Cover the World: World Music Versions of Classic Pop Hits

Albert Pla (Artist), Mo'Horizons (Artist), Toure Kunda (Artist), Tukuleur (Artist), Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Artist), Chris Ardoi (Artist), Les Go (Artist), Angelique Kidjo (Artist), Fatal Mambo (Artist), Nenes Yannick (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 25, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Putumayo World Music
• ASIN: B000087DRG
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,214 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. El Lado Mas Bestia de la Vida (Walk on the Wild Side) - Albert Pia

2. Hit the Road Jack - Mo'Horizons

3. Nobel (In The Air Tonight) - Toure Kunda

4. Afrika - Tukuleur

5. People Get Ready - Ladysmith Black Mambazo w/ Phoebe Snow

6. Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher - Chris Ardoin and Double Clutchin'

7. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) - Les Go

8. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Angelique Kidjo

9. Magot Tcheri (In The Summertime) - Fatal Mambo

10. Ces Soirees La - (December 1963 - Oh, What A Night) - Yannick

11. Ain't No Sunshine - Ladysmith Black Mambazo w/ Des'ree

12. No Woman, No Cry - Nenes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This album offers 12 enlightening cover versions of Western pop tunes, as performed by artists from places like France, Spain, South Africa, Germany, and Mali. It's always instructive to glimpse how one culture's music is perceived by another, whether through a funhouse mirror, from under a microscope, or even face-to-face. The performances gathered here range from misguided (Albert Pla's bizarre Spanish language take on Lou Reed's "Take A Walk On The Wild Side") to hilarious (Fatal Mambo's salsa interpretation of Mungo Jerry's "In The Summertime") to a delightful breath of fresh air (Malian girl group Les Go's version of Hall & Oates' "I Can¹t Go For That"). Nenes' earnest Japanese-language rendition of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" is laced with plangent plucked samisens and is somehow extremely touching. Other attempts are less effective, but at least none of them come across as cynical and all are worth a listen. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars what a hoot!, April 6, 2003

By 

m_noland "m_noland" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cover the World: World Music Versions of Classic Pop Hits (Audio CD)

As with most compilations, there is a certain amount of unevenness to the selections. Highpoints: Catalan Albert Pla's absolutely hysterical lisping flamenco version of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side;" Beninois Angelique Kidjo's nearly guitar-less version of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" (though nothing can match the absolutely ferocious version she does live in which she sings the lead guitar part); and the female Okinawan band Nenes' sanshin-driven version of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" (which, when you think about it, a female sanshin-driven version sung in Okinawan is pretty good evidence for the case that Bob Marley is indeed the world's best loved musician). Some of the covers are less successful to my ears, at least in part because I don't like the originals. One exception is the Ivorian trio Les Go's version of Hall and Oates' "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" - for me, having successfully repressed the original in my consciousness, their cover is simply a pretty good dance track, typical of Les Go.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars You'll hate it... or love it, December 18, 2008

By 

Megan Jones "Consumer Information Advocate" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cover the World: World Music Versions of Classic Pop Hits (Audio CD)

If you're the typical target audience of Putumayo and appreciate the label for bringing excellent lesser-known world musicians to the forefront, then you'll probably find these compilations offensive to the ear. Speaking as someone who adores Putumayo, I found this cd so bad that I felt I had to write a review to warn other Putumayo fans. That being said, if you're just interested in hearing some bizarre and quirky arrangements of popular songs, then you might like it. Do yourself a favor and if you think you might be interested in this album, go to Putumayo's website first and listen to the samples. You'll either love it or hate it.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Gets old PDQ!, July 20, 2006

By 

KiKi "AquaOpal" (North Central, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cover the World: World Music Versions of Classic Pop Hits (Audio CD)

I used to work at a store in the mall, that often circulated several putumayo titles on our sound system which we also sold. We had Cuba, Samba Bossa Nova, Asian Groove, Arabic Groove, Zydeco, World Lounge, African Groove, Euro Lounge, Global Soul, just to name a few! I loved them all, even after listening to them every time I worked for almost a year...except one! Cover the world, drove me up the wall the first few times I heard it. Now, there are a few good songs on here ("Ain't no sunshine", is my fav) but overall, not for long term listening in my opinion. Hearing Asian women sing "No woman no cry" gets flat out annoying after awhile! Would recommend the titles I stated above, over this one.