Global Beat Fusion: Four Albums to Find in 2011

In the past, December to February were dead months in the music industry. Releases were far and few between; I'd bide my time rehashing classics by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Smashing Pumpkins while pretending spring was just around the corner listening to Bob Marley's Talkin' Blues. The holiday season was dominated by thematic carols sung by struggling and aging pop (read: adult contemporary) stars trying to squeeze a few more bucks out of an indifferent public before withering into obscurity. Sure, Adam Sandler might drop a gem, but the 'bonus' EP of three Christmas songs on the new El DeBarge record? Give me a real silent night.

In the past half-decade there has been a huge paradigm shift in the way music is released. When and where an album enters Amazon and iTunes is becoming less important than that it is released at all. The traditional model of the three-month PR lead is virtually non-existent; often I receive promos of albums that are already available for sale. Musicians push for the slow burn over the burnout, which demands immediate consumption. If you failed in the first three months, you had failed (unless you were Trent Reznor). Today many incredible albums are not seriously pushed until months after release date, which is a great working model for both artist and label, as long as neither is in dire need of instantaneous return.

I was thrilled to learn that Six Degrees Records is releasing the stunning collaboration between Malian kora master Ballaké Sissoko and French cellist Vincent Segal, Chamber Music (Jan 11). Originally slated for release on No Format last October, I've had the record since the summer. By the writing of this column, I'd already worn it out ok, perhaps not the right metaphor in the digital age, but still. Sissoko, most known for his beautiful work with friend and neighbor Toumani Diabate, New Ancient Strings, introduces his complex and hypnotic instrument to Segal's reserved, masterful performance. Most recently eschewing trip-hop, the Frenchman weaves mournful and inspirational tales deftly behind Sissoko's bright chords. Ten of the best songs to be released in January, all on the same record.

I have to admit, given the volume of press emails I receive daily, 'delete' is a common function on my Entourage. Yet I do glance each one over for standouts like this. Maybe it's simply because I've always had good luck with the last name Touré that I happily accepted a download. After a few listens of Sahel Folk (Jan 25, Thrill Jockey), however, my affection for Mali grew even more. Sidi Touré is a 51-year-old native of Gao in the northern region of his country, one that has produced some of the most incredible blues musicians on the planet. He's been well known in the Bamako circuit for decades, but pushing out on Thrill Jockey is giving him global recognition. Performing a very loose, refined style called songhaï blues, the repetitious nature of his guitar quickly leaves one entranced; the seven-minute "Bera Nay Wassa" is heartbreaking in approach and ascent. The nearly ten-minute "Taray Kongo" is reminiscent of the minimalist splendor of Corey Harris's Mississippi to Mali. With a surge of African artists making their presence known in modern America, expect Sidi to soon catapult into that list.

While not being released until February, Moroccan-French vocalist Hindi Zahra's debut, Handmade (Feb 22, Blue Note), has been in my possession for over half a year. Again, what's released overseas doesn't always make it here (until iTunes finally starts letting you buy and not just browse other countries). The press (and press release) makes much of her Moroccan ancestry, which is kind of like saying that my writing reminds you of Hungarian poetry. Sure, my ancestry might point there (and yes, she pulls lightly from Berber culture), but I would reference North Africa as much as I would the bards of Budapest. That's not to say this isn't a gorgeous album. I'm thrilled that Zahra will be making inroads here, with hopeful tours to follow. Borrowing from American folk, French café music and, most notably, dusky jazz singers (and her love of Hendrix on the hyper "Set Me Free"), it is truly challenging to classify much of anything on Handmade. Zahra shines a beacon all her own on this welcome introduction, and if you're anything like me, you'll be awaiting many more to come.

It's not only the name Touré that piques my interest. Sometimes it's as simple as a package and a name. Borrowing theirs from Cervantes (I would go for windmills), the New Mexican duo A Hawk and a Hacksaw won me over on first listen. Cervantine (March 8, L.M. Dupli-cation) is masterminded by accordionist Jeremy Barnes and violinist Heather Trost, who enlisted impressive talent on this splendid record, including, as the focus was Eastern European roots music, the inimitable Fanfare Ciocarlia. Currently I'm stuck on the slow crawl of the title track, with its violin overture leading into tuba and saxophone, guided by the dumbek, which culminates with a surprising guitar (or could be dobro) solo. The closing "The Loser [Xeftilis]," featuring Asian-inspired guitar chords and an excellent addition of riq, soars with Trost's violin. This is an album that will certainly be enjoyed and deconstructed for months by my ready ears, far surpassing anything else I may have assigned with the adjective 'unique' in the past few months. Cervantine is the mountain music of Pangaea.