Reviews
Embodied Poetry
The prolific Mehmet Polat presents another album of Turkish ud jazz with inflections of other traditions. Similar to his previous...
Reviewed in issue November/2023
To Those Who Came Before Us
In recent years, this prolific Egyptian/Australian oud player and composer has received well-deserved acclaim for his instrumental virtuosity, as well...
Reviewed in issue November/2023
MLDVA & Çınar Timur
In recent years, there’s been a surfeit of European groups dedicated to recreating the sound of 1970s Anatolian pop and...
Reviewed in issue November/2023
Last Breaths from Aleppo
One of the side effects of the Syrian civil war has been its threat to the rich Sufi musical tradition...
Reviewed in issue November/2023
En Kötü Iyi Olur
Turkish trio Lalalar are a pretty convincing example of how oppression can cause unruly bursts of refusenik artistic expression. The...
Reviewed in issue November/2023
Moonshine
Initially a pioneer in electronic dance music with a specific Egyptian flavour, culminating in a perfect synthesis with shaabi and...
Reviewed in issue November/2023
Jinê
Saîdê Goyî is a Turkish Kurdish musician and a dengbêj, or minstrel. He’s certainly got a strong and striking voice....
Reviewed in issue November/2023
Eyoun el Alb
Born in 1938 in Cairo, Nagat El-Saghira made her first public performance at the age of seven – her diminutive...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
Tuz (Salt)
Cengiz Özkan's eighth album for Kalan, Tuz (Salt), is a lovely collection of ten Turkish folk songs. The album is...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
Marzipan
Habibi Funk continues to deliver on its promise of rare, sometimes vintage, always interesting gems from the Arab world. The...
Reviewed in issue October/2023
