Amassakoul is a 2004 album by the Tuareg band Tinariwen. In a review of the album, Chris Nickson of AllMusic stated, "This is angry and passionate; it's dangerous music in the very best sense. Western bands might have forgotten how to rock as if their lives depended on it; Tinariwen can teach them." Jon Lusk of the BBC noted, "you'll be happy to discover that this music has a similar power to transport you to the heats of the Sahara." In a review of the album, PopMatters concluded that "this is a band whose music is not only mesmerizing but is destined to find wide appeal to many listeners of all ages."
Tishoumaren or assouf, internationally known as desert blues, is a style of music from the Sahara region of northern and west Africa. Critics describe the music as a fusion of blues and rock music with Tuareg, Malian or North African music. Various other terms are used to describe it including desert rock, Saharan rock, Takamba, Mali blues, Tuareg rock or simply "guitar music". The style has been pioneered by Tuareg musicians in the Sahara region, particularly in Mali, Niger, Libya, Western Sahara, Algeria, Burkina Faso and others.
Etran Finatawa is a Niger-based band, formed in 2004 during the Festival au Désert near Timbuktu, Mali. The music of Etran Finatawa blends the traditional music of the Wodaabe and Tuareg people with western instruments such as the electric guitar.
World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music.
The Rough Guide to West African Music is a world music compilation album originally released in 1995. The second release of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, it largely focuses on Malian music, with six of the twelve tracks coming from that country. This is followed by Senegal, and Guinea, Niger, Ghana, and Mauritania. The compilation was produced by Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network.
The Rough Guide To The Music Of Afghanistan is a world music compilation album originally released in 2010. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release covers a wide breadth of the music of Afghanistan on Disc One, and contains a "bonus" Disc Two highlighting the Ahmad Sham Sufi Qawwali Group. The album was compiled by Simon Broughton, editor of world music magazine Songlines, who also compiled The Rough Guide to the Music of Central Asia.
The Rough Guide To Psychedelic Africa is a world music compilation album originally released in 2012 featuring 1960s and 1970s African popular music. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album contains two discs: an overview of the genre on Disc One, and a "bonus" Disc Two highlighting Victor Uwaifo. Disc One features three Nigerian tracks, two Guinean, and one each from Benin, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Senegal, Ghana, and Mali. The compilation was compiled by Dominic Raymond-Barker and Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network.
The Rough Guide To Arabic Revolution is a world music compilation album originally released in 2013 featuring music relating to the contemporaneous Arab Spring revolutionary wave. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album contains two discs: a compilation Disc One featuring protest songs ranging from traditional music to Arabic hip hop, and a "bonus" Disc Two highlighting Ramy Essam, whose song "Irhal" (Leave) is widely considered the anthem of the Egyptian Revolution.
The Rough Guide to the Music of Kenya and Tanzania is a world music compilation album originally released in 1996. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, it focuses on the music of Kenya and Tanzania, two countries which share Swahili as a common language. The release was compiled by Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network. Artwork was designed by Impetus.
The Rough Guide to the Music of Senegal is a world music compilation album originally released in 2013. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release presents an overview of the music of Senegal on Disc One, and contains a "bonus" Disc Two highlighting Daby Balde. The album was compiled by Daniel Rosenberg and was produced by Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network. Daniel Rosenberg and Rachel Jackson wrote the sleeve notes, and Brad Haynes was coordinator and designer.
The Rough Guide to Congo Gold is a world music compilation album originally released in 2008. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release focuses on the soukous genre of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with tracks from the 1960s to 90s. The compilation was produced by Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network. Martin Sinnock compiled the tracks and wrote the liner notes, and Brad Haynes & Marisa Lassman coordinated the project.
The Rough Guide to African Disco is a world music compilation album originally released in 2013 featuring mainly 1970s and '80s African disco. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album contains two discs: an overview of the genre on Disc One, and a "bonus" Disc Two highlighting Cameroonian artist Maloko. Disc One features five South African tracks, four Nigerian, two Ghanaian, and one each from Cameroon and France. The release was compiled by Dominic Raymond-Barker and Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network.
The Rough Guide To Acoustic Africa is a world music compilation album originally released in 2013 featuring acoustic music spanning Sub-Saharan Africa. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album contains two discs: an overview of the genre on Disc One, and a "bonus" Disc Two highlighting griot Noumoucounda Cissoko. Disc One features artists hailing from Niger, Madagascar, the DRC, South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, South Sudan, Sudan, Senegal, and Guinea. All but three tracks are guitar-based. The extensive liner notes were written by Daniel Rosenberg, and Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network, produced the album.
The Rough Guide to Dub is a world music compilation album originally released in 2005. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release covers the roots of dub music, focusing on the period 1973-1980. Curation was performed by Steve Barrow, co-founder of the record label Blood and Fire, who also compiled The Rough Guide to Reggae and authored its companion book. Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network, produced the work.
The Rough Guide to the Music of Ethiopia is a world music compilation album originally released in 2012. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release contains two discs: an overview of the music of Ethiopia—focusing mainly on 21st century pop—is found on Disc One, while Disc Two features dub-style musician Invisible System. The compilation was curated by Dominic Raymond-Barker and Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network, who was also the producer. It is the second compilation by this name: the first volume, focusing on music of the 1960s, was released in 2004.
The Rough Guide to the Music of Morocco is a world music compilation album originally released in 2004. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release covers the music of Morocco, which had been receiving new-found attention on the world music circuit in the early 2000s. The compilation was curated by Andy Morgan, former manager of Tinariwen and organizer of the Festival in the Desert. Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network, was the producer. This album was followed by a second edition, which covered the same topic by showcasing different artists.
The Rough Guide to the Music of Morocco is a world music compilation album originally released in 2012. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release contains two discs: an overview of the music of Morocco—featuring such genres as Chaabi and Malhun—is found on Disc One, while Disc Two features the modern rural-urban fusion band Groupe Mazagan. The compilation was curated by Andy Morgan, former manager of Tinariwen and organizer of the Festival in the Desert. Brad Haynes and Rachel Jackson coordinated the project, and Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network, was the producer.
The Rough Guide to Highlife is a world music compilation album originally released in 2003. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release covers the Highlife musical genre of Ghana and surrounding countries, focusing on the 1960s and 70s. Graeme Ewens wrote the liner notes, and Phil Stanton, co-founder of the World Music Network, was the producer. This album was followed by a second edition in 2012.
African Blues is a world music benefit compilation album originally released in 1998, with proceeds going to Voluntary Service Overseas. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release features African blues. The compilation was produced and coordinated by Phil Stanton & Sandra Alayón-Stanton, co-founders of the World Music Network. Though they are named differently, 2007's The Rough Guide to African Blues is sometimes considered this album's second edition.
The Rough Guide to Greek Café is a world music compilation album originally released in 2010. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the release covers a wide breadth of the music of Greece on Disc One, from traditional to modern. Disc Two highlights Dimitris Mistakidis. The album was compiled by Marc Dubin, a journalist specializing in Greece for the past three decades. Brad Haynes coordinated the project, Laurence Cedar mastered the work, and Phil Stanton was the producer.
