01 Ben Aylon

Xalam

(Riverboat Records)

What stands out is how seamlessly Aylon has absorbed the essence of different West African styles – from Mande griot music to Senegalese mbalax via desert blues – and distilled them into a unique and highly compelling montage... Nigel Williamson

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02 La Chicana

Hikikomori

(Acqua Records)

Acho Estol and Dolores Solá have spent 25 years revivifying tango and other Argentinian and international musical genres with wit, verve and intelligence. The album opens with a carnivalesque waltz, ‘La Previa’, segues into a pared-down electro-milonga number, ‘Ladrillo Quiroga’, after which comes ‘Malísimo’, which splices together a blaxploitation funk vibe with pop chorus... Chris Moss

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03 Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino

Meridiana

(Ponderosa Music)

Produced by Mauro Durante and Justin Adams (also playing electric guitar on two numbers), with Giacomo Greco integrating natural and solid electronics, the record displays a warm and stringy sound, as on the opener ‘Balla Nina’, a dancing hymn to life brought about by harsh singing over frame drums, synth-bass, fiddle and organetto, or on the entrancing pizzica-driven ‘Orfeo’, a varied texture of poignant voice and orchestration... Ciro De Rosa

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04 Lakou Mizik & Joseph Ray

Leave the Bones

(Anjunadeep)

Ray fell for Lakou back in 2015, noting the parallels between their hazy mix of relentless percussion, voodoo ritual chants and visceral rara dance tunes and his club-floor trance. His vision cinematic, his mind expanded, he set about helming a collaboration that melds time signatures to drum patterns... Jane Cornwell

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05 Kasai Allstars

Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound

(Crammed Discs)

The songs are varied, and sophisticated, and range from the rhythmic, easy-going ‘Like a Dry Leaf on a Tree’ to tracks that suddenly switch direction or build in intensity... Robin Denselow

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06 Arsen Petrosyan

Hokin Janapar

(ARC Music)

In his hands the duduk, akin to the oboe but with a deeper and richer tone, shows itself as capable of performing compositions by revered court musicians, instrumental versions of modern troubadours, and dance tunes... Kim Burton

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07 Yat-Kha

We Will Never Die

(The Lollipoppe Shoppe)

This is Tuva’s one and only Albert Kuvezin’s first Yat-Kha studio album since 2010’s excellent Poets and Lighthouses. Right from the get go on ‘Kongurgai’, a Tuvan traditional song arranged by Kuvezin, you are confronted with his unique voice... Michael Ormiston

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08 Arooj Aftab

Vulture Prince

(New Amsterdam Records)

Pakistani-American singer and composer Arooj Aftab weaves the Hindustani vocal tradition into exquisite arrangements that are mournful but moreish, creating an enchanting record expressed in a striking minimalist-folk style... Liam Izod

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09 Sinikka Langeland

Wolf Rune

(ECM)

This is a must-have release, with Langeland casting an exquisite spell over every track, including inviting us to a traditional Finnskog dance and unfolding a ballad of terror and beauty in the title-track... Fiona Talkington

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10 Mike Block & Sandeep Das

Where the Soul Never Dies

(Bright Shiny Things)

This an album that shows how two fine musicians can create an extraordinary variety of sounds, moods and styles from just twin Indian hand drums and a cello... Robin Denselow

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