Jaime Ospina Channels Colombian and Afro-Rooted Tradition and Innovation on The Vessel
Jaime Ospina – The Vessel (self-release, 2025) Jaime Ospina, best known as a member of Austin’s acclaimed Latin fusion band Superfónicos, steps into the spotlight…
Fancy Fingers & Winyo Weave Luo Roots into Global Grooves
Fancy Fingers and Winyo – Jawaya Jathum (Delicious Tunes, 2025) Jawaya Jathum (“The Guitarist and The Music Lover”) is a 13-track Luo-language album that penetrates…
Guilty of Reinvention: Quentin Gas Reopens the Case of Sentencia
Spanish band Quentin Gas & Los Zíngaros revisit Sentencia, a psychedelic flamenco bulería originally featured on their acclaimed 2024 album El Mundo Se Quema. This…
Inteligencia Orgánica: A Transcultural Dialog of Flamenco, Mandinka, and Improvisation in Real Time
Inteligencia Orgánica (IO) is a Spain-based cross-cultural ensemble that brings together leading figures from diverse musical traditions: Karen Lugo (dance), Momi Maiga (kora), Aleix Tobías…
Cairo Hitmaker Strikes Gold: Amir Hedayah Tops Global Songwriting Contest
Egyptian composer Amir Hedayah has taken first place in the World Music category of the 2024 International Songwriting Competition (ISC), one of the most prestigious…
Irie Times Are Here To Stay
Lest anyone be concerned that the re-emergence of roots reggae music hasn’t sufficiently overtaken the previous dominance of dancehall, recent releases from France’s Irie Ites…
Diego Galaz and the Fine Art of Unusual Strings
Diego Galaz Ballesteros was born in 1976 in the Gamonal district of Burgos, Spain, a neighborhood with which he has always maintained a strong personal…
Casapalma Climbs the Heights of Cantabrian Folk
Casapalma is the artistic partnership of Spanish musicians Irene Atienza and Yoel Molina. Together, they spearhead a project rooted in the revitalization of canción montañesa,…
How It Feels
Anchored by veteran reggae bassist Fully Fullwood, Dukes of Roots urges one and all to “Feel the Love.” It may not be an easy thing…
From Funk to Fontainebleau: George Brown’s Final Bow Mixes Jazz, World Music and Soul
George Brown – Jazz in Paris (BFD, 2025) Long before Kool & The Gang became synonymous with funk anthems like “Celebration,” “Jungle Boogie,” and “Hollywood…