Reviews

Harmonizing Soweto: Golden Gospel & Kasi Soul from the new South Africa

Diepkloof United Voice

Diepkloof and its neighbour, Meadowlands, were created as new zones in Soweto in the late 50s to accommodate those forcibly...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Tëd ak Mame Coumba Lamba ak Mame Coumba Mbang

Ndox Electrique

This album acts as a sequel to Ifriqiyya Electrique’s recordings on Glitterbeat (2017-2019), which involved a collab between Putan Club...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Noir Anima

Labelle

Labelle is Jérémy Labelle, from La Réunion. On this third solo album he’s set out to formulate the fledgling genre...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Black Beauty

Allen Kwela

Originally released on the Soweto label back in 1975, Black Beauty is a classic album of early South African township...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Magg Tekki

Assiko Golden Band de Grand Yoff

Assiko Golden Band have been a fixture on the Dakar music scene for the past 20 years, representing the Senegalese...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Congo Guitar

Vumbi Dekula

With sharp and clear tones –reminiscent of the sounds of one of the titans of Congolese guitar playing, Dr Nico...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Ya Mizolé

Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin

Having set out their stall with an acclaimed self-titled 2020 debut, feminist collective Les Mamans du Congo (Mothers of the...

Reviewed in issue November/2023

Molende

Titi Bakorta

Sticking true to the experimentalism of Nyege Nyege Tapes’ releases, Titi Bakorta’s debut album, Molende, gathers vastly distinct soundscapes and...

Reviewed in issue November/2023

Source of Denial

Nihiloxica

Nihiloxica were one of the highlights of this year’s WOMAD festival, after their scheduled appearance in 2022 was stymied by...

Reviewed in issue November/2023

Sawa Sawa

Sawa Sawa

Sawa Sawa (‘all together’ in Sudanese Arabic) is a project that unites artists from across Sudan to make a statement...

Reviewed in issue November/2023