Reviews
Roots Rocking Zimbabwe: The Modern Sound of Harare’ Townships 1975-1980
Music scenes are strange things, ephemeral and unpredictable. The right confluence of history, politics, culture, migrations, community, geography, trends, hard...
Reviewed in issue June/2025
Our Boys Are Doing It
Dennis Mpale (feat Kippie Moketsi)
First issued locally in 1977, Our Boys Are Doing It was trumpeter Dennis Mpale’s first solo album, although by then...
Reviewed in issue June/2025
Sweet Rebels – The Golden Era of Algerian Pop-Raï
While Algerian rai has often been open to outside influences, the late 1980s saw a period of rapid modernisation as...
Reviewed in issue June/2025
Following
Malian-born Pédro Kouyaté has made his way in music as a disciple of Toumani Diabaté, a member of the Symétric...
Reviewed in issue May/2025
Bagola
Trio da Kali | Trio da Kali & Kronos Quartet
Malian group Trio da Kali have been around for some time. They were at the BBC Proms in 2013, and...
Reviewed in issue May/2025
Full Moon
It’s hard to miss Moonchild Sanelly. The South African singer can usually be identified by her blue braids and for...
Reviewed in issue May/2025
So Kono
Salif Keita was supposed to have stopped recording. The singer-songwriter, nicknamed the ‘African Caruso’ and the ‘Golden Voice of Mali’,...
Reviewed in issue May/2025
Kembo
Jonathan Uliel Saldanha, a prolific linchpin producer of Nyege Nyege Tapes’ back catalogue, has combined with Kingdom Ulfame Choir, a...
Reviewed in issue May/2025
Reele Bumbou
This latest release from Burkinabé musician Kaito Winse is a short collection of traditional stories sung and performed on various...
Reviewed in issue May/2025
Ti Galé
Ti Galé is an album of exuberant solo accordion music by René Lacaille, venerable master of sega, the dance music...
Reviewed in issue May/2025
