Album reviews | World Music Central

An art‑nouveau–inspired portrait of a pale-skinned woman with blond hair entwined in foliage. She tilts her head upward, eyes closed, amid autumnal leaves and floral motifs. A warm, earthy maroon background frames her, while the album title and band name appear in ivory‑colored type, “Cafuné” above her head and Tra Le Corde Dei Racconti in the lower corner.

Album reviews

Cafuné Spins Italian Folklore Into Folk-Rock Fantasy

Cafuné – Tra Le Corde Dei Racconti (M.P. & Records, 2025) Named after the Portuguese word cafuné, a gesture of affection involving fingers combing through…

Sidsel Walstad and Ibou Cissokho - Tamoo cover artwork. A sepia colored design with illustrations of a western hrap and a kora.

Album reviews

European Harp Meets Kora on Lovely Tamoo

Madison Quinn September 4, 2025 No Comments world fusion world music

Sidsel Walstad and Ibou Cissokho – Tamoo (Global Sonics, 2025) Norwegian harp player Sidsel Walstad and Senegalese kora player and vocalist Ibou Cissokho forge a…

The album cover features four colorful paintings of human figures in motion, each framed separately against a tan background. Bold black lines define the figures, while vivid reds, blues, yellows, and greens create a sense of energy and rhythm. The text reads “Le Collectif Tango Negro Ensemble” on the left and “Tribute to Juan Carlos Cáceres” at the bottom.

Album reviews

Tango in Black and White: A Polyphonic Tribute to Cáceres

Madison Quinn August 31, 2025 No Comments Argentine music Le Collectif Tango Negro Ensemble tango world music

Le Collectif Tango Negro Ensemble – Tribute to Juan Carlos Cáceres (Felmay Records, 2025) Le Collectif Tango Negro Ensemble honors the legacy of Juan Carlos…

The album cover for Mulatu Plays Mulatu by Mulatu Astatke features a sepia-toned portrait of the artist in the center, framed by Ethiopian script and surrounded by intricate black-and-white illustrations of traditional instruments, cultural symbols, and historical imagery.

Album reviews

Mulatu Plays Mulatu’s Ethio-jazz Brings Us Together

Angel Romero August 30, 2025 No Comments Ethio-jazz Ethiopian Jazz Ethiopian music Mulatu Astatke vibraphone world fusion world music

Mulatu Astatke — Mulatu Plays Mulatu (Strut Records, 2025) Mulatu Plays Mulatu is Mulatu Astatke’s first major studio album in more than a decade. Furthermore,…

The album cover for Etno Grupa Bosiljak – Made in Brčko: Serbian Songs from Bosnia and Herzegovina features a close-up of a young woman in traditional folk attire. she wears an embroidered white blouse, colorful woven belt, and golden skirt.

Album reviews

Brčko Beats: Serbian Folk Finds a Home in the Borderlands

Tyler Bennet August 29, 2025 No Comments Anastasija Ilić Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnian music Dalioborka Živković Dragana Radovanović Elena Živković Etno Grupa Bosiljak Helena Ćurčić Jovana Pajkanović Lara Zekonja Milan Marković Milica Antić Nikolina Antić Serbian music Snežana Mitrović Suzana Đurković Svjetlana Nedeljković Svjetlana Popić world music

Etno Grupa Bosiljak – Made in Brčko: Serbian Songs from Bosnia and Herzegovina (Antonovka Records, 2025) This release by Etno Grupa Bosiljak presents deeply rooted…

The album cover features a dark sky fading into warm shades of purple and orange near the horizon, resembling a sunset. At the center, the title “Tempvs Fvgit” is written in a minimalist font with the letters “vs” in orange. A dotted semicircle surrounds the title, echoing the passage of time. Below, in smaller text, appears the phrase “da camin·u,” aligned with the same modern style.

Album reviews

Polyphony Without Ornament: Tempvs Fvgit’s Raw, Unfiltered Voices

Daryana Antipova August 28, 2025 No Comments a cappella Corsican polyphony Tempvs Fvgit world music

Tempvs Fvgit – Da caminu (Self-released, 2025) With Da caminu, Corsican vocal ensemble Tempvs Fvgit continue their reimagining of traditional polyphony, bringing it into dialogue…

Album reviews

A Duo That Speaks Volumes

Angel Romero August 26, 2025 No Comments Evelyn Glennie Raymond Antrobus

Raymond Antrobus & Evelyn Glennie – Aloud (Toy Gun Murder Records, 2025) Poet Raymond Antrobus and percussionist Evelyn Glennie reunite for the album Aloud. The…

Album reviews

Pianist Harold López-Nussa Dazzles with ‘New Timba’

Angel Romero August 24, 2025 1 Comment Cuban music Harold López-Nussa world music

Harold López-Nussa – Nueva Timba (Blue Note, 2025) Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa returns with Nueva Timba, a fantastic album that combines jazz innovation with Cuban…

The album cover for Africa Express Presents... Bahidorá features a lush, tropical scene with crystal-clear water reflecting palm trees and dense greenery. The title appears in bold pink letters at the bottom left,

Album reviews

Africa Express Heads West Across the Atlantic

Tyler Bennet August 22, 2025 No Comments Africa Express African music world fusion world music

Africa Express presents… Bahidorá (World Circuit Records, 2025) Eighteen years after its unannounced Glastonbury debut, Africa Express continues to defy categories and borders. The collective’s…

The album cover features a futuristic, armored figure with a patterned red hat and shoulder designs, set against a background of gold, blue, purple, and black swirls. Origami-like star shapes in various colors float around.

Album reviews

Zambia’s WITCH Looks Ahead on ‘Sogolo’

Tyler Bennet August 19, 2025 No Comments Charlie Garmendia Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda Hanna Tembo Jacco Gardner Nicola Mauskovic Patrick Mwondela Theresa Ng’ambi world music Zambian music Zamrock

WITCH – Sogolo (Partisan Records, 2025) WITCH, the pioneering Zamrock band from Zambia’s Copperbelt, continues its 21st-century resurgence with Sogolo, an exciting, groove-driven follow-up to 2021’s Zango.…