Manou Gallo: 2nd album and documentary

Ivory Coast’s Manou Gallo is one of the most in-demand bassists in Europe. After playing with Zap Mama for six years and appearing in a play, she released her first album, “Dida” on the IglooMondo label in 2003. A documentary now traces her worldwide tour and the release of the second album…

Electric Gypsyland 2

The music of the Balkans must be some of the most incendiary being played today. Outfits such as Taraf de Haidouks, Koçani Orkestar and Mahala Raï Banda play with a trademark brass sound that reaches fever pitch pretty quickly - and never comes down (think of a film by Kusturica and you won’t be far off).

So what would happen if you give their material to a selection of mixers, turntablists and DJs? The answer is “Electric Gypsyland 2″. Tunng, Buscemi (best known for his Latin lounge mixes), Oi Va Voi (a klezmer afficianado) and London’s Russ&Roc accepted the invitation. So what do we get for our time? Click through to find out…

Aiwa: Arabic dub/electronic on the road

Created in 1998 by two Iraqi brothers brought up in France, Aiwa is one of the most exciting fusion/electronic outfits. Musically, they mix Classical Arabic sounds with heavy dub/electronic grooves and ultra-suave rap. They have released two albums “Aiwa” and “El Nar” (photo), with an album of remixes of “Aiwa” in the pipeline - more about this later.

Aiwa are about to take to the road again, playing a number of dates in France and Poland:

To check out their music, visit Aiwa Music.