My ongoing quest for reggae continues to yield results from lands beyond the music's Jamaican origins. The quality varies but the best of the lot always combines a genuine reggae foundation with just enough variation to give voice to the individuality of the artist. Here are some examples.

With his handsomely graying features, Washington DC-based Andrew Diamond looks rather like a dreadlocked George Clooney on the cover of Diamond in the Rough (Sub 80, SUB001, 2007). He first got involved in reggae as a drummer, and while he doesn't have the loveliest singing voice on the planet, his bluesy growl gets a firm grip on the proceedings. He does justice to a cou...
Read more at: World Music Central

Maria Dolors Laffitte, a leading figures in Catalan and Occitan folk music, died February 15 at Hospital Josep Trueta in Girona (Spain). She was 59.

Maria Dolors Laffitte i Masjoan was born in Roda de Ter, Spain in August of 1949. She was a singer songwriter who researched and recovered Catalan folk music, Medieval minstrel music, Early Music, Sephardic songs and Catalan poetry.

Maria started singing when she was 8 years old. Her first recording came out when she was only , titled Cançons Occitanes (Occitan Songs). She released more than 40 recordings, including solo albums and collaborations.