World Hits [Compilation]

Putumayo's "World Hits" is a fun,nostalgic exploration of world music artists who've had crossover appeal in popular music,long before the Colombian Shakira and the Portuguese Nelly Furtado. It's a perfect party album,and the high number of African and reggae-flavored songs keep it moving. It is surprisingly good,when it could've been campy with the Macarena and Lou Bega's "A little bit of Monica."

The opening Peter Tosh/Mick Jagger duet shows that even a Rolling Stone can sing reggae. Toure Kunda's "E'mma" is an African/reggae song that invites further exploration into the now out-of-print "Toure Kunda Collection." It's as if Bob Marley stopped by in Senegal. Youssou N'Dour&Neneh Cherry's "7 Seconds" is trance-y adult contemporary. (The Peter Gabriel/Youssou N'Dour duet "In your eyes" is a surprising omission) Kaoma's joyous "Lambada" makes the cheesy "Lambada" and "Forbidden Dance" movies both forgiven&forgotten. It's what happens when bad movies happen to a good song. Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa" dates back to the '70s,yet it sounds like a rap song that would be charting today with T.Pain&Lil' Mama. Santana's "Oye como va" is from the Latin rocker's glory days,before he got into tepid duet albums thanks to Clive Davis. Both "Oye como va" and the Gipsy Kings' "Bamboleo" were played A LOT at parties when I went to college,so these songs have sentimental value. Johnny Clegg&Savuka's "Scatterlings of Africa" is fun South African township music-it invites exploration of Putumayo's now out-of-print "Johnny Clegg and Juluka Collection" (Clegg led Juluka before he started the more pop-ified Savuka)

There are some interesting omissions, considering they get radioplay. Peter Gabriel&Youssou N'Dour's "In your eyes" is absent,as is Sting&Cheb Mami's "Desert Rose." There isn't any reggae by Bob Marley&UB40 (whose "Red Red Wine" and "Fools Rush In" get overplayed) There aren't the late Israeli diva Ofra Haza's songs from the "Prince of Egypt" and "Colors" soundtracks (her "Im Nin Alu" was sampled in the rap song "Paid in full") However,the compilation does quite well without these...after all,UB40 is watered-down reggae&"In your eyes" is the only Peter Gabriel song that gets radioplay.

"World Hits" is a fun compilation,perfect for parties. Not only is it fun,but part of the proceeds goes to a worthy cause-World Learning,a charity that has promoted global citizenship for the past 75 years. The music is great,and its cause is great as well!

I loved 7 Seconds and the song sung by Mick Jagger and Peter Tosh. I just opened last night and am pretty intruiged by it. This CD is great to listen to in the car.

I suppose this CD is good for someone new to Putumayo, but I must have misread the specs, because I thought the tunes were newly collected from popular worldwide music. The songs are all old classics and so disappointed me. I wanted to hear something new.

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