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One World, Many Cultures:
An Album of Multicultural Collaborations Between Many of the World’s Leading Musicians

Putumayo will donate $1 from the sale of every One World, Many Cultures CD to the nonprofit organization Search For Common Ground.

Music has the capacity to transcend all borders and languages. Over the years, Putumayo World Music has introduced audiences to collections of exceptional music from around the globe, proving that no matter how diverse, all people share this common bond. If music is the universal language, artists like Youssou N’Dour, Willie Nelson, Ziggy Marley, Taj Mahal and others featured on One World, Many Cultures demonstrate the unique ability of musicians from different cultures to speak with a common tongue. Released on November 7th, 2006, this album is a celebration of musical and cultural diversity.

“These days, musicians from around the world are collaborating at unprecedented levels,” says Dan Storper, President and founder of Putumayo World Music. “Everyone from Sting to Springsteen, Mick Jagger to Aerosmith has collaborated with world music musicians. One of Putumayo’s goals has been to introduce people to other cultures as a way of helping to overcome prejudice and bring people of different backgrounds together. Nothing accomplishes this goal like music, and we hope that this collection reinforces that idea.”

New and inspiring expressions are created through collaboration and no one displays that better than Idan Raichel of the Idan Raichel Project, featured on the collection and on a new CD released by Cumbancha Records, founded by Putumayo’s head of A&R, Jacob Edgar. The Idan Raichel Project will also have its first worldwide release on November 7th.

An album constructed of collaborations between more than 70 musicians, Idan Raichel creates enchanting blends of Middle Eastern flavors interwoven with richly poetic lyrics. The ambient soundscape of The Idan Raichel Project is a testament to the diversity of Israeli culture and a call for peace between all people. Based in Tel Aviv, Idan collaborates with musicians from local Ethiopian, Arab,Yemenite and Caribbean communities. “My music has two aspects: There are the words and the melodies I write, and there are the fusions that I create between ethnic groups, between currents, and between people; and in the encounter between them, everything is open,” Raichel explains.

Although both artists are renowned around the world, the remarkable pairing of Algerian Cheb Mami and Jamaica’s Ziggy Marley may not be as unlikely as it seems. Cheb Mami’s form of Algerian raï regularly incorporates reggae beats, so it was natural for Mami, who is known for crossing cultural boundaries, to partner with one of Jamaica’s most notable musicians. On “Madanite,” Cheb Mami’s distinctive vocals are supported by reggae rhythms while the call and response of Marley’s “open up your heart from the start” reggae cry beseeches people to live among one another in peace.

Also infused with the rhythm of reggae is the steady groove of “Still is Still Moving to Me.” Performed by internationally known Jamaican artists Toots and the Maytals alongside America’s country legend Willie Nelson, the song features the relaxed trade off of vocals between Hibbert and Nelson over a driving reggae groove played by the Maytals. The effortless collaboration is a gem for fans of both artists.

American blues legend Taj Mahal caters to the worldwide appeal of the blues with his contribution “Queen Bee.” Taj teams with Malian kora player Toumani Diabaté and singer Ramatou Diakité on this, one of his bestknown tracks that displays how strong the musical connection really is between Mali and the blues. Also contributing to this unique album are Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour, Ethiopia’s Gigi, and the United Kingdom’s Lena Fiagbe, all of whom reach beyond their national borders for cultural expression and musical inspiration.

To order please contact:
Karen Zehr
kzehr@sfcg.org
202-777-2235
Search for Common Ground
1601 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20009


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