Wednesday, May 12, 2021
10 Best New Albums – June 2021 (Toumani Diabaté, Afrika Mamas, Héctor Valentín, Katerina Papadopoulou)
Outstanding new releases from Penya, Afrika Mamas, Toumani Diabaté, Brian Finnegan, Héctor Valentín and more. Tracks from all of these albums are included on the free cover-CD with the June 2021 issue of Songlines
01 Penya
Penya
(Liminal Recordings)
Their heady vibe, with its slow building beats and hands-in-the-air euphoria, has visceral appeal. Electronic dancescapes are lent authenticity by traditional folkloric rhythms and practitioners – here, including guests – well versed in applying them... Jane Cornwell
Read the review in the Songlines Reviews Database
02 Afrika Mamas
Ilanga: The Sun
(ARC Music)
Nomvula Dlamini's powerfully matriarchal lead vocals beautifully thread through the album, complemented by soothing choral responses that evoke the feeling of sitting around a shared campfire. The ten lively songs here cover a remarkable variety of themes, ranging from celebratory to macabre... Franki Clemens
Read the review in the Songlines Reviews Database
03 Toumani Diabaté and the London Symphony Orchestra
Kôrôlén
(World Circuit/BMG)
The material all comes from Toumani's repertoire and his kora rightly takes pole position. Yet it's the empathetic ensemble playing and the opportunity to hear the kora in a different setting that makes this recording so special... Nigel Williamson
Read the review in the Songlines Reviews Database
04 Brian Finnegan
Hunger of the Skin
(Singing Tree Music)
Recorded in his own home and via remote collaborations with 24 others, it's a belting collection of nine confinement-denying instrumentals (three of which feature spoken poetry) charged with a driving thirst and fierce hunger for connection and communication... Michael Quinn
Read the review in the Songlines Reviews Database
05 Héctor Valentín
Me Quité
(Tumi Music)
A gem for Cuban music lovers: a new album from seasoned singer Héctor Valentín, lead vocalist for some of the mightiest Cuban ensembles of the late 20th century Orquesta Revé and Adalberto Álvarez y su Son among them... Jane Cornwell
Read the review in the Songlines Reviews Database
06 Samba Touré
Binga
(Glitterbeat Records)
On his new release he has stripped his band right down to the bare bones, omitting bass guitar, sokou (traditional fiddle) and tama (talking drum). This leaves just his stinging desert blues guitar backed by ngoni and the thump and clicks of a calabash... Martin Sinnock
Read the review in the Songlines Reviews Database
07 Katerina Papadopoulou & Anastatica
Anástasis: A Journey Through Old Greek Music
(Saphrane Records)
This album is something to be treasured, rarely do we get the chance to hear such a wide range of traditional songs and dances so beautifully performed... Maria Lord
Read the review in the Songlines Reviews Database
08 Moira Smiley & VOCO
In Our Voices
(Moira Smiley)
Sing out, people. Raise your voices. Raise them in harmony with others. Sing out in the spirit of dissent and in support of justice for all. That's the message sonorously articulated by Moira Smiley and VOCO, her five-person choral combat squad on In Our Voices... Doug DeLoach
Read the review in the Songlines Reviews Database
09 Erlend Apneseth Trio
Lokk
(Hubro Music)
There are recognisable Asian grooves, the athleticism of Norway's own dances, and something that urges us to explore our own space and instincts. The palette of acoustic instruments and electronics is stunning... Fiona Talkington
Read the review in the Songlines Reviews Database
10 Wu Man & Kojiro Umezaki
Flow
(In a Circle Records)
Flow is a collaborative work between Wu Man – generally considered the world's greatest player of the Chinese pipa – and her Silkroad Ensemble colleague Kojiro Umezaki, a virtuoso of the Japanese shakuhachi... Charlie Cawood
Read the review in the Songlines Reviews Database
