by Joel Dwek | Jan 20, 2022 | Reviews
On this solo record, the Eritrean vocalist Faytinga proudly sings the songs of her people… We try to be as positive as possible on this site. I think, on some level, this is a by-product of having started this project in the first wave of the Coronavirus...
by Danny Wiser | Jan 10, 2022 | Reviews
Dance or cry to this beautiful album, Majurugenta reminds us of Mozambique’s challenging past and shows off the work of a phenomenal saxophonist… It is fair to say that my music taste has evolved a great deal over the course of the last two years. Yet,...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 9, 2021 | Reviews
Mozambican traditional sounds meet the modern world in Deltino Guerreiro’s vibrant and wonderfully ambitious debut album… Usually, the albums I pick as ‘albums of the week’ are ones that I find myself compulsively relistening to over and over...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 21, 2021 | Reviews
Soul and funk with a world music flavour, the debut album by KG Omulo impresses musically but falls short lyrically… Soul is one of those genres that seems quintessentially American. Much like how reggae could only have come from the particular political and...
by Joel Dwek | Aug 21, 2021 | Reviews
Kick back, relax, and maybe even dance along to some disco funk from a time in Somalia’s history where briefly musical creativity was allowed to flourish… Occasionally the history of a band intertwines with the history of a country or the world, and other...
by Danny Wiser | Aug 20, 2021 | Reviews
Party rhythms and good times in store on an album with a much faster tempo than its makers’ homeland’s giant tortoises As a big reggae and dancehall fan, it was fair to say that I was a little bit dubious when I received the recommendation from the...
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 | May 27, 2021 | Reviews
One of Ethiopia’s biggest stars, Mahmoud Ahmed takes us on a journey through the uniquely Ethiopian genre of tizita… Some musicians seem destined for their careers. Though it is not true, as luck and circumstance play a huge role in determining who makes...
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 30, 2021 | Reviews
Taking afro-soul to a new level, Faith Mussa’s idiosyncratic style and innovative form allows this album to surprise as well as entertain… Known as Malawi’s one-man electronic band, Faith Mussa’s style of mixing traditional African rhythms and beats with...
by Joel Dwek | Apr 16, 2021 | Reviews
The first Djiboutian album recorded for international release, Groupe RTD announce a fascinating music culture onto the global scene… Located in East Africa in between Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia, Djibouti’s coastal location on the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb has...
by Danny Wiser | Apr 13, 2021 | Reviews
The wonderful music on this sega album by Cassiya serves to remind us of the perils of slavery, but allows us to celebrate the resilience of human nature… Mauritius, to many outsiders, might simply seem to be just a paradise for tourists. Famed for its...
by Danny Wiser | Apr 12, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
Oryema tackles the difficult theme of being exiled from one’s homeland using the emotions from his personal hardship to guide him through this powerful masterpiece… When one ponders the term ‘exile’, it often evokes images of deposed leaders, such as...
by Danny Wiser | Mar 6, 2021 | Reviews
Comoros’ cross-continental culture is embodied by Maalesh’s debut album… ‘Africa’s moon islands’, AKA the Comoros, has this affectionate nickname as it was named after the Arabic word ‘qamar’ meaning moon. Though there are of course other African...
by Danny Wiser | Feb 18, 2021 | Reviews
A hidden gem that demonstrates the beauty of cross-cultural collaboration… Hukwe Zawose, folk musician or fusion pioneer? That is the question posed by this underappreciated collaboration he made with celebrated Canadian producer and guitarist Michael Brook....
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 Joel Dwek | Dec 22, 2020 | Reviews
Sahra Halgan and her bandmates succeed in creating enjoyable songs, as well as shining a light on her homeland… Hailing from the unrecognised state of Somaliland, formed in the brutal civil war that Somaliland and its neighbour Somalia endure to this day, Sahra...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 4, 2020 | Advent Calendar
ETHIOPIA: The Savior Of The World Is Born Today – Orthodox Tewahedo Church… Christianity is often thought of as being brought over to Africa by imperialist Western powers who colonised nations across the continent. This fallacy is put into check by the...
by Danny Wiser | Sep 13, 2020 | Reviews
A great introduction to the soukous genre, as well as a window into a bleak period of Tanzanian history where The Doctor’s cutting lyrics were a glimmer of hope in trying to remedy the nation’s afflictions… Throughout this journey, Joel and I have discovered...
by Danny Wiser | Aug 19, 2020 | Reviews
Euphonious Burundian Khadja Nin brews up a perfect blend of afrobeat, pop, and new wave with a scrumptious sprinkle of jazz on top… As far as I am concerned, Stevie Wonder is the closest thing we have to a musical deity, and therefore I get very protective of...
by Danny Wiser | Aug 15, 2020 | Reviews
African rockers Murfy’s fLaw show they’re more than just an average group with a funny band name… The word ‘Makosa’ is Kiswahili for “the evil that men do”, which to me seems rather ironic given the fact that Makosa, as an album, tells me much more...
