Reviews
Reprise on 2nd Avenue
Having made a name for himself in the hip-hop trio Johnny Cradle, this latest release shows Qü venturing forward as...
Reviewed in issue December/2024
Dead of Night
The renowned master of Moroccan Gnawa music, Mahmoud Guinia, died in 2015; this album by his son Houssam serves as...
Reviewed in issue December/2024
Chidzorogodo
With an infectiously relaxed lyrical approach carried along by pulsing, laid-back rhythms and a vocal style that owes a debt...
Reviewed in issue December/2024
reEncanto
Andrade’s last record, Manga (2019), was a deep dive into the contemporary African pop music scene. reEncanto, a live acoustic...
Reviewed in issue December/2024
Fisherman
If you were a music fan in Nairobi back in the 70s, you would almost certainly have spent time at...
Reviewed in issue December/2024
Kampire Presents: A Dancefloor in Ndola
Scene-leading club DJ Kampire prides herself on connecting the dots between contemporary and old-school African club music, spotlighting female artists...
Reviewed in issue December/2024
A Dream in Essaouira
Gnawa music is booming in popularity, and not before time. Created by sub-Saharan musicians living in the Maghreb, many of...
Reviewed in issue October/2024
Qwanqwa Live
For three studio albums, Addis Ababa-based Qwanqwa have explored the range of Ethiopian traditional music, performing pieces from many of...
Reviewed in issue October/2024
Synthetic Hearts Part II
Last year I gave Synthetic Hearts by Asanda Lusaseni Mvana (aka Msaki) and Tubatsi Mpho Moloi, four stars – and...
Reviewed in issue October/2024
1990: The Hidden Years Recording
When Madala Kunene signed to Robert Trunz’ MELT/B&W operation in 1995, the label released an album by Kunene titled King...
Reviewed in issue October/2024
