Reviews

Change

3PEOPLEMUSIC

Following a recent WOMEX showcase, 3PEOPLEMUSIC, a Taiwanese trio of traditional instruments – zither (guzheng), moon lute (zhongruan) and flutes...

Reviewed in issue February/March/2026

Soul Ecstasy

Chandrika Tandon

Grammy Award winner Chandrika Tandon’s new album – glowingly titled Soul Ecstasy – provides exactly as promised. Describing herself as...

Reviewed in issue January/2026

Jogkauns

Jasdeep Singh Degun

Jasdeep is perhaps the leading British sitarist under 40. Surprisingly, this is only his second album, three years after his...

Reviewed in issue January/2026

Sangat

Qais Essar & Sonny Singh

Sikh founder Guru Nanak’s retinue included a Muslim rabab (Afghan lute) player. Inspired by this, Sangat makes a pitch for...

Reviewed in issue January/2026

Masonolay i Cepo’

Outlet Drift

The message is a celebration of Taiwan’s Indigenous culture. The medium is rock. Outlet Drift is a trio from Taiwan’s...

Reviewed in issue January/2026

Thar Ro Prem

Mai Dhai

Mai Dhai is an elder (reports of her age span from 81 to 106) of the Manganiyar, a community of...

Reviewed in issue December/2025

Tu

Yijia

The Chinese character from which this album takes its name refers to soil and carries an association with outmoded things....

Reviewed in issue December/2025

Transcendent Phoenix

Lucina Yue

This is the debut album of Lucina Yue, a player of the Chinese harp, konghou. Mastered by multi-Grammy-winning engineer Alan...

Reviewed in issue December/2025

Mehfil

Vidhya Gopal

Based in Mumbai, architect turned vocalist/songwriter Vidhya Gopal has a lifelong adoration for Hindustani music, lending her a variety of...

Reviewed in issue December/2025

Music from the Dunhuang Caves / Seeking the Tao of Strings

Wu Man

Wu Man, a contemporary master of the pipa (the Chinese lute) has recently released two albums that demonstrate her fascinating...

Reviewed in issue August/2025