After trips to Vietnam and Bangkok, Makoto Kubota and Blue Asia stop over in Morocco. In June 2005 Kubota went to the Festival D'Essaouria Gnaoua. There he met musicians who would record this album in November the same year; Maghrebs from Essaouria, Berbers from Agadir and Arabic musicians from Casablanca. These include a young maalem (master musician) Youssef Gnawa and one of the founders of the festival and musician Abdeslam Alikkane who both sing and play the gemburi (3 stringed percussive long necked lute). They are joined by musicians on qarqab (large metal castanets) and rubab (bowed lute). One of Kubota's main interests in recent years has been the music of Nordeste, Recife, Brazil, and in typical Kubota fashion, he combines the sounds of Morocco and Northeast Brazil in a completely new mix. The Brazilian guests include vocalist Erasto Vasconcelos on the opening track Mil Tambores while the dub version of the song features pandeiro and other Brazilian percussion by players featured on an album by Belgium's Think of One. Elsewhere are hypnotic sounding Moroccan trance tunes with atmospheric layers of keyboards, beats and samples from Makoto and the other Blue Asians.

Makoto Kubota and Blue Asia have produced another extraordinary album, this time centering on the music of Thailand. Many of the tracks have some morlam (northeasten) roots, with the chuggish, almost reggae like rhythms. There's plenty of phin (lute) khaen (mouth organ) and both male and female morlam singing. Blue Asia add keyboards and rhythm programming, but unlike the glossy or cheesy synths that blight some Thai albums, this backing is always sophicticated, cool, original and tasteful. Elsewhere some of the tracks have a more pan-Asian feel, with echoes of past recording locations of Vietnam or Bali. There are some great female singers; the fairly pop but definitely Thai sounding Apple, Lady Nan is more of a lukthung (Thai country) singer, while Chawiwan Damhuen is one of the greatest tradiitional morlam singers.Kubota has great fun with Dub Kornkaen, morlam being ripe for a dub mix.Serves as an exceptional album in its own right but also as a good introduction to the delights of Thai roots music.

The latest project by the Japanese/Malay project is probably their best yet. Under the inspiring producer Makoto Kubota, Blue Asia went to Vietnam to record with local muisicians. They made some real discoveries, especially among the vocalists, who add new colour to well known Vietnamese tunes, and create some new mixtures, rooted in Vietnam but with the added brilliance of Kubota and co. Click Read About for the full story.

Blue Asia is the brain child of Japanese producer Makoto Kubota. He toured the world in the 1980s with his group the Sunset Gang, and the later the Sunsetz. He introduced Okinawan and Asian elements into his music, eventually becoming a full time producer, working with a variety of artists from Indonesia (Elvy Sukaesih, Detty Kurnia) to Madagascar (Njava). His co-conspiritors in Blue Asia are long time assistant Yoichi Ikeda and Malaysians Mac Chew and Jenny Chin, both Berklee graduates and top arrangers. Hotel Ibah is their first album featured around the gamelan music of Bali. As always with Kubota's projects, the is of the highest quality. Original, inspiring, a cool ambience of jegog bamboo gamelan, kecak chants, suling flutes, bells, chimes and more blended together with stylized electronic backing.

DVD with music by four Asian musicians produced and mixed by Makoto Kubota. Balinese and Sundanese gamelan expertly melded together by a master producer with some Turkish and Middle Eastern influences broadening the soundscape. More mellow than most things Kubota's done but this makes great late night listening and on headphones.The visuals are of scenes, images, festivals, and people of Bali, beatifully put together.

One of Kubota's long time dreams has been to work and record with Turkish musicians which he finally achieves here. A kind of jazzy Arabic groove, as always with Kubota, cleverly produced. Features on one track the equally clever Sabah Habas Mustapha.

Third album in Kubota's fascinating 'hotel' series, and after Bali and Turkey, this time focused on Hawaii. Featuring Yuki Yamauchi and Martin Pahinui, Kubota leaves his trademark sound and innovation as always.

Compilation of Blue Asia/Makoto Kubota's three superb 'Hotel' albums: Ibah (Bali) Istanbul (Turkey) and Waimea (Hawaii).

Accompanying CD to Blue Asia's Hotel Morocco. Compiled by Makoto Kubota, includes new recordings of some of featured artists on Hotel Morocco, such as Youssef Gnawa, other new recordings of some deeply rootsy, hypnotic gnawa and other Moroccan music many performed live and solo. 13 fantastic tracks.

Compiled by Makoto Kubota to go with the Blue Asia Hotel Bangkok CD. Eight tracks are taken from the excellent tradtional recordings of Thai music from various King Records series. These include phin (guitar) solo, traditional morlam singing with khaen accompaniment, jahke (zither) pong laang (xylophone) and pee (reed oboe). The other five tracks are superb new recordings by Makoto Kubota in Thailand of a small combo playing some sublime traditional tunes. Wonderful.

An album of Vietnamese and 'Indo-Chinese' music from the King catalogue compiled by Makoto Kubota, who recorded his 'Hotel Vietnam' for the same label. An excellent selection that takes you on a discovery of local traditions.

Tracks from the King World Music library, compiled and mastered by Makoto Kubota. Not much more than old tracks reissued into a hip package, but Kubota has chosen well with music from Burma, Timor, Madagascar, Mongolia, Greece, Nepal, Vietnam and elsewhere. Hugely enjoyable CD that is full of discoveries.

Compiled by Makoto Kubota from the King World Music catalogue of various world music. Part 2 of the equally excellent World Cafe.