Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express — Ranjha (World Circuit, 2026) A decade after Junun, Ranjha is a recording with deeper confidence…
Ranjha, a Window into a Phenomenal Desert Tradition
Category: Album reviews
Saied Silbak Finds Beauty, Tradition, and Resilience in Oud for Palestine
Saied Silbak — Oud for Palestine (self-released, 2025) Saied Silbak has emerged as a prominent London-based oud player and composer whose music is deeply influenced…
Marty Cooper Revisits His Catalog On American Portraits
Martin Cooper — American Portraits (Howlin Dog Records, 2025) American Portraits by folk singer-songwriter Marty Cooper gathers Cooper’s own versions of songs long associated with…
“Stopover” a Delightful Meeting of Mbira and Guitar
Nasibo & Zigwiton – Stopover (Nasibo Mutize – Zigwiton / Raphael Joly, 2025) Released in May 2025, Stopover is a charming six-track EP born from…
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…