Charlie Gillett is a BBC London DJ whose weekly show “The Sound of the World” is one of the best places to hear new and old music from all corners of the globe. You can hear him on the Web at www.charliegillett.com. Each year, He picks his favorites for a two-disc compilation. This year’s offering, “World 2004” (Wrasse XXX 1/2), is great, featuring much music still unavailable in the United States. No two songs on this album sound alike. Here’s an idea of the diversity of these 34 selections: You get a Chinese-Indian-Brazilian concoction, Hungarian and Turkish club jams, Arabic and Nigerian raps, some 1930s Berlin cabaret, a rapturous Ethiopian, a couple of hoarse Italians, Congolese dance tunes, Gypsy remixes and an Israeli-Palestinian collaboration. And that’s just a fraction.

Hailing from the musically fertile land of Mali, and belonging to no particular tradition, Rokia Traoré is a young African singer developing a new kind of mostly acoustic music that borrows from all traditions. Even classical has its place; the Kronos Quartet joins in spots. “Bowmboï” (Nonesuch, XXX 1/2) is her third album. If you’ve heard either of her acclaimed previous albums, what might surprise you is the added energy on this disc. The pace is more varied, the percussion is more forceful, the textures more pronounced. This is Traoré finding her place as one of Africa’s bright stars.

Mauritanian singer Daby Touré’s debut album, “Diam” (Real World XX 1/2) is a warm collection that’s very accessible to Western ears. The Paris-based musician, who lately has toured with Peter Gabriel, set out to meld his African roots with the Western pop he grew up enjoying, and he spent seven years creating “Diam.” Touré plays guitars, bass, melodica, hand drums, percussion and he sings his own backing vocals. His attention to detail is impressive, as are his acoustic guitar virtuosity, vocal layering and occasional techno-flourishes. The midtempo of most of the songs gives the album a pensive, forward-moving, folkish air, and the melodies are positive. The frustrating thing about “Diam” is that because it has been fashioned so carefully over so much time, it lacks a certain spontaneity that you know Touré is capable of.