Album reviews | World Music Central

The album cover for Tel ve Ten by Ozan Baysal features a folk-inspired design with a symmetrical arrangement of four ornate, circular patterns resembling traditional Turkish motifs. Each circle contains petal-like shapes in green or blue, surrounded by intricate details in red, yellow, and white. A delicate white crane stands at the center. The background transitions between deep green and warm red hues, divided by fine golden lines that create a structured, geometric layout.

Album reviews

Ozan Baysal Recreates Şelpe in Tel ve Ten

Ozan Baysal – Tel ve Ten (ARC Music EUCD2976, 2025) Ozan Baysal’s debut album, Tel ve Ten (String and Skin), spotlights the ancient Anatolian baglama…

Album reviews

Maria João’s Abundância: A Bounty of Sound and Soul

Iliana Cabrera April 26, 2025 No Comments Maria João world fusion world jazz world music

Maria João – Abundância (Galileo Music Communication, 2025) Maria João returns with Abundância, a remarkable new album that bridges the musical traditions of Portugal and…

The album cover for Thanos Stavridis & Drom – Fygame features a smiling boy in striped clothes and a beret riding a donkey while holding a large retro radio. The title "DROM" appears prominently in bold, red and blue shadowed letters, with "Thanos Stavridis" above it in a handwritten font. The backdrop consists of stylized clouds.

Album reviews

On the Drom Again: Thanos Stavridis & Drom Explore Macedonian Roots with Fygame

JGurski April 25, 2025 No Comments Greek music Macedonian music Thanos Stavridis world music

Thanos Stavridis & Drom – fygame (self-release, 2025) Thanos Stavridis & Drom released their new album Fygame on April 1, 2025. The ensemble, formed in…

Patricio Morales - La Tierra Canta cover artwork. A photo of mountain tops with fog.

Album reviews

Patricio Morales Lets the Earth Sing on “La Tierra Canta”

Angel Romero April 24, 2025 No Comments guitar Patricio Morales South American music world music

Patricio Morales – La Tierra Canta (Northsound Records, 2025) Patricio Morales’ La Tierra Canta (the Earth Sings) presents nine reimagined, finely crafted compositions for classical…

The album cover for Ra di Spina – Vocazioni features a symbolic image: a heart-shaped metallic emblem radiating like a sacred icon sits atop a stylized, glossy torso-like form. The central figure is encased in a dark, marbled texture, resembling cracked earth or burning roots. Beaded in silver edging. Set against a pale background.

Album reviews

Calling Back the Voices: Ra di Spina’s “Vocazioni”

Madison Quinn April 23, 2025 No Comments Calabrian music Italian music Ra di Spina world music

Ra di Spina – Vocazioni (Agualoca Records, 2025) Vocazioni, the debut album by Ra di Spina (King of Thorn), is a project deeply rooted in…

Album reviews

Miramar’s “Entre Tus Flores” Revives and Reimagines Bolero

Angel Romero April 22, 2025 No Comments bolero bolerobeat Miramar world music

Miramar – Entre Tus Flores (Ansonia Records, 2025) Miramar, the Richmond-based bolero ensemble fronted by Reinaldo “Rei” Álvarez and Laura Ann Singh, returns with Entre…

The album cover for Born in the City of Tanta presents a vintage photograph of a traditional Egyptian musical gathering. Musicians in red fezzes and embroidered garments play instruments like the oud, kanun, and tambourine, flanked by seated women in ornate dresses. The setting is framed by intricate decor and green drapery, while a hookah rests in the foreground.

Album reviews

Tantalizing Sounds: Unearthing Egypt’s Lost Urban Folklore

Madison Quinn April 21, 2025 No Comments Egyptian music shaabi world fusion world music

Various Artists – Born in the City of Tanta: Lower Egyptian Urban Folklore and Bedouin Shaabi from Libya’s Bourini Records 1968-75 (Sublime Frequencies, 2025) Throughout…

The album cover for At the Feet of the Beloved by Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali features a symmetrical courtyard framed by ornate arches. The group, dressed in yellow and black traditional attire, is seated in a circle on a marble floor, centered beneath soft natural light. Behind them, a patterned wall of silhouettes and motifs adds depth.

Album reviews

Qawwali Royalty: Rizwan-Muazzam’s Latest Album Honors Tradition with a Fresh Voice

Angel Romero April 20, 2025 No Comments qawwali Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali world music

Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali – At the Feet of the Beloved (Real World Records, 2025) Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, the nephews of the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, return…

The album cover for Roi De L’Agbadja Moderne by Gnonnas Pedro & His Dadjes’ Band has a vintage, retro aesthetic, dominated by red and green colors. The central element is a sepia-toned photograph of the band performing live, with Gnonnas Pedro at the microphone, playing a guitar. Surrounding the image are geometric red and green shapes, with small white African continent icons on each side.

Album reviews

Agbadja King Reigns Again: Gnonnas Pedro’s Legacy Restored

Tyler Bennet April 19, 2025 No Comments Beninese music Gnonnas Pedro world fusion world music

Gnonnas Pedro & His Dadjes Band – Roi De L’Agbadja Moderne 1974-1983 (Analog Africa, 2025) Gnonnas Pedro, the Beninese icon who modernized Agbadja (a percussive…

Elana Sasson - In Between cover artwork.

Album reviews

Elana Sasson Elegantly Bridges Traditional Folk and Jazz on In Between

Angel Romero April 18, 2025 No Comments cello Elana Sasson Kaveh Sarvarian Manos Stratis Matthieu Saglio Miron Rafajlovic ney Santiago Bertel Victor Goldschmidt world fusion world jazz world music

Elana Sasson – In Between (PKMusik, 2025) With her beautifully crafted debut album In Between (PKMusik, 2025), Persian-Kurdish-American vocalist and composer Elana Sasson unveils an…