
The banjo is the instrument du jour (having replaced the once-trendy tabla). Banjos are on new albums by Rufus Wainwright and the Thrills, and they’re all over the latest from Nelly Furtado, who has recruited Bela Fleck, the Kronos Quartet and Brazilian legend Caetano Veloso for accompaniment. From the dreamy “Island of Wonder” to the spirited Portuguese rap of “Fresh Off the Boat” and the infectious soccer anthem “Força,” it’s an wondrous experiment as Furtado taps into her immigrant roots for inspiring new sounds.