Music Wednesday: New Music for the New Year

Was '08 a great year for music or what? There are plenty of good lists out there highlighting some of the best stuff, but here are three non-US records that are my own personal favs (links will open to the album in iTunes):

Francophonic, Vol. 1: 1953-1980 

Orchestra Baobab, Made in Dakar 

Les Amazones De Guinée, Wamato

You'll notice all three are from Africa. My bias? A bit. But the continent is pretty tough to beat right now in terms of exciting releases (many of which are re-issues, brought to the US for the first time). 

Finally, looking ahead and shifting gears: the best new bluesman is not, as I first assumed, some long forgotten sharecropper who cut strange, slightly psychedelic tracks in the 1970s, but a 35-year-old Frenchman who goes by the name Don Cavali. His second album, Cryland, was released earlier in 2008 but has somehow flown pretty under the radar, probably because the physical CD/LP is not available in the US (but you can purchase it on iTunes). Listen to his song "Hollywood Babylon" and I challenge you to keep your head from bobbing.

Music Wednesday is Assistant Editor Ryan Bradley's weekly exploration of great global music, in collaboration with Nat Geo Music.