Author: Putumayo World Music Artists

The exotic rhythms and melodies of the Middle East have long served as a muse for musical adventurers. In recent years, the haunting desert blues of North Africa, Egyptian sound-poems with soaring violins, trance-inducing Sufi chants and the uplifting percussion of bellydance have been blended with the cutting-edge electronic beats of trip-hop, drum and bass, and techno. This compilation explores these new expressions of ancient tradition through a modern lens.