Reviews
Off the Grid
‘The word [Onipa] means ‘human’ in Akan, the ancient language of the Ashanti people of Ghana,’ frontman Kweku Sackey (aka...
Reviewed in issue November/2023
Viral Wreckage
Bisola Olungbenga has all the makings of a new Nigerian star. Trading under the memorable name of Aunty Rayzor, she...
Reviewed in issue November/2023
Yebo! Rare Mzansi Party Beats from Apartheid's Dying Years
Mzansi is a Xhosa word meaning south and in the 1980s became shorthand slang in the townships for South Africa...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
When the Dust Settles
Second albums are said to be the most problematic creations, particularly after an outrageously strong debut, like Balimaya Project's Wolo...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
Hommage a Zanzibar
Awesome Tapes from Africa once again breathe new life into an album that was almost lost to time with their...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
Ago
Brought together by Peter Solo of Togolese funk band Vaudou Game, the five members of Nana Benz grew up in...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
Diré
This is the third album from a highly respected musician from Mali. His two earlier solo albums were produced by...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
Piconema: East African Hits on the Colombian Coast
The title of this delicious compilation derives from the picós, the Afro-Colombian sound systems analogous to their Jamaican counterparts and...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
42 Jabavu
42 Jabavu is a luminously engaging waypoint for Sabu Jiyana's Afro-fusion adventure. Jiyana, a multi-instrumentalist from South Africa, has been...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
Beauties
Aselefech Ashine & Getenesh Kebret
The first full reissue since its initial release in 1976, Beauties features the two enigmatic female singers Aselefech Ashine and...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
