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!