Imani Uzuri's 'Gypsy Diaries': New World Soul

The Root Recommends: The latest CD by a singer who blends blues, folk and global-music influences.

By: Joshua R. Weaver

Singer Imani Uzuri brings her global experiences to her latest album, The Gypsy Diaries, which was released on Tuesday.

On her second album, Uzuri breaks out of the mold with an eclectic ensemble of instruments, from the sitar -- used heavily in classic Indian music -- to Middle Eastern-inspired drums and Japanese-inspired woodwinds.

The diverse set of melodies and rhythms complements her unadulterated, bluesy vocals, which channel the roots of Uzuri's rural-North Carolina upbringing.

The ethnic variety of The Gypsy Diaries allows the listener to delve into the many travels that helped Uzuri develop such a different and creative album. "Ultimately, this album is about finding my place through the traveling," Uzuri explains, "the communion, the loneliness, victories, sadness, losses, euphorias, revelations, transformations coming to understand that I am always here: home."