Bianca Taylor Ryan - Bianca Taylor Ryan

Remember her? The 2006 winner of America's Got Talent. 11 year old and a voice like a full grown pop/rock and R&B singer.

Everyone was amazed and she got one of the jurors (Brandy) in tears. From the moment she opened her mouth everyone else knew they did not stand a chance in that years edition. 

The clip is still fun to watch and of course her talent show song is on the album as well. Really amazing.

Track		Artist		Song		BPM
1		Bianca Taylor Ryan		The Rose		122
2		Bianca Taylor Ryan		Awake		126
3		Bianca Taylor Ryan		I Believe I Can Fly		124
4		Bianca Taylor Ryan		Pray for a Better Day		130
5		Bianca Taylor Ryan		Dream in Color		120
6		Bianca Taylor Ryan		I Wish That		119
7		Bianca Taylor Ryan		And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going		120
8		Bianca Taylor Ryan		Superstar		110
9		Bianca Taylor Ryan		I Will		100
10		Bianca Taylor Ryan		Pure and Simple		136
11		Bianca Taylor Ryan		You Light Up My Life		85
12		Bianca Taylor Ryan		Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Everyday?		140

Emmylou Harris - Blue Kentucky Girl

I always admired Emmylou Harris for doing her own thing, country based, but far more creative than that and with a big influence on contemporary American music for over four decades. 

You might say for me she is the real American girl (as an European would look at it).

Blue Kentucky Girl however is the one album that is the most country orientated, made in reaction to the criticism that her albums were not 'country' enough.

Country or not: I Like Emmylou Harris! My choice is 'Hickory Winds' because it a Gram Parsons song to which she owes a lot and worked with for a long time. Version is with the Hot Band (not this album version).

Track		Artist		Song		BPM
1		Emmylou Harris		Sister's Coming Home (with Tanya Tucker)		117
2		Emmylou Harris		Beneath Still Waters		111
3		Emmylou Harris		Rough And Rocky		156
4		Emmylou Harris		Hickory Wind		112
5		Emmylou Harris		Save The Last Dance For Me		107
6		Emmylou Harris		Sorrow In The Wind (with Sharon White & Sheryl White)		97
7		Emmylou Harris		They'll Never Take His Love From Me		131
8		Emmylou Harris		Everytime You Leave (with Don Everly)		142
9		Emmylou Harris		Blue Kentucky Girl		111
10		Emmylou Harris		Even Cowgirls Get The Blues		159

Habib Koité - Soô

This Mali singer and musician delivers us another great album with soothing melodies mixed with pop influences but always recognizable as music from Mali and always with that intimate guitar playing that became his trademark. 

This album has everything again, even a song in English (Need You), one with French rap (Djadjiry), up tempo beats (Terere, Deme) and beautiful songs like 'Khafole' and this one, 'Drapeau':

African System International - African System International

Like I wrote in other posts, all these African bands in the seventies and eighties kept changing names and line-ups. Sometimes to show it was another line-up, sometimes after a split, sometimes even because they were simply put on an album with a wrong name or sometimes just for fun or unknown other reasons.

From this band someone suggested it might be an offshoot of African System Orchestra or maybe even the same band, but then again someone said if this is the same band and they are both from Nigeria, then why are they singing in Lingala language? 

Guess we will never find out, but you can discuss music or just listen to it:

Track		Artist		Song		BPM
1		African System International		Amina		124
2		African System International		Selika		119
3		African System International		Babilons		127
4		African System International		Bolingo		124

Original Super 5 - on Tabansi Label

Another great band name like you had many of those back in the seventies in Africa. They probably started of with 5 members, you stick words like original and super to it, to make it sound important and you start performing and recording. 

I am just guessing because I don't know diddleleedoo about these guys, besides the fact it is Nigerian Highlife, most likely late seventies, so let's just put this on 1979.

What I do know is that they are also known as Original Super 5 of Africa and Super 5 International of Africa.

Enjoy!

Track		Artist		Song		BPM
1		Original Super 5		Original Super 5/Tabansi label		128
2		Original Super 5		Road safety		124
3		Original Super 5		A go die		99
4		Original Super 5		Life before money		129

Zouk Orchestra - Mi Zouk Là

l will download almost any zouk music I come across but information is hard to find in most cases.







From this band I only know they consist of 17 musicians and one of them for this and two other albums is Guadeloupe born singer Jocelyne Labylle. She joined the band in 1994, did 3 albums and then left to France for a solo career.

I could not find any of the songs of this album on tube, so the song down belowwwwww is not on this album.

Track		Artist		Song		BPM
1		Zouk Orchestra		Mi zouk la		104
2		Zouk Orchestra		Konfidans		99
3		Zouk Orchestra		Manalya		91
4		Zouk Orchestra		Two makrel		126
5		Zouk Orchestra		Lanmou frajil		99
6		Zouk Orchestra		Ou pe pa sav'		92
7		Zouk Orchestra		Marche de la mort		82
8		Zouk Orchestra		Mwen ka diw		106

Chico César - Chico César

I am not really into Brazilian music but Chico César is a Brazilian singer/songwriter that does not stop at samba or bossanova alone. He explores the full culture of Brazilian music, past and present with all it's influences, including African rhythms but also rock, R&B, reggae and so on.



For the typical Brazilian rhythms like carioca samba he often goes back to the 60's (the Brazilian area when original lounge music was invented, yes people, lounge is originally from Brazil).

My choice 'Mama Africa' also appears on a Putumayo world music album and they made a nice clip: 

Track		Artist		Song		BPM
1		Chico César		Papo Cabeça		103
2		Chico César		Paríaba Meu Amor		142
3		Chico César		Pedra da Responsa		115
4		Chico César		À Primera Vista		159
5		Chico César		You, Yuri		121
6		Chico César		Se Você Viajar		85
7		Chico César		Parentes		160
8		Chico César		Filá		99
9		Chico César		Onde Estará o Meu Amor		109
10		Chico César		Mama África		160
11		Chico César		Beleza Mano		110
12		Chico César		Mand'ela		91

Carmen Linares - Desde El Alma - Cante Flamenco En Vivo

Carmen Linares is one of the greatest Flamenco singers in the world, especially when it comes to the 'jondo' style of singing she is an absolute master. 

She both played with big orchestra's (she was the first to perform with the New York Philharmonic) but she is extremely powerful singing flamenco just accompanied by a solo guitarist.

Track		Artist		Song		BPM
1		Carmen Linares		Fandangos de Huelva (Ya No Mi Niña)		113
2		Carmen Linares		Malagueñas y Rondeña (Ni a Tiros)		108
3		Carmen Linares		Tangos (Por la Calle Vienen)		94
4		Carmen Linares		Seguiriyas (Sin Apelación)		101
5		Carmen Linares		Romeras (De Qué Te Sirve el Saber)		93
6		Carmen Linares		Martinetes (Por Qué la Lunita Crece)		116
7		Carmen Linares		Tientos (Acordanome de Ti)		127
8		Carmen Linares		Cartagenera y Taranta (Adonde Vamos Dios Mio)		122
9		Carmen Linares		Bulerias (A Mi Lucia)		103