V.A. - Putumayo Presents Songs With Women (5CD, 1996-2008)

×

V.A. - Putumayo Presents Songs With Women (5CD, 1996-2008)

Close

×

V.A. - Putumayo Presents Songs With Women (5CD, 1996-2008)

Close

In 1996 the interest in singer-songwriters was cresting and women were a big part of the emerging trend. The songs they wrote were not about fanciful dream images; they came from real life and were insightful, bitter, funny, and often painfully intimate. While a vanguard of younger artists were just finding their way, established performers were also being rediscovered, and the two groups gave each other considerable inspiration and support. These 13 songs are an amazingly accurate time capsule of a period when the vogue finally shifted to include singers who used small forces to sort out big problems and overwhelming emotions. Romances go sour, philosophy brings cold comfort, and reality is sometimes too much to stomach, but the women keep going as best they can despite craziness, opposition on various fronts, and their own frailty. With Ani DiFranco, Janis Ian, Vonda Shepard, and Toni Childs.

Christina Roden, Amazon

As a long-time fan of Ani DiFranco, I was thrilled to find this rocking, live version of "Cradle and All". I didn't know any of the other artists, but soon grew to love them. This has become one of those albums I can't live without! The CD includes quite a few up-and-comers, all of whom I hope begin gaining the widespread attention they deserve. Most of the songs have a folk edge to them, but a couple break the mold. The songs tend to not be overtly political, focusing mostly on stories of things that happen to women. Many of these stories will ring a familiar chord. If you are a fan of contemporary women's music and are looking to expand your horizons, this album is the perfect starting point!

This CD is one I bought at random, because I happened to like the cover, and it's one I've never regretted. It rarely leaves my CD player for long. If you're looking for real lyrics that have some true poetry in them, sung by beautiful voices, and accompanied with actual music, then you've found the right CD. There are a few tracks that I don't care for, but that's to be expected. Barbara Kessler's "Notion" is perfect, and Eliza Gilkyson's "Wild Horses" makes me cry every time. I've discovered several new artists from this CD that have since become some of my favorites. God bless Putamayo. Buy the CD.

Amazon customers

×

V.A. - Putumayo Presents Songs With Women (5CD, 1996-2008)

Close

Women have always been at the center of sub-Saharan music, as they were the keepers of the hearth, intimately involved in the life-sustaining mysteries of agriculture, food preparation, birth, and death. However, Africa, like the rest the world, is in the throes of social change. Female roles are evolving and the artists heard here represent a confident, worldly sensibility. The roster encompasses Dorothy Masuka's comfortable, gospel-flavored South African jazz, Maria de Barrios' sensual Cape Verdean morna, and a liltingly tonal ballad from Paris-based Algerian refugee Souad Massi. But a major reason to purchase this album is the track by Khadja Nin of Burundi; her deep-toned, knowing, unpolished voice transforms a Stevie Wonder tune into an ecstatic anthem of empowerment. Despite the occasional overuse of easy-fix electric keyboards, each singer emerges as a force to be reckoned with as, one by one, their voices salute the earth and soar into the heavens.

Christina Roden, Amazon

While the African music scene is currently dominated largely by men, there has never been any stigma to speak of against women performing (with the possible exception of some of the North African Islamic nations). The catch is that women tended historically to spend less time playing instruments in favor of other portions of the rituals and work, and stayed primarily within the vocal field as a result. Putumayo is taking advantage of this to combine three of their favorite forms of compilation: African music, women's music, and vocal music. The range here covers essentially the whole of Africa, with representatives from each of the major areas. South African Judith Sephuma opens the album with a contemporary piece, followed by Benin's great Angélique Kidjo with something based on Brazilian idioms. Following the Portuguese influence a step further (or closer, as the case may be), Maria de Barros performs a bit of morna from Cape Verde before the album makes a return to South Africa with Sibongile Khumalo. A quick run to the east allows for a nice Malagasy work from Tarika, and a jump north to Cameroon precedes the third South African piece, this time a bit of classic jazz from Dorothy Masuka. Firmly moving away from the South African sphere of influence, a wonderful piece from the often-excluded Comoros is included, preceding Ivorian Dobet Gnahore with a chipper work. A beautiful ballad from Souad Massi's Island release takes up the North African end, followed by an acoustic guitar-based rhythm from Burundi's Khadja Nin. Closing the album is a bit of female isicathamiya, courtesy of the Women of Mambazo, led by Joseph Shabalala's wife prior to her murder. Overall, it's quite a good album, with nice coverage of the various regions and the use of some underexposed but noteworthy artists.

Adam Greenberg, All Music

×

V.A. - Putumayo Presents Songs With Women (5CD, 1996-2008)

Close

Latin America has produced dozens of brilliant female singers and composers, including trail-blazers like Violetta Parra, Elis Regina, Soledad Bravo and Mecedes Sosa, to mention only a few. The present generation is also shaping up nicely. There are more women bandleaders than ever before, firmly in charge of their own talent, free to choose their material and back-up players without interference. As they so often do, Putumayo has supplied a short-list of emerging stars; the voices heard on this album are uniformly splendid and worthy of deeper exploration. But there are a few stand-outs: Brazilian Mônica Salmaso's creamy dark voice makes a strong impression, as does Chilean chanteuse Jacqueline Fuentes's plaintive, fado-like mezzo and Lhasa's limpidly nostalgic Mexican ranchera. Some may cavil at yet another gender-based compilation. But they should consider that male-dominated equivalents have existed since the dawn of the recorded era; they were just not labeled as such.

Christina Roden, Amazon

Women of Latin America is truly a sweet treasure. This is the first album that i have bought from this series. I am very glad i did. Each artists from this CD exemplifies a mood in their own way. At times sensual to haunting, sad, and hopeful, these artists truly are talented, beautiful, and powerful. I wish artists like these had more praise and attention than the artists these days that are nothing more but entertainers using just sex appeal to be noticed. This is what real music is about, even when you don't know a single word from the lyrics! I know Spanish pretty well, and im telling you, even the lyrics are "muy hermosa" and just incredible. This is an album worth having if you truly appreciate the passion and beauty of the Spanish language, and beautiful Latin American woman. Gozar de la musica de vida!

What a perfect intro CD to listeners new to Latin songs performed by some of the greatest female vocalists! The multifarious selection in the CD exposes the listeners to the rich spectrum of melodious, soothing, and sensual musical gifts that those female artists share with the rest of world with their grace. This CD also serves as a perfect ramification tool to deepen one's appreciation of any of the female vocalists listed. I like all of them and intend to purchase each vocalist's individual CD to further my understanding of her musical style and philosophy.

Amazon's customers

×

V.A. - Putumayo Presents Songs With Women (5CD, 1996-2008)

Close

On March 8,women all over the world celebrate International Women’s Day. A national holiday in many countries and commemorated by the United Nations, International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history. Though often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, this day allows women everywhere to look back on a tradition of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development. As a tribute to this tradition, Putumayo World Music presents an album that literally sings its praises. Women of the World: Acoustic is an exploration of acoustic music by some of the world’s leading female artists.

Putumayo site

Released partly to celebrate International Women's Day, a holiday recognized by the United Nations, these eleven unplugged tunes from as many female singers make wonderfully varied and pleasurable listening. And the performers’ backgrounds are equally fascinating. Some are comparatively well-known; Sandrine Kiberlain is a French movie star while The Wailin' Jennys, from Canada, have appeared on Prairie Home Companion. Meanwhile, Emiliana Torrini, of Icelandic-Italian parentage, made her mark with "Gollum's Song" from the second Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Others found their voices through travel–Luca Mundaca was born in Chile, irresistibly drawn to Brazil, and now lives in the USA. Marta Topferova has achieved such an effortless command of South American traditions that hardly anyone ever guesses that she is originally from the Czech Republic. As each lady in turn assumes center stage, she bewitches all comers with her own brand of adroitness, confidence and charm. Although the music is, for the most part, richly redolent of folkloric sources, many of the artists display a neo-cabaret sophistication that somehow never lapses into world-weariness. A final note: a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this album will be donated to the Global Fund For Women, a good cause if ever there was one.

Amazon

×

V.A. - Putumayo Presents Songs With Women (5CD, 1996-2008)

Close

Women of Jazz showcases the originality and artistry of 10 exceptional female vocalists from North America. This collection offers extraordinary artists from several eras – legends who have inspired today’s generation, stars of the contemporary jazz world and young women just now starting to make their mark on jazz history. Women of Jazz captures the depth and diversity of the female jazz experience.
Women of Jazz includes original songs alongside classic 1920s ballads and Broadway show tunes. A true reflection of the creativity of today’s female jazz artists, their songs often combine jazz with unexpected influences such as rhythm and blues and country ballads.
Melody Gardot’s song “Goodnite” showcases her subtly hip and swinging style. Madeleine Peyroux, whose sultry voice resembles that of Billie Holiday, turns Leonard Cohen’s folk song into a jazz classic. Sophie Milman, winner of Canada’s 2007 Juno award for best jazz vocal album, gives an inspired performance that incorporates gypsy violin and klezmer.
Several songs add a contemporary twist to well known tunes. Cassandra Wilson, a world-renowned jazz innovator, provides a modern take on the classic “Lover Come Back to Me”. Hope Waits’ rendition of “I’ll be Satisfied,” a 1950s rhythm and blues hit for crooner Jackie Wilson, sounds as if it had been written today by a contemporary singer-songwriter. Kate Paradise, part of the new generation of jazz musicians, provides her vocal improvisation of the classic tune “Mean to Me.” Jennifer Hartswick, who was a guest vocalist on several of the band Phish’s recordings, offers a new version of Billie Holiday’s “Lover Man.” Also on the collection, rising star Stacy Kent sings “Shall We Dance?” from The King and I.
Della Griffin, who sang with doo-wop and jazz groups in New York in the 1950s and spent most of the 1970s and 1980s as the featured artist at Harlem’s Blue Book Club, offers her interpretation of the jazz standard “It Could Happen to You.” Etta Jones, a jazz and blues legend, closes the album with the classic “Since I Fell for You.”

Putumayo site