Very best in world music - recommendations?

Radio Tarifa - "Cruzando El Rio", "Temporal","Rumba Argelina"
EA! - "Oprimando"
Hossam Ramzy & Rafaa el Tachuela - "Flamenco Arabe"
Astor Piazolla - any and all

"Talking Timbuktu," Ry Cooder and Ali Farka Toure. Great music and excellent sonics. Coincidentally, I was just listening to it, when I took a break to check audiogon and caught your thread.

Dr. L. Subramanian - "Global Fusion". Unreal blend of South Indian influences on modern jazz/rock/fusion. This is very accessible, enthralling, rhythmic and beautiful music. A pretty nice CD transfer that sounds very good (but slightly digital).

"The Living Road" by Lhasa De Sela - she has the most beautiful husky, alto voice ever (cowboy junkie-ish)...sings in spanish, french and english

also checkout,

"Visal" by Abida Parveen - you'll enjoy this if you're into south-asian classical music especially classical vocals. And if you're a Nusrat Fateh fan, this is must for you...