Ojos De Brujo return with a fine collection of all that’s exciting from their base in Barcelona and beyond. ‘Techari’ (‘free’ in Romany) bursts forth with 14 songs that take in their Flamenco and Celtic roots and nourish them with Buleria Funk, Reggae, Tango, Bhangra and Hip Hop. Adding global spice are special guests Faada Freddy from Daara J, Asian Dub Foundation's Prithpal Rajput, Nitin Sawhney, Cuban pianist Roberto Carcassés, respected flamenco guitarist Pepe Habichuela and Cuban tres and flamenco guitarist Raúl Rodríguez. Since their ‘Bari’ album was released in March ‘04 Spanish collective Ojos De Brujo have toured the world picking up fans, shifting CDs - 15,000 on import in the UK alone - and winning awards along the way, including the BBC Radio World Music Artist of the Year 2003. Their spectacular show at Glastonbury 2004 was featured in the TV broadcast and they also appeared on Later with Jools Holland.Both the CD and Book version will have a bonus CD Rom including videos, photos and lyrics translation in 15 different languages. The CD version comes in a special Digipack including a high quality 32 page booklet. The book version will have a hardcover as well as 60 pages including art from 14 different artists around the world.

The Barcelona-based nuevo-roots outfit is back with a third entertaining, anarchistic yet wildly danceable amalgam. The rousing guitar of Ramón Giménez and sinuous, Moorish-tinged vocals of Marina "la Canillas" Abad are wreathed in handclaps and percussion, plus scathing brass charts, remarkably creative scratching, beats and other electronic embellishments. There are also flurries of quotes from a far-flung array of traditions outside their own, such as reggae and rap, but the band's antic inclusiveness never derails their individuality or adulterates the heritages of their collaborators. After all, their hometown is one of Europe's great musical hotbeds, in which flamenco, rumba Catalana and other local styles are often fused with whatever is at hand or just arrived. Guest stars this time out include Faada Freddy from the Senegalese hip-hop collective Daara J, Indian fusioneers Prithpal Rajput and Nitin Sawhney, and Cuban pianist Roberto Carcàsses. From nearer home, Flamenco guitar legend Pepe Habichuela and Spanish singing star Martirio sit in, along with tres and guitar master Raúl Rodrígues of Son de la Frontera, another band with fervent global leanings, this time toward Cuba. The lush packaging includes a CD-ROM containing videos, lyric translations, works by fourteen illustrators and other extras. --Christina Roden