We’re not gonna beat around the bush here — everything that
Putumayo World Music puts out is worth running to the store and
snatching immediately. Whoever is in charge of selecting these
collections from the world’s most familiar and far-flung regions
deserves a lifetime Grammy Award. So while this is a short list, we
back their whole catalog, which can be checked out at putumayo.com.
1. One World, One Kid: One day, a six-year-old
named Skyler Pia made his sick friend a CD, complete with
commentary, and it somehow ended up in Putumayo’s hands. Great
music, cheap $6 tag, and all proceeds go to Make-a-Wish.
2. Paris: To be released on April 18, this CD
reminds us that the French can be cool, and that their nouvelle
scène is taking their café-born chanson music to new heights.
3. Turkish Groove: Perhaps the best example on
our list of how unheard of but amazing music finds a happy
home.
4. Reggae Playground: What’s a better time than
childhood to get stoked on reggae and world music? (This one’s
aimed at kids.)
5. Music from the Chocolate Lands: Part of a
series that also includes collections from the tea lands, this CD
features songs from Africa and the Americas, connected via the
cocoa bean.