Born in the Congo, raised in Belgium and a reputable Francophone rapper since the age of 20, Baloji (Swahili for “Sorcerer”) returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo this year to mix his brand of hip hop with the music of his homeland. The beginning of the record sounds more traditionally Congolese than anything else, but by the time the second song starts, Baloji’s rhyming magic takes hold. Notable Highlights include a track featuring Konono No.1 and an appearance by Detroit soul singer/ keys-man, Amp Fiddler.

Boban & Marko Markovic VS. Fanfare Ciocarlia: Balkan Brass Battle
Asphalt Tango Records, Romania/ Serbia

Finally! The two biggest names in Gypsy brass have come together to create an album of epic proportions. Recorded in a hotel next to Graf Dracula in Transylvania over a period of only 48 hours, this Battle Royale features a great selection of both bands work including two of the most rip-roaring versions of Ellington/ Tizol’s “Caravan” we’ve ever heard (each band does their own interpretation of the jazz classic). A record for the history books!

Bombino: Agadez
Cumbancha, Tuareg (Niger)

“Agadez” placed on almost every “best of 2011 world music” chart published this year and racked up more #1 spots than you could count on all your digits. Carrying on the Tuareg “dessert blues” tradition that Tinariwen made famous around the globe, Bombino and his band are on their way to being one of the preeminent groups of the genre. The album sways back and forth between the pulsating trance-like rhythms of the Sahara and Bombino’s exquisite guitar solos – it’s at once zen and outrageous.

Wait…There’s more. Small World has teamed up with Batuki Music Society and is bringing Bombino to Toronto on April 12 for a one night only intimate evening of dessert blues at Lula Lounge! Plenty more info on that to come soon. If you’re interested in staying in the loop head over to the Small World home page and sign up for our newsletter.

Boubacar Traoré: Mali Denhou
Lusafrica Records, Mali

It’s been 6 years since Malian bluesman and legend Boubacar Traoré has released a record, but it’s finally here and it was worth the wait. Recognizable from note one, Traoré’s playing made him a star in Mali at the age of only 20 and though he dropped out of the public eye for several years, his music certainly never did. This album features his long time friend Vincent Bucher on harmonica as well as many younger guests who add in n’goni, balafon and more. Overall “Mali Denhou” is a laid back, deep groove album that features the stripped down blues stylings that Traoré has always been partial to. Think “the Muddy Waters of Mali, ” that’s the level this man is at.

Buraka Som Sistema: Komba
Enchufada Records, Portugal

A few months ago, Portugal’s hardest hitting collective released their second record; it’s guaranteed to be a hit with the band’s fans. Delving deeper into the unique blend of kuduro, techno and dubstep they’re known for, “Komba” delivers 14 dark, heavy-hitting dance floor jams that orbit around the album’s central theme of death – Komba is an Angolan ritual in which loved ones celebrate the life of a person who has recently passed away. PS, Buraka Som Sistema is playing Wrong Bar this Friday (January 13), if you’re in the mood for dancing and mourning all at once you should come check it out – we’re going to.

Dengue Fever: Cannibal Courtship
Concord Music Group, US

Though “Cannibal Courtship” is their 4th release, Dengue Fever is a band who have never achieved the profile they deserve, but they’re a band everybody should know. They’ve got a great sound that’s all their own, mixing 60s-70s Cambodian psych-rock with surf and pop. Most of the album is pretty upbeat and fun, roaming into jam band territory every so often, but they never sound better than when everything slows down and vocalist Chhom Nimol sings in Cambodian, summoning the nostalgic sounds of artists like Ros Sereysothea and Pan Ron.

DRC Music: Kinshasa One Two
Warp Records, UK/ Congo

This record was put together by the UK based DJ collective “Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs” for Oxfam; an organization dedicated to creating self-sustaining programs in developing communities worldwide. You may remember them from the “Mali Music” project/ album they released almost a decade ago. “Kinshasa One Two” features a variety of artists from the Congo and all with their own unique style, instrumentation and sound. This makes the record feel a little disjointed as times, but it’s a great way to learn about all the different Congolese musicians. Proceeds from the album will go to helping Oxfam’s work, helping thousands of the DRC’s poorest people.

Kiran Ahluwalia: Aam Zameen: Common Ground
Avokado Artists Recordings, Canada/ India

Born in India, raised in Canada and now living in New York, Small World Music alumni artist and friend Kiran Ahluwalia must be acutely aware of the “Common Ground” in different cultures. She has certainly found it with her very accurately named latest release “Aam Zameen: Common Ground” which seamlessly blends Indian and Tuareg music. The album features Saharan allstars Tinariwen and Terakaft, but it’s Ahluwalia’s beautifully trained voice that takes this record to the next level. Highlights include a couple different versions of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s “Mustt Mustt”.

Mariza: Fado Tradicional
Four Quarters Records, Portugal

Another artist that Small World is proud to have brought to Toronto, Mariza returns to her roots on this latest studio recording. “Fado Tradicional” features 14 tracks void of the trumpet and piano featured on her last release and are carried almost entirely by Mariza’s remarkable, emotional range as a vocalist, save for softly picked acoustic guitars and the occasional cajón back beat. If you’re a fan of fado, this album is one to add to your collection as it presents the genre in it’s rawest traditional form, nothing but pure mournful, emotion here.

Quantic: The Best Of
Tru Thoughts Records, UK

Quantic, who closed our “Small World in the Square” event last fall is one of the world’s most renowned “crate diggers”. He has put together a superb selection of 32 songs featuring his best work, spanning 12 records and many of his different musical projects. Highlighting everything from his work with Quantic Soul Orchestra, to Quantic and his Conjunto Barbaro to Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno’s Dog With a Rope and many more, this really is the quintessential Quantic dance experience.

Sergent Garcia: Una y Otra Vez
Cumbancha Records, France

Sergent Garcia’s combined love for Jamaican reggae, dancehall, Latin grooves, French punk and indie rock have all melded into a sound he calls “salsamuffin.” A great album for the all-around global groove enthusiast, it has a distinct Colomnian leaning, but features everything from cumbia to ragas to dancehall to hip hop to son… and much more. The record also features a slew of guests including La-33, Bomba Estereo’s Liliana Saumet, Erika Munoz of Sidestepper, and Jacobo Velez from La Mojarra Electrica.

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80: From Africa with Fury
Knitting Factory Records, Nigeria

It’s difficult for the offspring of any major celebrity artist to make a name for themselves without being accused of riding the coat tails of their parent. In the case of Seun Kuti though, Fela’s youngest son, it’s pretty well agreed that he has earned every bit of praise conjured up for his musical pursuits. “From Africa with Fury” features the remaining members of Egypt 80 and is co-produced by Brian Eno, but it’s Seun’s musical vision that shines. Carrying on his father’s legacy of political activism through music, Seun’s approach is rooted in Afro-beat, but much more reflective of his generation and the digital era, where guitars, horns and percussion meet electronics and hip hop sensibility.

Sofrito: Tropical Discotheque (compilation)
Strut Records, UK

Sofrito is a party that’s been drawing the dancing masses in London since 2007 and this year they’ve teamed up with Strut records to release 15 of their tried-and-true dance floor hits. The album features an immaculate selection of Afro, Caribbean, and Latin gems. Highlights include an exclusive cumbia by Quantic, ‘Cumbia Mochilla’, a new edit of a rare Victor Uwaifo disco cut and firing Carnival jams from old-timers Roaring Lion and Mighty Shadow.

Söndörgő: Tamburising – Lost Music of the Balkans
World Village, Hungary/ Serbia

With an aim to bring the tambura (a fretted instrument played with a plectrum that ranges from small and high pitched to big and low) back into the mainstream of Balkan music, Söndörgő have released a collection of 15 tracks showcasing the versatility of the instrument. Highlights include collaborations with virtuoso József Kovács, Antal Kovács, the Hungarian actor Kátya Tompos and Zajdi Zajdi.

The Jolly Boys: Great Expectation
GeeJam Recordings, Jamaica

The Jolly Boys have been on the scene since the 1950s pushing their signature sound of stripped down calypso, but this is perhaps the first album they’ve really hit out of the park. “Great Expectation” features 14 cuts, all covers of famous tunes by everyone from Lou Reed to Johnny Cash to Blondie to Human League to Amy Winehouse to The Stones. Every song is guaranteed to put a smile on your face as Albert Minott’s rusty vocals recreate these hits over the sounds of acoustic guitars Caribbean percussion, maracas and the rumba box.

Tinariwen: Tassili
Anti- Records, Tuareg (Mali)

How can you create a favourite world music list without adding everyone’s favourite world music band Tinariwen. Their unique “dessert blues” sound (as we call it in the west) has made them world famous and has had a huge impact on emerging artists in world genres and beyond. “Tassili” is slightly less rambunctious than their previous releases and showcases a more mellow, complex side to their craft. Songs “Walla Illa,” “Tameyawt,” and “Iswegh Attay” all stand out as being distinctly Tinariwen, but on a softer, weightier tip. Another need-to-have by the Tuareg masters.

Tommy T: The Prester John Sessions
Easy Star Records, Ethiopia

Many people may know Tommy T as the bass player in Balkan punk band Gogol Bordello, but he certainly made a name for himself in 2011 as much more than that. His debut release “The Prester John Sessions” is an impressive blend of Ethiopian folk, dub reggae, Afro-beat, and funk and flows together seamlessly throughout – even when his pals from Gogol Bordello join in for a track. Other guests include Gigi and Abdi Nuressa. Heavy jams all around and an unmistakable Ethiopian leaning make this release a total success for newcomer Tommy T.

Vieux Farka Touré: The Secret
Six Degrees Records, Mali

It’s always nice when artists/ friends we’ve had a long term relationship with continue to turn heads with every release. That’s certainly the case with Malian-blues guitar virtuoso, Vieux Farka Touré. His latest release “The Secret” may be his best release yet, showing new maturity in his craft. Spending a little less time singing and allowing his picking to be the star of the record, he’s put together a true fusion record joining traditional Malian music with rock, funk and jazz. The record features a great roster of guests including Dave Matthews, Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno, John Scofield, Derek Trucks, and Ivan Neville. VFT fans are going to love this record, we sure did.

Yasmin Levy: Sentir
Four Quarters Records, Israel

Yasmin Levy made a splash in 2007 with her album “Mano Suave” and her 2011 album, “Sentir” has served her just as well. Levy is a master of the Ladino musical tradition (the Judeo-Spanish tradition of the Sephardic Jewish communities that were driven from Spain in the late 15th century) mixing Jewish music with flamenco and has an incredible range as a vocalist. One of the highlights of the record is a beautiful version of “Una Pastora” recorded with her father, Yitzhak Levy who passed away quite some time ago. Also appearing for a duet is Greek singer, Eleni Vitali.

Yemen Blues: Yemen Blues
Lev Group Media, Israel/ US/ Finland

Jazz, blues, classic levantine dance music, Bollywood pop, Balkan brass, funk, Afrobeat and just about everything else collides together with Yemeni culture and top notch players from around the world to create this wholly unique effort by Yemen Blues. The self titled album is the brainchild of Ravid Kahalani, a fascinating singer whose past work includes “Desert Blues,” “The Idan Raichel Project,” “Debka Fantasia” and others. We can’t stop listening to this eclectic mix of pan-global, psychedelic dance jams, this going to be band to watch in 2012.