Nasibo & Zigwiton – Stopover (Nasibo Mutize – Zigwiton / Raphael Joly, 2025) Released in May 2025, Stopover is a charming six-track EP born from…
“Stopover” a Delightful Meeting of Mbira and Guitar
Category: Album reviews
Abdel Benaddi: Gnawa Tradition, Captured Live In Essaouira
Abdel Benaddi — A Dream In Essaouira (Worlds Within Worlds, 2024) Abdel Benaddi is a hereditary Gnawa musician from Essawira, Morocco, a coastal city known…
Johnette Downing And Nathan Williams Unite For Louisiana-Focused Children’s Zydeco Album
Johnette Downing, Nathan Williams & The Zydeco Cha Chas: My Little Snap Bean: Zydeco for Children (Wiggle Worm Records, 2026) Johnette Downing’s My Little Snap…
Expressive and Impressive
Baklava Express – Sabába (self-released, 2026) For those of us who were quite taken by Baklava Express’s debut album Davka from three years ago, it’s…
Spinettango Recasts Luis Alberto Spinetta Timeless Classics
Various Artists — Spinettango (Nacional Records, 2022) Nacional Records released Spinettango in 2022, a splendid tribute that recast songs by Luis Alberto “El Flaco” Spinetta…
Fabiano Do Nascimento Teams With Vitor Santos Orchestra for Vila in 2026
Fabiano Do Nascimento & Vitor Santos Orchestra — Vila (2026) Fabiano Do Nascimento has a new recording titled Vila, an exquisitely-crafted collaborative album with a…
A Mother Lode of Laouto
Vasilis Kostas — Léna (General Music, 2026) Vasilis Kostas is a master of the Greek lute known as the lauto (or laouto), and like any…
Analog Africa Revisits Antoine Dougbé, the Enigmatic Force Behind Three Rare Benin LPs
Antoine Dougbe et L‘Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou — Antoine Dougbe et L‘Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou (Analog Africa No. 44, 2026) Analog Africa has turned to…
Mirarab’s Persian-Rooted Music Open Up a World of Intimate and sensitive stories
Mahan Mirarab — Unspoken (ACT Music, 2026) Vienna-based guitarist Mahan Mirarab’s Unspoken is a Persian flavored, solo-focused album that presents an intimate set influenced by…
Dida Pelled Covers Blues Classics with Jazz Guitar and Soulful Vocals
Dida Pelled – I Wish You Would (La Reserve, 2026) Brooklyn guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Dida Pelled will release I Wish You Would on May…