World Listening Post publishes album reviews that showcase music from around the globe. The site encompasses a wide range of contemporary and traditional music styles and encourages readers and listeners to go beyond their own comfort zones by crossing national and linguistic frontiers. You can access reviews, starting with the most recent, by scrolling down the left-hand column of this page; with the index (alphabetical by artist); or by country and language in the right-hand column.
Marjan Vahdat: Our Garden Is Alone

Marjan Vahdat: Our Garden Is Alone

Night & Day Listening Post 353. At the foundation of Our Garden Is Alone lies a rift between body and soul. Though Marjan Vahdat lives in California her heart is in her native Iran; whenever one part of her is in daylight the other part sees only the night sky....

Mahsa Vahdat: Enlighten the Night

Mahsa Vahdat: Enlighten the Night

A Blazing Grace Listening Post 278. Paradox or simple fact, the greatest expressions of freedom often emerge from landscapes where it is conspicuous by its absence. Having grown up in a nation that prohibits public singing by women, the Iranian vocalist-musician Mahsa...

Nelia Safaie: Songs from Lands of Silence

Nelia Safaie: Songs from Lands of Silence

Beauty in the Dark Listening Post 264. Dawn is inevitable but some nights are longer than others. The eight songs of Nelia Safaie’s debut solo album are suspended in the fog between night and day, winter and spring, sadness and happiness. She sings gently, often with...

Kronos Quartet, Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat: Placeless

Kronos Quartet, Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat: Placeless

Homes Away from Home Listening Post 212. Can art and politics remain separate? Can musicians avoid banning? Can corrupt leaders escape satire? Freedom is everywhere in the imagination and often scarce in the real world. Songs from a beautiful album like Placeless...

Ooldouz Pouri: Waiting for the Dawn

Ooldouz Pouri: Waiting for the Dawn

Songs for a Long Night Listening Post 191. Flowers, dreams and music have this in common: They bloom even in harsh climes. An elegant example is Waiting for the Dawn, Ooldouz Pouri’s first solo album. The hour of sunrise, even the year, may be in doubt. The point is...

Young Iranian Female Voices: Songs in the Mist

Young Iranian Female Voices: Songs in the Mist

Breaking the Silence Listening Post 116. The world music movement is a bridge, allowing artists who once might have been heard only in their own land to reach across borders and oceans. But sometimes distant ears represent a lifeline for performers who can’t be heard...

Mamak Khadem: The Road

Mamak Khadem: The Road

Follow This Nomad Listening Post 41. Mamak Khadem defies categorization. Born in Iran and rooted in Persian classical styles, she has also studied North Indian and Balkan traditions. Resettled in Los Angeles, she spent 10 years as lead singer for Axiom of Choice, a...

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