Rough Guide to the Music of Palestine

From the Rough Guide music series comes the Music of Palestine, a 15-song collection that bears the unique artistic identity of this conflicted and ancient region. A cultural, religious, and political crossroads, the Palestinian region has a complicated history reflected even in its contemporary music. From the beautiful folk music of singer Sanaa Moussa to the hard rock of Khalas to the dark-toned hip-hop of Dam, a number of styles are represented here, many of them framed by Western influences but all with deep roots in this mysterious region. In addition to the compilation is a second disc dedicated to the traditional music of multi-instrumentalist Ramzi Aburedwan. ~ Timothy Monger