The World Music Charts Europe (WMCE) are an institution. Fans and professionals alike turn to the monthly list for inspiration. It represents the essence of chart listings provided by radio journalists from 25 European countries.
Its first edition in 1991 was the result of chart listings compiled in eleven countries and put together with the cooperation of the European Broadcasting Union. Since 2010, 25 countries are involved while the jury consists of 42 members. Each of the participating radio stations submits up to three chart listings per month with every jury member contributing ten frequently broadcast titles from their world music programmes. The monthly nominations amount to a number between 100-180 different albums from all over the world resulting in the WMCE’s top twenty published at the beginning of every month.
Those who can do the math have long since guessed: The WMCE are celebrating their 30th birthday this year. To mark the anniversary, a double album is released featuring the best songs of the past two years. Music from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Balkans, the Middle East, Scandinavia, Eastern and Southwestern Europe – songs placed among the first 200 of the WMCE in 2019 and 2020. And it is no wonder there are familiar names to be found: the selection ranges from Aziza Brahim to Vedan Kolod, Helene Blum & Harald Haugaard to Maria Kalaniemi, from Tamikrest to Tautumeitas. But there are also new discoveries to be made!
Photo Credits:
(1) Great Tunes from the World Music Charts Europe,
(2) World Music Charts Europe,
(3) Auļi,
(4) Tautumeitas,
(5) Trio Tekke,
(7) La Banda Morisca,
(8) Carmen Souza,
(9) Vedan Kolod,
(10) Damir Imamović,
(11) The Garifuna Collective,
(12) Besh o droM,
(14) Aziza Brahim,
(15) Spilar,
(16) Tiganá Santana,
(17) Mahsa Vahdat,
(19) Lakou Mizik,
(13) Tuulikki Bartosik,
(25) Maria Kalaniemi
(unknown/website);
(6) Lina_Raül Refree,
(18) Maria Mazzotta,
(20) Xabier Díaz,
(22) Nakany Kante
(by Womex);
(13) Tamikrest,
(21) Trad.Attack!
(by Walkin' Tom);
(24) Harald Haugaard & Helene Blum, (by Christian Moll).
