Reviews

Essentially Invisible to the Eye

Karen Tweed

I can't remember ever seeing Karen Tweed's [pictured right] name alone. It has always been Karen Tweed and Ian Carr...

Reviewed by Julian May in issue: June/2012

Destiny

Abdelli

Born in Algeria during the independence war, Abderrahmane Abdelli first came to wider attention with his 1995 Real World album...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: June/2012

YO

Roberto Fonseca

A visual and aural treat from Havana's proudest son, who lays himself bare on YO (that's ‘I’ in Spanish) with...

Reviewed by Jane Cornwell in issue: June/2012

Karantamba

Bai ‘Ndigal’ Janha

Tiny Gambia has always struggled to maintain a musical identity beside its mighty neighbour, Senegal. For long periods its music...

Reviewed by Mark Hudson in issue: June/2012

Bending the Dark

The Imagined Village

Here is music that illustrates how all culture begins as an idea in the human mind. The third Imagined Village...

Reviewed by Nathaniel Handy in issue: June/2012

Sleeper

Kan

It's hard not to be distracted by the fact that this band was born from two of the 21st century's...

Reviewed by Rose Skelton in issue: June/2012

State and Ancientry

Hannah James & Sam Sweeney

They've played together as a duo for a decade now. But these former Kerfuffle members keep busy: Sam Sweeney is...

Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: June/2012

Kanabory Siyama

Diabel Cissokho

When the great kora (harp-lute) player Kaouding Cissoko died in 2003, he was replaced in Baaba Maal's band by Diabel,...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: June/2012

Father Creeper

Spoek Mathambo

Singer, rapper, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist Mathambo (real name Nthato Mokgata) was born and raised in Soweto. I was about...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: June/2012

Maori New Zealand

Nga Tamariki O Tongariro

Based in the central Lake Taupo region of New Zealand's North Island, the large Nga Tamariki O Tongariro group perform...

Reviewed by Seth Jordan in issue: June/2012