Category: Album reviews

Lala Njava Malagasy Blues Song (World Music Network, 2013) Malagasy Blues SongSong is the new release by Lala Njava, one of the most unique vocalists…

View More The Allure of Malagasy Blues Song

Tartit with Imharhan Live from the Sahara (Clermont Music, 2013) Set for release on November 12th on the Clermont Music label, two groups of the…

View More Resilient Desert Blues

Alific – Echoes From the Soul (Rootfire Records, 2013) Gaudi – In Between Times (Six Degrees Records, 2013) Combining reggae and its spacey subgenre dub…

View More Refrigerated Reggae

Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica Quartet Where Here Meets There (BMI, 2013) For those who are fans of exotica or Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica’s 2010 debut album The…

View More A Modern Upgrade to Exotica

Vishtèn Mosaïk (2012) Canadian trio Vishtèn presents a wonderful mix of traditional music from francophone Canada and the Celtic sounds of Irish and Scottish origin.…

View More The Inspiringly Detailed Musical Ideas of Modern Acadians

Various Artists One World, Many Cultures (Putumayo, 2006) This is a superb Putumayo compilation, top of our pick this month. Duets seem all the rage…

View More Notable Cross-cultural Collaborations

Khaira Arby Timbuktu Tarab (Clermont Music, 2010) Pooling a stellar group of musicians and committing herself to singing the praises and hardships of the people…

View More Timbuktu Tarab Showcases the Diversity of Malian Musical Influences

Legendary English folk-rock band Steeleye Span has recorded a new album titled Wintersmith that will be released on October 28, 2013. Steeleye Span is one…

View More English Folk Rock Pioneers Steeleye Span to Release New Album with Maddy Prior

Aziz Sahmaoui Aziz Sahmaoui & University of Gnawa (Naïve, 2011) It comes as no surprise that musicians like Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and bassist and…

View More Enfolding the Sounds of West Africa, Jazz and Rock into the Riches of Gnawa Trance Music