Reviews

Fanjiry

Damily

At a time when truth and authenticity in music seem more elusive than ever, this album feels like a gift....

Reviewed in issue May/2026

The Road Is Never Easy

BCUC

Two sessions, both three days long, were all it took for South Africa’s BCUC – Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness –...

Reviewed in issue May/2026

Adouna

Cheikh Ibra Fam

The chequered career of Senegal’s Cheikh Ibra Fam includes a bunch of hip-hop albums released under the name Freestyle before...

Reviewed in issue May/2026

Roger Izeidi Presents Vita Matata With African Fiesta

African Fiesta

A powerhouse from the golden age of Congolese rumba. African Fiesta was formed in 1963 by singer Tabu Ley Rochereau...

Reviewed in issue May/2026

LÉVE LÉVE Vol. 2: Sao Tomé & Principe Sounds 70s-80s

VARIOUS ARTISTS | Various Artists

It’s been six years since Bongo Joe’s first volume of sounds from these two former Portuguese colonies in the equatorial...

Reviewed in issue May/2026

Ayô Dele

Ireke

Returning with Ayô Dele, meaning “joy comes to me” in the Yoruba language, Afro-French collective Ireke serve up a suitably...

Reviewed in issue May/2026

In Light

Batila

Congolese producer Batila’s latest release, In Light, offers up a soothing soundscape that connects the listener to the rich textures...

Reviewed in issue May/2026

Diamond Fingers

Mama Sissoko

Among a crowded field of West African guitar heroes, Malian Mama Sissoko stands out as an artist of keen sensitivity...

Reviewed in issue April/2026

Byin Arrivé

Etinsel Maloya

From La Réunion comes an action-packed album featuring eight young musicians, fronted by the punchy Creole vocals of lead singer...

Reviewed in issue April/2026

Tilaye’s Saxophone with the Dahlak Band

Tilaye Gebre

Saxophonist Tilaye Gebre was one of the stalwarts of Addis Ababa’s popular music scene from the 1960s to the 1980s,...

Reviewed in issue April/2026