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).…
Splendid Musical Tribute to Mother Earth
Ricky Kej – Shanti Samsara (Zee Music Company, 2015) Shanti Samsara, the magnificent album by composer, producer and keyboardist Ricky Kej brings environmental awareness to…
Artist Profiles: Robert Maseko
Born in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and raised in the UK, Robert Maseko is part of the new wave…
Artist Profiles: M’bilia Bel
Soukous singer M’bilia Bel, known as the Queen of Congolese rumba, was born in 1959 and brought up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.…
Artist Profiles: Lokua Kanza
Lokua Kanza was born in Bukavu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaire). His father is one of the Mongo people, known for…
Åkerblomrörelsen by Captain Cougar
Captain Cougar – Åkerblomrörelsen (Pinetree Records, 2014) Finnish band Captain Cougar, from Jyväskylä, uses contemporary folk music in the nicely-crafted album Åkerblomrörelsen to recount the…
Artist Profiles: Kiala Nzavotunga
Afrobeat master Kiala Nzavotunga is a founding member of the band Ghetto Blaster (1984 – 2006) and Fela Kuti’s band. Kiala Nzavotunga was born in…
Artist Profiles: Papa Wemba
Papa Wemba was born Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in Kazai, in the former Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). From humble village beginnings in…
Vancouver Folk Music Festival This Weekend
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is taking place this weekend, July 15-17, 2016 at Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. The festival schedule reflects…
Artist Profiles: Njacko Backo
Njacko Backo is a percussionist and singer. He was born in 1958 in the hillside village of Bazu, Cameroon. After studying under his village elders…
I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face
Listening to Spotify shuffle Cassandra Wilson songs, I stumbled upon a song that I believe spoke to me in a political way: “I’ve Grown Accustomed To His…