World Routes: On the Road – review

It's to the credit of Radio 3's World Routes that the programme often forsakes its London home to forage at global folk's grass roots, with 53 countries visited so far. This two-CD collection includes a few big names such as Mali's Toumani Diabaté, but the emphasis is on local stars and homespun traditions. The all-acoustic mood becomes over-earnest at times – as if folk doesn't do bawdy or whismsy – but there are stunning performances. Cape Verde's Tito Paris yearns, Brazil's Renata Rosa plays wonky mountain fiddle and Justin Vali and Paddy Bush deliver a hypnotic Madagascan string duet.