Introducing was launched by World Music Network in 2004 out of a desire to promote exposure for exceptional and previously undiscovered musical talent from around the world. Delivered at an affordable price, Introducing showcases artists previously unreleased or unavailable outside their own country and delivers captivating music, top-notch sound quality and in-depth information on the artists and their music.
Over the past five years, the Introducing label has had a number of success stories including Senegalese guitarist Daby Balde and Saharan blues masters Etran Finatawa, who have both achieved high levels of recognition and acclaim. Daby Balde’s debut album on Introducing was described by The Observer as “astonishingly good… of extraordinary quality,” whilst Etran Finatawa’s was described by Evening Standard as “one of the year’s most refreshing records.”
Other notable projects include albums from Chinese folk band Hanggai (The Observer called it “a delight”), the 2009 release from desert blues master Mamane Barka, and the exuberant Luo musicians Kenge Kenge. Here at IODA we are lucky to have access to Introducing’s wonderful artists, so take a listen and transport yourself to a distant land:
Artist: Daby Balde
Title: Introducing Daby Balde
Label: Introducing
Genre: World : African
UPC: 605633510423
Territory: World
Release Date: 09.26.05
Daby Balde is one of Senegal’s best-kept musical secrets, long celebrated at home and now exploding on to the international scene. His stunning arrangements are based on his Fula traditions from the south of the country and feature the fiddle, accordion and flute alongside the more familiar West African sounds of the kora , acoustic guitar and percussion. With strikingly rich and beautiful melodies, captivating vocals and a repertoire that ranges from euphoric to melancholic, Daby Balde is a West African star on the rise. Introducing Daby Balde presents a celebrated Senegalese artist, whose talents deserve to reach wider acclaim. This album showcases his innovative and stunning compositions and the southern Senegalese traditions that have influenced him.
Artist: Etran Finatawa
Title: Introducing Etran Finatawa
Label: Introducing
Genre: World : African
UPC: 605633510522
Territory: World
Release Date: 05.22.06
Etran Finatawa combine the rich nomadic cultures of the Tuareg and Wodaabe people from the West African country of Niger – a region that for thousands of years has served as a crossroads between the Arabs of North Africa and the sub-Saharan traditions. Etran Finatawa blend traditional instruments with electric guitars, combining the polyphonic songs of the Wodaabe people with modern arrangements, transporting you to the Sahara with their evocative sound. Introducing Etran Finatawa is testament to the group’s talents, incorporating the rich and diverse traditions and sounds of the Wodaabe and Tuareg. Without diffusing their cultural identities, they have joined forces to produce an album of rare and powerful beauty.
Artist: Hanggai
Title: Introducing Hanggai
Label: Introducing
Genre: World : Chinese
UPC: 605633511123
Territory: World
Release Date: 07.28.08
Downtown Beijing might seem a strange place for a Mongolian folk revival. Yet Hanggai are at the forefront of a musical movement in China that is finding inspiration in native folk traditions, drawing on a repertoire of magical songs that have all but disappeared during China’s recent turbulent past. The songs on Introducing Hanggai are adaptations of traditional songs from the grasslands, sung in Mongolian, many using hoomei, a throat-singing technique that has been handed down over hundreds of years. At the heart of the music are two traditional instruments – the morin khuur – the horse-hair fiddle and the tobshuur – a strummed two-stringed lute.
Artist: Kenge Kenge
Title: Introducing Kenge Kenge
Label: Introducing
Genre: World : African
UPC: 605633510720
Territory: World
Release Date: 06.26.07
Kenge Kenge symbolise all that is great about African traditional music; they are the guardians and masters of an ancient but living tradition. They breath new life into Kenya’s Luo musical roots, continuing its evolution, from the hand-made instruments of the past, through the popular guitar-based benga, and now returning to both re-explore the acoustic origins of benga and embrace their Luo musical heritage. Introducing Kenge Kenge is an album of high-energy music and pulsing beat. The band works with traditional Luo instruments, from which the benga beat originally drew its sound. Kenge Kenge bring together melodies and rhythms based on their traditional music and create songs on current topics in their own Luo language.
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Tags: Daby Balde, Etran Finatawa, Hanggai, Introducing, Kenge Kenge
