World Music
I will add, as time permits, a grade for Recording Quality: RQ. The scale used is from 1 to 5, 1 being the lowest quality, 5 the highest. There are sometimes large differences in quality, depending on the origin of the pressing, and of the re-issue, when applicable (see the NOTE in my introductory page). Therefore the ratings below relate only to the pressings I know.
ARMENIA
- Chants Liturgiques du Moyen-Age et Musique instrumentale (Ocora)
BRAZIL
- Vinicius de Moraes
• A Arte de Vinicius de Moraes (Fontana) // RQ: 2
BURMA
- Musique d’art (Ocora)
CAMBODIA
- Traditional Music of Cambodia; the Wedding Ensemble fo the Conservatoire National des Spectacles (Center for the Study of Khmer Culture, 1987)
EGYPT
- Les Musiciens du Nil (Ocora)
INDIA
- Vocal
• Dagar Brothers; S.V. Patwardhan, Mridang (EMI, 1965); Raga Darbari Kanada, Alap/ Raga Darbari Kanada, Dhamar; Raga Adana, Dhrupad // RQ: 2
• Vocal Recital by Bhimsen Joshi; Nageshkar (Odeon, 1968); Raga Komal Risbabh / Raga Marwa
• Parween Sultana Sings Rare Melodies; Nizmuddin Khan, Shantaram Jadhav (EMI, 1977): Raga Deen Todi / Raga Rajni Kalyan
- Instrumental
• Le Sarangi de Ram Narayan; Suresh Talwalkar, Tabla; Hans Isgren, Tampura (Prestige de la Musique Extraeuropéenne. L’Inde Vol.4, 1975) (Disques de l’Espérance); Raga Puria, Kalyan / Raga Puria, Kalyan
• Le Sitar de Nikhil Banerjee; Anindo Chartejee, Tabla; Rotal Mukerjee, Tampura (Prestige de la Musique Extraeuropéenne. L’Inde Vol.1, 1976, recorded in Paris in 1975) (Disques de l’Espérance); Raga Momomanjeri / Raga Manj Khamaj; Bengal Folk Tune
• The Sitar Genius of Nikhil Banerjee; Kanai Dutt, Tabla (Capitol Records, recorded in India); Raga Malkauns / Raga Hem Lalit
• Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, sarod; Mahaprursh Misra, Tabla; Dhyanesh Khan, Geoffrey Lipner, Tanpura (EMI); Raga: Bageshree Kanada, Alap and Gat: Tritall / Raga: Bageshree Kanana, Gat: Jhaptal and Tritaal
• Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, flute, in concert; Ustad All Rakha, tabla (EMI, 1982): Raga Jait / Gat Raga Jait; Gat Raga Basant Mukhari; Gat Raga Bhairvin
• Music of the dance and theatre of South India; A Musical Anthology of the Orient, Record II; Edited by the International Music Council under the Direction of Alain Daniélou (Bärenreiter-Musicaphon)
IRAN
- Classical Music
• Raramarz Payvar, santour; Khatereh Parvaneh, voice; Houshang Zarif, tar; Mohammad Esmai'li, zarb; Rahmatollah Bad'i, kamancheb (Nonesuch, Explorer Series, 1974)
JAPAN
- Nô
• Japon 5 - Music du Nô, Shakkyô: Pont en Pierre (Ocora)
- Gagaku
• Japon 3 - Gagaku (Ocora) // RQ: 5
• Gagaky, Ancient Japanese Court Music; Nippon Gagaku Kai (Everest)
- Kabuki
• Kabuki & Other Traditional Music: Ensemble Nipponia (Nonesuch, Explorer Series, 1980)
- Traditional Vocal & Instrumental Music; Shakuhachi, Biwa, Koto, Shamisen
• Soloist of the Ensemble Nipponia: Nosaka, Miyamoto, Handa, Miyata, Sugiura, Miki, Minoru Miki, director (Nonesuch, Explorer Series, 1976)
JAVA
- Javanese Court Gamelan
• Volume III, recorded in the Kraton Yogyakarta (Nonesuch, 1979)
PORTUGAL
Fado
- Carlos Paredes
• The Magnificent Portuguese Guitar of Carlos Paredes (Capitol)
• Guitarra Portuguesa (Explorer Series)
- Amalia Rodrigues
• Folk Songs of Portugal (Capitol)
• La Fabulosa Amalia Rodrigues (Kapp)
• Fado, The Soul of Portugal (Columbia)
SPAIN
Flamenco
• Flamenco Guitar, Manitas de Plata (The Classics Record Library-3LPs) // RQ: 4
• The Fabulous Sabicas (ABC Paramount)
• El Nino de Almaden - Grands Cantores du Flamenco, Volume 1 (Le Chant du Monde)
• Songs of the Spanish Gypsies by Pedro de Linares (Mercury)
TIBET
- Musique Rituelle Tibétaine (Ocora, OCR 49)
TOGO
- Musique Kabiye (Ocora, OCR 76, mono, recorded 1960-1972)
VIETNAM
- Traditional music and folksongs: Tran Quang Hai et Bah Yen (Musiques de l'Asie Traditionnelle vol.10 Vietnam; Play Sound)
VARIOUS
- Authentic Folk Music and Dances of the World (Israel, Italy, Spain, England, USA, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Africa, Greece, France, India, Rumania, Russia) (Everest, 7 Record Set)
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Note: you can’t really go wrong with the Ocora Records collection. They have recordings from all over the world, and most of them are excellent.
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