The Ney: A Charming Middle Eastern Reed Flute
(headline image: professional Arabic ney, 7 flutes, Ahmad Abd El Ghani) The ney (also spelled nay) is an ancient end-blown flute made from reed, widely…
Elana Sasson’s “Laye Laye”: a Reimagining of a Traditional Kurdish Lullaby
Elana Sasson’s latest single, “Laye Laye,” featuring French cellist Matthieu Saglio, is a reimagining of a traditional Kurdish lullaby. Released on March 21, 2025, it…
The Carolyn Wonderland Story: A Blues Guitarist’s Rise to Icon Status
(headline image: Carolyn Wonderland – photo by Mary Bruton) Carolyn Wonderland, born in Houston, Texas, in 1972, developed her musical identity at an early age.…
Music of a Different Griot Home
Born in Senegal but based in Poland, kora player Ablaye Badji harnesses longstanding griot tradition to a funk/jazz backdrop on “Aduna,” a sparking piece of…
Keita Unplugged: A Room of His Own
Salif Keita – So Kono (Nø Førmat, 2025) According to the producers of this album, Salif Keita’s life in Mali is anything but private. As…
Picking Up the Past: Benson Revives a Harley Allen Classic
Bluegrass duo Benson, featuring award-winning banjoist Kristin Scott Benson and renowned mandolinist Wayne Benson, launch their 2025 releases with a fresh take on Things Have…
Mali in Their Roots: Songhoy Blues Embrace Tradition on “Héritage”
Songhoy Blues – Heritage (Transgressive Records, 2025) Malian band Songhoy Blues returns with Héritage, their fourth album and a significant departure from their previous work.…
Kitchen Fresh
Germany’s Epic Soul Kitchen is on a musical excursion entitled “Dip Trip,” and their Latinized jazz is cooked up right and tight. The solos are,…
Wild Mint, Wild Sound: Mila Trani’s Genre-Blending Hybridization
Mila Trani – Menta Selvatica (Segell Microscopi, 2025) Inspired by the mythological and medicinal properties of wild mint, Menta Selvatica (wild mint) is an exploration…
Aurelio Martínez, Prominent Garifuna Musician, Dies in Plane Crash in Honduras
Aurelio Martínez Suazo, a renowned Honduran musician and cultural ambassador of the Garifuna community, passed away on March 17, 2025, in a plane crash near…