..... The listing of CDs arranged by country and artist in the "CDs and Artists" links is not an attempt at an everything-is-here world music encyclopedia, just a lumpen mass of titles I've reviewed in my column in The Beat since 1991. (I'm Bob Tarte.)

Some listings (see BRAZIL) are woefully sparse, while others (see FINLAND) are alarmingly full. Partly it's because other writers with The Beat who actually know what they're talking about already cover this music quite well, so I don't even try. And partly it's because I mainly write about the music that I like a lot or the music that I find ridiculous (see The Awful Truth, The Beat, Volume 14, Number 1, 1995).

So, if your favorite titles are missing in the 400 or so included here, look elsewhere for your enlightenment. And even if they are here, you'd better still look elsewhere. Remember, I'm under the influence of psychiatrist-prescribed medication that alters my brain chemistry (see Medicated Goo! , The Beat, Volume 14, Number 4, 1995).
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