Reviews
The Best of Bonga
Listening to this outstanding compilation makes me wonder why ageing singer Bonga isn't more celebrated in English–speaking world music circles....
Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: Jan/Feb/2010
Oud for Palestine
Saied Silbak is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of London’s leading oud players and composers. His extensive musical vocabulary...
Reviewed by Charlie Cawood in issue: April/2026
Sing For Me
From Ziguinchor, southern Senegal, the musical heartland of the country, Cherif Mbaw’s second international release brings little of his musical...
Reviewed by Rose Skelton in issue: October/2010
Postcards and Pocketbooks: The Best of Bella Hardy
With a career stretching back to her early teens as a member of The Pack, a 12-piece that graced the...
Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: Jan/Feb/2020
Revolt for Change
After his 2021 Top of the World album Diversity, Ebo Krdum has followed up with two albums for the royalty-free...
Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: April/2023
Polka for Punks
Thirty-five years on, the anarchic spirit of punk keeps emerging in unlikely places, from the Beijing underground to R.U.T.A, the...
Reviewed by Peter Culshaw in issue: March/2013
Başka Bahar
Over the last decade, there’s been a slew of European bands – often including a Turkish member – who’ve drawn...
Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: April/2026
Z is for Zykopops
This sounds like a half-baked student project that shouldn’t have gone beyond the confines of Zagreb University. It’s a shame,...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: Jan/Feb/2013
Best of Mariza
This really is exactly what it says: highlights from the career of the extraordinary fado singer who released her debut...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: July/2014
Forgive Us For
After more than 50 years, Kronos Quartet are still presenting more thought-provoking music than any other string quartet in the...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: April/2026
