Giuseppe Verdi: Otello (Dramma lirico in quattro atti) – Mario del Monaco; Renata Tebaldi; Aldo Proti;
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor; Wiener Philharmoniker; Herbert von Karajan
Classical | 2 CD | EAC Rip | 678 MB, 3% recovery | FLAC+LOG+Cue | Scans | RS links
Publisher: Decca | Recorded: 1961 | Published: 1987

This is a definitive performance of Verdi's great opera based on Shakespeare's play. Del Monaco rises to artistic heights with Karajan's superb support. There is much subtle singing from him as well as the stentorian power he is known for. Tebaldi is unmatched as Desdemona. The RCA recording with Serafin is good with a gripping performance by Vickers and Rysanek but the Rome Opera Orchestra is not at the same high level as Karajan's Wiener Philharmoniker. - from Amazon.com

On his 2007 album, AFTER TONIGHT, veteran R&B/soul singer Will Downing presents an assured set of songs that are often rooted in 1970s funk and jazz. Highlights of the record, which features guest appearances by saxophonists Gerald Albright and Kirk Whalum, include the slinky "Will's Groove" and the catchy title slow jam, tracks that ably showcase the New York City native's deep, resonant voice.

Sia - We Are Born (2010)
Mp3 CBR 320 Kbps | Jive Records | 00: 50:20 | 115 MB
Genre: Downtempo, Lounge, Alternative Pop

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler (pronounced /ˈsiːə/) (born 18 December 1975), also known simply as Sia, is an Australian soulful jazz-styled pop singer and songwriter. At the 2009 ARIA Music Awards, she won the award for Best Music DVD and Some People Have Real Problems was nominated for Best Breakthrough Artist Album. Sia received six nominations at the 2010 ARIA Music Awards and won Best Independent Release, Best Pop Release (for We Are Born) and Best Video (for Clap Your Hands).

The Temptations' first LP, released three years into the group's history with Motown, is also a great record, even though it wasn't really an album so much as a collection of their early singles, hooked around their then new hit, "The Way You Do the Things You Do." Those expecting the classic Temptations sound should also be aware that David Ruffin is absent from all of the tracks except "The Way You Do the Things You Do," which was cut just after he joined, replacing Elbridge "Al" Bryant. Thus, the 14 cuts on this CD (12 off the original album plus two bonus tracks) represent the evolution of the act and its sound, as well as a succession of producers.

Zembrocal Musical is, like all the most exciting adventures, the result of an unexpected meeting between the acclaimed Dutch cellist Ernst Reijseger and the group from the Reunion Island, Groove Lele. The title of the album refers to one of Reunion's most famous dishes, zembrocal, which combines different ingredients such as meat, grain, rice and spices. Creating a musical blend as tasteful as zembrocal, Ernst Reijseger, Groove Lele and Mola Sylla successfully bring together their different musical universes and take us on a journey from the Netherlands to the Reunion Island.

Just as Mariza has breathed new life into Fado; a contemporary heir to Amalia Rodrigues, so Lura does to music made famous by Cesaria Evora. Lura brings a street wise, urban sensuality infused with the passionate root of mother Africa to her music. Riding on the tide Cape Verde's rediscovery of its African roots, she has the star quality to bring the music to a wider audience. Lura mixes the familiar morna style with until now unheard rhythms of Funana and batuque; styles brought to the fore by a talented new generation of composers such Tcheka and Pantera. It is the music of women from the remote African interior of Cape Verde, now infused with jazz and Brazilian influences.