Reviews
Folk Music from Transylvania, Then and Now
The revival of authentic Transylvanian music was central to the Hungarian táncház (dance house) movement in the 1980s and 90s....
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: October/2018
Simigwa
On the opening track of this album, which was originally released in 1975, the Ghanaian bandleader Gyedu-Blay Ambolley recites a...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: November/2018
As Catedrais Silenciadas
Xabier Díaz & Adufeiras de Salitre
‘Illas de Sal’, the final track of As Catedrais Silenciadas, was built around one of the countless field recordings that...
Reviewed by GonÇalo Frota in issue: Aug/Sept/2020
Nomad Songs
For his 21st ECM album, Stephan Micus employs no fewer than nine instruments from different cultures, but focuses principally on...
Reviewed by Michael Church in issue: October/2015
Lichtungen
The hurdy-gurdy is an instrument that lurks slightly in the shadows. It appears in a few folk bands, like Blowzabella,...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: July/2016
AMzer: Seasons
No one could dispute that Breton musician Alan Stivell almost single-handedly revived global interest in the Breton harp and, indeed,...
Reviewed by Kevin Bourke in issue: Jan/Feb/2016
Discover Japanese Taiko
Taiko is a term that covers an array of Japanese drums (known as wadaiko). Since the mid-20th century, taiko has...
Reviewed by Darran Smith in issue: May/2017
Ghalia Benali sings Oum Kalthoum
A subtle sifting through the Kalthoum songbook. Raised in Tunisia but now living in Brussels, Ghalia Benali has explored many...
Reviewed by Neil van der Linden in issue: October/2010
Terraforming in Analogue Space: IRL Remixes 2000-2015
This double album compilation curated by Nick ‘Dubulah’ Page celebrates the 100th release of IRL Records. It is a masterclass...
Reviewed by Howard Male in issue: April/2017
Ragas from Lahore
The musical pilgrimage route from West to East may be well-trodden, but it does not typically run through Woking. Little...
Reviewed by Liam Izod in issue: January/2021
