Customer Reviews

New York City: Global Beat of the Boroughs

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The New York City Global Beat of the Boroughs stands out as a music compilation on which nearly every one of the 30+ tracks sizzle. I like the CD best because it delivers hot tunes that sound better with multiple listenings - while preserving true, traditional ethnic music styles instead of delivering watered-down, electronic "world fusion". Some of the tracks remind me of the most 'native' world music that a David Byrne or Paul Simon would collaborate on. The music includes Latin American, African American, Middle Eastern, European, and Asian styles. I've seen a related concert in New York City - the artists are equally interesting in person.

I picked this up at a used CD store today, not real sure what to expect, but these CDs contain music that is a real delight! From the folksongs of the rural mountains of Albania to the white sand beaches of the Caribbean, the immigrants that settled in New York certainly brought a wealth of diversity in music. I really enjoyed the Puerto Rican bombas and salsas as well as the joyous Jewish klezmer music, the Greek rebetika and the various gypsy melodies. This is a worthwhile addition to any world music collection. Try something different, check it out!

I hope to find more cds like this one.

I have lived in NY all my life, not in the city,(but very close). The one thing I have always loved about living here is its cultural diversity. People from all walks of life seem to immigrate here. This 2CD set proves that. This is a great world music collection, that includes many tracks by the Latino population. There is a combination of plena, bachata, salsa, merengue and more... From the Caribbean, there is the steeldrums of Trinidad, and Haitian rara(roots music). Asian-Americans contribute some instrumental pieces from Korea and China. Also included is: Celtic, Gypsy, Jewish, Greek, Albanian, and African music. This is a wonderfully inexpensive price for so many different types of music. If you want to learn a little more about the great city of NY, then pick this up!

What happens when a treasured American label works with New York's Center for Traditional Music and Dance to find representative samples of the myriad musical cultures that exist in New York City? This 2CD set is the answer. From Latin America and the West Indies to Europe and Asia, this is truly a fascinating observation into various world music genres. With the always exceptional liner notes Folkways provides, this is an unquestioned bargain.