Twenty First Century Twenty First Year

In 2009 David Byrne's Luaka Bop label turned 21, and to celebrate the fact the label has issued a 15-song anthology entitled TWENTY FIRST CENTURY, TWENTY FIRST YEAR. The collection handpicks tracks from the Luaka Bop catalog, with an emphasis on South American artists such as Jorge Ben, Los Amigos Invisibles, and Susana Baca. But there's no shortage of variety here either, as the inclusion of singer-songwriter Aimee Man, retro-psychedelic soul troubadour Shuggie Otis, and African vocal troupe Zap Mama prove. The label's dedication to highly original groove-based music is evident on every track.|

David Byrne’s Luaka Bop started as a label where he could release his own solo recordings, as well as issue and reissue works from across the globe that he found interesting. Along the way, he found some out of print classics -- such as Shuggie Otis’ Inspiration Information -- and brought some other artists out into the North American limelight who hadn’t been there before, such as Susana Baca, Zap Mama, Geggy Tah, and Jim White. Still others had international reputations, though Byrne’s native country was largely unaware of them: Tom Ze, Jorge Ben, Irakere, and Os Mutantes. This sampler, chock-full of 15 cuts, documents all of that and much more. It contains cuts by all the aforementioned artists as well as Byrne, Marcio Local, Nouvelle Vague, Los Amigos Invisibles, Moreno + 2, and Moussa Doumbia. What’s more, the tracks found here are often quirky, delightful, and off the beaten path, representing more the idea that Luaka Bop need not necessarily reflect Byrne’s own aesthetic, but proves that the entity is, in many ways, far more important than its founder. This is a highly recommended collection of very smart and even ingenious music from around the globe for listening and dancing pleasure. ~ Thom Jurek