A guitarist, a trombonist and two percussionists comprise Ghana’s Accra Quartet. Their track entitled “Batobe (They are right)” is a breakneck-paced jam that combines jazz,…
Born in Cameroon and based in the U.S., Francis Ndoumbe achieves a top-notch Afro/Latin sound throughout “Tremendo Lio,” a track that feels tailor-made for the…
Sometimes all an artist needs is the right meetup of traditional and contemporary sounds. Moroccan / French singer Lyam Akram achieves as much with “Nassibi,”…
It’s not often that you hear a harmonica solo on a Latin-flavored track, but it’s just one of several ingredients that makes “Chico Tímido” by…
Inventive U.K. artist Periscopi Invertit scores again with “La dama d’aragó.” It’s a Catalan ballad from centuries ago, with similarities to a Greek folk song…
Beppe Delre is an Italian with a lengthy musical resume, so I’m guessing that the Latin/cumbia style of his track “L’anguria” is only a sampling…
“When She Dances,” an instrumental piece by Serbian classical guitarist Aleksandar Cupara, is a lengthy yet consistently engaging display of dazzling Mediterranean-flavored fret work.
Sung in French but with a distinct Lusophone feel throughout the melody and groove, “Viens sentir le vent” by France’s Laure Trazzi is a lilting…
Afro Celt Sound System – OVA (Six Degrees Records, 2024) By the time he formed Afro Celt Sound System in 1995, multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and…
With their instrumental track “Baraúna,” a French band called Sapocaya expertly captures the point where Africa, Brazil, and jazz converge.