Reviews
Kiği
Although he now lives in the Istanbul district of Gazi Mahallesi, an area popular with Alevi Kurds, Kiği is the...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: November/2023
Metgharabiin (Outsiders)
Ramy Essam is known for his appearances on Cairo’s Tahrir Square during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, regularly in front of...
Reviewed by Neil van der Linden in issue: November/2023
Approach to Anima
Basically a trio, the self-proclaimed ‘ragtag collective’ of maya ongaku is based in the Ace General Store on their local...
Reviewed by Keith Howard in issue: November/2023
Embodied Poetry
The prolific Mehmet Polat presents another album of Turkish ud jazz with inflections of other traditions. Similar to his previous...
Reviewed by Tom Newell in issue: November/2023
Live at Café Oto
OKI is the tonkori-wielding bard famed for bringing the endangered music of the Ainu people of Hokkaido, one of Japan’s...
Reviewed by Jane Cornwell in issue: November/2023
To Those Who Came Before Us
In recent years, this prolific Egyptian/Australian oud player and composer has received well-deserved acclaim for his instrumental virtuosity, as well...
Reviewed by Charlie Cawood in issue: November/2023
MLDVA & Çınar Timur
In recent years, there’s been a surfeit of European groups dedicated to recreating the sound of 1970s Anatolian pop and...
Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: November/2023
Upopo Sanke
This posthumous release was recorded in 2003, on a farm in the Tokachi district of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of...
Reviewed by Chris Wheatley in issue: November/2023
Last Breaths from Aleppo
One of the side effects of the Syrian civil war has been its threat to the rich Sufi musical tradition...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: November/2023
En Kötü Iyi Olur
Turkish trio Lalalar are a pretty convincing example of how oppression can cause unruly bursts of refusenik artistic expression. The...
Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: November/2023
