SunNeverSetsOnMusic's World Tour heads north this month to Norway, where we’ve uncovered a striking array of bold, genre-defying albums from artists working across experimental jazz, electronic minimalism, indigenous Sámi traditions, progressive pop, and more. Many of these musicians are expanding Norway’s rich musical heritage into new, internationally resonant territory. Officially known as the Kingdom of Norway, the country stretches over the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering Sweden, Finland, and Russia, and boasting a rugged coastline carved by majestic fjords and dotted with over 50,000 islands. Norway covers an area of 385,207 square kilometres (148,729 square miles), making it one of Europe's most sparsely populated countries. With a population of just over 5.5 million, it ranks high globally in quality of life, education, and environmental sustainability. From Oslo’s cutting-edge music scenes to the ancient joik of the Sámi people in the Arctic north, this month’s playlist celebrates a musical culture where tradition and innovation coexist in luminous harmony. Expect the elemental and extraordinary! click to choose: WEB PAGE / YOUTUBE / SPOTIFY

SunNeverSetsOnMusic's World Tour heads south this month to South Africa, where we’ve uncovered a dazzling spectrum of forward-thinking albums spanning spiritual jazz, gqom, amapiano, post-punk, protest rap and traditional-inflected sonic experimentation. These artists are not only redefining South Africa’s soundscape but are also asserting its voice across global stages with urgency, soul and brilliance. Officially the Republic of South Africa, the nation occupies the southern tip of the African continent, bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Eswatini, with the vast Atlantic and Indian Oceans on either side. With a population of over 60 million and eleven official languages, South Africa is one of the world’s most culturally diverse countries; home to profound struggles, deep-rooted resilience and extraordinary artistic vitality. From Johannesburg’s experimental collectives to Cape Town’s coastal grooves, and from the pan-African energy of Soweto to the global footprints of its diaspora, this month’s playlist maps a musical culture alive with contradiction, community, and innovation. Expect the vital and visionary. click to choose: WEB PAGE / YOUTUBE / SPOTIFY

SunNeverSetsOnMusic's world tour of music continues to it's 5th destination, as we swing back to Morocco to check on some of the artists scheduled to appear at the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, which is held within the ancient walls of that mind-blowing city, in late May each year. The festival attracts established and emerging world class artists every year, who play to awed audiences whose musical experience is invariably broadened thanks to by the enlightened organising committee's broad definition of the "sacred" in world music. Abderrafia Zouitene, President of the organisers, "Foundation Esprit De Fes", writes: "The peaceful coexistence of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity has forged a dynamic and diverse society in Andalusia, known as the “Golden Age,” envied by the world. This era exemplifies the heights of achievement possible when diverse faiths unite in tolerance and understanding. This ethos of peace and mutual respect continues vibrantly in the Kingdom of Morocco, with Fez standing as a stellar example." Link to SunNeverSetsOnMusic web page Link to Spotify Playlist Link to YouTube Playlist Artists who have appeared in previous years include: Joan Baez, Patti Smith, Bjork, Ben Harper, Paco de Lucia, Ravi Shankar, Sabah Fakhri, Kadhem Saher, Mounir Bachir, Asmaa Lamnawwar, Wadi Al Safi, Julia Boutros, Sheikh Yassin Al Tuhami, William Christie, Barbara Hendricks, Jessie Norman, Jordi Saval, Tereza Berganza, Montserrat Figueras, Jean-Claude Casadessus, Arch Shepp, Randy Weston, Youssou N’Dour and Salif Keita. This years performers, in order of performance, include: Alain Weber (Director, France), Artists from Uzbekistan, Iran, Syria, India, Spain, Egypt, Italy, Armenia, France, and Morocco - Opening Performance: "Creation - Zyriab Or The Fifth String” Manu Théron (Director, France), Women’s Choir Of The Occitan Countries, Artists from France, Spain, Italy, and Monaco - "Madelena" Sami Yusuf  (UK) - "Sami Yusuf In Concert" Vincent Moon (France) – "A Cinematographic Ritual" Naïssam Jalal (France / Syria) – "Healing Rituals" Creation Yatra: Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Sufi voices of Desert Slide, The Divana Ensemble, Anwar Khan Manganiyar (Rajasthan, India), Justin Adams (UK), Cherifa Adil Jebbari, Hamadcha Brotherhoods (Morocco) - "SAFAR - From the Palaces of Rajasthan to the Gates of Andalusia" Loup Barrow (France), Flute J.A Jayant (India) - "Crystal Winds" Khadija El Afrit / Ensemble Musiqât (Tunisia) – "Istikhbâr" Flute J.A Jayant (India) – "The Art Of Carnatic Flute" Trio Three Lines Isabelle Courroy, Marine Sablonnière, Henri Tournier (France) - "Trio Three Lines" Constantinople Ensemble: Kiya Tabassian, Ablaye Cissoko, Patrick Graham (Montreal, Canada) - "Traversées: Between Africa and Persian Music. Griot Words and Sufi Poetry" Wang Li and Wu We (China) - "Les Harmoniques Du Ciel, The Harmonics of the Soul" Scuola Cantorum Basilensis Ensemble (Switzerland) - "Sacred Music Recital" Franzy, Davide, and Cibran (Galicia, Spain) featuring Amazigh singer Cherifa Kersit (Morocco) - "Galician Musical Roots" Young Musicians European Orchestra (Morocco) - "Stabat Mater" DuOuD (France) and Mahmoud Gomaa (Egypt) - "Goma Tribe" Treibhorn (Switzerland) - "Treibhorn" Asif Ali Khan, The Ensemble Santoo Khan Qawwal & Party (Pakistan) - "Asif li Khan, Master Of Qawwali" Vicente Amigo (Cordoba, Spain) – "The Master Of Cordoba – Flamenco Guitar" Accademia Del Piacere And The Artean Ensemble (Spain) - "Romances" Conductor Pascal Horecka, Gospel Philharmonic Experience, Contemporary Orchestral Ensemble (France), Kim Burrell (USA) - "Gospel Philharmonic Experience with Kim Burrell & the Contemporary Orchestral Ensemble" Tariqa Saqualiya (feat. vocalists Samaa and Madih), Tariqa Hamdouchiya (feat. Noureddine Bennouna), Tariqa Tijaniya (feat. Mouhcine Naourach), Tariqa Aissaouiya (feat. Saïd Guissi – Abdellah Yaakoubi, Adnane Nafie, Abdessamad Hadef) (Morocco) - "Sufi Nights"

SunNeverSetsOnMusic's World Tour returns to Australia this month, to capture the best albums released here in the second half of 2024. It's another impressive output to add to the many albums released in the first half of the year and captured in our World Tour #6 - Australia's Best New Albums (Jan - Jun '24) . Highlights include albums by Allysha Joy, Ela Thompson, Emily Wurramara, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Necks, Paul Kelly and Parvyn but there are many many more too. So check out our full list - there's fabulous music throughout. We hope you enjoy them all! Here are three ways to do so - Link to SunNeverSetsOnMusic Web Page Read extracts from reviews of each album and link to the original source Link to Spotify Playlist All albums are included in full. Play the entire album or set Spotify to "shuffle" Link to YouTube Playlist One track from each album, with a video or audio subject to availability.

As our 2024 World Tour of music continues, we're in Australia to capture the best albums released there in the first half of 2024. It's an impressive output, with more than 40 artists featured. Classy albums came from a few "household-names" - Peter Garrett, Crowded House and Jessica Mauboy - each incrementally refreshing their familiar brands. But the standouts, the most challenging and interesting new releases, came from less famous acts - Hiatus Kaiyote, The Dirty Three, Emma Vollard, Audrey Powne, Max König, Mildlife, Maddison Carter and Yirinda. All these albums are likely to make it onto our end-of-year lists. But these are the cream of a very rich mix. So check out our full list - there's fabulous music throughout. Here's a few ways to do so: Link to SunNeverSetsOnMusic Web Page Read extracts from reviews of each album and link to the original source Link to Spotify Playlist All albums are included in full. Play the entire album or set Spotify to "shuffle" Link to YouTube Playlist One track from each album, with a video or audio subject to availability.

This month's stopover on Sun Never Sets On Music's 2024 World Tour is to sample the music of Israel & Palestine, . May songs of peace be soon heard again across the Holy Land. Direct Link To Albums & Reviews Direct Link to Spotify Playlist Direct Link to YouTube Playlist

This month Sun Never Sets On Music visits Morocco, as we tour the globe in search of the best music worldwide. Morocco has a special place in SunNeverSetsOnMusic's heart - after all, we spent a few good years living there and we were enchanted by the architecture, the music, the culture and the wonderful people of this timeless land. For this month's playlist, we have collected our favourite music from some of the many musical streams that are heard in Morocco. Selections range from Amazigh (Berber), Andalusian (Arabic Iberian) and Chaabi (Popular Music) to Gnawa (Desert Blues), Malhun (Poetry), Sufi (Devotional Trance) and more. ​ The scope of Moroccan music is breathtaking and we have most likely missed many "essential" artists, if not entire genres. Nonetheless, we hope you enjoy our selections and we look forward to the next stop on our world tour. Link to Web Page Direct Link To Spotify Playlist

It's February - the month of Carnival in Brazil! So Stage 2 of SunNeverSetsOnMusic's virtual world tour takes us to Brazil , as we continue our search of the best new music from around the world With its roots deep in indigenous heritage, overlaid by centuries of African and Portuguese influence, we find Samba (the pulse of Carnival!)and a vibrant new music scene that is thriving despite its relative linguistic and geographical isolation. Internationally, Brazilian music is probably best known in the work of of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Joao (and Astrud) Gilberto and Sergio Mendes. At home, Brazilians would add the names of Roberto Carlos, Chico Buarque de Hollandia, Marisa Monte, Gal Costa, Jorge Ben Jor and Elis Regina. And the top ten best-selling artists domestically includes Carlos, Nelseon Goncalves, Angela Maria, Rita Lee, Tonico & Tinoco, XuXu, Benito di Paula, Nelson Ned, Raca Negra, Chitaozinho & Xororo. The genre groups that these artist represent is an indication of the breadth of popular taste that is unique to Brazil, that includes Samba, Sertanejo, Brega, Pagode, MPB Rock & Children's music. Helping us find our way wepay tribute to the wonderful https://musicainstantanea.com.br/ - the Pitchfork, Rolling Stone or NME of Brazil - which gave us great insight into the music. Esperamos que você goste de nossas seleções! Vejo você em breve! We hope you enjoy our selections! See You Soon! Link to Web Page Link Direct To Spotify Playlist

In 2024 SunNeverSetsOnMusic invites you on a virtual world tour in search of the best new music from around the world. Our first destination is Japan, where we find a new generation of Japanese artists who have embraced the century-old Japanese love of jazz and are bringing a fresh approach to everything they do - world-aware and ever-informed by their Japanese heritage. This vibrant, inter-connected music community, includes expatriate artists who have set up bases in Europe, North America and Australia. We hope you enjoy! See You Soon! 楽しんでいただければ幸いです。 また近いうちにお会いしましょう！ Tanoshinde itadakereba saiwaidesu. Mata chikaiuchini o ai shimashou! Link to Web Page Link Direct To Spotify Playlist

This month we journey to Taiwan to capture the best music we could find from the past couple of years. Having lived in Taipei for a few years, we have great affection for this island of striking contrasts, whose diversity of cultures and environments is reflected in the music. Our playlist ranges from the serenity of Debby Wang's and Chien Chien Lu's vibraphonic jazz to the intense wall of sound of Dharma's death metal Buddhist chanting - with experimental, folk, soul and much more in between We hope you're as surprised and entertained as we have been, Link to the SunNeverSetsOnMusic Web Page Read extracts from reviews of each album and link to the original source Link to the Youtube Playlist One track from each album, with a video or audio subject to availability. Link to the Spotify Playlist All albums are included in full. Play the entire album or set Spotify to "shuffle"

If you thought German music was still cabaret and beer-halls, krautrock and EDM, think again! There's still some of that but there's a wider range of music coming out of Germany these days. (And it's not only from Berlin , which nearly half a century later still attracts musicians from all around the world seeking inspiration on the streets where Nico, Nina, Bowie, Eno, Iggy, U2, Nick Cave, Pixies, REM ... lived and loved and recorded). So, for the tenth instalment of our 2024 World Tour we present a selection of music from Germany. LINK TO SUNNEVERSETSONMUSIC'S BERLIN MUSIC ALBUMS WEBPAGE LINK TO SUNNEVERSETSONMUSIC'S SPOTIFY PLAYLIST LINK TO SUNNEVERSETSONMUSIC'S YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

34 RECENT FLAMENCO ALBUMS - ESSENTIAL LISTENING LINK TO FLAMENCO ALBUMS WEBPAGE LINK TO SPOTIFY PLAYLIST Spain is surely one of the most musical places of them all and Flamenco is a cultural jewel of Spain. Originating in Andalusia, southern Spain, in the 18th century, flamenco emerged as a unique art form deeply influenced by the region's diverse cultural heritage, blending Romani, Moorish, Jewish, and Andalusian folk traditions. Over time, flamenco evolved into a globally celebrated performance art, encompassing singing (cante), guitar playing (toque), and dance (baile), accompanied by rhythmic hand-clapping (palmas) and finger-snapping (pitos). Its ability to convey deep emotions and narrate stories of struggle, love, and resilience has made flamenco a powerful symbol of cultural identity. For much of its history, flamenco thrived as a subculture among society's underprivileged, serving as an outlet for the poor and oppressed. This marginalization likely influenced its initial lack of instrumental accompaniment, as the impoverished performers could not afford guitars. Instead, flamenco developed as a familial tradition, shared during intimate gatherings such as weddings, christenings, and secret parties, where its techniques and styles were passed down through generations. It wasn't until the latter half of the 19th century that flamenco began to transition into a public performance art. The rise of the café cantante (precursors to modern flamenco tablaos) in Andalusia, and later Madrid, marked a significant turning point. This period, known as the Golden Age of Flamenco, also saw the introduction of the flamenco guitar as a standard instrument. The master luthier Antonio de Torres Jurado revolutionized its design to suit flamenco's dynamic needs, enhancing its volume to compete with the powerful voices of the cantaores (singers) and the percussive footwork of the bailaores (dancers). He achieved this by enlarging the guitar's body and using lighter woods, such as cypress, instead of rosewood. By the early 20th century, however, the popularity of the café cantante waned, and flamenco transitioned into larger venues like theaters and bullrings during the era of Ópera Flamenca. The Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and the subsequent Franco dictatorship posed significant challenges to flamenco's survival. The Catholic Church condemned the art form as immodest, and informal performances were prohibited. In the 1950s, however, the Franco regime shifted its stance, recognizing flamenco's potential as a cultural symbol to attract international tourism. A marketing campaign promoting Spain as the land of exotic flamenco dancers proved highly successful, drawing millions of visitors and fueling an economic boom in the 1960s. By the time Franco's dictatorship ended in 1975, flamenco was deeply embedded in Spain's national identity. In 2010, UNESCO declared flamenco an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognizing its rich history, emotional depth, and cultural significance. From its humble beginnings as a voice for the marginalized to its status as a global symbol of Spanish culture, flamenco remains a testament to the resilience and creativity of the human spirit. Musical Structure and Styles Flamenco music is characterized by its intricate rhythms, expressive melodies, and improvisational nature. It comprises various palos (styles), each with unique rhythmic patterns, themes, and emotional tones. Common palos include the melancholic soleá, the festive alegrías, the dramatic seguiriya, and the lively bulerías. The singer (cantaor) plays a central role in flamenco, delivering soul-stirring lyrics that often explore themes of love, death, poverty, and the human spirit. These lyrics are deeply poetic, rooted in oral traditions, and typically sung with raw intensity. Guitar Spanish virtuoso Paco de Lucia can largely be credited with awakening the world to the mysterious power of the strong and proud emblem of Andalusia that is the flamenco guitar. A payo (non-gypsy) from Algeciras, he revolutionized the instrument at the end of the twentieth century and aside from his own illustrious career, inspired a new generation of gifted artists, who have carried flamenco into the 21st century.Flamenco guitarists employ techniques like rasgueado (strumming), picado (plucking), and golpe (tapping the guitar body) to create intricate, percussive soundscapes. The dancers (bailaores or bailaoras) add a visual dimension, using their body movements, footwork, and facial expressions to interpret the music's emotional depth.