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Carolyn Wonderland - Truth Is cover artwork. A photo of Carolyn playing guitar.

Album reviews

Wonderland: The Truth Hits Hard

Carolyn Wonderland – Truth Is (Alligator Records, 2025) Carolyn Wonderland cements her place in modern blues music with Truth Is, her latest album on Alligator…

The album cover for Trésor Magnétique by Francis Bebey features a psychedelic illustration of the artist. Set against a blue background with radiating red lines, Bebey is depicted in warm orange and red tones, holding a finger to his lips. The bold, white title text arcs above his head.

Album reviews

Pull of the Past: Francis Bebey’s ‘Trésor Magnétique’ Unearths a Visionary’s Vault

Angel Romero May 19, 2025 No Comments Cameroon Cameroonian music Francis Bebey world fusion world music

Francis Bebey – Trésor Magnétique (Africa Seven ASVN076, 2025) Trésor Magnétique presents a carefully curated collection of rare and previously unreleased material from the archives…

The album cover for A Ccu Apparteni by Roberta Gulisano features a contemplative woman in a red dress standing indoors, gazing out a sunlit window. The warm-toned photo is bordered like a vintage snapshot, with delicate handwriting in red for the artist’s name and album title on a textured, parchment-like background.

Album reviews

Roberta Gulisano’s A Ccu Apparteni Reclaims the Music of the Uprooted

Madison Quinn May 18, 2025 No Comments Italian music Italy world music

Roberta Gulisano – A ccu apparteni (Mhodí Music Company, 2024) At first listen, A Ccu Apparteni by Roberta Gulisano feels like a dispatch from a…

The album cover for Swar Lahari by Avra Banerjee features a serene landscape of a river winding through lush, mountainous terrain under a vibrant sky. Two intricate, mandala-style designs float in the sky. The title appears in elegant red script at the top left, while the artist’s name is written in white cursive at the bottom left.

Album reviews

Avra Banerjee Weaves Time, Tradition, and World Fusion in Swar Lahari

Angel Romero May 17, 2025 No Comments Avra Banerjee Indian classical music sarod world fusion world music

Avra Banerjee – Swar Lahari (self-release, 2025) By seamlessly bridging centuries-old Indian classical forms with inventive rhythmic structures and modern instrumentation, Avra Banerjee’s Swar Lahari…

Alex “Apolo” Ayala & The Bámbula Project – Afro-Puerto Rican Jazz cover artwork. a photo of the artist standing next to his acoustic bass.

Album reviews

Alex “Apolo” Ayala Expands Afro-Puerto Rican Jazz Frontiers

Iliana Cabrera May 16, 2025 No Comments Alex “Apolo” Ayala world jazz world music

Alex “Apolo” Ayala & The Bámbula Project – Afro-Puerto Rican Jazz (PMC Records / Miel Music, 2025) Afro-Puerto Rican Jazz is the second album by…

The album cover for Salsa de la Bahia Vol. 3: Renegade Queens features a colorful, hand-painted cityscape of San Francisco and Oakland, connected by the Bay Bridge. The buildings are labeled with names of iconic music venues like Black Hawk, El Matador, and Jazz Workshop. Silhouettes of musicians playing congas and horns bring the scene to life, while vibrant signage highlights the local salsa and Latin jazz legacy. Below the illustration, a list of featured artists appears in pastel colors.

Album reviews

Renegade Queens Highlights the Women of San Francisco Bay Area Latin Jazz Scene

Madison Quinn May 14, 2025 No Comments Bobi Céspedes Carolyn Brandy Cocomama Grupo Falso Baiano Jackie Ryan Kat Parra Kristen Strom La Doña Latin jazz Maria Marquez Mary Fettig Montclair Women’s Big Band Sandy Cressman The Blazing Redheads Wayne Wallace world fusion world music Xiomara Torres

Various Artists – Salsa de la Bahia Vol. 3: Renegade Queens (Patois Records, 2025) Spearheaded by trombonist-arranger Wayne Wallace and filmmaker Rita Hargrave, Salsa de…

Duan Yaocai - Fu's Mother Died. Dabenqu Blues from the Bai in Yunnan cover artwork. A photo of the artist playing flute.

Album reviews

Duan Yaocai and the Enduring Spirit of the Bai Dabenqu Blues

Tyler Bennet May 13, 2025 No Comments China Chinese music Duan Yaocai world music

Duan Yaocai – Fu’s Mother Died. Dabenqu Blues from the Bai in Yunnan (Pan Records, 2022) The “Anthology of Music in China #12: Duan Yaocai…

The album cover for The Vessel by Jaime Ospina & The Hubbub Makers features a glowing, fragmented vessel shape made of colorful mosaic shards, set against a dark, cosmic background with swirling, nebula-like textures.

Album reviews

Jaime Ospina Channels Colombian and Afro-Rooted Tradition and Innovation on The Vessel

Angel Romero May 12, 2025 No Comments Colombian music Jaime Ospina world fusion world music

Jaime Ospina – The Vessel (self-release, 2025) Jaime Ospina, best known as a founding member of Austin’s acclaimed Latin fusion band Superfónicos, steps into the…

The album cover for Jawaya Jathum by Fancy Fingers and Winyo features the two artists standing side by side on a sunlit beach, ankle-deep in water. Dressed in flowing outfits—yellow for Fancy Fingers and gray for Winyo—they each hold a guitar, green and natural wood respectively, against a bright blue sky with soft clouds. The title appears in bold, shimmering letters overhead.

Album reviews

Fancy Fingers & Winyo Weave Luo Roots into Global Grooves

Madison Quinn May 11, 2025 No Comments Fancy Fingers Kenyan music Luo music Winyo world fusion world music

Fancy Fingers and Winyo – Jawaya Jathum (Delicious Tunes, 2025) Jawaya Jathum (“The Guitarist and The Music Lover”) is a 13-track Luo-language album that penetrates…

The album cover for Ganja Man by Linval Thompson features a close-up of the reggae artist smoking a joint, wearing a multicolored knit tam hat. The background blends earthy tones with distressed textures and layered typography, including phrases like “Roots & Culture” and “Foundation.”

Album reviews

Irie Times Are Here To Stay

Tom Orr May 10, 2025 No Comments Irie Ites Linval Thompson Reggae world music

Lest anyone be concerned that the re-emergence of roots reggae music hasn’t sufficiently overtaken the previous dominance of dancehall, recent releases from France’s Irie Ites…