Reviews
Mali Denhou
With both Ali Farka Touré and Lobi Traoré gone, Boubacar Traore must now be Mali’s pre-eminent bluesman. Approaching 70, his...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: March/2011
Family Beyond Blood
Accordionist Almir Mešković was born in Bosnia and violinist Daniel Lazar in Serbia; both grew up steeped in Balkan folk...
Reviewed by Fiona Talkington in issue: April/2024
Sababu
Five years ago, the Burkina Faso-born kamelengoni master Aboubakar Traoré and his group Balima released a splendid debut album titled...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: January/2025
Norwegian Electronic Folk Music
Kenneth Lien & Center of the Universe
Norway has a thriving and intriguing experimental folk scene, and multi-instrumentalist Kenneth Lien is one of its key exponents. I...
Reviewed by Robin Denselow in issue: December/2025
The Road to Jajouka
The artist and writer Brion Gysin took Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones to see the Jajouka Musicians shortly before...
Reviewed by Peter Culshaw in issue: Jan/Feb/2014
Trio Portaki
The well-regarded Martha Mavroidi Trio is comprised of Mavroidi on lafta (lute) and vocals, with Georgios Ventouris on bass and...
Reviewed by Maria Lord in issue: Aug/Sep/2012
Call of Bangalore
Before hearing this wonderfully recorded and produced album, I had only encountered the London-based violinist as a versatile performer of...
Reviewed by Rolf Killius in issue: Aug/Sept/2013
Chłopi: Wesele Boryny
This is an extraordinary album recreating the sound of a wedding in central Poland in the late 19th century. The...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: April/2023
Chapter 1: Where Does Happiness Come From?
The introduction to a third generation of the Kuti family came with Mádé’s 2021 debut album For(e)ward, yet its impact...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: August/2025
