Reviews | Songlines

Reviews

Review of Radio Lusaka

Radio Lusaka

Alick Nkhata

Mississippi Records

Rating: ★★★★

Alick Nkhata was a World War Two veteran, a freedom fighter against colonialism, a singer-musician who led the Lusaka Radio...

Reviewed in issue October/2025

Review of Mulatu Plays Mulatu

Mulatu Plays Mulatu

Mulatu Astatke

Top of the World

Strut Records

Rating: ★★★★★

Vibraphonist and percussionist Mulatu Astatke developed Ethio-jazz in the 1960s, and he’s not stopped since, constantly forging new paths for...

Reviewed in issue October/2025

Review of Music For a Revolution Vol 1: Guinea's Syliphone Recording Label (1967–1973)

Music For a Revolution Vol 1: Guinea's Syliphone Recording Label (1967–1973)

VARIOUS ARTISTS | Various Artists

Radio Martiko

Rating: ★★★★

With Music For a Revolution Vol 1, record label Radio Martiko is giving listeners an extraordinary window into a particular...

Reviewed in issue September/2025

Review of Gaudencia

Gaudencia

MC Yallah & Debmaster

Hakuna Kulala

Rating: ★★★★

After listening to an MC Yallah record it's tempted to conclude that every other rapper in the game is slacking....

Reviewed in issue September/2025

Review of Macaronesia Vol. 1

Macaronesia Vol. 1

Entre Ilhas

CAAM

Rating: ★★★

Entre Ilhas is one of those projects that must be praised for its historical and conceptual relevance, being potentially the...

Reviewed in issue September/2025

Review of Toña

Toña

Kadialy Kouyate

ARC Music

Rating: ★★★★

Kadialy Kouyate is a superb kora player from Kolda in south Senegal. Now based in the UK, he's involved in...

Reviewed in issue September/2025

Review of Kunung Tilo

Kunung Tilo

Jali Fily Cissokho

Jali Fily Cissokho

Rating: ★★★★

Singer and kora player Jali Fily Cissokho comes from a long line of West African Mandinka griots – Seckou Keita...

Reviewed in issue September/2025

Review of Sé Nam

Sé Nam

Nana Benz du Togo

Komos Records

Rating: ★★★

The party never stops on Sé Nam, an album designed to sweat to. While there's an edge to tracks like...

Reviewed in issue September/2025

Review of N'Darila

N'Darila

Kankou Kouyate

One World Records

Rating: ★★★★

Member of esteemed Bamana jeli (griot) lineage from the village of Garana in Segu, Mali, Kankou made her debut in...

Reviewed in issue September/2025

Review of Toumaro

Toumaro

Hawa & Kassé Mady Diabaté

Top of the World

One World Records

Rating: ★★★★★

If it wasn’t for Salif Keita, Kassé Mady Diabaté would surely have been recognised as the finest male vocalist in...

Reviewed in issue September/2025

Subscribe from only £7.50

Start your journey and discover the very best music from around the world.

Subscribe

View the Current
Issue

Take a peek inside the latest issue of Songlines magazine.

Find out more