A decade of Non-Aligned beats, soul, disco and jazz 1969-1979 & 1968-1982.

Acoustic trio DAG was formed in 1972 in Belgrade, Serbia. The name comes from initial letters of the members' given names: Dragan Popovic (guitar, vocals), Aleksandar Milanovic (guitar, vocals) and Grujica Milanovic (percussion, vocals). They were prominent representatives of the mid 1970s Belgrade acoustic music scene, but did not enjoy enough popularity in spite of their interesting work. Backed by a group of strong session players they recorded their only album under the name Trio DAG called "Secanja" in 1974. It is a recommended work combining acoustic and electric instruments (sitar, flute, Hammond…), progressive rock and acid folk with certain psychedelic touch. It can be compared with the sound of Californian psychedelic folk or British Canterbury scene. After its release DAG slowly disappeared from the scene, leaving behind also three 7" singles.

This fascinating collection was put together by archivist Christopher Wagner, who assembled these vintage 78 rpms recorded between 1922 and 1959 by all manner of emigrant musicians – each addressing the hopes, dreams, fears and confusions of starting a new life in a new world – into an amazing statement on diversity. Some 50 million people migrated from Europe to America in the 19th century, with millions more coming from the Far East, the West Indies, and points in between, all putting to the test the melting pot theory of American democracy, a theory that is, in many ways, still being tested. Consisting of selections by Irish string bands, Scandinavian folk ensembles, ragged street corner calypso orchestras, conjunto bands and so much more, Stranded in the USA holds a mirror to a vital period in U.S. history, and also sheds light on a nascent recording industry trying anything and everything to reach pocket audiences, a process that is difficult to imagine in a contemporary setting full of corporate multimedia giants more intent on selling culture than reflecting or serving it. This truly is the sound of America singing. Kudos to Trikont Records, a German label, for recognizing the importance of these tracks.

Igra Staklenih Perli, the ultimate ex-Yugoslavian space/psychedelic rock band, was formed in 1976 in Belgrade, Serbia, having been named after the famous novel by Hermann Hesse - "Das Glasperlenspiel" (The Glass Beads Game). Igra Staklenih Perli labelled their music style as "stream of consciousness music". Their both studio albums, the first eponymous "Igra Staklenih Perli" from 1979 and the second "Vrt Svetlosti" from 1980, are pretty similar in sound and resemble the style from early Pink Floyd and Hawkwind psychedelia, to German krautrock (notably Can and Tangerine Dream), to Hillage-era Gong among many. Interesting music effort especially considering the fact it was the new wave boom period when they tried to pursue a quite different music philosophy.

Ederlezi spans 10 years of Goran Bregovic's film music career, covering much of his work for Balkan director Emir Kusturica as well as to the movies Toxic Affair and La Reine Margot. It shouldn't be a shock to discover that Bregovic's music is steeped in the culture of his homeland. His compositions for Kusturica's Underground are a goulash of foot-stomping gypsy festivities, like the Balkan take on Carnaval in "Cajesukarije Cocek" and the thunderous trumpet on "Kalasnjikov". For the film Le temps des gitans he wrote "Talijanska", which begins with a pleasant jaunt on the accordion, makes a daring turn into a cul-de-sac of brooding drones, and then returns to the welcome safety of the starting point with a larger ensemble. There are also many unexpected encounters on this collection, the most surprising being Iggy Pop's vocals on the EZ-listening pop of "TV Screen". Others include the juxtaposition of tender acoustic guitar and chimes with narration by Johnny Depp on "American Dreamers" and the crooning of dark angel Scott Walker on "Man From Reno".

Charming Hostess is a whirl of eerie harmony, hot rhythm and radical braininess. Our music explores the intersection of text and the sounding body– complex ideas expressed physically, based on voice and vocal percussion, handclaps and heartbeats, sex-breath and silence. We live where diasporas collide, incorporating piyyutim and Pygmy counterpoint, doo-wop and niggunim, work songs and Torah chanting. The texts speak of mysticism and sex; angels and demons; and the trials and joys of love and sex…

La Frontera is a 1985 self-titled debut album by a Spanish rock band. This is taken from the first digital/compact disc release done by Polydor/PolyGram.

Seattle’s Jazz Hall of Fame ‘Avant Goddess’ has produced her 17th solo recording, featuring beautiful multi-instrumental 'world soul' music sung in English and Serbo-Croatian, silent film soundtracks, commissioned compositions, and whimsical songs.
Amy Denio is a Seattle-based multi-instrumental composer of soundtracks for modern dance, film and theater, as well as a songwriter and music improviser. Often called an unclassifiable avant-garde jazz musician, her main instruments are voice, alto saxophone, clarinet, accordion, acoustic and electric guitars, electric bass, and theremin.

Can You Dig It? is the 2013 album by jazz rock group The Vasil Hadžimanov Band. This was released on Serbian label Zmex.

Afrika is a fantastic 1997 dance album by Serbian singer Arijana Katavić, known simply as Arijana. This was released by Raglas.

In Sudan, the political and cultural are inseparable.
In 1989, a coup brought a hardline religious government to power. Music was violently condemned. Many musicians and artists were persecuted, tortured, forced to flee into exile and even murdered, ending one of the most beloved music eras in all of Africa and largely denying some of Sudan's gifted instrumentalists, singers, and poets, from strutting their creative heritage on the global stage. What came before in a special era that protected and promoted the arts was one of the richest music scenes anywhere in the world. Although Sudanese styles are endlessly diverse, this compilation celebrates the golden sound of the capital, Khartoum.

Balkan folk music stylist and film composer Goran Bregovic was born in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia on March 22, 1950, beginning his music career in 1966 as bassist with the local rock band Bestije. After a three-year stint as a member of Kodeks, in 1971 he joined the underground trio Mica, Goran and Zoran. Three years later Bregovic founded Bijelo Dugme, one of Yugoslavia's most successful and influential bands until their breakup in 1988. He first turned to film work in 1978, composing the score to Mica Milosevic's Nije Nego, though Bregovic's most fruitful collaboration was with director Emir Kusturica, for whom he scored 1988's Time of the Gypsies, 1993's Arizona Dream, and 1995 Palme d'Or winner, Underground. His other scores during this period included 1994's Queen Margot, 1996's A Chef in Love, and 1997's A Serpent's Kiss. Meanwhile, his exuberant solo folk-pop recordings included 1996's P.S., the 1998 live album Silence of the Balkans, and 1999's Ederlezi. The latter two were his first for Mercury and Polygram.

Divna Ljubojević (Serbian: Дивна Љубојевић), sometimes called by just her first name, i.e. Divna, is a Serbian singer and conductor of Orthodox Christian sacred music of various languages; she is a founder (along a group of her friends), the conductor and artistic director of the Melodi ensemble (Serbian: Мелоди, "(the) Melodists"), a "choir and studio for spiritual music". …

Gypsy music has a certain fascination, a mystery of far-away places, a kind of longing, a sadness but often such exuberant and fiery enthusiasm as to make the listeners hearts pound and feet tap. Gypsy musicians, many having learned their instruments from an early childhood, usually are virtuoso players of their instruments and are able to express and project a rainbow of emotions with their guitars, accordions, violins, and other instruments. The term gypsy music refers strictly to the gypsies own folk music, but in its broadest sense has become a general term for music performed and cultivated by gypsies. The gypsies were/are an itinerant people believed to have originated from northern India.

Eastern Bloc Funk Experience: Psych-Funk, Satellite Soul And Cold War Disco is a 2011 compilation CD of soul and funk from Eastern block countries in the European nation. All are performed in their native tongues. Dig it.