Folk & Traditional / Traditional

Rare field recordings by Laurent Jeanneau among minority communities in southern China: mouth organs of every size, the Gelao gupiaoqin and elders' canon singing. Recorded with honesty about ethnic tourism, seeking music that is lived rather than staged. A precious snapshot of traditions under pressure

Nyahh Records is proud and excited to announce this compilation of singers, which has been on the back boiler for some time!! Inspired by the song collecting of Alan Lomax, this compilation brings together two generations of singers from all across the island of Ireland. Some of the songs previously appear on albums, but the rest were recorded by the singer themselves on their phones to give the song a real and raw effect that brings an authentic feel and immediacy to the songs. A long standing …

Scottish singer and guitarist Alasdair Roberts and Norwegian just intonation explorer Fredrik Rasten stretch seven traditional Scottish ballads into slow, drone-rich spells: an hour of overtones, hurdy-gurdy, psaltery and two voices.

Another limited first-time double vinyl and cassette release for recordings from Deben Bhattacharya’s early 1970s journeys around South East Asia, this time focused on the traditional and religious music of Thailand.

Tip! Gagaku is the oldest of the Japanese performing arts, with a history more than a thousand years old. The term refers to Japanese classical music and dance, traditionally performed by families of musicians linked to the ancient Imperial court, and later passed down in Buddhist temple ceremonies and Shinto shrines. Shiba Sukeyasu, founder and director of the Reigakusha ensemble, descends from the Koma clan, whose origins date back to the end of the 10th century. The recordings partly reflect …

Carrying on from recent archival releases from masters of Indian classical tradition such as Kamalesh Maitra and the Dagar Brothers, Black Truffle is pleased to present a previously unheard recording of a concert by Pakistani vocalist Salamat Ali Khan. Born to a musician family in Hoshiarpur in the northwestern state of Punjab, Khan moved with his family to Lahore in Pakistan after the 1947 partition of India, becoming a child musical prodigy. Khan was a master of the kyhal form of Hindustani cl…

Black Truffle is thrilled to announce a second volume of unheard concert performances from legendary Pakistani kyhal singer Salamat Ali Khan, recorded at Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie as part of the MetaMusik festival in 1974. Like the first volume, the immaculate recording by Michael Hönig (of krautrock legends Agitation Free) captures Khan performing a single extended raag in the company of Shaukat Hussein Khan on tabla and Hussein Bux Khan on harmonium. In addition to his stunningly inventive…

Visionaries in Mexico have sought ways to look beyond the stars for millennia. Ancient civilizations like the Maya and Aztecs designed their cities as gigantic star maps, orienting their buildings to mark equinoxes, solstices, and zenith passages. This inquisitive form of meaning-making through art has long been endangered—first by Spanish colonizers; then by the Mexican government’s throttling of artistic expression in the late 20th century; and now by the violent anti-Mexican sentiments of the…

Visionaries in Mexico have sought ways to look beyond the stars for millennia. Ancient civilizations like the Maya and Aztecs designed their cities as gigantic star maps, orienting their buildings to mark equinoxes, solstices, and zenith passages. This inquisitive form of meaning-making through art has long been endangered—first by Spanish colonizers; then by the Mexican government’s throttling of artistic expression in the late 20th century; and now by the violent anti-Mexican sentiments of the…

Visionaries in Mexico have sought ways to look beyond the stars for millennia. Ancient civilizations like the Maya and Aztecs designed their cities as gigantic star maps, orienting their buildings to mark equinoxes, solstices, and zenith passages. This inquisitive form of meaning-making through art has long been endangered—first by Spanish colonizers; then by the Mexican government’s throttling of artistic expression in the late 20th century; and now by the violent anti-Mexican sentiments of the…

Agua Larga offers an immersion into the Afro-Ecuadorian culture of the province of Esmeraldas. The authors have captured how music is part of the daily life of the inhabitants, and how it interacts with the other sound elements that surround it. The musical material is thus accompanied by stories, poems and scenes of everyday life captured on the spot, far from aseptic studios, in public spaces, on river banks or by the sea. The guiding theme is water ("agua" in Spanish), in all its forms. It wa…

"Bayawan" is the common name for Muqam music used by the Dolan people. Bayawan, or Dolan Muqam, is a unique form of folk music and one of the most important cultural heritages of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China. Generally speaking, Muqam is a form of large-scale suites which include songs, dances, and instrumental sections, in which the development of music often features a significant degree of improvisation. The Muqam of the Uyghurs is characterized by its diversity of musical styles. Apart fro…

"In North Africa, a ziara is a spiritual ceremony where people come to exorcise demons, purify their bodies and loudly reaffirm their attachment to God, the prophet and the deities who claim to embody him. On this occasion, there are uncontrolled outbursts from the audience, but this has nothing to do with Roman orgies, as it lacks ostensible debauchery, aphrodisiacs or saturnalia - it is merely a blurring of the line between the religious and the superstitious. In a shrill parable, cries erupt …

Swedish multi-instrumentalist Christer Bothén on the donso n'goni, the hunters' harp of the Wassoulou region of Mali, which he learned there in the 1970s and later taught to Don Cherry. His first solo recording on the instrument.

Gary Sullivan's Bodega Pop project returns to Dinte with a cassette-only collection of traditional sounds plucked from CDRs found in the night-markets of Savannakhet, Vientiane, and Luang Prabang.

"The Wiregrass Singers' Dewey Williams began learning the shape-note tradition in his childhood. He studied under Judge Jackson, who authored the landmark 1934 hymnbook The Colored Sacred Harp. In 1971, Williams formally organized The Wiregrass Sacred Harp Singers to preserve the music full-time. This unified troupe began touring nationally and leading workshops, which ultimately launched them onto stages at the Smithsonian and Newport folk festivals up until Williams' passing in 1995 when the g…

Death Is Not The End issue 15 heartbreaking archival fado recordings from Ercilia Costa - made in Madrid in 1930, accompanied by seminal guitarist Armandinho. One of the early stars of fado, Ercilia Costa was the first to take the music overseas to emigrant Portgugese communities.

Makoto Moroi (1930-2013), his name is well-known early electronic works at NHK electronic music studio, composed numerous works for Japanese traditional instruments during the 1960s and 1970s. His most notable works include "Chikurai Gosho" (1964) and "Uitenpen" (1973), with "Symphonia for S.M. ― Shin" (1972) considered his crowning achievement. On the other hand, this piece, "Kaikou,” had not been revisited since it was broadcast on NHK FM's "Contemporary Music" program on November 2, 1975. As …

Death Is Not The End present a further volume of Arja Kastinen's eerie amalgamations of 110 year old wax cylinders with her own meticulously transcribed takes, this time focussing in on Armas Otto Väisänen's field recordings of kantele player Iivana Mišukka (b. 1861 d.1919).

Death Is Not The End issue a 14-track tape of vintage and archival Cajun ft. tracks from Segura Brothers, Amede Ardoin, Blind Uncle Gaspard, Sydney Landry & more.

A 14-track tape pulling together rural Greek demotika recordings from the late 1930s to the mid-1950s. Soaring pentatonic improvisations, odd-metered rhythms, and vocal performances oscillate between heartbreaking laments and ecstatic celebrations.

*Handcut mono lathe vinyl, risoprint cover and insert + bag of silence* A reinterpretation of Scandinaviaʼs dark folkdance traditions. The 7” features two recordings of heavily downtuned solo viola only accompanied by the musicians footstomps.

For more than two decades, Sublime Frequencies has stood among the most singular voices in the documentation of music from communities and geographies underserved by the global record industry. Their latest, Himba Hymn: Ghosts Of Namibia's Skeleton Coast, presents recordings made on location with Himba musicians in the Namib desert of northwest Namibia, produced and recorded by Ian Brennan, with photography by Marilena Umuhoza Delli. Issued in a limited edition LP of 500 copies, it joins the imp…

Dålågjel is Hans P. Kjorstad's third album as a leader for Motvind Records. The music premiered in concert form in 2022, when he joined by the all-star ensemble of Rasmus Kjorstad, Helga Myhr, Kenneth Lien and Astrid Garmo enchanted audiences at Motvind and Jørn Hilme-stemnet, with timelessly transcendental renderings of old Norwegian folk music material. Dålågjel is based on archival footage of traditional tunes from the Gudbrandsdal, Østerdalen, Halligdal, Valdres, Setesdal and Telemark region…

Carrying on a string of stunning archival releases from major figures of Indian classical tradition (including releases from members of the Dagar family and Amelia Cuni), Black Truffle is pleased to announce an unheard recording from tabla master Kamalesh Maitra (1924-2005). For over fifty years, Maitra devoted himself to the rare tabla tarang, a set of between ten and sixteen hand drums tuned to the notes of the raga to be performed. While the tabla tarang has its origins in the late 19th centu…

"It begins with a shoebox of mysterious provenance, full of recordings from the Vendée department on France’s western seaboard: songs of love and war, life and death, played out on land and sea. Songs passed down and sung by ordinary men and women, gracefully delivered with the poetic economy which unites the folk song of all peoples. Next it takes a group of contemporary musicians to make selections from this treasure trove and sing these old songs anew; to sing them for their beauty, of course…

*2025 stock* These are live recordings of Nikhil Banerjee at KPFA Radio in Berkeley, California, on the 9th of July, 1967. It is for the first time they are made into vinyl record and published in China. The original recordings were on two reel-to-reel tapes. In 1988, American record label Raga Records released the recordings on both CD and cassette. Until a few years ago, it was by chance that producer Tu Fei got hold of these reel-to-reel tapes and decided to release this vinyl version, hoping…

"The antennas that grow in your ears and hide in my head. In 2019, Dan and Li's live performance at the OCT-LOFT International Jazz Festival of their album "Mutually Chanting Cipher" was a stroke of genius, and the two of them put together a memorable performance with little advance communication. In November 2021, Dan traveled to Yunnan to meet Li with Tang. In Dali, they experimented with a wide range of compositions, from acoustic to plugged-in instruments, from Chinese to Western, from ethni…

This studio album is recorded after Guo Yongzhang performing on the 5th Tomorrow Festival stage.

Ultan O’Brien is a fiddle player and composer from the wilds of County Clare in the West of Ireland. Ultan is a performer as well as a regular at sessions all of Ireland and can be found by chance in any pub in Dublin, Cork or some remote village on the edge of nowhere, flying jigs and reels around the room. Ultan was reared in the rich tradition of Irish music which is so commonly found and heard in Co Clare, but he also delves deep into sound art and experimental music. He has often been heard…

Wewantsounds continues its Middle East reissue series with Assa'd Khoury's 1978 rarity, Electronic Touches Belly Dance. Reissued for the first time in nearly 50 years in partnership with Byblos Records founder Mozart Chahine, the album features Oriental classics reimagined through Khoury's pioneering electronic keyboards. This definitive edition includes original artwork, remastered audio, a new introduction by Ahmed Khalil (Dikraphone), and an exclusive interview with Chahine, the album's produ…

"Mutudi Ua Ufolo/Viuva Da Liberdade" is one of the most important records ever made in Angola. An hypnotic masterpiece that blends Central African rhythms and Semba with soulful guitar and percussion. Originally released on CDA with Conjunto Merengue, it captured Zé at his creative peak. Sung in Portuguese and local dialects, the songs balance rhythmic elegance with deep political weight, tracing ties to Afro-Brazilian and Latin American musical traditions. After Zé’s assassination in 1977, the …

There’s a rich resonance to the music of Fodé Lassana Diabaté, whose music has travelled with him from his griot family in West Africa to the North American coast of Unama'kik (Cape Breton). Bala, his first album of purely balafón music, brings together traditional pieces with roots in the Mande empire, original compositions inspired by his time in Unama’kik, and tributes to friends and family members. Diabaté has developed a unique practice on the balafón—a traditional melodic percussion instru…

"On the night of December 18, 2021, Mamer and his newly formed psychedelic folk band Mask were about to record a live album at Shenzhen B10 Live, a few audiences were invited. Before the recording, Mamer improvised on sherter for nearly 40 minutes. This album was therefore born. Xêrtêrmin / Sherter Solo may be, or should be the world’s first sherter solo album—although we don’t want to overemphasize it for the sake of sales. Most of the time, this ancient Kazakh instrument is used as a tenor dom…

The label Ored Recordings was founded in 2013 by Circassian friends and fellow musicians Bulat Khalilov and Timur Kodzoko, in order to start an activity which is dedicated to documenting and preserving the traditional and post-traditional music of the North Caucasus. Khalilov and Kodzoko, were just as excited about this music as it sounded like a force that transcends borders and in which time dissolves and community becomes the only compass. Through hundreds of field recordings, which have been…

Noura Mint Seymali's 3rd album Yenbett (her first since 2016) is a stunning explosion of contemporary Mauritanian griot music, and once again confirms her status as one of the world's most potent voices. Co-produced by Matthew Tinari (Noura's drummer) and Mikey Coltun (Mdou Moctar) the new album's approach is both raw and experimental; capturing the band's powerful in situ performances with taught clarity and adventuresome sonics. Reflecting her influence, and the acclaim that she's accumulated …

Super Mazembe's "Greatest Hits," serves as a definitive collection celebrating the band's remarkable contributions to East African music. Released in 1986, this compilation features a carefully curated selection of the band's most iconic tracks, encapsulating their vibrant sound and the infectious energy that made them a household name. Highlights include fan favorites like "Shauri Yako"  and "Kasongo" each track showcasing the band's skillful musicianship and unique ability to blend traditional…

*2024 stock* “An authentic legend in Ethiopia, Mahmoud Ahmed has set the bases of a truly original musical style in that he synthesizes the most diverse influences into a language both typical and universal. With his haunting, husky and velvety voice that rises up in wild spirals, Mahmoud Ahmed has invented a world of uncertain borders, an unlikely mix of East-African rhythmic turns, mysterious melodies with refined ornamentation and surprising Indian inflections, all this streaked with electric…

** 2025 stock. ** Ancient Court Raga Traditions: The Pathak Gharana unveils the legacy of Ashok Pathak, torchbearer of a centuries-old musical lineage rooted in expressive sitar and surbahar artistry. The album channels the introspective eloquence and technical invention unique to Pathak Gharana, honoring classical forms while revealing a spirit of fresh musical interpretation through deep alap, intricate meend, and rare court compositions.

Tip! Mystic choral beauty drifting far into the outer cosmos, this other worldly ensemble creates a contemporary avant-garde vocal fusion combined with strange instrumental accompaniment. The Hani are linguistically derived from the Yi branch of the Tibeto-Burmese and number a million and a half in the southern part of Yunnan province in China above Laos (Phongsaly) and Vietnam (Dien Bien) where smaller Hani communities also live. As with many other ethnic groups of the area, an original traditi…