Tyler Bennet | World Music Central

The album cover for Uusikuu – Piknik features a retro-inspired design with warm orange, yellow, and cream tones radiating from a central sunburst pattern. In the foreground, a joyful woman, likely lead singer Laura Ryhänen, lifts a checkered picnic cloth above her head.

Album reviews

A Musical Picnic With A Finnish Twist

Tyler Bennet March 26, 2025 No Comments Finnish music world music

Uusikuu – Piknik (Nordic Notes / CPL-Musicgroup, 2025) Finnish band Uusikuu returns with Piknik, their sixth album, offering a joyful, nostalgic and charming mix of…

The album cover for Belgica by Broes features a vintage-style illustration of a sailing ship in icy waters, with a towering snow-covered mountain in the background. The color palette is a mix of muted beige, white, and blue.

Album reviews

Sailing into Sound: Broes Charts a Musical Course with “Belgica”

Broes – Belgica (Self-released, 2025) History and music have long shared an intimate relationship, with melodies often serving as vessels for memory, storytelling, and cultural…

The album cover for Egwu Mmanwu Igbo: Music of Igbo Masquerade by Okwy Osadebe and Highlife Soundmakers International is an illustration. It prominently features Okwy Osadebe in traditional Igbo attire, adorned with red and green patterned fabric, gold jewelry, and a red cap. He gestures warmly, as if inviting the listener into the music. The background is an expressive mix of warm colors—orange, yellow, and black—depicting silhouetted musicians playing instruments like the saxophone, trumpet, guitar, and drums, emphasizing the highlife and Igbo masquerade music themes. The hand-drawn typography is bold, with a mix of yellow and red hues.

Album reviews

Highlife in Disguise: Okwy Osadebe Honors Igbo Masquerade Tradition

Tyler Bennet March 10, 2025 No Comments Highlife Nigerian music Okwy Osadebe Okwy Osadebe and Highlife SoundMakers world music

Okwy Osadebe and Highlife SoundMakers – Music for Igbo Masquerade (Odogwu Entertainment / Palenque Records, 2025) Okwy Osadebe and Highlife SoundMakers’ latest album, Music for…

The album cover for Snow Flower by Tenzin Choegyal, in collaboration with Matt Corby, Rohin Jones, and Alex Henriksson, is a fusion of traditional Tibetan iconography and modern digital surrealism. It features a vividly blue-skinned, meditative figure resembling a Buddhist deity, adorned with intricate jewelry, a third eye, and a serene expression. The figure’s body is partially melting or dripping away, revealing an explosion of colorful, abstract patterns beneath, reminiscent of contemporary psychedelic art. Surrounding the figure are butterflies. The typography is bold and modern, with Tibetan script alongside English text, set against a pastel pink and blue background.

Album reviews

Tenzin Choegyal & Collaborators Explore Sound and Meditation in ‘Snow Flower’

Tyler Bennet March 9, 2025 No Comments world fusion world music

Tenzin Choegyal, Matt Corby, Rohin Jones, Alex Henriksson – Snow Flower (Rainbow Valley Records, 2025) Tenzin Choegyal, Grammy-nominated Tibetan musician and composer, joins forces with…

v cover artwork. a color photo of the artist holding a Persian lute.

Album reviews

Ahmadreza Nabizadeh Revives Persian Folk Tradition with Mar Jangeh

Tyler Bennet March 3, 2025 No Comments Ahmadreza Nabizadeh Iranian music Persian music world music

Ahmadreza Nabizadeh – Mar Jangeh (X DOT 25 Music, 2024) Ahmadreza Nabizadeh’s 2024 album, Mar Jangeh (X DOT 25 Music), is a rich homage to…

Luis Giménez Amorós - Fiesta Popular Experimental de Moros y Cristianos cover artwork. This album cover features a minimalist and elegant design. It prominently displays stylized brass instruments, such as trumpets or horns, drawn with soft lines in sepia tones. In the background, a flock of birds in flight.

Album reviews

Luis Giménez Amorós Reconstructs Tradition with Fiesta Popular Experimental de Moros y Cristianos

Tyler Bennet February 24, 2025 No Comments Luis Giménez Amorós Spanish music world music

Luis Giménez Amorós – Fiesta Popular Experimental de Moros y Cristianos (KRB, 2024) Fiesta Popular Experimental de Moros y Cristianos presents an innovative fusion of…

Ahmadreza Nabizadeh - Do Dooneh cover artwork. The artist holding an electric guitar.

Album reviews

Ahmadreza Nabizadeh Bridges Persian Folk and Pop with Do Dooneh

Tyler Bennet February 18, 2025 No Comments Ahmadreza Nabizadeh Iranian music Persian music world music

Ahmadreza Nabizadeh – Do Dooneh (X DOT 25 Music, 2022) Ahmadreza Nabizadeh’s Do Dooneh masterfully amalgams Persian folk and pop using his powerful, emotive baritone…

Russkie Uzory Ensemble of Krasny Zilim Village - Cufflinks of Siltamak: Russian Songs from Bashkortostan cover artwork. A photo of the women wearing tradiional red and white dresses.

Album reviews

Tradition Preserved: The Russkie Uzory Ensemble and Their Celebration of Bashkir Heritage

Tyler Bennet February 9, 2025 No Comments Bashkortostan Russian music Russkie Uzory Ensemble of Krasny Zilim Village world music

Russkie Uzory Ensemble of Krasny Zilim Village – Cufflinks of Siltamak: Russian Songs from Bashkortostan (Antonovka, 2025) The vocal ensemble Russkie Uzory Ensemble, also affectionately…

The cover of Gangar's debut album, "Stubb," features a painting by Norwegian artist Kenneth Lien. The artwork depicts a lone rider on horseback traversing a winding path through a dense forest, set against a backdrop of softly lit mountains under a dusky sky. The band's name, "Gangar," appears in stylized, rustic typography at the top left corner, while the album title, "Stubb," is positioned subtly at the bottom right.

Album reviews

Norwegian Folk-Metal Rockers Gangar Release International Debut, Stubb

Tyler Bennet February 5, 2025 No Comments Gangar Norwegian folk music Norwegian music world music

Gangar – Stubb (Heilo Records, 2023) Norway’s Gangar brings a fresh take on Nordic roots music. The young, five-piece ensemble digs deep into Norway’s extensive…

The album cover for Orchestrations by Guy Buttery features a minimalistic design with a muted green background. At its center is a vintage-style illustration of a bird perched on a rocky outcrop, characterized by vibrant green plumage with subtle red accents. The title and credits are displayed in elegant serif fonts, with contributors listed on the right. A small ginkgo leaf illustration adds a delicate botanical touch.

Album reviews

Guy Buttery’s “Orchestrations”: A 12-Year Project of Innovation

Tyler Bennet January 31, 2025 No Comments Guy Buttery western classical music world music

Guy Buttery — Orchestrations (Guy Buttery Music, 2025) South African guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Guy Buttery is set to release Orchestrations on February 21, 2025. This…