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!