The Armenian Navy Band was founded by the percussionist/vocalist of Armenian descent, Arto Tunçboyaciyan. Arto likes to describe The Armenian Navy Band as 'avant garde music from Armenia' which suggests something of the band but is a little limiting...
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.
This song's lyrics are (to me) astonishingly unusual. This is good "sung poetry." Who can ever forget "dance me to the end of love?" Has anyone ever said that to you? Or have you said this to anyone? Well, now, thanks to Leonard Cohen...you CAN!
Impelling rhythms and musical poetry are the characteristics of this quartet, a crossover act led by musician, composer and vocalist Moussa Diallo, who has his roots in Mali and Denmark.
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.
Mansour Seck has been a leading figure in Dande Lenon, Baaba Maal's band, for many years, and performed on many of Baaba Maal's recordings. Seck has released disks under his own name, as well. Mansour Seck and Baba Maal come from the same town, Podor, in Northern Senegal.