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Female vocalists singing folk songs of various traditions, mostly acoustic arrangements, with a peaceful ambience inherent in each song.

In case you wanted to get some clarity around what a Mexican "ranchera" is. Here's one example from Lila Downs. Of course, it's got some hip hop inflections in the middle of it. But hey. We live in a pomo culture.

She's like a big, black, smiling sun; her voice seems polished by the sea, weathered by the wind, and is at once earthy and unearthly as she sings of the pain of love and the consolation of the divine.

Listen to Lhasa - El Payande for free: Lhasa de Sela, singing "El Payande." What a haunting voice...

Tango Cadícamo y Cobián, Eugenia León en el programa "La Movida" 1991, conducido por Verónica Castro.

Eugenia acompañada de mariachi interpretando La Mesera en el Festival Internacional de Música y Ecología 2008 en Valle de Bravo.

This is a Yiddish folk song from a songbook collected by the great ethnomusicologist Moishe Beregovski. Performed by Inna (voice) & Ljova (viola)

A few fans may find Latin roots-pop pioneer Lila Downs' return to old-fashioned, romantic ranchera music to be a retrograde move, but her commanding presence and the astonishing skill and economy with which she embellishes these old-school Mexican ballads with modern rock, electronica and even a tasteful dash of hip-hop will blow your mind, if you give it a close listen. Similarly, she weaves in the rich rhythms of Cuban son and Central American cumbia, reconciling and uniting several strands of Latin American popular music. The repertoire blends striking originals with classics from Jose Alfredo Jimenez, while Downs' dark, husky vocals give more than a mild nod towards the great Mexican diva, Lola Beltran, while Tex-Mex accordionist Flaco Jimenez anchors the album in a solid border vibe. You have to be willing to get into the style (and not everyone is, including plenty of folks who listen to other kinds of Latin American music...) But if you give it a chance, this is a pretty cool album, particularly how it points the way to a canny revitalization and modernization of one of the hemisphere's liveliest and most musically conservative genres. Oh, and Downs' old fans will not be disappointed: she's as authoritative, innovative and charismatic here as on anything she's done.

This is Ella with some bite! Ella Fitzgerald, "Rockin' in Rhythm," sly song by a sweet songbird."

Yasmin Levy (b. 1975) is a singer of Sephardic music born in Jerusalem. She has brought a new interpretation to the international Ladino song scene by returning to original instruments like the Persian oud, violin, cello, percussion, and piano.

Do NOT watch this video if you're depressed and alone. But if you can take it, and you don't mind crying over your computer screen, watch this YouTube video.

Yasmin Levy on stage at Womadelaide 2007 singing old Ladino songs with a Flamenco twist.

Turkish-Tinged Ladino Sephardic Song

Traditional Sephardi Ladino song sung by Yasmin Levy in Bulería style.