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Reviews

Review of True North

True North

Calum Stewart & Heikki Bourgault | Calum Stewart

Calum Stewart

Rating: ★★★

True North brings together uilleann piper and flautist Calum Stewart with Sylvain Quéré on bouzouki and Yann Le Bozec on...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Review of Bucolica

Bucolica

Hiram Salsano

Hiram Salsano

Rating: ★★★★

Hiram Salsano’s debut album firmly establishes her as a remarkable artist, wielding a commanding and expressive voice rooted in Campania’s...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Review of La Giusta Distanza

La Giusta Distanza

Riccardo Tesi & Banditaliana | Riccardo Tesi

Visage Music

Rating: ★★★★

La Giusta Distanza grew out of the confinement of the pandemic when Tuscan organetto (diatonic accordion) maestro Tesi composed most...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Review of Stubb

Stubb

Gangar

Heilo Records

Rating: ★★★★

“This is Norwegian folk music… WITH AC/DC CHORDS!” Gangar’s Hardanger fiddle player Mattias Thedens bellowed out in a tiny hotel...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Review of Maelström

Maelström

Azmari

Sdban Records

Rating: ★★★

Named for Ethiopia’s travelling musical storytellers, Belgian five-piece Azmari mix global jazz with elements of funk and dub to conjure...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Review of Vainaan Perua: Satavuotinen Sakka

Vainaan Perua: Satavuotinen Sakka

Emilia Lajunen

Nordic Notes

Rating: ★★★★

There’s a fascinating premise behind this new release from Finnish folk violinist Emilia Lajunen, the title of which translates as...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Review of Ultrabelleza

Ultrabelleza

María José Llergo

Sony Music Spain

Rating: ★★★

This first full-length album by Spanish singer-songwriter María José Llergo offers further proof of her versatile reimagining of traditional flamenco,...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Review of Solen Var Bättre Där

Solen Var Bättre Där

Ævestaden

Supertraditional

Rating: ★★★★

When I reviewed Ævestaden’s 2021 debut album Ingen Mere Gråter in Songlines #176 (April 2022), I described their music as...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Review of iViV

iViV

Oriane Lacaille

Music MDC/[PIAS]

Rating: ★★★★

When you listen closely to Oriane Lacaille’s music, you inveitably think of Leyla McCalla. The Creole quality of Lacaille’s songs...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Review of Collage

Collage

Erlend Apneseth Trio with Maja S K Ratkje

Hubro

Rating: ★★★★

The list of musical genres that Norwegian band Erlend Apneseth Trio tap into for their new album, Collage, could be...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

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