Women of the World: Acoustic

Putumayo Presents | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 27, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Putumayo World Music
• ASIN: B000LP4OEM
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,131 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. M'Envoyer des Fleurs - Sandrine Kiberlain

2. Grano de Arena - Marta Topferova

3. Sunnyroad - Emiliana Torrini

4. Não Se Apavore - Luca Mundaca

5. Bida Mariadu - Lura

6. Sekna - Mona

7. Tuca' La Louna - Tamara Obrovac

8. Ola Ta Aiskola - Anastasia Moutsatsou

9. Paula Ausente - Marta Gomez

10. Wa - Kaissa

11. One Voice - The Wailin' Jennys

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Released partly to celebrate International Women's Day, a holiday recognized by the United Nations, these eleven unplugged tunes from as many female singers make wonderfully varied and pleasurable listening. And the performers’ backgrounds are equally fascinating. Some are comparatively well-known; Sandrine Kiberlain is a French movie star while The Wailin' Jennys, from Canada, have appeared on Prairie Home Companion. Meanwhile, Emiliana Torrini, of Icelandic-Italian parentage, made her mark with "Gollum's Song" from the second Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Others found their voices through travel--Luca Mundaca was born in Chile, irresistibly drawn to Brazil, and now lives in the USA. Marta Topferova has achieved such an effortless command of South American traditions that hardly anyone ever guesses that she is originally from the Czech Republic. As each lady in turn assumes center stage, she bewitches all comers with her own brand of adroitness, confidence and charm. Although the music is, for the most part, richly redolent of folkloric sources, many of the artists display a neo-cabaret sophistication that somehow never lapses into world-weariness. A final note: a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this album will be donated to the Global Fund For Women, a good cause if ever there was one. --Christina Roden

More from Putumayo

A New Groove

Taste of Putumayo

Gypsy Groove

World Party

Product Description

Each March women all over the world celebrate International Women's Day. A national holiday in many countries, this day celebrates everyday women as makers of history. Though often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, this day allows women everywhere to look back on a tradition of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development. Women of the World: Acoustic celebrates this tradition with an exploration of acoustic music by some of the world's leading female artists.

Some of the women featured on Women of the World: Acoustic include the following. Sandrine Kiberlain is known first and foremost as an actress, having appeared in over 20 French films. "M'envoyer des Fleurs" is from her first and only album. The Canadian trio The Wailin' Jennys harmonizes together beautifully on "One Voice," a song from the group's debut album 40 Days.

The half-Icelandic, half-Italian Emiliana Torinni is perhaps most recognizable as the voice behind the enchanting "Gollum's Song" from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. She has also toured with Thievery Corporation. "Sunnyroad" is taken from her second.

Marta Topferova was born in the Czech Republic, but found her voice in the folk traditions of Latin America after discovering the Chilean protest group Inti-Illimani. Colombia native Marta Gomez contributes the haunting "Paula Ausente," a song based on the book "Paula" by noted Chilean author Isabelle Allende.

Rounding out the album is Luca Mundaca. Originally from Chile, she now resides in the U.S. Mundaca fuses her contemporary folk sensibilities with bossa nova and contributes "Não se Apavore."

A portion of Putumayo's proceeds from the sale of this album will be donated to the Global Fund for Women in support of their efforts to promote and defend the human rights of women and girls around the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mainstream worldbeat divas, September 5, 2007

By 

Amaranth "music fan" (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women of the World: Acoustic (Audio CD)

Putumayo World Music is talented in discovering unique international music. Putumayo has made music fit for exotic imports stores redolent with the scent of patchouli. However, in this latest release, Putumayo goes more mainstream; in fact, PEOPLE magazine had "Women of the World:Acoustic" in their Mother's Day Gift Guide.

"Women of the World:Acoustic" is music more appropriate for a smooth jazz/soft rock/easy listening station than as an exotic acoustic travelogue. It's neither a great nor terrible compilation;it's better as background music. The Cape Verdean singer Lura, the Brazilian Luca Mundaca, the Czech-now-Latin American Maria Topferova, the Greek Anastasia Moustatsou, the Prairie Home Companion stars Wailin' Jennys, and the languid, Isabel Allende-inspired Marta Gomez have the few distinctive highlights. Unfortunately, Asia and Oceania are not represented. There aren't instrumentals from sitarist heiress Anoushka Shankar or alt.country banjo player Alison Brown. The French actress Sandrine Kiberlain&Emiliana Torrini (she of the overrated "Gollum's Song" from "Two Towers") have sappy,grating songs.

"Women of the World:Acoustic" is world music with a mainstream, unchallenging feminine touch. While some of the artists are worth further exploration, the compilation is dull mainstream worldbeat.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gentle and subtle, October 22, 2011

By 

E. Strickenburg (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women of the World: Acoustic (Audio CD)

Featuring female artists from around the globe, this album contains many styles of music but unites them under the simplicity of the acoustic sound. It's a gentle and subtle album. There's a good flow between tracks, and the album doesn't suffer from the sense of "jumpiness" between musical styles that's all too common on world music albums.

I enjoyed most all of the songs on this album. Sandrine Kiberlain's sultry melody in "M'envoyer des Fleurs" is lovely. I was also impressed by the vocal subtlety and genuineness of "Sunnyroad" by Icelandic artist Emiliana Torrini (most known in the states for "Gollum's Song," appearing on the Lord of the Rings soundtrack). The gentle harmonies of "Paula Ausente" by Colombian artist Marta Gomez were also wonderful.

While I enjoyed most of the tracks on this album, the closing song -- "One Voice" by the Wailin' Jennys -- simply blew me away. The harmonies and vocal blend of this Canadian group are absolutely stunning. I was first introduced to the group by this CD, but have since come to love their other work -- particularly their album Firecracker.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great CD by Women of the World, February 26, 2009

By 

Melissa Bachman (Orlando, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Women of the World: Acoustic (Audio CD)

I love this CD. I listen to a lot of jazz, but was still drawn to this for the acoustic, international element. It's great!