Recommendation Weekly: Shantel

Shantel, real name Stefan Hantel, is а German producer and a DJ, best known for mixing electronic music with traditional Balkan melodies. He has an extensive work with Gypsy orchestras and plenty of Balkan musicians. Before releasing his ever first studio album Shantel he produced two compilations of his own DJ night called Bucovina Club, which won him the BBC Radio 3 Award for World music, thus bringing him to fame and gaining him critical acclaim. In 2007 came out Shantel's first studio effort named "Disko Partizani", which was less electronic and more folk orientated, exploring the sounds of the Balkans. The album was positively received and propelled his popularity in countries like Turkey, Greece and Serbia.

He'll be having a concert in Bulgaria in less than a month and I am planing to see him live and let's hope he's as good in concert as recorded. Here are his two official videos and an extra pick-up from me.

Recommendation Weekly: Azam Ali

Azam Ali is anything, but a new name in the music business and still she may not be familiar to many of you. Perhaps you remember her from the world projects Niyaz and Vas or you might associate her with Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance. All of your assumptions are quite right, although the born in Iran, raised in India and living for many years in the States Ali stands for herself. She had a very distinctive singing and quite an amazing vocal range, which many compare to such singers as Lisa Gerrard and Loreena McKennitt. I'd agree with these comparisons only to a certain extent, because Azam Ali is an excellent performer of her own and she only demonstrates the inspirations drawn Medieval, World and Gothic music, without trying to resemble anyone.

Her solo works differs from her teamed up projects Niyaz and Vas, although the ethno element has the biggest part in any music she creates. Her debut album "Portals of Grace" is closely related to Medieval music, in contrast to her second release, which can be classified as contemporary ethnic music. Most of her songs are slow tracks, which some define as lullabies of the forgotten times and others as emotional ballads with a mellow touch. Her music is definitely not for fast consumption and it is not accessible to every ear, which doesn't mean that her music is elitist...it just requires time and desire to go beyond the borders of music and embark on a journey back to a past where honor, love till death do us apart and spiritual purity were still not just articles in a dictionary.