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Review of Borderlines & Bloodlines

Borderlines & Bloodlines

Germa Adan

Top of the World

Binding Thread Records

Rating: ★★★★★

One of the standout folk albums of 2023 in the UK, which almost flew under the radar, Birmingham-based Germa Adan’s...

Reviewed by Devon Léger in issue: March/2024

Review of New Ancient Strings

New Ancient Strings

Toumani Diabaté & Ballaké Sissoko

Chrysalis

Rating: ★★★★★

Reissued to mark the 25th anniversary of its 1999 release on Joe Boyd’s Hannibal label, New Ancient Strings remains a...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: May/2024

Review of My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall

My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Oh Boy Records

Rating: ★★★

Anyone who enjoyed the 2019 Smithsonian Folkways album Songs of Our Native Daughters is going to love My Black Country....

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: June/2024

Review of Souvenirs

Souvenirs

Emahoy Tsege-Mariam Gebru

Mississippi Records

Rating: ★★★★

The world lost a unique composer with the passing of Emahoy Tsege-Mariam Gebru at the age of 99 last year....

Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: April/2024

Review of Ulyap Songs: Beyond Circassian Tradition

Ulyap Songs: Beyond Circassian Tradition

VARIOUS ARTISTS

FLEE Project

Rating: ★★★★

Fans of the traditional sounds of the Northern Caucasus will be familiar with the name of Bulat Khalilov and the...

Reviewed by Kim Burton in issue: April/2024

Review of Cumbia Cumbia Cumbia!!! Vol 2

Cumbia Cumbia Cumbia!!! Vol 2

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Vampisoul

Rating: ★★★★★

While the first volume of Vampisoul’s panoramic survey of Colombian cumbia focused on Discos Fuentes, the follow-up lights up the...

Reviewed by Mark Sampson in issue: August/2024

Review of Temporal Waves

Temporal Waves

Temporal Waves

Linear Fade Records/People Places Records

Rating: ★★★

Canadian tabla player Shawn Mativetsky has performed and recorded across many genres for the past 25 years, but this is...

Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: August/2024

Review of Les Bateaux

Les Bateaux

Mamadou Kelly

Clermont Music

Rating: ★★★★

Malian guitarist and singer Mamadou Kelly is a graduate of the bands of both Ali Farka Touré and Afel Bocoum,...

Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: March/2020

Review of Kassa

Kassa

Adama Yalomba

Black Eye/Makasound BECD007

Rating: ★★★

We first heard Mali’s Adama Yalomba on the 2003 Festival au Desert compilation. Then the trail went cold again. Kassa...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: Apr/May/2010

Review of UDU

UDU

UDU

CPL-Music

Rating: ★★★★

UDU is, as far as I know, the only collaboration between Buryat and Lithuanian musicians and it is a delight....

Reviewed by Michael Ormiston in issue: Jan/Feb/2020

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