Music Theory World Music Playlist

On the last day of school, I had some fun with my two remaining music theory students (the 13 seniors had graduated and left us to fend for ourselves). Both of them are way into music from all over the world. One is our resident oud-playing Middle Eastern music specialist, and the other is a big fan of Nigerian afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and French chanteuse Edith Piaf. So, I loaded up my iPod with 22 tracks from my many sources and let them try to guess where each tune was from. It was amazing how accurately they guessed music from Mali and Armenia, yet were totally stumped by Greece and Tanzania. Anyway, here's the playlist:

1. Mali - Salif Keita - "Madan" - Moffou
2. Benin - Angélique Kidjo - "Batonga" - The Best Of World Music - African (Putumayo Presents)
3. Cameroon - Zap Mama - "Brrrlak!" - Adventures in Afropea I
4. South Africa - Johnny Clegg And Juluka - "Umfazi Omdala" - The Best Of World Music - African (Putumayo Presents)
5. Tanzania - Mohamed Ilyas - "Hofu Yako Iondoe" - Zanzibara Vol.1 Cent ans de taarab à Zanzibar
6. Morocco - Nass Marrakech - "Yo Mala" - Sabil `a` Salaam
7. Cuba - Arsenio Rodriguez - "El Reloj de Pastora" - Legends of Cuban Music
8. Jamaica - Burning Spear - "Slavery Days" - Marcus Garvey/Garvey’s Ghost
9. Brazil - Abacaxi - "Batucada" - Samba Percussion Live In Concert
10. Mexico - Banda la Costeña - "La Plebada" - 12 Nuevos Costeñazos
11. USA - Cornel Pewewardy - "Kiowa Hymn" - Global Voices - Sacred
12. DR of Congo - Konono No.1 - "Ungudi Wele Wele" - Congotronics
13. Japan - Orchestra Asia - "Sakura, Sakura" - ExxonMobil-NTU Explorations in the Arts Series
14. Dominican Republic - La India Canela - "Apriétame Así" ("Squeeze Me Like That") - Merengue Típico from the Dominican Republic
15. Greece - Kristi Stassinopoulou - "Drumming Frogs" - Echotropia
16. India/Pakistan - Rudresh Mahanthappa - "Apti" - Apti
17. Indonesia - Gamelan Gong Kebyar of Peliatan - "Kebyar: Teruna" - Excursions In World Music
18. Iran - Hasan Kasa'i - "Shushtari" - The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan
19. Uzbekistan - Jurabek Nabiev - "Uchun Dur" - The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan
20. Armenia - Gevorg Dabaghian - "Dance of Tamir Agha" - The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan
21. Kazakhstan - Aygul Ulkenbaeva - "Balbyraun" - The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan
22. Turkey - Jarrahi Dervishes - "Sufi Hymn" - The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan