Reviews

Spirits

Togo All Stars

It’s easy to overlook Togo, wedged between Ghana, Benin and Nigeria. Musically that places its capital, Lomé, right in the...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

The Father of Libyan Reggae

Ibrahim Hesnawi

Often artists may be hailed as originators of a certain musical style when actually, it’s a matter of taste and/or...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Pioneer Works Swing (Live)

Hailu Mergia | Hailu Mergia & The Walias

Not only did the Éthiopiques series make available a treasure of little known music from the golden age of Ethiopian...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Harmonizing Soweto: Golden Gospel & Kasi Soul from the new South Africa

Diepkloof United Voice

Diepkloof and its neighbour, Meadowlands, were created as new zones in Soweto in the late 50s to accommodate those forcibly...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Tëd ak Mame Coumba Lamba ak Mame Coumba Mbang

Ndox Electrique

This album acts as a sequel to Ifriqiyya Electrique’s recordings on Glitterbeat (2017-2019), which involved a collab between Putan Club...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Noir Anima

Labelle

Labelle is Jérémy Labelle, from La Réunion. On this third solo album he’s set out to formulate the fledgling genre...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Black Beauty

Allen Kwela

Originally released on the Soweto label back in 1975, Black Beauty is a classic album of early South African township...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Magg Tekki

Assiko Golden Band de Grand Yoff

Assiko Golden Band have been a fixture on the Dakar music scene for the past 20 years, representing the Senegalese...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Congo Guitar

Vumbi Dekula

With sharp and clear tones –reminiscent of the sounds of one of the titans of Congolese guitar playing, Dr Nico...

Reviewed in issue December/2023

Ya Mizolé

Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin

Having set out their stall with an acclaimed self-titled 2020 debut, feminist collective Les Mamans du Congo (Mothers of the...

Reviewed in issue November/2023