Shows, Recordings Span Global Spectrum

If every month were like August, Los Angeles world music fans would have few complaints.

What’s so special about this month? Start with the release of a list of new recordings that includes some especially intriguing albums, and add a lineup of performances offering attractive programs on virtually every night of the month.

Maybe the message is finally getting out that L.A. is a multiethnic, multiracial, multinational world city, with audiences whose musical appetites range across the global spectrum.

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Disc Picks of the Month: Three standout recordings typify the varied ways in which gifted artists blend their traditional music with elements from other parts of the world.

Milton Nascimento has been a superstar for two decades, and he is always best in live performance. On “Amigo” (Warner Bros.), recorded with a large orchestra and chorus, he serves up a retrospective of many of his most memorable numbers, sung with rich passion and maturity. A must-have album for Brazilian music devotees.

Lokua Kanza, a Zairian singer-guitarist who now lives in Paris, communicates a personable warmth reminiscent of Ivan Lins and James Taylor. “Wapi Yo” (Catalyst/BMG) is an instantly appealing release, and it contains at least one song--”Shadow Dancer”--with the potential to become a crossover pop hit. His scheduled U.S. tour later this year could represent the breakthrough for a major new artist.

Samite grew up in Uganda during the Idi Amin dictatorship, but the songs he offers on “Silina Musango” (Xenophile) overflows with joy and optimism. Positioning his smooth voice over rhythms bubbling with the sounds of his kalimba (thumb piano) playing, Samite creates gentle but compelling tunes, filled with flowing rhythms and catchy melodies.

And don’t overlook: “Green Linnet Records 20th Anniversary Collection,” a superb two-CD set exploring a glorious array of Celtic music. . . . “Lyrebird” (Black Sun), an extraordinary look at the unexpected musical versatility of the rumbling drone of Australia’s didjeridu. . . . “The Music of Armenia, Vol. 3” (Celestial Harmonies), in which Gevorg Dabagian plays the double-reed, oboe-like dudek with sensual intensity.

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Sounds Around Town: South African singer Johnny Clegg is at the Universal Amphitheatre on Wednesday, sharing a bill with Nigeria’s juju master King Sunny Ade. . . . Pakistani qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan--a distinguished traditional artist best known in this country for his untraditional duet with rock singer Eddie Vedder for the soundtrack of “Dead Man Walking”--will also be at Universal, Aug. 14.

The House of Blues goes global tonight with a bill featuring the Young Dubliners and the Blue Hawaiians. . . . On Aug. 16, Burning Spear brings his powerful brand of reggae to the same venue. . . . And Celtic music enthusiasts should check out Finagle, Aug. 11, and Highland, Aug. 25, at the Raven Playhouse in North Hollywood. Information: (213) 462-6844.

LunaPark’s continuing world music agenda has two important events this month. The first is the appearance of Middle Eastern flute and percussion artist Omar Faruk Tekbilek Aug. 11, coinciding with the release of “Mystical Garden” (Celestial Harmonies), a colorful collection of his atmospheric sounds. The second is an Aug. 30 date by the virtuosic Indian drummer Trilok Gurtu. A veteran of the Don Cherry and John McLaughlin groups, Gurtu brilliantly combines the complex percussion methods of India with the swinging drive of jazz.

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Freebies: The California Plaza’s free concert schedule for August is loaded with enticing programs. Varttina, a contemporary Finnish folk group, plays Saturday at 8 p.m. . . . Huayucaltia, a band that mixes jazz, classical and Andean music, appears Aug. 14 at noon. . . . Central African singer-bandleader Tabu Ley Rochereau, whose musical roots reach back to the ‘60s, performs with a large ensemble Aug. 16 at noon. . . . Dori Caymmi, a guitar-playing member of one of Brazil’s most distinguished musical families, also appears Aug. 16, at 8 p.m. . . . The exquisite songs of Violeta Parra, one of the founders of nueva cancion, will be sung by members of Huayucaltia and Word of Mouth on Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. . . . The Spring Thunder Traditional Music Ensemble presents classic Chinese music on authentic instruments such as the pipa and zheng, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. . . . And tejano rules when Mingo Saldivar y Los Tremendos Cuartros Espadas arrive on Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. Information: (213) 687-2159.