Album reviews | World Music Central

Mafalda Minnozzi - Riofonic cover artwork. Mafalda playing a guitar, sitting with a Rio landscape behind her.

Album reviews

Mafalda Minnozzi’s Riofonic: A Global Jazz Fusion Rooted in Brazil

Mafalda Minnozzi – Riofonic (Musica Populare Italiana MPI 2321, 2025) Riofonic is Mafalda Minnozzi’s fourth jazz album for the U.S. market, a heartfelt tribute to…

The album cover for Passage by The Tannahill Weavers features a futuristic, geometric frame in shades of black and gray, creating a tunnel-like effect. At the center, a photograph of the band members is embedded, showing them standing in front of a modern glass building, dressed in 1970s-style suits and holding instruments. The typography is bold, with "Passage" displayed in a green digital-style font and the band's name in yellow.

Album reviews

Tannahill Weavers’ Passage: A Pivotal Evolution

Ryan Emmert March 5, 2025 No Comments Celtic music Tannahill Weavers world music

Tannahill Weavers – Passage (Green Linnet, 1984) In 1984, Tannahill Weavers expanded their international reach by signing with U.S. label Green Linnet, aiming for the…

Landless - Lúireach cover artwork. The image features a vintage, sepia-toned aesthetic, framed by an orange border. The central composition depicts a delicate arrangement of botanical elements, including leaves, flowers, and ferns, appearing as though preserved or captured in a timeless, almost ethereal state.

Album reviews

Landless, the Enduring Power and Adaptability of Irish Traditional Music

Ryan Emmert March 4, 2025 No Comments Irish music Landless Lily Power Méabh Meir Ruth Clinton Sinéad Lynch world music

Landless – Lúireach (Glitterbeat Records, 2024) Landless is a grand Irish quartet that features Lily Power, Méabh Meir, Ruth Clinton, and Sinéad Lynch. This lovely…

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…

The album cover for Namaste Bombay – A Musical Tribute to Hindi Cinema has a retro-inspired design with a deep magenta and gold color scheme. The title is prominently displayed in bold, distressed lettering, with "Namaste Bombay" in large pink and white text. Below, the tagline "A Musical Tribute to Hindi Cinema" reinforces the theme. The cover features multiple images: a musician recording vocals, a hand adjusting a mixing console, and a smiling producer in a studio. It lists contributing artists such as Priti Kaur, Mangal Singh, Bali Brahmbhatt, Rekha, and Abira. The album is produced by Kuljit Bhamra, whose name appears in a contrasting blue font.

Album reviews

Namaste Bombay: A Filmi Love Letter to Hindi Cinema’s Golden Sound

Madison Quinn March 2, 2025 No Comments Bollywood world music

Various Artists — Namaste Bombay — A Musical Tribute to Hindi Cinema (ARC, 2024) There is something about the sound of a sitar plucking its…

The album cover for The Road Home From Skye: Scottish & Irish Tunes by Stephanie Claussen features a landscape photograph of a Highland valley. A winding river cuts through the green and brown terrain, leading the eye toward towering mountains partially shrouded in mist.

Album reviews

The Road Home from Skye Through Celtic Harp Music

Ryan Emmert February 28, 2025 No Comments Celtic music harp Stephanie Claussen world music

Stephanie Claussen – The Road Home from Skye (self-release, 2019) The Road Home from Skye is a collection of traditional Scottish and Irish tunes arranged…

The album cover for Gryphon Live: A Sonic Tonic blends medieval and psychedelic aesthetics with a live concert photo at its center. The frame is adorned with intricate illustrations of mythical gryphons, flutes, guitars, and violins. The live performance setting, bathed in atmospheric blue and purple lighting, showcases the band in full instrumental interplay.

Album reviews

Gryphon’s Live Alchemy – A Brew of Past and Present

Angel Romero February 27, 2025 No Comments English Folk music folk-rock Gryphon progressive folk progressive rock

Gryphon – Tonic for the Senses (Talking Elephant Records, 2024) Gryphon Live – A Sonic Tonic is the progressive folk band’s first live release, primarily…

Album reviews

Peter Somuah’s Highlife Bridges Ghanaian Tradition and Jazz Innovation

Angel Romero February 25, 2025 No Comments Ghanaian music Highlife Peter Somuah world fusion world music

Peter Somuah – Highlife (ACT Music, 2024) Peter Somuah’s 2024 album Highlife is a masterful mix of Ghanaian highlife traditions and contemporary jazz. At the…

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…

Djam!- Djam! cover artwork. A photo of the two guitarists.

Album reviews

Djam!, A Global Guitar Safari

Madison Quinn February 23, 2025 No Comments African music Djam!electric guitar Malian music world fusion world music

Djam!- Djam! (Guitar Globetrotter Recordings, 2024) Djam! is a high energy collaboration between two exceptional guitarists: Joep Pelt and Bounaly Traoré. Joep, who honed his…