Reviews
Le Grand Kalle: His Life, His Music
Joseph Kabasele, better known as Le Grand Kalle, was a Congolese singer and bandleader, and his dance¬band were the first...
Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: March/2014
Balkan Fever London – Mind the Brass
Phis new compilation of UK bands is the latest in a long line of localised Gypsy or Balkan scenes sprouting...
Reviewed by Lemez Lovas in issue: October/2010
Grand Ukulele
Like banjo maestro Bela Fleck, Japanese-Hawaiian ukulele whiz Jake Shimabukuro has been obsessed with expanding the repertoire and reputation of...
Reviewed by Seth Jordan in issue: Apr/May/2013
Palenque Rockers Vol 1
Bogota’s Palenque Records was founded in 1996 by Lucas Silva of Faraon Bantu sound system, alias DJ Champeta-Man, to showcase...
Reviewed by David Katz in issue: December/2021
Tir
Tir is one of the words in Welsh for ‘Land’, but, more than its English equivalent, it suggests a connection...
Reviewed by Julian May in issue: June/2011
Pelao
There's something oddly familiar about the cover of this album – it's the sort of out-there artwork that only Belgian's...
Reviewed by Ed Stocker in issue: Nov/Dec/2011
Pachanga Time
With its gorgeous retro cover art and deliberate golden-age smarts Side A was recorded using ribbon microphone technology –...
Reviewed by Jane Cornwell in issue: June/2021
Glad Christmas Comes
‘Glad Christmas comes’ is the opening line from ‘December’ in John Clare’s poem The Shepherd’s Calendar. Carthy and Boden sing...
Reviewed by Julian May in issue: January/February/2024
1325 Ibn Battutah
Following a near 14-year break, Syriana return with their first full-length album since 2010’s acclaimed debut The Road to Damascus....
Reviewed by Charlie Cawood in issue: April/2024
Sun Without the Heat
New Orleans-based Leyla McCalla is known for making moving, socially conscious music that takes in all her various influences, from...
Reviewed by Alexandra Petropoulos in issue: May/2024
