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Review of Raga Yaman

Raga Yaman

Uday Bhawalkar

i dischi di angelica

Rating: ★★★★

Uday Bhawalkar is a maestro of dhrupad, an ancient Indian classical vocal style, believed to be the world's oldest musical...

Reviewed by Jameela Siddiqi in issue: August/September/2023

Review of At Fargrounds

At Fargrounds

Jacken Elswyth

Wrong Speed Records

Rating: ★★★

Jacken Elswyth is a banjo player and instrument maker known for her work as a member of the Shovel Dance...

Reviewed by Nathaniel Handy in issue: June/2024

Review of Jami

Jami

Sabri Brothers

Piranha Records

Rating: ★★★★★

This album is a double dedication, firstly to the 15th-century Sufi poetry of Jami, and secondly to the qawwali master...

Reviewed by Maria Lord in issue: June/2024

Review of Blŵgras

Blŵgras

Taff Rapids

Taff Rapids

Rating: ★★★

In terms of dazzling instrumental expertise, Taff Rapids can stand alongside the best bluegrass bands on the planet. With the...

Reviewed by Doug Deloach in issue: May/2025

Review of Radio Sevdah

Radio Sevdah

Divanhana

CPL-Music

Rating: ★★★★

The Bosnian band, who won Best Group in the 2023 Songlines Music Awards, launch a radio station in the form...

Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: January/2026

Review of Finishing

Finishing

N’Faly Kouyaté

Namun Records

Rating: ★★★★

Best known for his vocal, kora and balafon work with the glorious Afro Celt Sound System, N’Faly Kouyaté now shows...

Reviewed by Robin Denselow in issue: December/2025

Review of Roger Izeidi Presents Vita Matata With African Fiesta

Roger Izeidi Presents Vita Matata With African Fiesta

African Fiesta

Planet Ilunga

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★

A powerhouse from the golden age of Congolese rumba. African Fiesta was formed in 1963 by singer Tabu Ley Rochereau...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: May/2026

Review of Bomba Pop

Bomba Pop

Amsterdam Klezmer Band

Top of the World

Vetnasj Records

Rating: ★★★★

Amsterdam Klezmer Band are full of chutzpah — or, as the Dutch say, gotspe. Just two years shy of the...

Reviewed by Celeste Cantor-Stephens in issue: May/2024

Review of Lines: Parts One, Two and Three

Lines: Parts One, Two and Three

The Unthanks

Rabble Rouser

Rating: ★★★

Lines, the latest of The Unthanks' many ambitious and innovative projects, is a trilogy of song cycles, each with a...

Reviewed by Julian May in issue: April/2019

Review of River of Revenge: Brazilian Country Music 1929-1961 (Vol 1 & 2)

River of Revenge: Brazilian Country Music 1929-1961 (Vol 1 & 2)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Death Is Not the End

Rating: ★★★

The pop and crackle of early recording gear, the guttural twang of handmade instruments, hand-me-down harmonies and country songs of...

Reviewed by Dan Hobson in issue: May/2023

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