Reviews
Kokuu
Last year, the prolific Finnish pianist Timo Alakotila and Japanese accordion player Yuka Fujino released Seiras, which they followed with...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: June/2025
Mirror
Trilok Gurtu with Arkè String Quartet
Two decades ago, the Italian-based Arkè String Quartet appeared as special guests on Gurtu’s 2004 album Broken Rhythms, followed two...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: June/2025
Tiya
Singer, pianist and composer Lilas Lafleur cut her musical teeth as a backing singer for her uncle, Congolese soukous guitar...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: July/2025
The Original Sound of Mali 2
Malian musicians have faced a rough time in recent years, thanks to political upheaval and security problems, so here’s a...
Reviewed by Robin Denselow in issue: April/2025
Snow Flower
A gently plucked lilting waltz played on the Tibetan dranyen lute by Tenzin Choegyal begins the title-track. Sung in a...
Reviewed by Michael Ormiston in issue: May/2025
Hayat
Hadiqa Kiani is a Pakistani superstar, a playback and pop singer with a phenomenal international following. Here, she returns to...
Reviewed by Maria Lord in issue: May/2025
Soléyé
Julien Philéas, better known as Granmoun Lélé (1930–2004), was a griot and one of the most outstanding artists from the...
Reviewed by Łukasz Komła in issue: December/2025
Cool Down the Heat
Junior Murvin became reggae’s falsetto voice of choice with his 1976 hit ‘Police and Thieves’, a song whose popularity in...
Reviewed by Clyde Macfarlane in issue: December/2025
Gleann Ciùin
Singer’s Gleann Ciùin is her second album dedicated to evoking the Cairngorms. It’s framed by two epic 19-minute tracks, the...
Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: December/2025
Song of the Birds
Avi Avital is the Israeli virtuoso of the mandolin who’s been taking this super versatile instrument into concert halls around...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: October/2025
