Mood:  not sure

So, let's have a test post on reviewing MP3 singles, shall we?  I envision it something like this: I provide the Amazon link to the mp3 song, and let you know how I feel about it.  I probably won't promote many songs that I don't like, or that drive me nuts by keeping me awake nights.  But let's pick out a few at random.  Click on either the images or text links to check them out on their Amazon pages.  They're totally free to sample!  Really!  :)

"Kana" is one of my favorite songs written and performed by Cecile Kayirebwa, the very first Rwandan singer I ever heard of, at least 20 years ago.  Kayirebwa fled her native country during its heartbreaking period of civil war; yet the clear, natural, highly fluid vocal phrasing indigenous to her culture shines through, enhanced by the amazing harmony/choral singing, in which the Rwandan pygmy (Twa) culture leads the way.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1948-1997) is my all-time favorite singer in any genre; and "Jewleh Lal" (The Red Falcon, a reference to Sufi Saint Lal Shabazz Qalander) is one of my favorite songs that he and his qawwali party (ensemble) recorded.  It's one of his longer songs (nearly 20 minutes!); but give yourself time to listen to the entire song; you'll find it a very rewarding, emotionally satisfying experience.  It's a sure-fire temporary relief (at least) from depression, including the seasonal variety; any spirited, high-powered qawwali song by Nusrat and Party will wake up your brain and lift your spirits quickly, on a physiological as well as emotional level.  Not to be missed!

 "Rocky Road to Dublin" is a longtime favorite song of mine--especially as performed by the late, great Irish duo of Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy; and especially in a live concert performance. This was my first lp by Makem and Clancy, after being entranced by their live performance in the spring of 1979. I'd been a huge fan of their "parent group", the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, for several years before that; but that concert was the first I'd seen of any of those guys, and it was a life-changing experience. Admittedly, I'm biased; but I can hardly find the slightest flaw in this recording, and don't hesitate to recommend it for the ecstatic Celtic spirit flowing from every high-energy second of sound.  I do, however, recommend getting the vinyl version of it which includes their unforgettable performance of Gordon Bok's story-song, "Peter Kagan and the Wind."  I've never been able to understand why this classic was excluded from the CD format...