Breathe Easy: Mercan Dede and "Breath"

Today's random song is by Mercan Dede. Dede is a Turkish musician living in France who draws inspiration from Sufi music. Dede is also known as DJ Arkin Allen, and is a composer, player of the ney (a Turkish flute) and the bendir (a hand drum). He fuses traditional Turkish acoustic music and other eastern musics with electronic sounds, horns, dance beats and his Sufi spirituality. Breath is the title song from his 2007 CD of the same name.

Barbilla Up: The Souljazz Orchestra and "Courage"

Today's song, Courage, is by Ottawa-based band The Souljazz Orchestra. Their music is a fusion of soul, jazz, funk, afrobeat and Latin styles. They came to worldwide attention when their 2006 song Mista President was voted into the top 10 of BBC DJ Gilles Peterson's worldwide radio program. They have shared bills with Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and Femi Kuti, bringing them more attention. They have released seven albums. Courage can be found on their newest 2015 release, Resistance.

Last One Left, Turn Out the Lights: Jambinai and "Time of Extinction"

An amazing riot of noise makes up our random tune for today. The song, called Time of Extinction, is delivered by Jambinai, a South Korean indie band that blends traditional music and instrumentation with hard rock. In their music, you will hear South Korean instruments such as the haegeum, piri and geomungo provide a meditative sound, but incorporated into electronic post rock and building into what Womex describes as "metallic sheets of postapocalyptic angst." While South Korea's indie music scene isn't as well known as K-pop, Jambinai is helping put it on the world map. You can find Time of Extinction on Jambinai's 2012 award winning album Différance.

Untarnished: Jaka and "Golden Halo"

From Santa Fe, New Mexico comes our random tune for today. Jaka is an afro-pop funk dance band begun by Dan Pauli in the mid 1990s. They play ancient songs and modern compositions using a mix of contemporary and traditional instruments, such as mbira and marimba. The band has a fluid lineup around five core musicians, and also offers marimba and drumming classes at their Santa Fe studio. This song, Golden Halo, is from their 2014 album Glow.

Longing for Return: Forro in the Dark featuring David Byrne with "Asa Branca"

David Byrne lends his voice to Forro in the Dark's song Asa Branca for our random tune today. A band from New York City made up of Brazilian expatriates, Forro in the Dark was formed in 2002 after a birthday celebration jam session at a New York nightclub. They were such a hit they became a weekly fixture and thus came to the attention of David Byrne (former lead singer of the Talking Heads), who collaborated with them on their first album. In their highly infectious music, they combine elements of the Brazilian dance music known as forró with rock, folk, jazz and country. You can find "Asa Branca" on their 2006 debut album Bonfires of São João.

Grave Secrets: The Chieftains and Mick Jagger with "Long Black Veil"

The Chieftains bring us today's random tune, with a little help from The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger. The Chieftains are an Irish ensemble, formed in 1962 in Dublin, who helped introduced the wider world to Irish music. They made a new and unique sound for themselves by playing their music primarily around the distinctive sound of uileann pipes. Besides releasing several critically acclaimed albums, they are just as well known for their collaborations with such artists as Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sinead O'Connor and Roger Daltry. Mick Jagger, of course, is a singer, songwriter and actor and the lead singer for The Rolling Stones. You can find this song, Long Black Veil, on The Chieftains 1995 album of the same name. The song, written in 1959 by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin, relates a saga where a man is falsely accused of murder and will be convicted because he refuses to provide an alibi - on the night in question he was having an affair with his best friend's wife and will go to the grave rather than betray her.

Blues from Different Continents: Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder with "Lasidan"

The random song for today brings together two legends from very different places, but who have a common musical heritage nonetheless. Lasidan is by the great Malian guitarist and singer Ali Farka Touré and the American musician, songwriter, composer and producer Ry Cooder. Ali Farka Touré was a Malian singer, multi-instrumentalist and one of the most renowned African musicians. His music fits right into the intersection of traditional Malian music and North American blues. Known as the "African John Lee Hooker," he sang in several African languages. In 2004, he became mayor of a small town and spent his own money on improving infrastructure. He died in 2006 of bone cancer. Ry Cooder is an American producer and guitarist known for his slide guitar and his interest in roots music. He has collaborated with many musicians both from the US and abroad, and his albums have covered many different genres, including folk, blues, Tex-Mex, soul, gospel and rock among others. He also produced the worldwide hit album Buena Vista Social Club. Lasidan can be found on their Grammy-award winning collaboration Talking Timbuktu (1994).