If you have ever had any curiousity at all about the world of music, and the amazing diversity of rhythms, instruments, vocalizations, melodies and harmonies to be found outside of pop rock or classical, you would do well to listen to the variety of Putumayo Presents recordings JCL and Olathe Libraries own! While many of the titles are in the Youth collections, many are catalogued World Folk and include Putumayo Presents Puerto Rico, French Caribbean, Global Soul, Brazilian Lounge, Swing Around the World, India--there are amazing choices available to pick from! After listening to several, I have bought them for myself so I don't have to keep returning them!--and all are delightful for the sense of discovery they provide.�
The whole point of Putumayo is to present the world's cultures to the world! Simple, really, but finding good, representative music is a complicated process that Putumayo has perfected. They record samples of a country's musical heritage in sambas, raggae tunes, traditional tunes with acoustic twists, and cutting-edge pop/acoustice/funky party music, making for a lively introduction to the world's music.
Try one of the many offerings the JCL/Olathe libraries offer, or go to www.putumayo.com , browse their catalog, and order them through Interlibrary Loan--you won't be disappointed! And the album covers by Nicola Heindl add a colorful, folkloric note that embodies the goals of Putumayo--connecting the traditional to the contemporary in an enticing package. In fact, that's what first drew me to the CDs--the brilliant artwork. I found the music inside to be equally brilliant--happy day!