by Joel Dwek | Feb 5, 2022 | Reviews
Crowd-pleasing electronic music with an experimental edge that makes it a cut above the average… Caribou is the stage name of Canadian electronic musician Dan Snaith, who has also recorded under the pseudonyms of Daphni and Manitoba, the latter he dropped as an...
by Danny Wiser | Aug 18, 2021 | Reviews
Icons in their own right, known primarily for their show-stopping live act, Les Maitres-Tambours du Burundi struggle to transfer their palpable stage presence to the album format… The Maitres-Tambours du Burundi (or the Master Drummers of Burundi in English,...
by Joel Dwek | Jun 7, 2021 | Reviews
A folk album with a lovely sentiment, Hüsnü Şenlendirici and Trio Chios aim to showcase the shared musical heritage of their two nations… One of the great joys of music is its ability to bring people together, despite other factors that may otherwise divide...
by Danny Wiser | May 2, 2021 | Reviews
A message of cultural unity and care for the environment – can the Madagascar All Stars get it across?… The concept of the musical supergroup is one that, in the West, is fondly held in principle but is rarely met with much critical acclaim in practice....
by Joel Dwek | Apr 12, 2021 | Reviews
Indie rock that musically harks back to grunge and classic rock, there is much to enjoy in Airport Impressions’ well-made album… Though I adore rock music more than any other genre, I have always been slightly sniffy towards the indie rock music artists of...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 20, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
State-supported coladeira music that challenges themes of injustice and colonialism across the globe… Formed in 1969 in the small island nation of Cape Verde, Os Tubarões, meaning ‘The Sharks’, went on to become Cape Verde’s most popular singing group, in no...
by Danny Wiser | Feb 7, 2021 | Reviews
Hailing from a nation where pop music production was once a dangerous act, UTN1 have proved themselves to be an excellent boy band in their own right… When writing a review of any artist whose backstory in music is one of oppression, one has to make a decision...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 16, 2020 | Advent Calendar
EGYPT: Eporro – George Sadak… Though this Coptic Christmas hymn might not sound so traditional to its Western listeners, the song is in fact a part of the festive celebrations in Egypt, where the majority of Copts live. Collaborating with Chicagoan Celtic...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 12, 2020 | Reviews
Almost two decades after initially planned, stars link-up to show off their musical talent, reminding us of the evident connection Cuba has to its African roots Arguably the best and certainly one of the most renowned world music albums comes from Cuba. In fact, Buena...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 2, 2020 | Advent Calendar
LATVIA: Circeniša Ziemassvetki – Linda Leen… Armed with a beautiful maternal voice, and sung much like a lullaby, Linda Leen’s cover of Aspazija’s (Elza Pliekšāne’s) poem tells the rather sad story of a hungry boy living in poverty whose mother tries...
by Joel Dwek | Jul 17, 2020 | Reviews
Far from being a rip-off of the soul greats, Ben L’Oncle Soul proves his worth as an authentic soul singer… Soul is a genre that I like a lot, but as an area of expertise, it’s more Danny’s area than mine. I love Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Aretha...
by Joel Dwek | Jul 9, 2020 | Reviews
Lay Phyu is one of Myanmar’s most famous rock stars – but how did he get to this position during the notoriously repressive military regime?… Until the recent process of democratic reforms, Myanmar was one of the states most isolated from the rest of...
by Joel Dwek | Jul 1, 2020 | Reviews
Jam-packed with catchy and memorable songs that fuse reggae and rap, Distant Relatives has a lot to offer both lyrically and musically… Sometimes an album can surprise you. Full disclosure here, I don’t like rap music very much, though there’s some I do like a...
