Tombak In The Spotlight On Between Hands
Kaveh Mahmudiyan — Between Hands (Global Sonics, 2025) Kaveh Mahmudiyan’s first solo album, Between Hands presents his own compositions with the tombak (Persian goblet-shaped drum).…
Sommelo Nordic Border Festival Announces 2024 Lineup
Folk and world music festival Sommelo is set to take place June 26-29, 2024. Sommelo is a unique festival held on both sides of the…
Steve Earle Reveals Reinvention of Tom Petty’s “Yer So Bad”
Steve Earle’s reimagined version of Tom Petty’s “Yer So Bad” is now available. The new single is from the tribute album, Petty Country: A Country…
David Leon’s Flawless Fusion of Sax and Gayageum
Heard any unusual but perfect jazz fusions lately? If not, give a listen to “Palmetto,” a lullaby of an instrumental by American saxophonist David Leon.…
Ruca Rebordão Visits the Sounds of Angola, Brazil, and Portugal
Ruca Rebordão – Mestiço Atlântico (RUMA Records, 2024) Ruca Rebordão, a seasoned musician known for his contributions to over 200 albums and his roles in…
Muwashshah Specialists Fatima Zahra Qortobi and Abdelkader Ghayt
The muwashshah, also known as moaxaja, is a distinguished poetic genre conceived and refined by Muqaddam ibn Muafá al-Cabri (alternatively spelled Moukaddam Ibn Mouafa of…
Sain Zahoor: A Sufi Musical Virtuoso from Pakistan
Born in 1936 the village of Haveli Lakhan in southern Punjab, Pakistan, Sain Zahoor (vocals, tumbi) embarked on a spiritual and musical journey at the…
Musician and Oral Historian Fatou Mint Engdhey of Mauritania
Fatou Mint Engdhey, a distinguished bearer of the Iggawin tradition (akin to African griots or European minstrels) has mastered the intricate art of the ardin,…
Unreleased 1965 Concert by the Georgia Sea Island Singers
Various Artists – The Complete Friends of Old Time Music Concert (Smithsonian Folkways, 2024) The Complete Friends of Old Time Music Concert, featuring previously unreleased…
Heart of the Fès Festival of Sufi Culture: Ecstasy, Sama Ritual Music
Photos by Zoubir Ali – except where noted. Videos by Marc Boudet. The sense of absolute elated wonder I felt throughout the Fès Festival of…
Children of Abraham, Brilliant Concert by Rose of the Compass
On April ninth, 2024, St. John The Divine, the magnificent cathedral in New York City, presented a program titled Children of Abraham. Rose of the…