Reviews
The Sacred Lute
Nour Ali Elahi (1895-1975) deserves to be much better known than he is. The fact that he has just been...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: Apr/May/2015
The Gnawa Berber
After dedicating his debut solo album, the bustling but tightly wound Gnawa London, to his adopted home city, Simo Lagnawi...
Reviewed by Tim Woodall in issue: Jan/Feb/2015
The Missing Star
Carli Jefferson and Clair Le Couteur, aka Lunatrakrors, are an intriguing duo. Based in Margate, they are exponents of what...
Reviewed by Robin Denselow in issue: June/2021
The American Revolution
VARIOUS ARTISTS | Various Artists
The American Revolution, a six-part television documentary mini-series directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, recently debuted on...
Reviewed by Doug Deloach in issue: February/March/2026
The Promised Land: A Swamp Pop Journey
The late Charlie Gillett’s first venture into the music industry involved a trip to Louisiana where he licensed a selection...
Reviewed by Garth Cartwright in issue: Aug/Sep/2011
Thank You for Bringing Me Back to the Sky
The Oldest Voice in the World (Azerbaijan)
The music we call global should thank the heavens, really, for the Grammy-winning producer and field recordist Ian Brennan, who...
Reviewed by Jane Cornwell in issue: July/2023
Byin Arrivé
From La Réunion comes an action-packed album featuring eight young musicians, fronted by the punchy Creole vocals of lead singer...
Reviewed by Clyde Macfarlane in issue: April/2026
The Art of the Ajaeng Sanjo
The Yueshu, a 12th-century Chinese encyclopedia of music, refers to the Chinese ajaeng as being a zither that ‘creaks’. The...
Reviewed by Keith Howard in issue: March/2013
The Night Dwells in the Day
Jozef Van Wissem | Jozef van Wissem
Josef Van Wissem is on a mission, to transform the image of that ancient instrument, the lute, and “to update...
Reviewed by Robin Denselow in issue: March/2024
Wapna’kik: The People of the Dawn
The Mi’kmaw people have lived on the eastern coasts of Canada from New Brunswick to Newfoundland since time immemorial, fishing,...
Reviewed by Devon Léger in issue: May/2025
