World Journey

Latin Grammy winner Aymée Nuviola is back with a heartfelt tribute to the music and culture of her island. The singer just released an album and documentary titled A Journey Through Cuban Music (Top Stop Music) and talked to CHICA about this fascinating project. "When I meet with Cuban musicians, I reconnect with my roots," says Nuviola, who lives in Miami with her husband, and traveled to Cuba various times during the making of this production. "That's my origin, where I went to school and became known as an artist," she adds of her homeland.

This CD is a journey through the old American songbook of folk, Appalachian, Shaker and fiddle tunes. Imagine going into the backwoods of rural America where life is more laid back, and you get the flavor of this CD. Flutist Sir James Galway is joined by folk singer Molly Mason and Bluegrass fiddler Jay Ungar, who are accompanied by mandolinist Peter Ostroushko and bassist Steve Rust, with percussionist Michael Merenda lending his talents to a rousing fiddle tune. Most of these songs are meticulously arranged and crafted by Galway and Unger, which makes for a wonderful toe-tapping experience.