K-Pop Group 2NE1 Continues World Domintaion with New Show

They're baaaaaack! Not that they ever went anywhere in the first place, but K-Pop's favorite spunky girl group 2NE1 continues to dominate the worldwide music scene from East to West.

By now you know we love these ladies! We featured their debut, a collaboration with the boy band Big Bang, on the ¡GLOBAILE! Podcast. The video is so SICK we had to feature it here on the blog too!

And last we reported to you, 2Ne1 had just swept the MNET Asian Music Awards, taking home the Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Best Female Group awards! Woo hoo! Check out the shout-out we gave these mamacitas on our show Around the World in 6 min!

Well now the same network behind the award show, MNET, is bringing you the latest 2NE1 venture - their very own Reality Show, airing WORLDWIDE. Yep, these K-Pop divas are pioneering the future of music and media by bringing you a glimpse into their life via a globally aired web show!

This is the future, kids. Shows like this one and like our very own ¡GLOBAILE! - shows that air to a worldwide audience! The future is NOW! We goin' global!

The world premier for 2NE1TV LIVE: WORLDWIDE airs tomorrow night! Make sure to tune in to MNET (http://www.mnet.com) on July 17th at 8pm ET/PT to check it out! Here's the promo:



They'll be broadcasting each Sunday night in prime time, beginning with the world premiere on July 17 at 8pm ET/PT, with an encore presentation the following Saturday (July 23) at 8pm ET/PT. The series will air for a total of ten weeks with over twenty half hour episodes. To learn more about the show, check out details here.

Want a sneak preview of the sassy, saucy fun that 2NE1 brings to the scene? Check out this bangin' video for their jam Follow Me:

Schlachthofbronx - Oktoberfest Goes Electronic

Nowadays, Munich is known for 2 things: Oktoberfest and Bass music. Put them together and what do you have...? Schlachthofbronx.

Schlachto-what? Yup, this electronic duo makes music that sounds even crazier than their name looks! Their self-titled full length debut album launched them into tours all over Europe and South Africa in 2009. The album features guest singers from Costa Rica and Mali, joint work with brass bands from Bavaria, rappers from South Africa as well as a ghettotek-collabo with german MC Ron Foto. That's so ¡GLOBAILE! Their live shows include the same variety of eclectic sounds with the duo rockin' everything from Rave, Dancehall, Dubstep, Baile Funk, Bounce, Cumbia, Soca and traditional Bavarian music.

With such multi-culti, bass-heavy flava, it's no surprise that Diplo's Mad Decent label has snatched up Schlachthofbronx and released their latest EP - Nasty Bass.

Check out this video for their song Too High featuring Big Space & Spoek Mathambo, shot at the Oktoberfest in their home town Munich, Germany.

GD & Top - Seoul to Soul

So by now, we all now about K-Pop....that Korean Pop music that has been taking over the world. Well how about K-R&B...?

Yes, leave it to our favorite Korean heartthrobs, GD & Top, to smooth out the K-Pop sound and take it to a more sexy, soulful place...They sing and rap in both English and Korean over some groovy guitar-laced beats, with a sexy female voice coming in at the end, talking in...French! 3 languages in one tune - that's so GLOBAILE!

The last time we featured GD & Top, it was for their catchy collabo with USA's Diplo - Knock Out (listen to that tune on our podcast). Well, once again they have taken a more Western approach, coming out with a tune with a little more soul than Seoul....

El Guincho - Island Flare with Space-Age Vibes

With our love of bright colors, island sounds and stop animation, Barcelona's El Guincho has won our hearts with his quirky and charming style!

El Guincho is the recording alias of Spanish musician Pablo Díaz-Reixa. Originally from the Canary Islands, El Guincho rose to prominence with his 2008 album, Alegranza. His musical style - what he's described as "space-age exotica" - relies heavily on the use of sampling and incorporates elements of Afrobeat, dub, Tropicália and rock and roll.

In 2010 he released his latest album, Pop Negro. Earlier this month at Spain’s Premios de la Música Independiente (Indie Music Awards), El Guincho received praise and accolades from music critics worldwide, earning him "Best Song of the Year" for Bombay, a single off Pop Negro.

Bombay is a rad tune!! But due to a little nudity, the video is age-restricted. If you're legal, check it out here. In the meantime, check out the super cute and fun video for his song Palmitos Park off the Alegranza album...

Tinariwen - Bluesy Rock from the Sahara Desert

A band of nomads, playing soulful, bluesy rock music through the dunes of the Sahara desert. Sounds like a movie premise...maybe even a tall tale from times past. But this is not fiction. This is Tinariwen.

But their story is certainly dramatic...

Tinariwen was founded by Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, who grew up in Mali in the Tuareg culture - a nomadic people of the Saharan region of North Africa. At age 4 he witnessed the execution of his father (a Tuareg rebel) during a 1963 uprising in Mali. He then lived in refugee camps and later resided with other Tuareg exiles in Libya and Algeria. Ag Alhabib built his own guitar out of a tin can, a stick and bicycle brake wire and started to play old Tuareg songs.

In the late 1970s Ag Alhabib joined with other musicians in the Tuareg rebel community, and people began to call them "Kel Tinariwen", which in the Tamashek language translates as "The People of the Deserts" or "The Desert Boys." (Wikipedia.com) They were influenced by Moroccan protest music, Algerian pop, Western rock, and reggae. Over the next ten years they recorded homemade cassettes and played gigs for far-flung Tuareg communities throughout the Sahara region, gaining word-of-mouth popularity among the Tuareg people.

In the late 90s, Tinariwen began to garner international attention, and since 2001 they have played over 700 concerts in Europe, North America, Japan and Australia. Their 2004 CD Amassakoul ("The Traveller") and its 2007 follow-up Aman Iman ("Water Is Life") were released worldwide and gained the notice of celebrity fans including Carlos Santana, Robert Plant, Bono and the Edge of U2, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Chris Martin of Coldplay, and Henry Rollins. In 2005 Tinariwen received a BBC Award for World Music, and in 2008 they received Germany’s prestigious Praetorius Music Prize.

What an inspirational tale! From an orphaned nomadic refugee to celebrated world-traveling musician! Over the span of 30 years! That is true devotion to one's craft...

Here's a video they recently shot with Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone from TV on the Radio for their song Tenere Taqqim Tossam. It captures the life, look, sound and vibe of their roots in the Sahara with a profound beauty.

Queen Sea Big Shark - Chinese Electro Punk Pop

These Beijing pop rockers see what they like, and they take it.

"One day we walked around Queensea Lake in Beijing, we saw a sign that read 'This is mine, don't even touch it, I'm queen sea big shark,' then we thought, 'Wow! That's cool. Let's take it.'" (Wikipedia.com)

You might say the same thing happened with their sound. The band could very well have watched an 80's Depeche Mode video and said, "Wow! That's cool. Let's take it."

Not to say Queen Sea Big Shark is not original. Their upbeat sound and colorful look is certainly all their own. But yes, it does have that distinctly 1980's style and feel to it. Which is kind of ironic considering their latest album is entitle The Future Wave...Still - all that being said - we dig it! And so does everybody else...

They released their debut in 2007, and in 2009, they released a song and music video, entitled Let's Play, exclusive to the Converse China website. Also, that year, they embarked on a short tour to the U.S.A. entitled "Sing for China" with other Beijing bands Hedgehog and Casino Demon. The tour was to promote awareness for AIDS in China. They released their latest album The Future Wave in October 2010, and recently took SXSW by storm.

Their music is infectious and makes you wanna jump around, like any good punk song will...Check out their neon, geometric, animated 80s fun in the aforementioned Let's Play video...

Locos Por Juana - The Sound of Miami

Take some Colombian cumbia, mix it with some Jamaican reggae, a dash of Puerto Rican sabor and a healthy dose of some good old American funk and hip hop, and what do you have? You have the pulse of Miami, and the sound of Locos Por Juana.

Formed in 2000, Locos Por Juana has been dominating the indie music scene in Miami for over a decade. Just like the people of their hometown, the music of Locos Por Juana comes from South American and Caribbean roots. They blend various rhythmic influences together to create a fusion that truly represents the heat, the sensuality, and the energy of the Magic City.

Miami New Times called their 2008 release La Verdad “the truth of a new multicultural, cosmopolitan generation, played out in the music that represents their cross-cultural connections.”

But their buzz has been felt and recognized far beyond Miami. Locos Por Juana has been named "Best New Latin Rock Band" by BBC America, received a Latin Grammy nomination for "Best Album by Group", and a Grammy nomination for "Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album".

Here's a video of their latest release, the Evolucion EP. Indeed, the fellas of Locos Por Juana have continued to evolve over the past 11 years, we can't wait to see what's next...!

Corneille - Canadian Soul with Rwandan Roots

From Rwanda to Germany to Canada, Corneille's soulful sound has helped him rise to fame out of the ashes of a tragic past.

Born in Freiburg, Germany, Corneille spent most of his childhood in Rwanda, his parents' country of origin. He had a passion for music at a young age, and began to sing in an R&B group, where he learned song writing. However, his life took a dramatic turn after the Rwandan genocide of 1994. His father, Émile Nyungura, was the leader of a political party and as a result, his parents and some relatives were killed. Corneille fled to Germany, where some of his parents' friends took him in.

Three years later, Corneille decided to leave Germany in order to pursue his education in Montreal, Quebec. Music became is solace - a way to escape. He founded O.N.E., an R&B band, and one of the group's songs written by Corneille rose to first place in Canadian airplay. With this success, Corneille left the group to pursue a solo career.

Influenced by American soul and funk artists such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, Corneille's first album, Parce qu'on vient de loin, was released in 2002. The Canadian release did not make much noise, but the French version, released in 2003, quickly became successful, going on to sell more than a million copies.

With commercial success, Corneille felt it was time to focus on his past, instead of running from it. In March 2005, the singer participated in the concert Africa Live, which was organized to fight against malaria. This was the first time that he returned to his home continent since the genocide. With this powerful experience, Corneille knew it was time to use music as a means to express all that he had gone through.

“Music has been the place where I could go to hide and forget about the world. I couldn’t make sense of a majority of the things that happened to me, so I used music as a shield. But over time, music has become a vehicle to channel out everything that I’ve been keeping from myself for all these years. And the new album is definitely the most honest, real assessment of everything that’s happened in my life, because I’m not trying to hide as much.” (Corneillemusic.com)

He finished recording his first English language album, The Birth Of Cornelius, in July 2007. Along with using music as a means to express the pain from his past, Corneille continues to work with the Canadian Red Cross to raise awareness of children who are victims of war.

Rebel Diaz - Revolution from the Bronx to Santiago

From Chicago to the Bronx to Santiago and beyond, Rebel Diaz spits powerful rhymes of freedom, empowerment and social consciousness that recall the earlier proactive messages of Hip Hop culture.

We first discovered Rebel Diaz back in the Bronx at the Rebel Diaz Arts Collective - a center the Hip Hop trio created to empower their community through art and awareness. Rebel Diaz took the stage that night at RIPPED IT UP. Rhyming and singing in both English and Spanish, the passion emanating from these 3 emcees was undeniable.

Rebel Diaz is made up of Chilean brothers RodStarz and G1, and Puerto Rican songstress Lah Tere. Origianlly from Chicago, Rebel Diaz really came to be in the Bronx, NY. After first performing at an immigrant rights march in New York City in 2006 in front of a half million people, the bilingual emcees have taken the international community by storm. The group’s versatility has allowed them to share the stage with the likes of Common, Mos Def, and Public Enemy, to acts like Rage Against the Machine, and Mala Rodriguez. Recent tours in Spain, Germany, Guatemala, Venezuela, and Chile, have only solidified their international appeal.

Earlier this year the trio split, with Lah Tere and the Venegas brothers going their separate ways. But both have brand new releases planned for 2011. Lah Tere will be releasing her debut solo album, Made of Honor, with a powerful style reminiscent of bilingual Queen Latifah or Lauryn Hill. RodStarz and G1 have retained the name Rebel Diaz, and will be releasing their first album as a duo this year as well, continuing to put out the politically conscious rap that Rebel Diaz has become known for.

Here's a video from when the trio was still together. Entitled Libertad, the video was shot in Chile, and exemplifies Rebel Diaz's bilingual, politcally motivated, fierce style of Hip Hop.

Wanlov the Kubolor - Ghana's Pidgin Music

Barefoot, in nothing but a t-shirt and mud cloth wrap, wandering the world singing about the life of the people in his native Ghana - Wanlov the Kubolor lives up to his name.

Kubolor means vagabond, truant, bush man - a soul who answers to no one, but leaves his mark on everyone. Born in Ploiesti, Romania Wanlov grew up in Accra, Ghana. He grew up in a very musical household, but it wasn't until he went to college in Texas that he fully immersed himself in a musical career. It was there that he released his debut album, Green Card, fusing hip hop, reggae, afrobeat, afro-pop, hiplife, and highlife.

He calls it “Pidgin” music. "To me Pidgin is the right language. It is the everyday person’s language. Whether the person is a carpenter or all the way to a bank teller or managing director, everybody speaks Pidgin.”(ghanabusinessnews.com)

Wanlov has taken his unique sound around the world, performing at numerous universities, theatres, & club venues throughout the United States; with radio play in Africa, Europe, Australia, North and South America.

Here's a music video of his shot in Ghana - the home he returned to after his stint in the US. His clothing, his vibe, his sound - everything captures the essence of his Kubolor spirit.

TRoy - UK Producer Goes Afro

In every major city in the world, it seems like everyone is being influenced more and more by roots music from Africa, especially when it comes to dance music. With his new release, Bush Meat, TRoy brings us that Afro flavor, with his native London vibes.

After setting up and establishing the UK Hip Hop label Cafe Recordings in 1999, TRoy decided it was time to expand. "I can’t confine myself to one particular genre of music as I have been exposed to so much diversity", and so he went searching deeper into sound by giving birth to his own label, Broadcite, in 2000. The label reflects his broad musical tastes, including his own style of Afrobeat, Hip Hop, Future Funk , Broken Beatz and various forms of Nu Jazz - all of which can be found in his productions.

His music has taken him around the globe, with travels through nearly every continent, and releases in Belgium, Portugal and Italy to name a few. His latest project released under the Broadcite imprint, Bush Meat, reflects the new generation of African rhythms, something that TRoy is calling "AfroTech".

He explains, "Afrotech is a fusion of contemporary African groove and post-modern electronic frequency, the cultural sounds clash to form a harmonic and rhythmic blend, connecting tradition with technology"

This pulsating hybrid, inspired by sounds from South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia all with an overt London twist, brings the listener the sound of today's experimental Afro fusion. Here's a video for the single Bobo, featuring Wumni. African style with distinctly London tech elements - an exciting example of cultural fusion taking world music to the next level!

Fauna - Trippy Nu Cumbia from Argentina

The electro cumbia movement has been taking over South America, and now the world. With bands like Bomba Estereo getting worlwide acclaim, the genre is blowing up. Meet 2 pioneers in this exciting scene - Fauna.

Fauna is a musical duo made up of Color Kit (Christian del Negro) and Catar_sys (Federico Rodríguez), both on vocals and beat production. They were amongst the first to define the electro cumbia sound back in their home of Mendoza, Argentina. They released their first album La Manita de Fauna, in 2008 - a project that pushed boundaries while maintaining a playful and fun attitude.

With a hot album on their hands, the duo set off on a busy South American tour through Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Brasil. However, at the end of the tour, in the fall of 2010, tragedy struck and Catar_sys unexpectedly passed away. The future was unclear for Fauna after suffering such an enormous loss, but Color Kit decided to continue what Fauna had started.

Now Fauna is getting ready to drop their long-awaited second album, to be titled Manshines, on ZZK Records. Mixed and produced by Andrés Oddone and Frikstailers, this new album brings not only cumbia, but dubstep and kudoro rhythms as well, taking Fauna's sound further than ever before.

Para mí is the first single off Manshines and its freshly released video has both members of Fauna in it. We love the neon colors and trippy visuals!

Sexion D'Assaut - Parisian Rappers Roll Deep

Not since Wu Tang Clan has a crew of rappers rolled this deep...

It all started in 2002, when Sexion D'Assaut had a crew of 22 rappers. 22 rappers! But only the most thoroughbread fellas stuck it out, and over the years, it's dwindled down to 8 core members, with other rappers coming in and out along the way...

Over the years, the collective has released various albums with various members making appearances on each, but it wasn't until 2009 that the crew released their first full group album, The Head Crash, as a mixtape on the streets. The Head Crash had them touring all over France to packed houses. They have that hardcore energy and street savvy lyricism that amps up the crowd.

The School of Vital Points was the group's official debut album, released in 2010. The album went triple platinum and brought Sexion D'Assaut mainstream success. They are among the first French artists (with Daft Punk and David Guetta) to surpass one million fans on Facebook.

In 2011, they are releasing a free underground track from one of their crew members once every 2 weeks...And this week, their song Paris Va Bien is at the top of the Urban Charts in France.

Here's the video for Paris Va Bien - we love the French style and panache they exude in this video...ooh la la - nothing like a gangsta in a finely tailored french suit...

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - UK's Electro Showman

Experimental yet catchy, the mastermind behind Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (TEED) has found that fine line between underground oddity and mainstream danceablity and has made a budding musical career out of it...

While Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs is a very long and silly name, so is (his real name) Orlando Higginbottom. But this one-man show likes to be silly. In fact, when asked about the topic, he replied, "I got kind of fed up with the scenes that were going on and everyone taking things very seriously and thinking they had to be cool and into the next sound. I just decided to do something a bit fun and not about street cred or being trendy or anything like that." (Spinner.com) Well, 'a bit fun' is an understatement. His live electronic show is full of crazy costumes, bizarre instruments, glitter cannons and yes - dancing dinosaurs.

He's been steadily blowing up is his native UK and all over Europe, and was recently named one of the Top 100 acts at SXSW 2011. His second EP, the All In Two Sixty Dancehalls EP, released on Greco- Roman, has thrust TEED into the spotlight. The lead track Garden, featuring vocalist Luisa from Lulu and the Lampshades, has been picking props across the board.

Here's the video. Check it out and see what we mean. No doubt it's weird, but it's so damn fun and melodic that damn near anyone will want to dance to it...

Afrobeta - Play House: New Music Video!!

You know how much we love them. Miami's own...Afrobeta!

We featured this amazing electronic duo during our coverage of the Ultra Fest 2011. Miss Angelina sat down with Afrobeta for an exclusive interview, in which they discussed the making of their new video, Play House.

Well...it's here! The Play House music video was officially released yesterday, and it is on the next level...

Afrobeta, made up of singer Cuci Amador and synthesizer/production master Smurphio, told us all about their adventures working on this video over in Amsterdam with an entirely European crew. Cuci talked to us about the avant-garde artistic style of their collaborators, and boy was she right. Set is some sort of futuristic space home, Afrobeta's intergalactic music video matches their supersonic sound.

Miami STAND UP!

Katrina Kaif - Sexiest Asian Woman in the World

We already told you all about the Indian superstar Aishwarya, and her reigning title as "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World". Well now another Indian beauty has stepped in to grab the title of "Sexiest Asian Woman in the World"...damn! India is doing something right in that gene pool over there!

Katrina Kaif is actually British, but with Indian ancestry. She's become a big star in Bollywood, and continuously works in Hindi films in India through an employment visa, though. But that is just the tip of the iceberg in Ms. Kaif's international life story. She was born in Hong Kong to a Kashmiri father and English mother. From Hong Kong, her family moved to China, Japan, France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and even Hawaii before landing in the UK. That's so GLOBAILE!

And so while she is in fact a British citizen, she only lived in London for 3 years before moving to Mumbai to become a movie star. Ms. Kaif started out as a model, and is was through her modeling work that she was discovered by a London film maker that cast her in her first film, Boom, for which she moved to Mumbai.

She had a bit of a slow start in the Indian film industry because she could not speak Hindi, but pretty soon the films she did make grew to be successful blockbusters, making her a bonafied movie star. And in 2008, 2009, and 2010 she was named "Sexiest Asian Woman in the World" by Eastern Eye, the self-proclaimed #1 Asian website in the UK.

She's paired up with one of our favorite Bollywood hunks, Akshay Kumar, for many of her films, dating back to 2006. Here's a song from their latest collaboration, the film Tees Maar Khan. We love the big band sound and style of this video - almost like Bollywood meets Go-Go...and Katrina and Akshay are pretty easy on the eyes too...

ChocQuibTown - Afrocolombiano Hip Hop Funk

Imagine The Fugees, living in rural Colombia, rapping to Afro Rumba rhythms...now you have an idea of the sheer dopeness that is ChocQuibTown.

These 3 emcees hail from the town of Quibidó in the area of Chocó, western Colombia (hence ChocQuibTown). As their name implies, these 3 Hip Hop heads are extremely proud of their homeland, and make sure to represent their native roots in all their music.

Gloria Martinez, a.k.a. “Goyo,” is the lead singer (and Lauryn Hill equivalent) for the band, with her male counterparts, "Slow" and "Tostao" playing the roles of Wyclef and Pras, so to speak. But to compare ChocQuibTown to anybody else is truly a disservice. They have a unique sound that could have only sprung up out of their own Afro-Pacific-Colombian heritage and upbringing.

They dropped their first release, Somos Pacifico, in Bogotá back in 2006. They quickly blew up in Colombia, and now, 5 years later, they've released their US debut on Nacional Records to enormous critical acclaim.

The album, Oro, has been nominated for the 2011 Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album Grammy. And the single off the album, De Donde Vengo Yo, already won the 2010 Latin Grammy for best Alternative Song. Here's the video for that tune. They'll have you hooked within seconds, and you'll quickly see what all the fuss is about. Lauryn who? There's a new female emcee/singer to be reckoned with...

Ntjam Rosie - Soulful NuJazz from Holland

Just when you thought that the Netherlands was only known for electronic music, Ntjam Rosie bursts onto the international scene with her soulful jazz style and proves that Dutch music is hardly one dimensional...

Earlier on the blog and on the podcast, we featured another Dutch soul singer, Giovanca. Well now let us introduce you to Ntjam Rosie...

Based out of Rotterdam with familial roots in Cameroon, Ntjam Rosie brings that soothing, sexy jazz vocal sound, similar to Sade or or Erykah Badu. She's been garnering a lot of attention for herself over in Rotterdam in the past couple years. She won the Music Matters Award, gaining the title of music ambassador in Rotterdam during 2010, and also won the MCN World Up! Award for most promising talent during the first edition of the Dutch World Music Day.

Her latest album, Elle, has Ntjam Rosie experimenting with the styles of soul, jazz along with elements of Brazilian and African rhythms. Singing in both English and French, her music is sensual and full of emotion, evoking a classic jazz feeling while also pushing the genre to a contemporary, 21st century sound.

And her style...we LOVE her style. Again - classic, yet funky, interesting, and artistic!

Check out her latest music video for the song Space of You off her new album. Her sound and her look exemplify the balance she's found in her classic yet cutting edge persona...

Nortec Collective - Tijuana Bass

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

While it's fun to eat tacos and drink margaritas, let's not kid ourselves. Contrary to popular (American) belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day.

The most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico occurs on September 16th.

HOWEVER, in the state of Puebla, Mexico, May 5th is in fact observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

So go ahead - drink that tequila, have a burrito, and wear that sombrero with pride!

To commemorate this (sort of) special day, we are featuring a fantastic band from Tijuana, Mexico - Nortec Collective. Their sound mixes electronica with elements of Tambora and Norteño music, hence "Nortec" ("norteño" + "techno").

Nortec Collective's second album, Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3, released on Nacional Records, received much critical praise and was nominated for two Latin Grammy awards. Here's a video off of that album - it perfectly sums up that modern electronic fusion with the more traditional Mexican musical styles...

Kito & Reija Lee - Australian Luvstep

What happens when you mix 2 blonde bombshells with dubstep and pop? You get Luvstep!

Kito & Reija Lee are the new act on the Mad Decent roster. Forever discovering funky weird acts around the globe, Diplo is responsible once again for finding these sexy, odd, and supremely talented ladies and giving them some shine.

Hailing from Australia, Kito and Reija have been friends for over a decade. But only recently have the two begun to collaborate musically. Their first official track together was the tune LFO on Kito’s EP for Skream’s Disfigured Dubz label. Now the delicious duo has been scooped up by Mad Decent and they've released their first official EP Sweet Talk on the trend-setting indie label.

The Mad Decent press release had this to say about their new acquisition: "In a dubstep scene dominated by men, Kito & Reija Lee have managed to bring a decidedly female perspective to the table while staying true to the genre’s roots."

Amen! All Hail Luvstep! And may the entire genre flourish! We like it... :)

M.anifest - Rockin Rhymes from Ghana to Minneapolis

"What's a rapper from Ghana who's as smart as Talib Kweli and as funky as Kanye West doing in Minnesota?" (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Ghana and Minnesota are worlds apart in climate, culture, cuisine, and just about every other aspect. However the 2 lands do have 1 very important thing in common: M.anifest.

Born and raised in Accra, Ghana, M.anifest is a powerful Hip Hop emcee that initially moved to the Twin Cities to pursue his education. However, within a couple years, Minneapolis' City Pages named him Songwriter of the Year, calling him "the kind of assured, joyful, ruminative voice that made Mos Def into Hollywood's favorite conscious-rap star".

But M.anifest is making his mark beyond Minnesota. His 2007 debut, Manifestations, blew everybody away, and was soon picked up by Jakarta Records/Groove Attack and re-released by the indie label in Europe and Japan. Allhiphop.com profiled him as one of four African Artists "Stormin' into the Hip-Hop World" (2009). In 2010, he played the Festa Dos Mundos festival with Africa Express in Spain and the PUMA world cup showcase in Paris.

He's shared the stage with the likes of Femi Kuti, Damon Albarn (Gorillaz), Amadou and Miriam, Mick Jones (The Clash), Tony Allen, the Noisettes and many more. M.anifest is currently completing his official sophomore release, "Coming to America: Immigrant Chronicles," gearing up for a 2011 release.

Here's his latest music video for the song Suffer off his upcoming release. He has been very successful at blending African and American styles together, moreso than many others trying to do the same...Maybe Ghana and Minnesota aren't so different after all... :)

Fito Blanko - Panamanian-Canadian Cantante

From Panama to Canada and beyond, Fito Blanko represents the international power and reach of Reggaeton.

Fito Blanko has always loved music. At a young age, Fito Blanko immigrated to Canada from Panama, and by the age of 14, he started writing lyrics in both English and Spanish. Writing with the Latin influence and style of his upbringing, Fito released two songs in the summer of 2003, and both songs charted in the Top 25 of the Reggae/Hip-Hop Charts.

He then released his debut album Higher Level in 2004 with longtime production partner, Sensei. The album made a splash, especially in the Latin markets, and Fito went on to release some high profile collaborations, including Darryl Riley's single Tear It Up featuring Beenie Man, and Fito's own song Mambo featuring Drake.

GLOBAILE's Miss Angelina had a chance to stop by the video shoot for one of Fito's biggest, and most recent hits - VIP, featuring Fuego and El Cata. You may know El Cata as the original male vocalist from Shakira's huge hit, Loca. The video was shot in Miami with a luxurious White Party theme, complete with breakdancers, fire breathers, belly dancers and more party madness...! Check out for the video for this one when it comes out - the perfect summer jam!

Here's the video that Fito Blanko shot before the VIP. It's for his single featuring Omari Ferrari, Whine on You. Shot in the jungles of Mexico, this video gives that exotic, tropical feel that Fito brings with his sexy rhythms and smooth vocals. Que rico, Fito!

Calor Urbano - Smooth Vibes from the Dominican Republic

We all know about the merengue and bachata dance music coming out of Dominican Republic, but Calor Urbano is bringing some funky, soulful sounds of their own - straight from la isla!

Calor Urbano takes their native Latin sounds, and adds some jazz, funk and Hip Hop to make a groovy vibe with that Dominican sabor! Their tunes are reminiscent of some of the other Nu-Latino bands right here in Miami, like Spam Allstars, Suénalo and Xperimento.

The band put out their first single in 2003. It became a quick hit in the DR, reaching the top of music charts and receiving good reviews by recognized members of the music scene. By mid-2004 they had released 2 additional hit singles, making Calor Urbano among the top bands of the Dominican Republic. And later that same year, they were nominated as Best Pop/Rock Band of the Year in the Premios del Pueblo awards.

Calor Urbano released their first official album, Transmission Groove, in the summer of 2006. Here is a video for their song Pa' Que No Pienses, off their debut album. Groooooovy...

Omar Offendum - Syrian American Emcee Reps the Middle East

Omar Offendum is a man on a mission: to give the Middle East a powerful voice here in the States.

Born in Saudi Arabia, Omar Offendum is a Syrian-American MC/Producer raised in Washington DC, and now living in Los Angeles. He started out as half of The N.O.M.A.D.S. duo, a pair of Arab and African-American MCs. He went on to co-produce the critically-acclaimed “FREE-THE-P” mixtape, a fundraising effort in support of Palestine. He also participated in “The Arab Summit” project, with Iraqi-Canadian MC The Narcicyst amongst others.

As an educator and speaker, Omar co-authored the “Brooklyn Beats 2 Beirut Streets” performance-lecture, and has been featured on several major news outlets, including BBC, ABC News, and Aljazeera. As an artist-activist, Omar has helped raise thousands of dollars for humanitarian relief organizations, and toured the world to promote his message. Offendum is currently working on his upcoming solo release, “Syriana-americanA”.

Being that he consistently represents 2 cultures - that of the Middle East and of the US - here is a bi-lingual song of his. We love rap in Arabic! Flows so well...check it out!

Happy Birthday Miss Angelina!

Yup - today is the birthday of our very own ¡GLOBAILE! host - Miss Angelina!

You may know her as the host of the ¡GLOBAILE! webisodes, as well our series Around the World in 6 min! But before all the ¡GLOBAILE! fun began, Miss A broke into the scene as an emcee. She got her start in the underground Hip Hop scene in New York City. Miss A was crowned winner of NYC's "Battle of the Female Rappers" and of the "Most Skilled Female Emcee", and even made a cameo on VH1's short-lived series "The White Rapper Show". But it wasn't long until Miss Angelina began her journey into the realm of World music, right in NYC - the biggest melting pot on the globe.

Inspired by the multiculturalism that surrounded her, she began producing music, rapping over samples of Caribbean, African, Latino, Arabic and Indian rhythms fused with Hip Hop, House and Electronica to make hit songs that appeal to audiences across the globe. Pretty soon, she started choosing the Afro-Latin drum circles over the Hip Hop freestyle cyphers, and knew she had to do her part to promote World music as much as possible.

And so, ¡GLOBAILE! was born.

The show started out as a live event. Each party would feature a live performance from Miss A, as well as a drum circle, a capoeira roda, World music DJs and special guest performances including flamenco, belly dancing, salsa, reggae, and more...While the events were a huge success, Miss Angelina knew that she wanted to reach a global audience, and so ¡GLOBAILE! became a web show, so people around the world could have access to the global entertainment. She enlisted her friend and collaborator, Tony Touch, to take over the DJ duties, and together they filmed 8 feature length episodes for the web, as well as 2 nationwide TV appearances.

Now that ¡GLOBAILE! is up and running with a truly worldwide audience on the Internet, Miss Angelina is returning to her roots as an emcee and artist. She's working on a new EP that will be released on iTunes later this year. She's been working on the project with friend and collaborator Boddhi Satva over in Belgium, and now she's putting the finishing touches on the album here in Miami. You can expect more Hip Hop/House/Global fusion from Miss A on this one...pure fire!

In honor of her birthday, here's a throwback. It's Miss Angelina's first music video shot in Washington Heights NYC, and at her home, the Jersey Shore. Check out her shaved head (years before Amber Rose came along)!!!

Magic System - Feel Good Flavor from the Ivory Coast

From Abidjan, the former capital of the Ivory Coast, this dynamic quartet of singers has in infectious sound that has made them popular from Africa to the Caribbean to Europe.

Magic System specializes in the Zouglou dance style. Zouglou evolved from the university students, written in local languages and French street slang,and has parallels with the evolution of Rap in the States, as well as strong influences from Zouk, a music style from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Magic System is credited with pioneering and popularizing the Zouglou sound in Africa and abroad, especially in France, Belgium, and Switzerland.

They have been featured in the charts throughout Africa (selling over 1.5 million CDs), the West Indies, and in France, where the band became one of the most popular modern African artists. In fact, their song Cherie Coco featuring the popluar French emcee Soprano, is currently #3 on the Urban Charts for Trace TV - a music channel in France similar to MTV.

Here is a music video for their song Zouglou Dance, showcasing their modern, more electronic take on African music...

Buraka Som Sistema - Portugal Gets Hype!

Buraka Som Sistema bring the HEAT! With a super hype fusion of electronic and African beats, these Portugese party animals will have you dancing, jumping and shaking right along with them.

Buraka Som Sistema was founded in 2006 by João Barbosa, Rui Pité, Andro Carvalho, and Kalaf Ângelo. Barbosa and Pité were producers from the Cool Train Crew collective, where Kalaf was a frequent vocal collaborator. They were interested in creating a kuduro project. Kuduro is a dance genre from Angola, born in the 1980s when local DJs started mixing African percussion samples with simple calypso and soca rhythms. The fellas met Carvalho, a hip-hop producer from Angola and member of the hip-hop band Conjunto Ngonguenha while he was in Portugal, and Buraka Som Sistema was born. Buraka is an area in Lisbon, and Sistem refers to a sound system.

Their first release, From Buraka to the World, included the single "Yah!", featuring vocals from Angolan hip-hop MC Petty. It was followed by another Petty track, "Wawaba", and a re-release of From Buraka to the World, which was expanded to a full album.

After touring in several European countries, including playing at the Glastonbury Festival and Roskilde Festival, the three producers released the single Sound of Kuduro in 2007, which features rapping by M.I.A., DJ Znobia, Saborosa and Puto Prata. The track was a precursor to their second album, Black Diamond, which was released in 2008 by Sony BMG. The release was followed by a new single, Kalemba (Wegue Wegue), with vocals by Pongolove.

Their sound is dope, fusing organic sounds from different cultures with hard electronic beats that bang! Here's the video for that track, Kalemba - this chick Pongolove is a BEAST! Crank this up and jump out yo seat! Wegue Wegue!!

Femi Kuti - Africa for Africa

Femi Kuti continues to carry the torch that his father blazed for Afrobeat music.

Femi Kuti is a Nigerian musician and the eldest son of the famous Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Kuti, the subject of the popular recent Broadway play, Fela!

Femi was born in London and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. After his parents split, Femi chose to stay with his father, and joined his band. Femi achieved his own recognition when he appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in replace of his father. Fela had failed to make it onto the plane, having been arrested at Lagos airport and jailed on a trumped-up fraud charge. Femi, already a member of his father’s band, came to the rescue that night, giving a show that brought the audience at the packed Bowl to its feet.

And so, after years of playing his father, Femi started his own band, Positive Force. From there Femi has had a successful musical career in his own right. He's played internationally around the world, received 2 Grammy nominations, and collaborated with such artists as Common, Mos Def, D'Angelo, Macy Gray and Roy Hargrove.

The family's musical tradition lives on, and Femi's son plays alto sax in his band as well. And now, Femi has returned to Lagos, to the studio where he recorded with his father, to record his new album. The project, Africa for Africa, was just released with a full US tour that kicked off earlier this week. Femi captures the raw energy of Africa - the upheaval, the madness, the aggression, and above all, the deep soulfulness that arises out of such conflict.

Here is the video for Beng Beng, the song Femi sang in Johannesburg at the opening ceremony for the World Cup.

Radio Days - Italy's Charming Powerpop

Radio Days is like a new millenium redux of the melodic Beatles sound with a dash of punk and a heavy dose of Italian charisma...buonissimo!

Made up of four Italiani, Radio Days came to be in 2003 as a side project of the Retarded - a popular Italian punk rock band. They were immediately hailed as the premier Powerpop group of Italy, renowned for an energetic and entertaining live show.

They had crossover success with their release of the Midnight Cemetery Rendezvous EP with Insubordination Records of Baltimore, USA. The EP was critically acclaimed and gave Radio Days the chance to play 70 shows around Italy and Europe, playing internationally at big festivals such as Purple Weekend in Leòn, Spain, International Pop Overthrow in Liverpool, UK, Lee Rocks in Firenze and Pop Circus in Milano in Italy.

In march 2010 Radio Days hit the studio to record their second album C'est La Vie, and released the project in Italy and the US later that year, both digitally and on vinyl.

Here is the latest music video from that album...it's hard not to love these guys with their sweet melodies, charming personality, and next-level creativity. Check it out...

Collie Buddz - Happy 4/20

There are few things that bring people of all races, all nationalities, all cultures, together. Music is one. Another is marijuana. (Just sayin...it IS!) And so, in honor of 4/20, the international Ganja Holiday, we bring you our favorite MaryJane track...

Yup, it's Come Around from Collie Budz - the New Orleans born, Bermuda raised, white boy Reggae singer. That's right. Colin Harper was born in New Orleans, but moved to his mother's home of Bermuda at the age 0f 5. After growing up on the island with all its musical influences, Collie Budz the Reggae singer was born, and he defied all racial barriers with a slew of big hits. With his debut album in 2007, he became an international star, hitting the top of every chart from Japan to Germany.

And of course, the breakout hit from this album was...Come Around. Source Magazine described the phenomenal hit saying, “This 24 year old shotta has got an anthem spreading across the seas.”

Later that year, Collie Buddz was nominated for "Top International Artist of the Year", by the 4th Annual Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME), which is an "award to an artist whose solo or collaborative release(s) allowed for greater penetration of the international marketplace". (Wikipedia) That's so GLOBAILE!

And so...no matter your race, your native tongue, your age, or your nation - sit back, put one in the air, and turn this track UP!

Les Nubians - New Video, New Album!

You already know...we LOVE Les Nubians.

We've already featured them on this blog, and on the GLOBAILE Podcast. They bring an international, multilingual, positive vibe to soul music that has brought them worldwide recognition over the years.

Well, now the Afropean soul sisters are BACK with new music and a new video! Woo hoo!

The new album, Nü Revolution does not disappoint! Featuring special guests ranging from African music legend Manu Dibango (also featured on the GLOBAILE Podcast), to American soul singer Eric Roberson, to South African pop stars Freshly Ground, to Ghanian-American MC Blitz The Ambassador and Polish MC John Banzaï. Wow - so international, so multicultural, so GLOBAILE!

The first video release off the new album is for their song Veuillez Veiller Sur Vos Reves (Don't Let Your Dreams Fall Asleep). The video is shot in our old stomping grounds - Brooklyn, NY - where the duo now resides. Check out the funky, soulful style of these sisters that we just can't get enough of!

Imran Khan - Punjabi Flavor From East to West

With his smooth voice and sexy swagger, Imran Khan joins the movement of Punjabi artists fusing their Eastern roots with the Western styles of Hip Hop, R&B, and Dancehall.

Imran Khan was born in Holland to Pakistani parents, and spent his childhood between the 2 countries. With his life split between East and West, Khan became fluent in 4 languages: Punjabi, Urdu, English and Dutch. A gifted singer, Imran started his career in the music business his late teens, at the age of 19 when he signed his first deal with a record label. However, due to managerial and monetary issues, he decided to leave the label.

Khan returned from Pakistan to the Netherlands, continuously looking for the right deal. He signed with several producers and record labels, but none were the right fit, until 2007. Shahid Mazhar founded Prestige Records which released Khan's UK debut smash hit single Ni Nachleh. The single quickly reached number 1 on various UK Asian radio and television channels, and Khan knew had found the right team to work with.

In July 2009, Khan released a new album with his fellow producers Eren E and Hakan Ozan, entitled Unforgettable. This album proved to be his breakthrough project, with the smash hit singles Amplifier and Bewafa which went on to be hugely successful in Asian communities around the world. Unforgettable gained even more success at the UK Asian Music Awards and Khan won "Best Desi Act".

The singer has already started work on his second studio album, due to be released in 2012. During an interview on the BBC, the Khan confirmed that a single is going to be released with T-Pain.

Here's the video for his first hit single, a collaboration with Dancehall artist Lucky. We love the fusion of Punjabi and Jamaican styles - they flow so well together! Check it out...

Around the World in 6 min! Episode 21

Another week, another episode of Around the World in 6 min! - our web show where we bring you hot music videos from all over the globe! This week we make stops in France, Korea, Argentina, Egypt, and Kenya...LET'S GO!!

(Due to some issues with YouTube, we had to post this episode on our Facebook page. But you can watch the rest of our episodes on our YouTube Channel...)

Muthoni the Drummer Queen - Kenyan Lady Rapper

With her rapid flow, hype beats, and unique style, Muthoni the Drummer Queen is reigning supreme as the premier female emcee of Kenya.

Muthoni blends styles as diverse as salsa, kwaito, afro-rock, taarab, rap, poetry and R&B while spitting in a variety of languages including English, Kikuyu and Kiswahili. And with a name like that, she'll even wail on the drums while she's rhyming on the mic. This chick is FIERCE!

She's released 2 albums thus far, Mambo Bado and The Human Condition, with tunes that made it to the top off the charts in Kenya. Now she's in production for her 2nd album, due later this year. There's something about her style that is remniscent of Missy Elliott - that funky, futuristic, female sound...We can't get enough!

Hossam Habib - Egyptian Heartthrob

Hossam Habib lives up to his name. Habib means "beloved" in Arabic, and this Egyptian hottie is certainly a beloved national figure, with his smooth voice and smoldering eyes.

Hossam grew up in Egypt with a passion for singing and football (soccer), but never thought he could make a career of either. After his family and friends convinced him to go for singing, he started his career in 2002, with single entitled Men Yomak which was released in a compilation album.

2 years later Hossam Habib launched his first album Lessa, and shot his first music video for the title track off the album.

In 2006, Hossam released his second album, Ajmal Kesset Hob with the Melody Music Group - one of the most popular distributors of Arabic music in the world. He worked with big composers Amr Mostapha and Tamer Ali, and the album was very popular.

Here is a music video for the title track off his most recent album, Gowa El Alb, another release with Melody Music. He brings the traditional vocal styles and rhythms of Arabic music into the 21st century with his electronic beats and contemporary sounds.

Banda de Turistas - Argentina Rocks!

Psychedelic rock sang in a made up language that qualifies as some sort of surrealistic Spanish...? Yup - retro meets the future in some sort of musical time warp known as Banda de Turistas.

Hailing from Buenos Aires, the Turistas have been a huge presence in the indie rock scene for years now. They recorded heir first album Magico Corazon Radiofonico in 2008. The project was mixed by legendary producer Mario Caldato Jr., famous for working with big time artists like Beastie Boys, Ween, Beck, and Yoko Ono.

After glowing reviews from the Argentina press, including the country's version of Rolling Stone magazine, they released their second album in 2009, The Return, which was mixed and mastered in the famous Abbey Road studios in London.

They've toured extensively in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, and the USA. They're playing a lot of the major festivals too, including SXSW and LAMC, bringing their signature style of rock that manages to recall the past while still sounding futuristic and unique. This video for their song El Rogadero displays that mix perfectly - the footage seems vintage, yet with digitally advanced effects and a psychedelic style that perfectly suits the music of Banda de Turistas.

Girl's Day - KPop's Plastic Dolls

Is it cute or creepy to watch 5 Korean teenage girls romp around with plastic hair, pretending to be dolls, until tucked away in their glossy cardboard box packaging...?

Well, it's both. And it's a pretty accurate portrayal of KPop culture, for that matter.

Girl's Day is one of the latest pre-packaged girl groups to gain fame in Korea's ever emerging KPop music scene. There are definitely some major bonuses to KPop that explain its rise as a worldwide phenomenon:

1. The fashion and art direction is amazing. They take the whole Asian technicolor pop fantasy to new heights with super trendy wardrobe and highly artistic set design that is super fun to watch and gives new meaning to the term eye candy.

2. They come in numbers. KPop consists mostly of girl groups and boy bands, with anywhere from 5 to 13 (yes, 13!) members singing and dancing in unison. And they are all adorable. Who doesn't love group choreography? (thank you Michael Jackson)

3. The music is well-produced. And catchy. And fun to dance to and sing along with (very important to the karaoke-obsessed Asian peeps)

However, there are some major down sides as well...

1. It all starts to sound the same after a while. Think autotune and synthesizers to a danceable pop beat - over and over and over again - with a brief pause for a super sentimental over-the-top tween love ballad.

2. These groups are what I like to call, "test-tube artists". They are plucked at a young age and literally trained for years to sing, dance, wink, giggle, and flirt perfectly before introduced to the public and paraded around like show dogs. Everything is so manufactured that the sweetness of it all becomes a bit nauseating.

3. But the biggest downfall of KPop is the incredible stress and strain that is put on these poor little Korean girls and boys to be the perfect pop star. So much so, that there have been a number of celebrity suicides, which many attribute to be one of the reasons why Korea is reportedly the suicide capital of the world. (Kpop Live)

And so, when watching this very fashionable and pop art cute music video for Girl's Day's song Tilt My Head, which opens with this refrain - "Tilt Head. Blankly. Tilt Head. Blankly. Tilt Head. Blankly. Tilt Head. Blankly. Tilt Head. Tilt Head." (English translation) - it starts to feel a little creepy...You be the judge.

Colonel Reyel - Guadeloupe's Ragga Zouk flavor in Paris

From the islands, to the street cyphers, to the mainstream, Colonel Reyel is set to bring his dancehall sound to the masses.

Colonel Reyel is a native of the Caribbean island, Guadeloupe. But being that Guadeloupe is also one of the 27 regions of France, Colonel Reyel grew up in Paris. He began his music career with a passion for rap, and in the early 2000s, he was a vocalist with a group of emcees and DJs known as the Septentorial Crew.

In 2004, the singer's passion for rap was re-routed to include reggae-dancehall after a stay in the Caribbean. Once he was back in France, Reyel Colonel peppered his flows with a lively dancehall riddim, and quickly became known to the general public through videos of his freestyles of ragga infused rap. These videos are raw - straight street cypher energy - and the Colonel is a BEAST - check it out!

Two years later, Colonel Reyel released an album entitled Boomaz Mixtape Vol 1 with the popluar song The Employment Crisis. Following that, the Septentorial Crew released a compilation entitled Sound Storm in 2010. This album contains nearly 28 tracks mixing hip hop and dancehall, with four songs from Colonel Reyel: We Must Fight, Chanjé a Tan, Lyrikal Tsunami and Text Message.

Colonel Reyel became the breakout star from the Septemorial Crew, and during the same year, he prepared a solo project - a new album called 100% Ragga Zouk. The album was released under the label Step Out, and was supported by Krys, a famous reggae-dancehall artist originally from Guadeloupe, also known by his real name, Pedro Pirbakas.

Now Colonel Reyel is breaking more into the mainstream with some high-quality glossy tunes and this sharp new video shot back in the Caribbean. While most dancehall-reggae artists have been associated with Jamaica, Colonel Reyel is defintiely doing his party to put Guadeloupe on the map! Check out the island flavor...