bayou (USA):