The November ranking of the Transglobal World Music Chart (TWMC) brings a fresh batch of global music releases to New Model Radio. Taking the absolute #1 spot this time is the legendary Istanbul-based collective BaBa ZuLa with their striking album “XXX”.
Psychedelia Versus Activism
The Turkish psychedelic institution BaBa ZuLa has been active on the music scene for three decades, and instead of comfortably repeating proven formulas, they constantly push the boundaries of their expression. Their new release “XXX”—clocking in at precisely 30 minutes and 30 seconds—is an uncompromising and hypnotic statement of artistic freedom. The collective around Murat Ertel and Levent Akman artfully weaves together Anatolian traditions, sharp electric saz, analog electronics, and ritualistic trances on the recording.
However, the album is not only a musical statement, but also a deeply civic one. While previous records mapped various aspects of Turkey, this time the collective focuses on nature conservation and Mother Earth. The band stands on the side of local communities and defenders against environmental destruction, which is reflected in tracks like “The Sacred Olive Tree Halay Dance” or the song “Right Does Not Run Out, Power Does”, featuring Hatice Kocalar, a 75-year-old villager from Türkiye’s Aegean region whose protest symbolizes grassroots resistance.
BaBa ZuLa once again prove that music can connect psychedelic imagination with current social reality. With their tireless energy, humor, and authenticity, they confirm their position as unique “sound warriors” who, even after thirty years, have lost none of their radical charm.
Ranking of the Most Successful Albums, November 2026:
- BaBa ZuLa · XXX · Glitterbeat [5]
- Stella Papalamprou · Protanixin · Stella Papalamprou [1]
- Minyo Crusaders · From Japan with Love · Blue Note [2]
- Mahsa Vahdat & Marjan Vahdat – Heart’s Endless Garden: Woven Verses – Valley Entertainment / Kirkelig Kulturverksted [-]
- Meryem Koufi & Mehdi Haddab · Nuba Nova 2 · Buda Musique [23]
- King Ayisoba · Pure Confusion · Mais Um [-]
- Orquesta Akokán · América! · Daptone [3]
- Dur-Dur Band · Volume 3 (1988) & Volume 4 (1989) · Analog Africa [10]
- Alune Wade · Family Affair · Crescendo Sunu Production [9]
- Leenalchi · Sugungga · Luaka Bop [-]
- Kay Slice · I Take U Highlife · Agogo [4]
- Belamba · Vahoka · homerecords.be [-]
- Seffarine · Abaraz · Seffarine Music [25]
- Officina Zoè · Mari e Marenne · Linfa [15]
- Fatoumata Diawara · Massa · Nø Førmat! [7]
- JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra · M.T.T. (Money Talk Talk or Mad Tyrant T.) · Soul Garden [17]
- Sheila Chandra · Echo · Real World [-]
- Lamia Yared · Zalzalian Crossings · Seyir Muzik [21]
- Omar Sosa Quarteto Americanos · We Are Not the Headliner · Otá [11]
- Baka Beyond · Sing the World Awake · March Hare Music [-]
- V.A. · Nigeria 80 · Strut [18]
- Orchestra Mambo International · ¡Apúntalo! · Loft Recordings [6]
- Zerzura · Zerzura · Airfono [-]
- Mexican Institute of Sound & Meridian Brothers · Ruido Tovar · Ansonia [8]
- Söndörgő · In Residence at Müpa · GroundUP Music [-]
- Siân Pottok · Animal · Underdog [-]
- Mulato Bantú · Canto Cimarrón · Palenque [31]
- Ibrahim Maalouf · Trumpets of Michel-Ange, Vol. 2 · Mister Ibé [13]
- Beyrouth-Express · Meanwhile / Fi Hin Anna · VDE-Gallo [19]
- Allan Carvalho e Parceiros · 111 · Strank ‘n’ Chedd [39]
- Constantinople, Kiya Tabassian, A Filetta · Clair-obscur · Constantinople [-]
- Elkhan Mansurov · Bayati-Isfahan Dastgah · Felmay [30]
- La Cantiga de la Serena · Sta Strada · RadiciMusic [-]
- Hilal Kaya · Sümbül · CPL-Music / CPL-Musicgroup [16]
- Mehrnavaa · The Song of the Phoenix · Zephyrus [-]
- Lourenço Rebetez · Língua Geral · Risco / Jazzybelle / Think! [-]
- Seu Jorge · The Other Side · Amor in Sound [20]
- Triolog · Triolog · C-O-L-O-U-R-S [-]
- CCCC · CCCC · Quarter Moon [-]
- El Flecha Negra · Mucho Picante Caliente · El Flecha Negra [-]
NMR (photo: press BaBa ZuLa)
Founder members and administrators Transglobal World Music Chart:
Ángel Romero (US), Araceli Tzigane (ES), Juan Antonio Vázquez (ES)
Current active members:
Enrique Blanc (MX), Tiago Lucas Garcia (BR), Zekeriya S. Şen (TR), Benjamín Muñiz (PR), Daryana Antipova (RU), Mika Kauhanen (FI), Luisa Piñeros (CO), Toni Pennacchia (US), Chen Hanzi (CN), Takuya “Salam” Unagami (JP), Janaína Ávila (BR), Ankur Malhotra (IN), Alexis Herrería (MX), Ula Nowak (PL), Banning Eyre (US), Magda Tejchma (PL), Tatiana Naryshkina (RU), Andrii Polianskyi (UA), Michael Rossi (UK), Nicky Blumenfeld [NickyB] (ZA), Ben Wheeler (GE/US), Darek Mazzone (PL/US), Junf Ga (MX), Piercarlo Poggio (IT), Nataliya Averina (Myazina) (RU), Labesse Patrick (FR), Seth Jordan (AU), Tony Hillier (AU), Charlie Crooijmans (NL), Nigel Wood (IE), Dore Stein (US), Roger Holdsworth (AU), Madan Rao (IN), Gil Medovoy (US), Chris Heim (US), Ciro De Rosa (IT), Scott Stevens (US), Hendrick T S Foh (MY), Cliff Furnald (US), Rob Weisberg (US), Toni Polo (FR/ES), Nicolás Falcoff (AR), Masakazu Kitanaka (JP), Jordi Demésenllà (ES), Rafael Mieses (DO/US), Luís Rei (PT), Jean Trouillet (DE), Evangeline Kim (US), Alejandro López (ES), Jon Kertzer (US), Ken Stowar (CA), Jiří Moravčík (CZ), Mu Qian (CN), Gil Rouvio (IL), Bouna Ndiaye (SN/US), Kutay Derin Kuğay (TR), Robert Gregor (SK), Yatrika ShahRais (IR/US), Armen Manukyan (AM), Rolf Beydemüller (DE), François Bensignor (FR), Eleni Ziliaskopoulou (GR), Marija Vitas (RS), Jaïr Tchong (BE)
More at: https://www.transglobalwmc.com/
