Reviews

Flor di Bila

Neuza

Cape Verdean musicians tend to go down one of two paths: one of interpretation, set on preserving musical forms from...

Reviewed in issue March/2014

Soutak

Aziza Brahim

Aziza Brahim was born in the refugee camps of Algeria, an exile from her homeland in what the Saharawis call...

Reviewed in issue March/2014

Round 2

Black Bazar

From the first notes this sounds like Nobel Prize material, if the committee ever decided that making people dance deserved...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014

Mzansi

Wouter Kellerman

For his latest release, South African flautist Wouter Kellerman offers up a blend of music from around the world –...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014

Orchestre National de Mauritanie

Orchestre National de Maurianie

For a national orchestra, this combo had previously had a remarkably small discography: one 7” single to show for an...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014

800% Ndagga

Mark Ernestus presents Jeri-Jeri

These two releases have come out with little fanfare, which belies what is a unique musical pairing. Berlin’s Mark Ernestus...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014

Nha Vida

Ceuzany

If you can get past the cover, which resembles a Stock, Aitken & Waterman 12” from the late 80s, this...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014

K Frimpong (Blue & Black)

K Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas

Ever since K Frimpong’s music first started reappearing on compilations a decade or so ago, original copies of his LPs...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014

Tin Hinane

Kel Assouf

There’s a sharp comment in the liner notes of this debut album to the effect that the band Kel Asouf...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014

Trance Percussion Masters of South Sudan

Wayo

This hypnotic set comes from a village on the outskirts of Juba, the river port on the banks of the...

Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014