Reviews
Baladi Blues 3: The Art of Baligh Hamdi
Guy Schalom & The Baladi Blues Ensemble
Baladi is a very particular Egyptian fusion. The name literally means ‘my country’ and its roots lie in the rural...
Reviewed by Bill Badley in issue: Aug/Sep/2012
The Poacher's Fate
It's always refreshing to hear music that has nothing to hide behind. The London-based folk duo of Laura Smyth &...
Reviewed by Matt Milton in issue: Jan/Feb/2018
The Storm
Born in the Mississippi Delta, Elder Jack Ward died this April after a lifetime of singing soulful gospel. The Storm...
Reviewed by Mark Sampson in issue: October/2023
The Paris Session
Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré and Israeli keyboardist Idan Raichel have followed up their 2012 debut with an equally richly...
Reviewed by Howard Male in issue: Nov/Dec/2014
World Routes: On The Road
World Routes (currently broadcast on Sunday evenings) is BBC Radio 3’s flagship world music programme. And to my knowledge, there...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: Jan/Feb/2012
Daisy's Beauty Salon
If you ever needed proof that music can be transportive, then this is it. From the moment the groove drops...
Reviewed by Russ Slater in issue: November/2018
Nada Ananda
Simon Thacker & the Nava Rasa Ensemble
This disc brings together two composers – one British, one of Indian descent. Both have a taste for the eclectic,...
Reviewed by Maria Lord in issue: October/2011
Give & Receive
The husband-and-wife Americana duo of Dorothy Daniel and Ben DeBerry, both of whom sing and play acoustic guitar, are assured...
Reviewed by Matt Milton in issue: October/2016
Dancing Under the Moon
The Master Musicians of Jajouka Led by Bachir Attar
Cosmic, gargantuan, ecstatic and best played very, very loud, the Master Musicians of Jajouka need little introduction. Since Beat writers...
Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: July/2022
The Sorcerers
The Sorcerers’ self-titled debut takes its influence from the father of Ethio-jazz, Mulatu Astatké, across eight expansive tracks. The Leeds-based...
Reviewed by Alex De Lacey in issue: November/2015
