Ananova:

Nine of the world's greatest female singers have united for an unusual world music compilation to be released next month.

Yungchen Lhamo from Tibet, Latin Susana Baca, Greek Eleftheria Arvanitaki and UK Asian Sheila Chandra all feature on Gifted - Women Of The World, which will be released by Real World on October 9.

It is also one of the first roots albums to gain commercial sponsorship by the French perfume company Cacharel.

A spokesman for Real World describes the album as "nine extraordinary singers from around the globe celebrating and exploring the themes of woman's experience from the contemporary day to day to that of the all powerful goddess."

Others included on the collection are Susheela Raman, Assitan Mama Keita, Estrella Morente and Shruti Sadolikar, while classical Brit Award nominee Izzy performs Tim Buckley's Song To The Siren, a hit in the 1980s for This Mortal Coil.