Royal Drummers of Burundi – October 5
In case you’re a bit rusty on your geography, Burundi is one of those Central African countries, just south of Rwanda. Considered one of the worlds best percussion ensembles, these guys do more than just pound out a beat. Whilst websurfing, I found a short clip of one of their performances (unfortunately gone now) that definitely makes me want to go see them live.

Art Garfunkel – January 19
Although without Paul Simon now, Art’s voice is still one of the most recognizable in folk music, clear and resonant, soothing even. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was the most popular of Simon and Garfunkel’s songs, but my personal favorites are “The Boxer” and “I am a Rock”. Actually, I think I’ll spin them up my WinAmp right now.

Soweto Gospel Choir – February 16
I wasn’t sure what category “gospel” would fit in, but since it’s usually considered an African-American form of traditional music, I figured it could probably fit both ethnic and folk. Again, for the geography-impaired, Soweto is a little town in South Africa. Their gospel choir was said to sound “less like a couple of dozen people singing together and more like a pipe organ roaring to life”. Since I’m a fan of good gospel music anyway, this group is on my ‘must see’ list.

Kodo Drummers of Japan – March 11
Another drum group, but again, a group that is more than simply tempo beaters. The Kodo, or Demon Drummers, as they are also known, have been called ‘samurai percussionists’, and their rigorous training sounds as scary as their nickname. They must complete a two-year apprenticeship in some remote area in the mountains. The camp is part commune, part boot camp. The strict rules include no TV, no radio, no sex (?!), and no cigarettes or alcohol for the entire two years. And the students pay nearly ten thousand dollars a year for the privilege of working themselves to physical exhaustion. Good golly.

Peter, Paul & Mary – March 16
The longest lasting American folk group, with five Grammys, five Top 10 albums, and thirteen Top 40 hits, six of which were in the Top 10. I used to roll my eyes at the name of this group, because I thought they just screamed “only old people listen to us.” But then I listened to some of their music, and my eyes are back where they're supposed to be.