• Gotan Project, Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre): The most crossover-friendly song on the DVD, with obvious nods to bands along the Thievery Corporation/18th Street Lounge Music label wavelength. It's a sample-driven piece of downbeat that fizzles a bit towards the end, but shows promise.
  
  
• Tukuleur, Africa: Hip-hop is global, and the duo Tukuleur shows off its Senegalese roots in the video for Africa. Sampling 80s hits also is apparently worldwide; the hook for the song is lifted directly from the Toto hit of the same name. Never underestimate the power of Puffy.
  
  
• Mary Jane Lamond, Bog a Lochain: An ethereal voice singing in Gaelic. What's not to love?
  
  
• Kotoja, Sawale: Perfectly acceptable reggae from Nigeria.
  
  

Video:

It is nearly impossible to give an across the board video grade for Travel the World with Putumayo. Different directors and different production companies in different countries around the world filmed each of the videos. The transfer of said videos is about what one could expect from a showing on digital cable.

Sound:

The sound is a pretty straightforward 2.0 stereo, with the effect no different than that of MTV or VH-1. There's been no discernable attempt to "re-master" any of the videos and no tricks or gimmicks (throwing drums on one channel and vocals on another, for instance).

Extras:

There are two live performances included for songs from Oliver Mtukudzi and Habib Koite. Neither truly captures the energy of live music and both come off as flat as a result.

Also included is a featurette on the founding and story of Putumayo, a self-congratulatory fluff piece that makes the label sound like its goal in life is to save the cultural soul of ignorant Americans.

Final Thoughts:

Travel the World with Putumayo qualifies as a "must rent." It's difficult to recommend buying it because very few people will love every single one of the 12 videos included on the disc. But it is a great starting point for someone interested in expanding his/her musical tastes. Think of Travel the World with Putumayo as a "world music" sampler plate, then seek out CDs of the artists that appeal to you.