Sweet Angola
Bonga – Kaxexe (Europe: Lusafrica 627325, 2003 / US: Times Square, 2004) Since the early 1970s, Bonga has been one of Angola’s biggest singing stars…
Diamonds in the rough
Tinariwen – Amassakoul (Independent Records IRL014, 2004) Carrying on from their much-lauded debut CD, released in the UK on Wayward Records, Amassakoul showcases this group…
Agatsuma Goes Beyond
Agatsuma – Beyond (Domo Records, 2004) Domo Records has been doing a great job introducing new Japanese music to international audiences. Agatsuma is a young Japanese…
Bonga\’s North American Tour
New York, USA – Angolan musician Bonga will be touring the United States to promote the domestic release of his latest recording, Kaxexe. Originally released…
Les Yeux Noirs, Catch ’em if you can
Les Yeux Noirs Seattle performance Century Ballroom February 24, 2004 The French group, Les Yeux Noirs came to my attention during the summer of 2002…
Dove songs
And if the World (Suoni, 2002) Make Me a Channel of Your Peace (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, 2001) On March 1st, (2004) after I arrived home from…
Hitting all the right notes
Various Artists – The Rough Guide to African Rap (World Music Network RGNET1126CD, 2004) Like all hugely proliferating music forms, rap, in its many guises, all-too-often,…
Cuban Flamenco Guitar Player Reynier Marino to Spain
(Prensa Latina – Cumbancha) Havana, Cuba – Cuban flamenco guitar player Reynier Marino, who also fuses other musical genres, announced he would travel to Madrid…
Fusion Band Sintesis Presents Latest Production
(Prensa Latina – Cumbancha) Havana, Cuba – The trilogy Ancestros, the latest album by Síntesis, one of the most famous bands in the current Cuban…
The Sounds of Precious Metal
Golden Sounds Band – Swahili Rumba (Naxos World 76055-2, 2003) Congolese rumba reigned so long as Africa’s most popular dance music that it’s no surprise how…