V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of Hungarian Gypsies (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Driven from central and northwestern India and gradually pushed into Europe by various belligerent religious, ethnic, or national groups, the people who called themselves the Roma adapted to ever-changing surroundings without ever becoming fully assimilated into established societies. Some Europeans referred to them as "Gypsies" because they thought the Roma originated in Egypt. The people of Hungary, where the Rom first appeared during the 14th and 15th centuries, called them Czigany, and as the Rom learned to speak Hungarian they also became known as Romungros. Each country, from Rajasthan to France, Spain, and Slovakia, inadvertently fostered a different set of cultural dynamics with distinctive musical attributes. In 2008 The Rough Guide to the Music of Hungarian Gypsies supplemented the world's growing library of traditional and contemporary Romany recordings. Guitars and the Hungarian cimbalom predominate along with passionately expressive voices, string bass, violin, reeds, brass horns, percussion, accordion, and anything else at hand. The music reflects the joys and sorrows of the human condition in general, and the Romani condition in particular. by arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist:
1 Romano Drom – Rovel E Luludyi 3:47
2 Parno Graszt – Odi Phenel Cino Savo/Azt Mondja A Kisfiam 2:07
3 Amaro Suno – Opre Gélem Pe Vúlica 2:48
4 Romano Drom – Hulav Tu Sej 4:40
5 Ando Drom – Pundela 7:59
6 Kálmán Balogh & The Gipsy Cimbalom Band – Calusul Dance 4:50
7 Fanfare Ciocarlia Feat Mitsou & Florentina Sandu – Duj Duj 3:58
8 EtnoRom – Áven, Áven Romále 3:51
9 Cimbali Band – Oppadirida 4:48
10 Kalyi Jag – More Shef Sabina (My Daughter Sabina) 4:01
11 Karaván Familia – Amari Familija 4:12
12 Kálmán Balogh & Romano Kokalo – Botoló 5:58
13 Khamoro – Lingrara/Csavargók 3:08
14 Romanyi Rota – T'avos Devla Barvalo 3:43
15 Besh O Drom – Cigansko Oro 4:43
16 Bela Lakatos – O Bijav 3:55

V.A. - The Rough Guide to the Music of Balkan Gypsies (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Balkan gypsy groups provide some of the most intoxicating styles of music available on the world music market. This compilation, one of only a few that can stand in the same light as some of the more recent albums put out by the bands themselves, shows off both the breadth and the depth of the genres. The album opens with a pair of Romanian pieces, one featuring the masterful Taraf de Haïdouks. Two of Serbia's greatest stars, Boban Markovic and Saban Bajramovic, each provide a piece for the collection. Bulgaria is represented by the team of two of its greatest exponents in Ivo Papasov and Yuri Yunakov, known for their mixes of jazz, rock, and wedding music with the traditional styles. The up-and-coming Fanfare Ciocarlia has a rousing piece in combination with Angelite (aka Mystere des Voix Bulgares), and contemporary ursari-come-hip-hoppers Shukar Collective provide a beat-heavy piece. Armenia is represented by Richard Hagopian, there are North African, Macedonian, and Greek ideas, and even klezmer motives make themselves known. The album is an extremely mixed bag, but by hitting on many of the important recent groups it makes a decent starter album for someone curious about Rom music styles in the current day. by Adam Greenberg
Tracklist:
1 –Mahala Raï Banda : Mahalageasca 4:08
2 –Taraf De Haïdouks : Cintec De Dragoste şi Joc 6:03
3 –Boban Marković Orkestar : Mundo Cocek 3:13
4 –Ivo Papasov & Yuri Yunakov : Lenorije Chaje 5:19
5 –Nikolae Simion : Di, Mrugule, Di 3:08
6 –Šaban Bajramović : Opa Cupa 3:46
featuring – Mostar Sevdah Reunion
7 –Fanfare Ciocărlia : Lume, Lume 2:55
8 –Vangelis Vasiliou : Pranvera 3:56
9 –Esma Redzepova & Usnija Jasarova : Romano Oro 2:34
10 –Eleni Vitali : To Tsantiraki 2:20
11 –Taraf De Metropulitana : Espresso 3:40
12 –Lajkó Félix w. Boban Marković Orkestar : Félix Kolo 7:00
13 –Richard Hagopian & Omar Faruk Tekbilek : Kadife 5:49
14 –Shukar Collective - Taraf 3:26
15 –Ibro Lolov : Sofyisky Kjuchek 3:50
16 –Kostas Pavlidis & Dora Masklavanou w Nikos Kypourgos : Rom 1:22
17 –Vetra Petrovic : Tsiganka Sam Mala 3:51

V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of The Gypsies (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The great thing about the compilers of the Rough Guide albums has always been the enormous breadth of styles that they attempt to incorporate into whatever compilation they're making. This is nearly the downfall of their album showcasing the music of the gypsies. The music ranges quite literally from India to Finland to England and all points in between. While the music is beautifully performed on all fronts, the order of presentation at the very least could be more coherent. The album starts out with an example of modern flamenco from Pata Negra, then moves into Italian gypsy music and an ultra-high-speed number from the Romanian Fanfare Ciocarlia. It then moves immediately into a slow lament from Greek singer Eleni Vitali. From this odd juxtaposition, it progresses into Rajasthani music, and then back to Asia Minor with a group from Istanbul. A selection from Albania follows, followed itself by the new ambassadors of gypsy music, Taraf de Haidouks. Another Greek musician makes an appearance, followed by a pair of flamenco works, one from the guitar master Tomatito and one from El Indio Gitano and Gerardo Núñez. The album then makes another heavy-duty stylistic change as it jumps to Finnish gypsy love songs and English harmonica-based folk songs. The album then returns to the more prototypical gypsy sound, with a Hungarian group reminiscent of early klezmer in many respects. A strained shawm-based dance from Kosovo follows, providing a look into the practice of instrument adoption into a culture. The album finishes off with cimbalom master Kálman Bálogh and his arrangement of a traditional number based on styles from Spain, Hungary, and Romania (the Spanish influence is particularly noticeable). For a nice overall look into music of the gypsies since their dispersion from the subcontinent, this album may provide what you're looking for. For something a bit more coherent, it would be highly advisable to obtain albums based on separate styles within the gypsy umbrella (flamenco, klezmer, Eastern European, Turkish, Rajasthani, etc.). by Adam Greenberg  
Tracklist:
1 Pata Negra – Yo Me Quedo En Sevilla 3:31
2 Acquaragia Drom – Ussa Sà 5:36
3 Fanfare Ciocărlia – Doina Si Balaseanca 6:04
4 Eleni Vitali – The Song Of the Gypsies (To Tragoudi Ton Gifton) 4:27
5 Musafir – Anghuti 4:52
6 Gypsy Music Of Constantinople – Rast Tsiftetelli 3:32
7 Kurbeti – Love Birds (San Ta Dio Poulia) 3:23
8 Taraf de Haïdouks – Cind Eram La’ 48 7:37
9 Kostas Pavlidis – Jastar Amenge Dur 5:59
10 Tomatito – Mundi 2:51
11 El Indio Gitano & Gerardo Nuñez – El Sereno De Mi Calle 4:02
12 Päivi Ärling – Olen Lapsi Minä Syksyjen Illan 3:23
13 Jasper Smith, Levi Smith – Cock O’ The North / Garryowen / Flowers Of Edinburgh / Step It Away / The Girl I Left Behind Me / Step It Away 2:36
14 Jozsef Lacatos – Fast Csárdas 2:04
15 Krusha Madhë – Kalandxój 4:25
16 Kálmán Balogh – Cigány Színek 4:47

V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of Turkey (2003) Mp3

There's been very little exploration of Turkish music in the West, and on the basis of this you have to hope there'll be a lot more in the future. This disc covers the waterfront, from the pop sounds of Sezen Aksu and Ebru Gündes to the tortuous (yet playful) time signatures of Laco Tayfa & Hüsnü Senlendirici and the brooding sound of the Barbaros Erköse Ensemble, with Erköse, one of the country's leading musicians and a stunning clarinetist, at the helm. It's a carefully sequenced disc, moving slowly from straightforward Turkish pop -- which is no copy of Western sounds -- through gypsy music to Sufi sounds. The pivotal point is the very political Grup Yorum, whose "Haydi Kolkola" is ready accessible, but has a distinct roots edge. And from there, it moves to a rawer sound, such as Kemani Cemal Cinarli's "Mavisim," with its remarkable solos on hammered dulcimer and violin. Truth to tell, there's not a bad track on here, and compiler Dan Rosenberg has done an excellent job of illustrating how the different styles of music in Turkey have influenced and bled into each other, and the way both the Middle East and Europe have shaped it. A fascinating journey through an underexposed culture. by Chris Nickson
Tracklist:
1 –Sezen Aksu : Güngörmemişler 3:45
2 –Ebru Gündeş : Sen Allahin Bir Lũtfusun 4:27
3 –Sibel Can : Padişah    3:49
4 –Ümit Sayın : Ben Tabii Ki 4:07
5 –Levent Yüksel : Sultanim 5:15
6 –Ajda Pekkan : Dile Kolay 4:58
7 –Grup Yorum : Haydi Kolkola 4:15
8 –Laço Tayfa & Hüsnü Şenlendirici : Çiftetelli    5:25
9 –Omar Faruk Tekbilek : Hijaz Raks    4:58
10 –Belkis Akkale : Bendeki Yaralar 4:05
11 –Birol Topaloğlu : Arsima Şeni (Arsima Için) 4:50
12 –Barbaros Erkose Ensemble : Yalvariş 4:53
13 –Kemanî Cemal Çinarlı : Mavişim 5:22
14 –The Kudsi Erguner Ensemble : Seddiaraban Peshrev 4:45
15 –Mevlânâ Kültür Ve Sanat Vakfý Sanatçýlarý : Kemençe Taksimi / Segâh Niyzs İlahisi 5:33

 

BURHAN ÖÇAL & ISTAMBUL ORIENTAL ENSEMBLE - Gypsy Rum (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless