Reviews Search | Songlines

Reviews

Review of Une Vie Formidable

Une Vie Formidable

Les Vieilles Pies

Les Vieilles Pies

Rating: ★★★★

‘Oh, for a beaker full of the warm South!’ It would not surprise me were I to learn that Keats...

Reviewed by Nathaniel Handy in issue: March/2011

Review of Vangaza!

Vangaza!

Brian Chilala & Ngoma Zasu

SWP Records

Rating: ★★★

Zambia lies geographically between Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo and is one of the musically less prolific countries...

Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: October/2015

Review of Live in Stockholm 1969

Live in Stockholm 1969

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar & Pandit Taranath

Country & Eastern

Rating: ★★★★

The rudra veena (or bīn) player Zia Mohiuddin Dagar came from one of the oldest musical lineages in India, a...

Reviewed by Maria Lord in issue: December/2015

Review of Afrika Festival: Live in Hertme

Afrika Festival: Live in Hertme

Sekou Kouyaté & Debademba

Very Open Jazz Records

Rating: ★★★★

The annual Afrika Festival in Hertme in the Netherlands has become one of the highlights of the European festival circuit...

Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: November/2016

Review of El Bardo

El Bardo

Aldo del Rio

Sunnyside Records

Rating: ★★

Complete with standard-issue retro graphics, here is another senior discovery from Cuba by a gringo record company, in this case...

Reviewed by Philip Sweeney in issue: Nov/Dec/2014

Review of Coimbra: Fado

Coimbra: Fado

Ricardo Dias Ensemble

ARC Music

Rating: ★★★

This meticulously recorded disc aims to push the boundaries of Coimbra fado in the same way many have already done...

Reviewed by Michael Macaroon in issue: Jan/Feb/2015

Review of Avant Folk Triptyk

Avant Folk Triptyk

Frode Haltli

Jazzland

Rating: ★★★

Norwegian accordionist Frode Haltli’s third Avant Folk outing has a change of record label, from Hubro to Jazzland, retaining a...

Reviewed by Martin Longley in issue: November/2023

Review of Old Juniper

Old Juniper

The Down Hill Strugglers

Top of the World

Jalopy Records

Rating: ★★★★

The Appalachian-style trio The Down Hill Strugglers return with their first album since the passing of founding member John Cohen....

Reviewed by Alexandra Petropoulos in issue: September/2024

Review of Handed On

Handed On

Dreamers’ Circus

Vertical Records

Rating: ★★★★

During the COVID-19 pandemic Danish trio Dreamers’ Circus couldn’t perform – so they composed, drawing inspiration from traditional Nordic music....

Reviewed by Julian May in issue: June/2025

Review of Breaking the Thermometer

Breaking the Thermometer

Leyla McCalla

Top of the World

ANTI-

Rating: ★★★★

The American-Haitian singer and multi-instrumentalist Leyla McCalla, who made her name with Carolina Chocolate Drops, won a Songlines Music Award...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: June/2022

Subscribe from only £7.50

Start your journey and discover the very best music from around the world.

Subscribe

View the Current
Issue

Take a peek inside the latest issue of Songlines magazine.

Find out more