Reviews

Air Senegal

Ben Aylon

The Israeli-born Aylon won a Best Artist nomination in the Songlines World Music Awards for his 2021 album Xalam. That...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: April/2026

XXX

Söndörgő

The latest album from Hungarian tambura band Söndörgő isn’t triple X-rated, but it does mark their 30th anniversary. Their name...

Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: October/2025

Lebanon Elevator

Kamel Nitrate

Kamel Nitrate are to all intents and purposes a fusion band, mixing funk, trip-hop and Arab drum styles. Unfortunately, the...

Reviewed by Yousif Nur in issue: April/2018

Pafata

¿Who''s the Cuban?

Describing themselves as a ‘Latin rock fusion’ group, ¿Who's the Cuban? are a septet from France's Grand Est region. Since...

Reviewed by Mark Sampson in issue: May/2023

Let's!

Yiddish Twist Orchestra

The debut album by London's Yiddish Twist Orchestra adopts a puzzling stance. It has enough of a rampant novelty factor...

Reviewed by Martin Longley in issue: Apr/May/2015

Echo Land

Bùmarang

This is a strong debut from Montréal-based Celtic trio Bùmarang (yes, the Scots Gaelic name does mean ‘Boomerang’), featuring David...

Reviewed by Li Robbins in issue: Aug/Sep/2021

Rim

Rim

This album is a collaboration between four musicians from Norway and Sweden; they have chosen traditional tunes and some of...

Reviewed by Fiona Talkington in issue: March/2016

Cantos

Quimantu

Chilean music has a low profile in Europe, partly because most of its legendary classic singers and bands are dead...

Reviewed by Chris Moss in issue: June/2018

The King of Misery

Daudi Matsiko

Daudi Matsiko, a British-Ugandan singer-songwriter, delivers a debut album from a vulnerable chapter in his life, that expands what is...

Reviewed by Marie Bashiru in issue: March/2024

Siniensigui

Sidiki Dembele

Hailing from Côte d’Ivoire and descended from Malian griots, Dembele has become a central figure in Britain’s West African diaspora,...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: August/2024