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Reviews

Review of Here and Now (Live at City Club)

Here and Now (Live at City Club)

Walid Ben Selim

Top of the World

NUUN Music

Rating: ★★★★

Walid Ben Selim, from Casablanca, started out as a rapper, most notably leading contemporary Arabic-language band N3rdistan, but since then...

Reviewed in issue January/2025

Review of Feja Feja

Feja Feja

Flying Bantu

Next Music

Rating: ★★★

Haling from Victoria Falls on Zimbabwe’s border with Zambia, Flying Bantu have been a fixture on southern Africa’s touring and...

Reviewed in issue January/2025

Review of Galgi

Galgi

Karantamba

Teranga Beat

Rating: ★★★

Gambian guitarist and bandleader Bai Janha’s storied career was so prolific that whole albums from his group Karantamba lingered unreleased...

Reviewed in issue January/2025

Review of Homeland (Chapter 1)

Homeland (Chapter 1)

Seckou Keita

Hudson Records

Rating: ★★★

With his latest album, it is nice to see that kora player Seckou Keita continues to push boundaries. For Homeland...

Reviewed in issue January/2025

Review of Prisoner

Prisoner

Lucky Dube

Shanachie Entertainment

Rating: ★★★★★

There have been many fine reggae artists to come out of Africa since Bob Marley played in Zimbabwe in 1980...

Reviewed in issue January/2025

Review of Kairo

Kairo

Momi Maiga

Segell Microscopi

Rating: ★★★

Kairo is a very sonically diverse and soulful record from the young Senegalese maestro, aiming to bring together ancient and...

Reviewed in issue January/2025

Review of Sababu

Sababu

Aboubakar Traoré & Balima

Zephyrus Records

Rating: ★★★★

Five years ago, the Burkina Faso-born kamelengoni master Aboubakar Traoré and his group Balima released a splendid debut album titled...

Reviewed in issue January/2025

Review of Dankoroba

Dankoroba

Djely Tapa

Disques Nuits d’Afrique / Believe

Rating: ★★★★

Dankoroba is Mali-born, Montréal-based Djely Tapa’s solid follow-up to 2021’s Barokan (reviewed in Songlines #164). Daughter of the venerable singer...

Reviewed in issue January/2025

Review of 100% Sahara Guitar

100% Sahara Guitar

Etran de l’Aïr

Top of the World

Sahel Sounds

Rating: ★★★★

Etran de l’Aïr’s job is to make people move, playing at the weddings of the working-class Touareg of Agadez, Niger....

Reviewed in issue November/2024

Review of Antologia, Vol 2

Antologia, Vol 2

África Negra

Les Disques Bongo Joe

Rating: ★★★★

Les Disques Bongo Joe and crate-digger DJ Tom B seem to be on a mission to bring wider attention to...

Reviewed in issue November/2024

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