If you have traveled to Europe and experienced the European music scene, you might want to listen again to the sweet, melodic rhythms that you so much enjoyed in the clubs and hot entertainment venues of Europe. Putumayo World Music has been a leader in compiling CDs that celebrate the rich and varied music of the world’s cultures. Here are just a few of the Putamayo CDs that we think will make you feel like you are back in Europe – if only for an hour or two.

España – a wonderful  collection of songs by contemporary artists from across Spain that showcase the country’s diverse yet accessible music styles. The modern music of Spain is a  blend of old and new, reflecting tradition, diverse regional cultures and international influences. This collection features music from  flamenco, to Barcelona’s mestizo (mixed) movement, which incorporates fusions of pop, rock, jazz, reggae, rumba,  flamenco and more.

Italia – features contemporary Italian artists who are part of the newly-popular singer-songwriter scene. These contemporary artists draw from the 50′s  where musicians combined American jazz  with the ballads and folk music of Italy to create carefree, romantic songs. Italia features well-known singer-songwriters Giorgio Conte and Gianmaria Testa, Simone Lo Porto, Alessandro Pitoni, and many more.

Paris – highlights artists from the Nouvelle Scene (New Scene), and features modern takes on classic French chanson. A new school of musicians has given a fresh voice to this vintage sound that is all the rage in Paris. Thomas Ferson, Carla Bruni, Pascal Parisot, Coralie Clémenta and many others are highlighted.

The music of Greece and Turkey are also featured as well as more from Italy, Spain and France.  Putamaya supports many relief organizations and a portion of the proceeds from some of their CDs is donated to support those organizations.