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Reviews

Review of Shadow and Light

Shadow and Light

John Doyle

Compass Records

Rating: ★★★★

There’s something pleasingly old-fashioned about John Doyle’s second solo outing. Arriving six years after Wayward Son saw him step out...

Reviewed by Michael Quinn in issue: Jan/Feb/2012

Review of King of Kwassa Kwassa: The Best of Kanda Bongo Man

King of Kwassa Kwassa: The Best of Kanda Bongo Man

Kanda Bongo Man

Nascente

Rating: ★★★★

Kanda Bongo Man is one of the most successful exponents of the soukous style of music – the exuberant ‘bubblegum’...

Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: Jan/Feb/2012

Review of Meçhul: Singles & Rarities

Meçhul: Singles & Rarities

Erkin Koray

Sublime Frequencies

Rating: ★★★★

Comparisons with Fats Domino or Elvis Presley don’t really do justice to the impact of Erkin Koray on Turkish music....

Reviewed by Francesco Martinelli in issue: Jan/Feb/2012

Review of Gabru Panjab Dha

Gabru Panjab Dha

JK

VIP Records

Rating: ★★★★

There is more JK than meet the eye. At first glance, the blinged-up boy who graces the cover of this...

Reviewed by Nathaniel Handy in issue: Jan/Feb/2012

Review of Tales from the Weeping Willow: Songs of Murder, Death and Sorrow

Tales from the Weeping Willow: Songs of Murder, Death and Sorrow

Naomi Bedford

Dusty Willow

Rating: ★★★★

Traditional folk songs – they’ve got a body count to put gangsta rap to shame. Naomi Bedford has had a...

Reviewed by Tim Camming in issue: Jan/Feb/2012

Review of Fly Bird, Fly

Fly Bird, Fly

Muzsikas

Nascente

Rating: ★★★★

Muzsikás are Hungary’s premier folk band and, for nearly 40 years, the leading international ambassadors of traditional Hungarian music. They...

Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: Jan/Feb/2012

Review of Urban Bratsch

Urban Bratsch

Bratsch

World Village

Rating: ★★★

One of the earliest French non-Gypsy groups to espouse Gypsy music, mainly of Eastern European origin, Bratsch have 40 years...

Reviewed by Philip Sweeney in issue: Jan/Feb/2012

Review of Arka’k Su

Arka’k Su

Kurash Sultan

Caprice Records

Rating: ★★★

Here’s another beautiful produc¬tion from the Caprice label and the Centre for Swedish Folk Music and Jazz Research. Kurash Sultan...

Reviewed by Rachel Harris in issue: Jan/Feb/2012

Review of Fin Da Laand Ageen

Fin Da Laand Ageen

Kevin Henderson

Kevin Henderson

Rating: ★★★★

The title is a Shetland expression meaning ‘to arrive back home’ and the 13 beautifully per¬formed tunes heard here are...

Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: Jan/Feb/2012

Review of Ilo Veyou

Ilo Veyou

Camille

EMI France

Rating: ★★★★

Le Fil was a quirky yet sophisticated collection of finely wrought songs. Its follow-up, Music Hole, tended to push the...

Reviewed by Howard Male in issue: Jan/Feb/2012

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