• Catalog #: AR0021

    Release Date: June 23, 2023

    21st Century
    World
    Guitar
    Large Ensemble
    Saxophone

    AT LAST MO LAPENG marks the Trans-Kalahari Quintet’s second sensational release with Ansonica Records. Matt Dacso, Andrew Chinganga, Zakes Gwaze, Lekofi Sejeso, and Arthur "Makhwenkwe" Mengwe bring the ensemble to unbelievable new heights on this album, with funky afro-jazz recordings and spectacular percussive features that are sure to please the ear. From the jubilant Ka-Ching, featuring Chinganga on the alto sax, to the sultry tenor sax line on It Takes Two, the keyboard and guitar solos on this album are sure to lure you to the dance floor. Or maybe you’re due for a little TLC, a cool groove that just might convince you to sit back and relax before Tobesta Tobesta gets you back on your feet. The TKQ closes the album with Hands Off, a percussive cadence with a certain vitality that will have you starting the album all over again! But no matter where you start, AT LAST MO LAPENG invigorates with bright and familiar tunes that signify the TKQ’s journey home has come to a close. From the jubilant Ka-Ching, featuring Chinganga on the alto sax, to the sultry tenor sax line on It Takes Two, the keyboard and guitar solos on this album are sure to lure you to the dance floor. Or maybe you’re due for a little TLC, a cool groove that just might convince you to sit back and relax before Tobesta Tobesta gets you back on your feet. The TKQ closes the album with Hands Off, a percussive cadence with a certain vitality that will have you starting the album all over again! But no matter where you start, AT LAST MO LAPENG invigorates with bright and familiar tunes that signify the TKQ’s long journey home may just be beginning.

  • Catalog #: AR0020

    Release Date: April 14, 2023

    21st Century
    Folk Music
    Chamber
    Recorder
    Voice

    Jewish music, just like the Jewish people, has been around for centuries and originates from various backgrounds. Just like the recorder, an ancient instrument that has been revived in the past few decades, so does the Jewish history and within it, the Jewish music. 27 HEBREW MELODIES FOR RECORDER is a collection of beautiful songs, some of which are very ancient, religious, and Hasidic, while others are modern and secular. Some come from Europe and are sung in Yiddish while others were “born” in Israel and are in modern Hebrew. Is there a common character to these varied tunes? Perhaps the favor for minor scale, some modality, and the use of syncopation. Nevertheless, each and every one of them is a unique piece, recorded for the first time in this special arrangement made by Hans Lewitus for two Recorders. In the album, one can hear and enjoy the whole Recorder family, accompanied sometimes by violin, clarinet, and guitar, along with singing. — Inbar Solomon

  • Catalog #: AR0019

    Release Date: February 10, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Vocal Music
    Cello
    Viola
    Voice

    SPRUCE RITUAL from Bay Area violinist, vocalist, and composer Lucian Balmer is a heartfelt dance between western classical and North Indian classical music. While the album is centered around violin, viola, and cello—the string instrument family at the heart of Romantic era chamber music—Balmer seamlessly integrates the sounds of the sitar and the tabla, two pillars of Indian classical music. While the recordings do not contain lyrics, the human voice is also a prominent instrument on this album. This is thanks to the use of sargam, in which the notes of the composition are sung. The music of SPRUCE RITUAL is richly illustrative of Balmer’s own life experiences, ranging from devotion, love, loss, melancholy, and excitement.

  • Catalog #: AR0018

    Release Date: November 11, 2022

    21st Century
    Classical
    Jazz
    World
    Clarinet
    Flute
    Oboe
    Piano

    Formed from long standing friendships and mutual musical interests, whose distinctive sound has been embraced internationally, the Hevreh Ensemble returns with MESEROLE STREET, a collection of works from composer and ensemble member Jeff Adler. With music inspired by friends and family, nostalgia, and several compositions influenced by the 2020 pandemic, the ensemble employs a variety of instruments both common and unique, namely the Native American flute and the shofar horn. From the cold feelings of isolation in Alone to the resounding emotions of hope in Freedom Day and more in between, the Hevreh Ensemble’s close-knit relationship and signature sound once again proves their notion: “good friendship makes for good music, and great stories.”

  • Catalog #: AR0017

    Release Date: March 11, 2022

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Flute
    Guitar

    ILUSIÓN Y VERDAD from Cuban guitarist Ahmed Dickinson Cárdenas and Maltese flutist Fiorella Camilleri is a vibrant collection of works for guitar and flute. The music incorporates not only the infectious Afro-Cuban rhythms for which Cárdenas is known, but also features elements of blues and rock, among others. Works like Hasta Alicia Baila and Sones Y Flores are especially inspired by the diverse history of Cuban music and its relationship to jazz and western classical music. Throughout the album, Cárdenas and Camilleri exhibit their ability to transcend genre limitations with ease, creating new and fascinating cross-cultural musical connections. Even still, Cárdenas’s performances reveal him to be a proud ambassador for his country’s music. Lauded by Classic FM Magazine as a “true pioneer,” Cárdenas upholds this title with ILUSIÓN Y VERDAD.

  • Catalog #: AR0016

    Release Date: November 19, 2021

    Folk Music
    Vocal Music
    World
    East Asian
    Percussion
    Voice

    RE/SEMBLANCE: SAATH-SAATH from Ansonica Records is a unique collaboration between Indian and Chinese musicians and a Cantopop lyricist. The result lives up to the meaning of the Hindustani phrase Saath-Saath: “together-together.” Transcending the confines of borders and cultural differences, this double album is the result of multiple crisscrossing journeys that took Chinese musicians to Bangalore and Mumbai, and took Indian musicians to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Wuhan. The music exemplifies the notion of “resemblance” by hinting at and recombining a number of cultural traditions; listeners hear a melody that hints at a Hindustani raga, Indian singers intone a Cantonese poem, and more. Through the shared language of music, RE/SEMBLANCE: SAATH-SAATH opens up exciting new possibilities for inter-cultural conversations.

  • Catalog #: AR0015

    Release Date: July 24, 2020

    21st Century
    Folk Music
    Jazz
    Vocal Music
    Guitar
    Violin
    Voice

    SOPRANO MEETS BASS is the latest from Ansonica Records. This album of traditional medieval Sephardic songs arranged by jazz bassist and music director Alan Lewine and classical soprano Ana María Ruimonte is an ethnomusicological celebration of the ancient Sephardic culture. These Spanish Jews were expelled from Spain in the 15th Century and resettled throughout the world, mingling their musical traditions with those of other peoples they encountered. The original arrangements meld medieval Moorish Iberia, jazz, flamenco, Middle Eastern music, and bel canto. They have set these songs in a sort of recombinant world fusion reflecting a vibrant embodiment of the Sephardic communities and their culture.

  • Catalog #: AR0014

    Release Date: October 9, 2020

    21st Century
    Jazz
    World
    Guitar
    Keyboard
    Saxophone

    Trans-Kalahari Quintet’s THE LONG JOURNEY HOME, the latest release from Ansonica Records, is a cross-continental exploration of jazz, funk, and South African cultural traditions. Saxophonist and composer Matthew Dacso met his bandmates while serving in Botswana as a doctor. Now, he proudly presents this unique musical fusion to audiences around the world.

  • Catalog #: AR0013

    Release Date: May 24, 2019

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Clarinet
    Flute
    Keyboard

    The quartet of musicians who comprise Hevreh Ensemble – Judith Dansker, Laurie Friedman, Adam Morrison, and Jeff Adler – are making their Ansonica debut with A PATH OF LIGHT. Hevreh Ensemble is internationally acclaimed for its live performances, which feature a wide array of instruments from Cherokee Native American flute, English horn, and shofar to world percussion including djembe, dumbek, balafon, rain stick, and tabla. The Ensemble is also joined on A PATH OF LIGHT by some extraordinary guests, including the genre-defying string quartet ETHEL, cross-cultural percussionist Shane Shanahan, George Rush on double bass, and Naren Budhkar on tabla.

  • Catalog #: AR0012

    Release Date: December 14, 2018

    21st Century
    Cuban
    Jazz
    Guitar
    Percussion

    In Havana, recording sessions are done a little differently. Musicians and producers gather at recording studios, where a well-stocked bar and ample Wi-Fi are available in the lobby. A sense of ease and relaxation permeates the air -- people gather not just to produce recordings, but to create art with each other in a communal music experience.

  • Catalog #: AR0011

    Release Date: December 14, 2018

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Vocal Music
    Voice

    With Ansonica Records’ release of MÚSICA UNIVERSAL, traditional Cuban tunes and wider genres of pop and soul stand side by side. Vocal Universo’s performances intend to appeal to all varieties of musical tastes, with the understanding that humanity has a deeper understanding of music that breaks through language and genre barriers.

  • Catalog #: AR0010

    Release Date: July 13, 2018

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Rock
    Guitar
    Keyboard
    Percussion

    A warm, tropical breeze blows across the palm trees while you stroll Havana’s famous Malecón. There’s a good chance you hear the music from DASH – the latest release from Ansonica Records.

  • Catalog #: AR0009

    Release Date: August 10, 2018

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Jazz
    Guitar
    Piano
    Voice

    SONGS OF LAKE VOLTA, Joe Sheehan’s debut on Ansonica Records, finds the composer and pianist fusing his passion for the music of West Africa, particularly that of Ghana, with his background in both classical chamber music and contemporary jazz. SONGS OF LAKE VOLTA features nine traditional Ghanian songs surrounded by original music composed by Sheehan, performed by two critically acclaimed groups: Kinetic and Kassia Ensemble.

  • Catalog #: AR0008

    Release Date: June 8, 2018

    21st Century
    Vocal Music
    Clarinet
    Piano
    Voice

    Continuing in the series of Cuban recorded Ansonica Records projects comes CORO DEL MUNDO – choir of the world. With tracks ranging from sacred to secular, and from delicate to aggressive, the surprising cohesiveness of the composers’ work is astonishingly beautiful and impassioned. Schola Cantorum Coralina and Vocal Luna contribute exquisite vocals to the proceedings.

  • Catalog #: AR0007

    Release Date: May 11, 2018

    21st Century
    Cuban
    Vocal Music
    Piano
    Trumpet
    Voice

    With TROVAS MODERNAS, the members of Bello Son have curated the latest edition of the Great Cuban Songbook. This group of free format musicians emerged in the summer of 2014, from an experimental project developed over six years by Professor Jesús Bello at the Samuel Feijóo Art School in Villa Clara Cuba.

  • Catalog #: AR0006

    Release Date: March 9, 2018

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Piano
    Saxophone
    Trumpet

    Timothy Lee Miller presents SOMETHING MORE, eight original jazz compositions that explore the unique relationships that the composer has with his family. Expanding upon something as simple as a photograph or a memory, Miller's noir-influenced jazz expands his reflections beyond words, and instead creates story through moods.

  • Catalog #: AR0005

    Release Date: October 13, 2017

    21st Century
    Chamber
    World
    Percussion
    Piano
    String Quartet

    Ansonica Records’ new release CHÉVERE richly explores and demonstrates the myriad cultural intersections that have recently become available to American and Cuban musicians. The album came together at a recording session that took place in Havana, Cuba in the month of January in 2017. The release presents a variety of collaborations between American, or American-based, composers and Cuban instrumentalists, arrangers, singers, and composers. Some of these connections are relatively straightforward, while others are more nuanced and personal; yet, they all enrich the compositions on CHÉVERE with the energy unique to the interaction of two powerful musical traditions.

  • Catalog #: AR0004

    Release Date: September 8, 2017

    21st Century
    Cuban
    Jazz
    Flute
    Guitar

    Maykel Elizade’s SOUTH COUNTY makes the case for becoming the definitive collection of son cubano. Building on a Cuban tres foundation, this recording takes listeners on a sonic tour of the island nation. Cultural standards “Corazon Rebelde” and “Gracias a La Vida” are interwoven with Elizarde’s own compositions including the “Condado Sur.” The album opens with a spoken intro asking listeners to compare the music to an ajiaco –a traditional Cuban stew—in which many ingredients blend together to create a common taste, and with South County, a common vision.

  • Catalog #: AR0003

    Release Date: August 11, 2017

    21st Century
    Cuban
    Vocal Music
    Clarinet
    Percussion
    Voice

    Ansonica Records presents a fantastic collection of traditional Cuban music authentically performed by the Havana based all-female octet, Ellasón. The dynamic group is comprised of vocals, baby bass, chorus, guitar, congas, bongos, cowbells, two clarinets, violin, and a voice leader. Ellasón focuses on traditional Cuban and Latin-American music with inspiration from the Cuban musical genre, La Trova.

  • Catalog #: AR0002

    Release Date: October 14, 2016

    21st Century
    Cuban
    Orchestral
    Clarinet
    Orchestra
    Trumpet

    This exquisitely produced album embodies the beautiful art whose creation has been enabled by the newly opened cultural exchange between the United States and Cuba. Through a collection of intriguing compositions by American and American-based composers, INTERSECTIONS showcases the talents of Cuban musicians in a variety of large ensemble and chamber settings. Moreover, the pieces in the album’s contents are replete with symbols that touch on the promise of this new beginning in American-Cuban relations, and suggest some of the darkness that preceded it.