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Reviews

Review of Bebop Havana

Bebop Havana

Belinda Guerra y Su Cuban Jazz Ensemble

Tumi Music

Rating: ★★★★

On ‘Afroancestros’, the longest and loosest track on this distinguished debut, the young Cuban bandleader shines on both alto sax...

Reviewed by Mark Sampson in issue: February/March/2026

Review of Dislocated Pulse

Dislocated Pulse

Mehrnam Rastegari

Top of the World

Mehrnam Rastegari

Rating: ★★★★

The debut album by Persian kamancheh virtuoso and composer Mehrnam Rastegari is a short but sharp statement, brimming with confidence...

Reviewed by Charlie Cawood in issue: February/March/2026

Review of Invented Folksongs

Invented Folksongs

Anna Pidgorna

Redshift Records

Rating: ★★★

Anna Pidgorna is a Ukrainian-Canadian singer and composer, currently residing in Vancouver. Despite this album’s title, her works possess a...

Reviewed by Martin Longley in issue: February/March/2026

Review of Krope

Krope

Anton Anishchanka

Shatkavalka

Rating: ★★★★

There are three key elements to this environmental journey of an album. This Belarusian sound-shaper, from Minsk, captures carefully placed...

Reviewed by Martin Longley in issue: February/March/2026

Review of Jardin d’ailleurs

Jardin d’ailleurs

Gaëlle Bagot & Juan Manuel Nieto

VeevCom

Rating: ★★★

The piano-clarinet duet format, with vocals sung mainly in French, would not be my first choice, but this new release...

Reviewed by James Catchpole in issue: February/March/2026

Review of Carranca

Carranca

Urias

Warner Brazil

Rating: ★★★

Urias is a rising MPB star who uses her platform to sing about Black and LGBTQIA+ rights, positioning her music...

Reviewed by GonÇalo Frota in issue: February/March/2026

Review of The Queen of Salsa

The Queen of Salsa

Celia Cruz

Craft Latino

Rating: ★★★★★

To put together a mere 12 of the Cuban diva’s greatest recordings must be an invidious task. Nevertheless, Craft Latino...

Reviewed by Mark Sampson in issue: February/March/2026

Review of The Nine Dimensional Pyramid

The Nine Dimensional Pyramid

Seven Foot Frank

Gammalthea

Rating: ★★★

This is an interesting listen; Seven Foot Frank are an Americana trio consisting of Jonas Frank Jirhamn, Lukas Lindberg and...

Reviewed by Glenn Kimpton in issue: February/March/2026

Review of Oberkas Travel

Oberkas Travel

Oberkas Travel

Tańce

Rating: ★★★★★

Oberkas Travel are as close to a supergroup as one can get. A quartet of seasoned members of Warsaw’s alternative...

Reviewed by Michał Wieczorek in issue: February/March/2026

Review of kwaNTU

kwaNTU

Madala Kunene & Sibusile Xaba

Top of the World

New Soil x Mushroom Hour Half Hour

Rating: ★★★★★

kwaNTU feels less like an album and more like an encounter. It brings together Madala Kunene, a significant figure within...

Reviewed by Hillary Palesa Morusi in issue: February/March/2026

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