Reviews

Arctic Spirit

German & Claudia Khatylaev

Arctic Spirit is a beautifully produced CD (and booklet) of contemporary interpretations, improvisations and meditations on traditional Sakha (Yakut) cultural...

Reviewed in issue Apr/May/2012

Diagnostic

Ibrahim Maalouf

Ibrahim Maalouf is one of those quiet, unsung achievers: an in-demand session musician whose clean, spare trumpet playing has sprinkled...

Reviewed in issue Apr/May/2012

Teï Molo

Anyango

Not only is she the world’s only Japanese, female player of the nyatiti (an eight-stringed instrument from Kenya), but Anyango...

Reviewed in issue March/2012

Life in a Day OST

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Soundtracks are funny old things. When they feature alongside a film, they make sense – they’re doing precisely what they’re...

Reviewed in issue March/2012

The Unbroken Surface of Snow

Andrew Cronshaw

Andrew Cronshaw released the beautiful Ochre back in 2005 [reviewed in #27]; seven years later comes The Unbroken Surface of...

Reviewed in issue March/2012

Second Nature

Minor Empire

Recent winners of Best World Music Group at Canada’s Folk Music Award, Toronto’s Minor Empire bring a subtlety to this...

Reviewed in issue March/2012

Rompiendo Aguas

Llama

The name of this duo, made up of Gerona-born Silvia Pérez Cruz and Israeli Ravid Goldschmidt, doesn’t refer to the...

Reviewed in issue March/2012

Moonshee

Moonshee

For their debut album, Moonshee have chosen mostly traditional ballads – favourites such as ‘Fair and Tender Ladies’, ‘Polly Vaughan’...

Reviewed in issue March/2012

Playing For Change II: Songs Around The World

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Reviewing well-mean¬ing musical projects designed to raise money for worthwhile charities can be a critic’s nightmare. More often than not...

Reviewed in issue March/2012

Move

Sultans of String

Toronto’s Sultans of String continue their Spanish-guitars-and-fiddle road trip with their third album. Something of a travelogue that careers across...

Reviewed in issue March/2012