OK, I have to confess that some splendid music came out in 2005 that wasn’t made in Oregon. Here are a few disks from various global cultures that tickled my ears this year.

African: Algerian-French chanteuse Souad Massi may be the best-known female singer in the Arabic world. Her beautiful Mesk Elil (Honeysuckle) (Wrasse) also incorporates breezy sounds from Mali and Cape Verde, and its closing dance remix shows she can hit a mighty groove as well.