Reviews | Songlines

Reviews

Review of Strømmen

Strømmen

Helene Blum & Harald Haugaard

Galileo

Rating: ★★★★

Helene Blum has already achieved phenomenal success in her native Denmark, including a No 1 hit as a folk singer...

Reviewed by James Roriston in issue: March/2021

Review of La Gouache

La Gouache

R.wan

Top of the World

Poupaprod

Rating: ★★★★

In 2000, Parisian band Java gave traditional bal-musette (French accordion music) a 21st-century makeover, adding the lyrics of Erwan Séguillon...

Reviewed by Lucy Hallam in issue: March/2021

Review of Simply Amjad Ali Khan Vols 1-3

Simply Amjad Ali Khan Vols 1-3

Amjad Ali Khan

Sarod Records

Rating: ★★★

These three albums are by one of India's finest classical instrumentalists playing one of the most distinguished instruments, the sarod....

Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: March/2021

Review of Hangszín

Hangszín

Mónika Lakatos and the Gipsy Voices

FolkEurópa

Rating: ★★★

The Oláh Roma of Hungary are a minority within a minority, having moved to Hungary and other areas of Central...

Reviewed by Kim Burton in issue: March/2021

Review of Mutanuka and Syasiya

Mutanuka and Syasiya

Crispin Mutanuka & Edwin Syasiya

SWP Records

Rating: ★★★

The silimba (xylophone) and kanimba (thumb piano) both appeared on the splendid four-CD box set Luangwa to Livingstone (reviewed in...

Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: March/2021

Review of Udondolo

Udondolo

Urban Village

Top of the World

Nø Førmat!

Rating: ★★★★

It is unsurprising that black South African music in recent years has lacked the game-changing potency it enjoyed when soundtracking...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: March/2021

Review of Medicine Man Orchestra

Medicine Man Orchestra

Medicine Man Orchestra

Aribo Productions

Rating: ★★★

An unlikely sonic collision, Medicine Man Orchestra brings together the divergent universes of electronic sound design (Alissa Syllah), West African...

Reviewed by Lucy Hallam in issue: March/2021

Review of Simply Whistle

Simply Whistle

Pat Walsh

Bunowen Music

Rating: ★★★★

Manchester-based tin whistle player Pat Walsh is considered one of the best in the game and this new set of...

Reviewed by Glenn Kimpton in issue: March/2021

Review of Bonfrost

Bonfrost

The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc

Top of the World

The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc

Rating: ★★★★

When they got together in 2009 The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc were something of a curiosity: three outstanding string players from...

Reviewed by Fiona Talkington in issue: March/2021

Review of Back to Soweto

Back to Soweto

Lucas Nwananga & His Band

Umsakazo Records

Rating: ★★★★

Umsakazo Records is a UK-based label making a mark with lovingly reissued vintage township jive and mbaqanga from the likes...

Reviewed by Diane Coetzer in issue: March/2021

Subscribe from only £7.50

Start your journey and discover the very best music from around the world.

Subscribe

View the Current
Issue

Take a peek inside the latest issue of Songlines magazine.

Find out more