Reviews

Lettres Ouverts Aux…

Lounès Matoub

This is the 25th anniversary of both Lounès Matoub's assassination and the original release of this, his final album, and...

Reviewed in issue October/2023

Five Seasons

Eje Eje

Best known for his work with the Turkish psych-influenced Şatellites, Itamar Klüger is a multi-instrumentalist with a key role in...

Reviewed in issue October/2023

The Colours of Rubab

Gulab Afridi

This is a stunning showcase of the Pakistani rubab (lute). It is played here by Gulab Afridi, a celebrated folk...

Reviewed in issue August/September/2023

Aykathani Malakon

SANAM

Beirut-based sextet, SANAM, were formed in 2022 in response to an invitation to perform with Hans Joachim Irmler, formerly of...

Reviewed in issue August/September/2023

Divan & Divine

Zeyn’el

Zeyn’el is a singer-songwriter who is well-known in the Turkish rock scene as a sound engineer, and some of that...

Reviewed in issue August/September/2023

Middle Eastern Grooves

VARIOUS ARTISTS | Various Artists

There's been a vibrant music scene developing in Tel Aviv in recent years, and DJ Kobayashi has been closely monitoring...

Reviewed in issue August/September/2023

Royal

Boom Pam

13 years after first releasing their last full-length, Boom Pam are back. The title track opens things up with acoustic...

Reviewed in issue August/September/2023

IMA

Noga Ritter

Some impressive names join London-based singer Noga Ritter on a debut solo album which blends Hebrew and English vocals, jazz...

Reviewed in issue July/2023

Morîk

Danûk

This is a fascinating debut album from a group of exiled Middle Eastern musicians, mostly Kurdish, who are now based...

Reviewed in issue July/2023

Wa Maret El Ayam /Hakam Aleena El Hawa

Oum Kalthoum

The cultural legacy Oum Kalthoum holds in Egypt and the wider Arab world is impossible to overstate. Beloved by heads...

Reviewed in issue July/2023