Kailash Kher

Cumbancha took a gamble on Garifuna music and made Andy Palacio an international star just before his untimely death in 2008. Now they look to a different quantity -- Indian pop music -- to see if it can cross over to globally minded Western audiences. They may get their wish. Yatra features a mix of originals and re-recorded hits, but these pleasant songs aren't what stand out -- it's Kher's unerring skill with his marvelously responsive voice, which never stays with one note if there's a microtone he can travel to. It's a remarkable instrument to which any song plays second fiddle.