Encore Records

Kronos Quartet With Alim & Fargana Qas

Music of Central Asia - Vol. 8

A bold collaboration between America’s premier ne…w music quartet, Azerbaijan’s best-loved traditional singer, and the leading Afghan rubâb player of his generation.

Featured works include Homayun Sakhi’s luminous “Rainbow,” for string quartet, rubâb, tabla, and Central Asian percussion, and spirited arrangements of Azerbaijani songs performed by Kronos Quartet and the Alim Qasimov Ensemble.

CD plus DVD.

The Chieftains featuring Ry Cooder

San Patricio

2010 release, a musical collaboration between the Irish Folk legends, guitarist Ry Cooder and guests.

Known and beloved all over the world, The Chieftains truly are an international phenomenon.

San Patricio rekindles their Grammy winning partnership with Cooder, illuminating musical and historical bonds between Ireland and Mexico.

The album tells the nearly forgotten story of the brave San Patricio battalion, a downtrodden group of Irish immigrants who deserted the US Army to fight on the Mexican side in the Mexican/American War (1846-48).

Features guest appearances from Lila Downs, Linda Ronstadt, Carlos Nunez, Moya Brennan, Lost Tigres Del Norte and others.

Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate

Ali & Toumani

The second and final album pairing the late Malian guitar virtuoso Ali Farka Touré and kora master Toumani Diabaté .

Recorded over three afternoons at London’s Livingston Studios in 2005, with contributions from the late Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez (Buena Vista Social Club) on bass, Ali and Toumani is the follow-up to the duo’s Grammy Award-winning In The Heart Of The Moon.

This album was produced by Nick Gold and recorded by Jerry Boys, the same production team behind the collaboration’s first effort. It is the also the last album recorded by Ali Farka Touré, who passed away on March 7, 2006.