Reviews
No Wahala in the Dance!: Adventures in Contemporary Reggae, Dub & Electronics
Independent label No Wahala Sounds emerged five years ago, releasing limited-edition vinyl reissues of little-known African gems. Now the label...
Reviewed by David Katz in issue: March/2020
Beyond Addis: Contemporary Jazz & Funk Inspired by Ethiopian Sounds from the 70s
Many contemporary groups trying to recreate the sounds of 70s Africa are disappointing – particularly in the styles of jazz...
Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: July/2014
Nine Decades Vol IV: A Night at St John the Divine
Ravi Shankar's widow Sukanya testifies in the liner notes to the particular ‘magical, transcendent experience’ of her husband performing in...
Reviewed by Jeff Kaliss in issue: Nov/Dec/2014
The Rough Guide to Unsung Heroes of Country Blues Vol 2
Rough Guides always take a certain pleasure in making sure their CD compilations don’t mimic other albums out there. And...
Reviewed by Garth Cartwright in issue: December/2015
Borga Revolution! Ghanaian Dance Music in the Digital Age 1983-1996 (Vol Two)
By the 1980s Ghana's once vibrant highlife scene was in decline along with the country's economy, and many of the...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: June/2023
Synthesized Sudan: Astro-Nubian Electronic Jaglara Dance Sounds from the Fashaga Underground
Jaglara is the sound of one man and one keyboard, emanating from the rural al-Fashaga region near the tripoint of...
Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: July/2023
Harmonizing Soweto: Golden Gospel & Kasi Soul from the new South Africa
Diepkloof and its neighbour, Meadowlands, were created as new zones in Soweto in the late 50s to accommodate those forcibly...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: December/2023
Roots Rocking Zimbabwe: The Modern Sound of Harare’ Townships 1975-1980
Music scenes are strange things, ephemeral and unpredictable. The right confluence of history, politics, culture, migrations, community, geography, trends, hard...
Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: June/2025
Astrakan Project: Inês
This latest release from Alves & Gourvil's Astrakan Project is an album of nine songs with an accompanying illustrated book...
Reviewed by Tutku Barbaros in issue: May/2019
Just My Land
Erik Aliana is a singer and percussionist from Cameroon. He lives in the urban environment of Yaoundé and this recording,...
Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
