by Joel Dwek | May 5, 2022 | Reviews
From traditional roots reggae to afrobeat to sweet ballads, Alpha Blondy’s peace-seeking album has it all… When we think of visionaries for peace, our minds are often drawn to figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela whose ideas fortunately got to...
by Danny Wiser | Mar 2, 2022 | Reviews
Another Luaka Bop classic, Bastos guides us through the sounds of his life and his country… Before this wild descent of exploration into music cultures from across the world begun, David Byrne was a name I was familiar with, though I lacked a strong opinion on...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 2, 2021 | Reviews
Is Trigon’s music navel-gazing nonsense or experimental genius? You decide… Joel: Look. I have to get this out of the way. I hated this album. I truly, truly despised it from beginning to end. I’ll get into why later, but first, some background. We try not...
by Danny Wiser | Jul 20, 2021 | Reviews
Los Hermanos Flores’ family unity and musical talent puts El Salvador in a well-deserved positive light… El Salvador recently hit the headlines for becoming the first country to declare bitcoin as legal tender. Though the decision is inherently risky due...
by Danny Wiser | Jan 22, 2021 | Reviews
If an album has been released by the Real World Records record label, the artist usually either has a fascinating story or an incredible talent; in the case of Maryam Mursal it seems that she has both… Somalia is a country that, when mentioned, might immediately...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 14, 2020 | Advent Calendar
NIGERIA: Betelehemu – African Children’s Choir… Based on a Yoruban folk text, Betelehemu is a syncretic hymn about the birthplace of Jesus. Christianity is followed by just under half of the African continent, and as such Christmas remains an...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 12, 2020 | Reviews, Top Picks
The work of Sinn Sisamouth reveals a fascinating lost world of Cambodian music, and the tragic circumstances that surrounded its downfall… When Danny gave me Reatrei Nov Hong Kong, Vol. 58, he became the first of the two of us to intentionally break the first...
