CARIBBEAN, The

Turn on the radio and there's a good chance that you'll find sounds of the Caribbean permeating the airwaves. From reggaeton and dancehall to soca and salsa, its influence is everywhere. Caribbean music is steeped in African aditions, incorporates European and Latin American sounds, and satisfies virtually any listening palate. With the pop charts currently reflecting love for these genres' growing appeal, Putumayo World Music's new collection, The Caribbean, delves into the roots of the music, its present and its future.

Some of the key artists and tracks on the CD are, The Skatalites, who helped pioneer and popularize ska around the world, contribution to the album, "Freedom Song" shows influences of American jazz, swing, and rhythm and blues. Stanley Beckford, an underground legend, grew up singing in his church choir and winning talent competitions. Now in his 60s, he has experienced a career revival after recording two critically acclaimed albums for French major labels. Breakout star Mika mixes the compass music of his native Haiti with influences of calypso, R&B, reggae and pop to create a gentle breezy groove.

Militant is quickly joining Sean Paul and other Caribbean stars with crossover appeal. This new artist struts his stuff on the track "Hot & Groovy." Using a sample from Putumayo recording artist Habib Koite's song "Saramaya", Militant creates a quintessential soca party song that erupted as an enormous hit in the Caribbean. The Caribbean party flavor of newcomers Jab Jab will also have audiences dancing. Based in Montreal, the band is a unique discovery by Putumayo's Jacob Edgar when he received a three-track demo. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this album will be donated to Wyclef Jean's Yéle Haiti charity in support of their development efforts in the Haiti.