Riddim & Views: Reggae Sumfest 2025 Returns to Montego Bay
Reggae Sumfest, Jamaica’s flagship reggae and dancehall festival, returns to Montego Bay from July 13–19, 2025, with a full week of music, parties, and cultural…
Pickin’ Up Steam: Jesse Smathers’ Steady Climb Through Bluegrass Ranks
(headline image: Jesse Smathers – Photo by Laci Mack0 Jesse Smathers, a native of Eden, North Carolina with deep family roots in Western North Carolina,…
Mason Via Balances Tradition and Protest in New Single
Mason Via has released a new single, “Oh Lordy Me,” ahead of his upcoming album, set to drop on April 25. The track features guest…
Max Romeo, Roots Reggae Pioneer, Dies at 80
(headline image: Max Romeo – Photo by Peter Simon) Jamaican roots reggae artist Max Romeo died on April 11, 2025, at the age of 80.…
Agbadja King Reigns Again: Gnonnas Pedro’s Legacy Restored
Gnonnas Pedro & His Dadjes Band – Roi De L’Agbadja Moderne 1974-1983 (Analog Africa, 2025) Gnonnas Pedro, the Beninese icon who modernized Agbadja (a percussive…
Elana Sasson Elegantly Bridges Traditional Folk and Jazz on In Between
Elana Sasson – In Between (PKMusik, 2025) With her beautifully crafted debut album In Between (PKMusik, 2025), Persian-Kurdish-American vocalist and composer Elana Sasson unveils an…
Versatile Flamenco Percussionist and Instrument Designer Nasrine Rahmani
Currently based in Madrid, Spain, Nasrine Rahmani is a professional percussionist specializing in flamenco and Latin percussion. Born in Australia to a mother from Mauritius…
Reus de la Frontera Deliver the Raw Emotion of a Flamenco Party
Reus de la Frontera, a flamenco collective from Reus in northeastern Spain, brings an electrifying take on the traditional juerga flamenca. Their debut project, Juerga…
Reggae For All Times
Ivan Garzon, former frontman of renowned Southern California reggae band The Devastators, is out on his own with a track called “Right Time.” It’s got…
Harvesting Spanish Folk: Violeta Veinte’s Fusion of Tradition and Modernity
Violeta Veinte – Alorí (self-release, 2024) Alorí takes its name from a childhood greeting between enchanting singer and fiddler Violeta Veinte and her grandfather, Argimiro,…