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Putumayo’s New “Beat”

By Dan Storper, September 7, 2011  |  Meet the Blogger  |  More Posts by Dan Storper
Read on for a chance to win a 4-CD set from Putumayo’s Beat series and Groove series. Dan Storper is the CEO and Founder of Putumayo World Music. Putumayo continues its exploration of contemporary world music with the launch of a new "Beat" series, which follows in the footsteps of the successful “Groove” series. New releases African Beat and Latin Beat highlight the exciting blends of world music and electronica, R&B and more coming out of studios in Europe, America, Africa and Latin America. These releases are available at most Whole Foods Market stores. On Latin Beat, we explore funky new blends of Latin music, in which electronic beats, hip-hop flavors, DJ remixes and cutting-edge grooves are fused effortlessly with Colombian cumbia, Cuban son, Mexican banda, Spanish flamenco, Afro-Peruvian roots music and more. Cuban band Moneda Dura adds the voice of Buena Vista Social Club legend Ibrahim Ferrer to a catchy breakbeat sound. Colombians Jontre and Mariposa Solar demonstrate how effortlessly groundbreaking Latin musicians are using traditional rhythms in a contemporary pop context. Spain's Digitano takes Gypsy flamenco instrumentation and layers on electronic effects. These collaborations between modern Cuban groups and Cuban legends provide insight into how Latin music has managed to stay as popular and relevant today as it was 50 years ago. On African Beat, Putumayo features artists who are as likely to have traditional African drumming, soukous and mbaqanga on their IPods as they are the latest European dubstep and R&B. These tracks reveal that even in this globalized, hi-tech world, the divide between the past and the future is not as great as it may seem. Songs by musicians with deep connections to their roots, including Vieux Farka Touré and Les Barons, are remixed and reworked by Western DJs. The music of South Africa's Busi Mhlongo, Senegal's Lëk Sèn and Malian/French group Donso reveals how hip-hop, electronica and other urban musical styles have been incorporated into traditional African music, taking it in surprising new directions. We hope you give these new sounds a listen. Do you have a favorite song or group that showcases collaboration between two distinct music styles? Let us know what it is in the comments below for a chance to win a 4-CD set from Putumayo’s Beat series (African Beat and Latin Beat) and Groove series. (Arabic Groove and Turkish Groove). Comment by September 21st for a chance to win. We’ll choose one comment at random to receive the CDs.
Category: Music

 

1,011 Comments

Comments

Katie H. says ...
Love African grooves. I'm doing a drumming unit with my students in January. It will be a blast.
09/19/2011 10:15:40 PM CDT
Larry says ...
Love world and traditional music. Keep it comming!
09/20/2011 5:52:24 AM CDT
angie says ...
I love the group Deep Forest. They mix electronica music with the sounds/songs/stories of native peoples from all over the world.
09/20/2011 6:45:47 AM CDT
Steve Moorhead says ...
King Sunny Ade~ synchro system~ unique polyrhythms from Nigeria. He gave I personal African dance lesson @ Greek. Theatre on moving legs while keeping upper torso still; not as easy as it might sound. Highlight from second row orchestra pit, proving white guys can't dance. <333
09/20/2011 10:27:49 AM CDT
RobinM says ...
Putumayo's CDs are always a pleasure to listen to!
09/20/2011 11:18:54 AM CDT
Leslie says ...
Would enjoy exercising and driving to these new beats!
09/20/2011 12:28:50 PM CDT
Delores Prockish says ...
Like many kinds of music.
09/20/2011 1:07:42 PM CDT
LIsa says ...
Putumayo’s Beat series (African Beat and Latin Beat) This sounds like a great CD. A $50 gift card would really help stretch the budget
09/20/2011 1:42:38 PM CDT
Melissa McAuliffe says ...
I particularly like Caribbean and Hawaiian mix, but this is good too! Love the Latin sound.
09/20/2011 2:03:10 PM CDT
linda c. says ...
I am hoping to win this so I may enjoy some new collaborations.
09/20/2011 3:27:21 PM CDT
Mary says ...
I have many CD's from the Putumayo collection. I have enjoyed all of them! These look like a great addition to my collection!
09/20/2011 3:34:22 PM CDT
Mary says ...
I have several Putumayo CD's. I enjoy the "Women of Jazz" Cd. I recently came across Melody Gardot and she is on the CD. I love her style!
09/20/2011 3:42:21 PM CDT
Sher says ...
I think the Putumayo CD's that I have heard in the past have been great! I would love to win this new collection!
09/20/2011 5:21:17 PM CDT
Judy Kinal says ...
I love Ladysmity Black Mombazo and go to their concerts whenever they are in our area. I have never been disappointed and would love to listen to "Putumayo's New Beat."
09/20/2011 5:30:01 PM CDT
Meenakshi says ...
I am a newbie to fusion music but my Zumba teacher's proclivity for fusion music - Latin, Arabic and African...would love to win the CDs and open my mind and senses to a new music experience :)
09/20/2011 8:56:27 PM CDT
Cheryl Harne says ...
I love Cheb Khaled and a great multi-rhythmic album is Mundo from Ruben Blades. I'm a fan of all music, but the African Beats intrigues me most. I think I already own the Arabic Groove.
09/21/2011 12:44:47 AM CDT
Phoenix says ...
I'm not familiar with these styles of music, but I like everything Putumayo produces.
09/21/2011 7:15:28 AM CDT
heidi says ...
I love puntamayo! I am a huge fan of the kid cds which at times are a collaboration between differing artists. Love, love, love
09/21/2011 8:12:05 AM CDT
Kelly Kirk says ...
I would say my favorite all time collaboration of musicians was Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mombasa. I also like Jeff Bridges for his crossing over between country and light rock. Robbie Robertson is a musician who picks and chooses what styles of music work for him with a strong rhythm and blues foundation. All of the Putumayo CD's I have heard have been beautiful. I look forward to these.
09/21/2011 9:35:04 AM CDT
Bernadine says ...
I am thrilled and really would love to hear the compillation.
09/21/2011 10:30:36 AM CDT
Tamara says ...
Would love to win this set. Our family always jams to the Putumayo CD for kids. It would be nice to have a set for the adults ;)
09/21/2011 12:39:09 PM CDT
Sam says ...
I really like this song my Don Omar ft Lucenzo "Danza Kuduro." It's a very lively mixture of pop and traditional Latin music.
09/21/2011 2:25:30 PM CDT
Heather Morin says ...
Ani Difranco does some great work with Maceo Parker. I love Putumayo's CD's and look forward to hearing this new series!
09/21/2011 3:14:25 PM CDT
Mary says ...
Thank you Whole Foods for introducing me to Putamayo music CDs. I own just about every one and love each for their unique sound and song selections.
09/21/2011 7:47:12 PM CDT
Renee Krebs says ...
Group - Equation Great folk/pop/contemporary mixture of music that can appeal to any age!
09/21/2011 8:46:32 PM CDT

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