Reviews

Jungle Fever

GABO – Glasgow African Balafon Orchestra

Chief Chebe – aka Suleman Chebe – has tirelessly promoted African culture in the UK over the years in a...

Reviewed in issue January/2021

Ala Maintso – Green World: Songs from Madagascar

Modeste Hugues & Kilema

The instrument known as the marovany is a Malagasy zither – a hollow, wooden, rectangular-shaped box with 12 metal strings...

Reviewed in issue January/2021

Barokan

Djely Tapa

Singer Djely Tapa is the daughter of the great Malian diva Kandia Kouyaté, aka La Grande Vedette Malienne, arguably one...

Reviewed in issue January/2021

The Rough Guide to Urban Mali

VARIOUS ARTISTS

This is the music you hear all around the Malian capital, Bamako: in shops, in taxis, in trendy bars, in...

Reviewed in issue December/2020

Akalaka/The Power

Victor Chukwu/Uncle Victor Chuks

This release marks the reissue of two LPs from the comparatively little-known Nigerian highlife musician Victor Chukwu. They originate from...

Reviewed in issue December/2020

Eyes Rest Their Feet

Thaba

This playful and alluring release from Thaba draws on a diverse array of influences: from the South African popular dance...

Reviewed in issue December/2020

UPRIZE!

SPAZA

This soundtrack to the documentary film UPRIZE!, about the 1976 Soweto uprising, is the second release from the South African...

Reviewed in issue December/2020

Optimisme

Songhoy Blues

‘Badala’, the opening track on Songhoy Blues’ third album, is rather alarming – which of course was the band’s intention....

Reviewed in issue December/2020

Volume 3

QWANQWA

If you’ve been paying attention to modern Ethiopian trad music over the past five-odd years, you will have come across...

Reviewed in issue December/2020

Simnadé + 4

Pascal Diatta

When this recording was first released as an LP on the Rogue Records label in 1989 it heralded the exciting...

Reviewed in issue December/2020