Since its inception in 1998, "The Other Stream" has been devoted to exploring and showcasing eclectic artists who strive for excellence and whose work is distinguished by a respect for both tradition and innovation.

Some sing in languages unfamiliar to most Western ears, mine included. Others don't sing at all, instead using their instruments to express emotions that words alone sometimes cannot adequately convey.

These are some of our favorite "Other Stream" albums of 2009. What are yours?

"The Other Stream" looks at music outside the mainstream that pushes borders and boundaries.

OUMOU SANGARE

"Seya"

World Network/Nonesuch

nonesuch.com

A superstar in her native Mali since 1989 and a major attraction in much of Europe, Oumou Sangare counts such varied artists as Alicia Keys, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bela Fleck, Meshell Ndegeocello and Indian percussion master Tirlok Gurtu among her collaborators and admirers. Equally gifted as a singer and songwriter, she fuses age-old West African cultural traditions with a thoroughly modern outlook that is steeped in a brand of feminism rarely witnessed in Mali before Sangare emerged.

Her lyrics, which she sings in Bambara and her own Wassoulou brand of Creole French, address serious subjects (from polygamy and female circumcision to the economic plight of Third World countries). Her splendid voice enables her to ignite at will without ever seeming to show off on "Seya" (which translates as "Joy"). More than 50 musicians are featured on this 11-song album, including Afro-pop drum pioneer Tony Allen, Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun and former James Brown band stalwarts Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis on trombone and saxophone, respectively. But it is Sangare who soars the highest, and rightly so: Her singing is out of this world.

MARIZA

"Terra"

4Q

fourquartersent.com

Mozambique-born vocal dynamo Mariza is a budding master of fado, the intensely mournful Portuguese musical style that aches with an intense sense of longing. On the gently captivating "Terra," she reaches to Cuba, Cape Verde, Brazil and points in between to enhance her already stirring blend of music from Spain and northern Africa. The highlight is "Rosa Branca," a musically upbeat song with heart-wrenching lyrics that deftly evoke Rainer Maria Rilke's classic series of rose-inspired poems.

AMADOU & MARIAM

"Welcome to Mali"

Nonesuch

nonesuch.com

Bound by their love for music and each other, this blind husband-and-wife team from Mali creates ebullient music that combines various West African styles with rock, blues, funk, dance-pop, Cuban son and more. When the couple's voices intertwine in joyous harmony, which is often, the infectious results should have even your crankiest neighbor beaming with delight.

TINARIWEN

"Imidiwan: Companions"

World Village

worldvillagemusic.com

On its second great album of the past three years (and fourth overall), this band of guitar-slinging nomads from Mali's Sahara desert region digs even deeper into its unique brand of Afro blues. As raw and primordial as they are haunting and timeless, Tinariwen's songs sound both age-old and utterly contemporary.

LHASA

"Lhasa"

Nettwerk

nettwerk.com

The third album by this Montreal-based Mexican-American troubadour is her first in six years — and her first that is sung entirely in English. While her arrangements are much more spare than on her previous two releases, the ethereal quality Lhasa evokes remains undiminished, even when she sings of lost love and her quest for meaning in an increasingly tumultuous world. Her Jan.1 death from lung cancer, at age 37, brings added poignancy to what was already a standout album.

To find out more about George Varga and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.