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Review of Arta: Violin and Laouto Instrumentals

Arta: Violin and Laouto Instrumentals

Yiorgos Floudas & Vassilis Triantis

JSP Records

Rating: ★★★★

The Greek music of Epirus has long been identified with the Ioánnina district, ignoring the traditional styles of the Árta/Préveza...

Reviewed by Marc Dubin in issue: August/2017

Review of Zarb-e Osul

Zarb-e Osul

Ziya Tabassian

Ziya Tabassian

Rating: ★★★★

After having begun learning tombak (goblet drum) in Iran at the age of ten, Tabassian's rhythmic journey would later begin...

Reviewed by Charlie Cawood in issue: June/2021

Review of Lala Belu

Lala Belu

Hailu Mergia

Awesome Tapes from Africa

Rating: ★★★★

After reissuing three of Hailu Mergia's classic albums to great success, Awesome Tapes From Africa have taken the veteran Ethiopian...

Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: April/2018

Review of Apala: Apala Groups in Nigeria 1967-70

Apala: Apala Groups in Nigeria 1967-70

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Soul Jazz Records

Rating: ★★★★

Apala is a style of call-and-response music popular in the Islamic culture of the Yoruba population of south-west Nigeria. It...

Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: May/2020

Review of Roll Up the Night Sky

Roll Up the Night Sky

Dana Sipos

Muddy Roots Records

Rating: ★★★

Canadian Dana Sipos has one of those voices usually described in words such as ethereal, ghostly, pastoral or ‘almost identical...

Reviewed by Doug Deloach in issue: October/2015

Review of Carta a mi Amada

Carta a mi Amada

Encuentro Tango Quintet

Buda Musique

Rating: ★★★★

The ultimate world music, tango had crossed the globe many decades before any such phrase was coined. It is a...

Reviewed by Chris Moss in issue: April/2018

Review of Azel

Azel

Bombino

Partisan Records

Rating: ★★★

The music of the Niger-born Touareg guitarist Omara ‘Bombino’ Moctar seems to have captured the imagination of the American indie-rock...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: May/2016

Review of Wayo

Wayo

Moonlight Benjamin

Top of the World

Mas Case

Rating: ★★★★

On the opening title-track of Benjamin's third album, the guitar riffs explode like Led Zeppelin and the drums detonate like...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: April/2023

Review of La Serena

La Serena

Aviva Chernick

Aviva Chernick

Rating: ★★★

For many years, Canadian singer Aviva Chernick was the vocalist with Toronto-based klezmer group Jaffa Road. Having gone solo, she's...

Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: Jan/Feb/2020

Review of Strands

Strands

Tannara

Braw Sailin'' Records

Rating: ★★★★

Marking their second album Tannara, comprising Robbie Greig on fiddle, Owen Sinclair on guitar, Joseph Peach on accordion and Becca Skeoch on...

Reviewed by Billy Rough in issue: May/2019

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