Some of FolkWorld's regular contributors name here their personal five CD favourites of the year 2003, so that regular readers can find out about the recommendations of their favourite reviewers and writers.

Find out about the favourite five CDs of:

Anja Beinroth - Colin Jones - Tom Keller - Karsten Rube - Eelco Schilder - Axel Schuldes - Kathy Tan - Dai Woosnam
Michael Moll & Christian Moll: See Editors' Top 10

Anja Beinroth (England/Germany - FolkWorld author)
These are the five albums that I've most enjoyed listening to this year:

1. Modeste Hugues Randriamahitasoa "Modeste" - Madagascar (Space Shop Records SSCD 1, 2003)
2. Abdul Tee Jay "Palm Wine A Go Go" Sierra Leone (Far Side, 2003)
3. Dave Shepherd & Becky Price "Ashburnham" England (Beautiful Jo BEJOCD 36, 2001)
4. Yann Tiersen "L'Absente" France (Virgin France, 2001)
5. Stacey Earle "Dancin' With Them That Brung Me" USA (Gearle Records, 2000/2003)

Colin Jones (England - FolkWorld author, Runs the label Rhiannon Records. )
From what I've heard, I'd include the new:

• Paul Mounsey "City of Walls" - Scotland
• Emmylou Harris "Stumble Into Grace" - US
• Oumou Sangare "Oumou"

Tom Keller (Germany - FolkWorld author, musician)
Top 5 (in alphabetical order):

• In Extremo "Sieben" - Germany
• Lynch the Box "Summer's Gone" - Germany
• McDermott's 2 Hours "Claws and Wings" - GB
• Wolfgang Meyering "Malbrook" - Germany
• Stephan Smith "New World Worder" - US

Re-release of the Year: Michelle Shocked "Texas Campfire Takes" -US

Alex Monaghan (Ireland - reviewer and author in FolkWorld and other magazines)

1. Daimh "Pirates of Puirt" - Scotland
2. Mick O'Brien & Caoimhin O Raghallaigh "Kitty Lie Over" - Ireland
3. Lunasa "Redwood" - Ireland
4. Gordon Duncan " Thunderstruck" - Scotland
5. Djal "Extra Bal" - France
   

Karsten Rube (Germany - reviewer and author in FolkWorld)

1. Elvis Costello "North" - Ireland (clearness in words and sounds)
2. Karan Casey "Distant shore" - Ireland (Irish magic-dream-voice)
3. Capercaillie "Choice languages" - Scotland (Scotish sound-gods)
4. Faltriqueira "Faltriqueira" - Spain (Galician pandereitera-songs)
5. Maria Teresa "O mar" - Portugal (Portuguese Chansons)

Eelco Schilder (The Netherlands - FolkWorld author & reviewer, writer of NewFolkSounds mag)

1. Wimme "Barru" - Finland
2. Wolfgang Meyering "Malbrook" - Germany
3. Jarek Adamov "Songs of the Polish Medieval bards" - Poland
4. Värttinä "Iki" - Finland
5. June Tabor "Echo of hooves" -UK
   

Axel Schuldes (Germany - FolkWorld "Irish CD" columnist, co-organiser of Irish Spring Festival Tour in Germany)
Top 5 (in alphabetical order):

• Danú "The Road Less Traveled" - Ireland (Shanachie SH 78057)
• Mick O'Brien & Caoimhín ó Raghallaigh "Kitty Lie Ove" - Irelandr (ACM CD 102)
• Kate Rusby "Underneath the Stars" - England (Pure PRCD 012)
• June Tabor "An Echo of Hooves" - England (Topic TSCD 543)
• Tri Continental "Let's Play" (Tradition & Moderne T&M 024) )

Kathy Tan (Germany/Ireland/England/Singapor - FolkWorld author & reviewer)

1. Danú "The road less traveled" - Ireland
2. Solas "Another Day" - U.S.A
3. Smoky Finish- The Rock N' Reel Connection "clear this planet… immediately" - Germany
4. Michelle Shocked "Deep Natural" - U.S.A.
5. Ashley MacIsaac "Ashley MacIsaac" -Canada

Dai Woosnam (England - FolkWorld reviewer, writer of diverse folk magazines)
I am cheating slightly: my best album was not a CD at all, but the long-awaited first commercially-available video/DVD of the most charismatic Folk performer I ever had the privilege to see perform live:

1. Steve Goodman "Live At Austin City Limits…and More" (Red Pajamas Records, RPJ 500 VHS).
2. Moonrakers "Both Sides" (Independent production; tel: +44 1865 769206)
3. Dave & Julie Evardson "A Ramble on the Viking Way" (GAA 03/04)
4. Kerfuffle "Not to Scale" RootBeat Records (RBRCD 01)
5. Victoria Parks "Wild English Rose" (Wild Mane Music, WMM-40501)

To FolkWorld's best CDs 2003 - The editors' choice

To the content of FolkWorld's issue 27

The Mollis - Editors of FolkWorld; Published 02/2004

All material published in FolkWorld is © The Author via FolkWorld. Storage for private use is allowed and welcome. Reviews and extracts of up to 200 words may be freely quoted and reproduced, if source and author are acknowledged. For any other reproduction please ask the Editors for permission. Although any external links from FolkWorld are chosen with greatest care, FolkWorld and its editors do not take any responsibility for the content of the linked external websites.

FolkWorld - Home of European Music