Banning Eyre

In 2016, Jackson Browne went to Haiti to donate recording equipment to a local music studio. The songs recorded there since became a new album: Let The Rhythm Lead: Haiti Song Summit, Vol. 1.

Haitian band Lakou Mizik is out with its second album — a dazzling set of collaborations with New Orleans musicians, celebrating the close musical and cultural ties between the two places.

Salif Keita is among the best African singers of the past century. But, after some 25 albums over a 40-year career, Keita says he's retiring from recording.

The World Music Expo showcases the industry's up-and-coming artists. This year, Malian instrumentalist Harouna Samake stole the show, dazzling crowds with his unique approach to a gourd harp.

Whenever Bombino releases a new record, it tops the charts for world music. Over the past five years, the Tuareg singer and guitarist from Niger, has become one of the most recognized artists from Africa and his latest album Deran, is another example of his incredible talent.

Mapfumo performed a homecoming show in the country last month, after spending over a decade-and-a-half in self-imposed exile.

The 32-year-old singer shows off a liquid voice rich with the music and culture of her native country for her debut album.

The South Carolina band infuses funk and soul with influences from a Southern culture whose roots trace back to West and Central Africa.

Ladama's four ensemble members met during a fellowship program through the State Department. Their self-titled debut album, Ladama, offers new takes on musical traditions from their homes in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and the U.S.

An unlikely musical collaboration, Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet shatter boundaries of culture, genre, faith and ethnicity.

A region of the Niger Delta destabilized by environmentally calamitous oil spills and political neglect, Ogoniland is fortunately also home to musicians who are making their voices heard.

Three of the most recognized folk artists from the island of Madagascar came together to form a trio called Toko Telo. Music reviewer Banning Eyre says they've created perhaps the best introduction yet to Madagascar's utterly alluring folk music.

The celebrated singer has crafted a rich, rejuvenating album that addresses weighty subjects like suicide and the aftermath of her country's recent political crises.

The group's musical mashup of tradition and technology on the album République Amazone echoes a greater goal: to make a big noise for women in a world run by men.

On his debut album Only Human, the young pop artist channels the energy of legends like Michael Jackson in more ways than one.

The new release, Bobo Yéyé: Belle Époque in Upper Volta, contains music from a rich cultural moment in Burkina Faso just after it achieved independence from France.

For over four decades, Khalife has made music amid political turmoil and social upheaval. His latest album, Andalusia Of Love, is brooding and wistfully optimistic.

Banning Eyre reviews two albums from artists who are reinventing classic sounds from Puerto Rico: iLe's iLevitable and Miramar's Dedication to Sylvia Rexach.

In 1959, Paul Bowles traveled around Morocco to record as much traditional music as he could. A new box set of those recordings tells almost as much about Bowles as it does Morocco half a century ago.

The last living member of Bob Marley and the Wailers recently finished his first U.S. tour in more than 20 years. "That's my legacy: to sing for you people," says the 69-year-old musician.