Reviews

Trotro

DJ Katapila

When Brian Shimkovitz, owner of the Awesome Tapes from Africa label, asked Ghanaian DJ Katapila if he could re-release his...

Reviewed in issue June/2016

Punk Islands

M’Toro Chamou

For Indian Ocean music aficionados, M’Toro Chamou of Mayotte is no new kid on the block. Since 1998, we have...

Reviewed in issue June/2016

Highlife-Jazz and Afro-Soul (1963-1969)

Fela Ransome Kuti and His Koola Lobitos

No other African musician has garnered as much global interest as Fela Kuti – Nigeria's creator of Afrobeat. His appeal...

Reviewed in issue June/2016

Imarhan

Imarhan

Another offshoot from the mighty Tinariwen tree, the five-piece known as Imarhan (Tamashek for ‘The Ones I Care About’) represent...

Reviewed in issue June/2016

Ere Gobez

Debo Band

America's Debo Band revisits and transforms with uncanny authenticity the kind of classic Ethiopian music popularised by the epic Éthiopiques...

Reviewed in issue June/2016

Ala Ta

Awa Sangho

If you’ve seen Salif Keita, Oumou Sangaré or Amadou & Mariam live, you may well have seen Awa Sangho, for...

Reviewed in issue June/2016

Bes

The Dwarfs of East Agouza

Formed in 2012, the trio who make up the Dwarfs found themselves living in the same apartment building in Cairo's...

Reviewed in issue June/2016

The Rough Guide to South African Jazz

VARIOUS ARTISTS

The title might suggest another nostalgic ‘golden era’ compilation of township jive, kwela and marabi, built around the old favourites...

Reviewed in issue June/2016

Afrika Mamas

Afrika Mamas

One cannot help but be transported to the rolling hills of Zululand when listening to the Afrika Mamas’ latest, self-titled...

Reviewed in issue June/2016

Kokuma

Gambari Band

The Germany-based Membran is the new home of Christian Scholze's ground-breaking Network label, which did so much to put African...

Reviewed in issue June/2016