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Reviews

Review of Baarakelaw

Baarakelaw

Samba Touré

Glitterbeat Records

Rating: ★★★★

Samba Touré may have started out playing alongside his mentor, the legendary Ali Farka Touré, but has gone on to...

Reviewed in issue April/2025

Review of Mahavélouz

Mahavélouz

Jako Maron

Nyege Nyege Tapes

Rating: ★★★

La Réunion’s maloya music has provided fertile ground for electronic producers looking to inject the genre’s trancelike rhythms onto sub-heavy...

Reviewed in issue April/2025

Review of Indumiso YabeNguni

Indumiso YabeNguni

Mthuthu

Top of the World

Next

Rating: ★★★★★

Ntuthuko Ndebele – aka Mthuthu – began setting his lyrics to house music in collaboration with various South African DJs...

Reviewed in issue April/2025

Review of A Dance More Sweetly Played

A Dance More Sweetly Played

Kyle Shepherd Trio

Matsuli Music

Rating: ★★★★

It’s rare, as a reviewer, to be sent an album you’ll have on repeat. A Dance Sweetly Played is such...

Reviewed in issue February/March/2025

Review of Ponda

Ponda

Patrick Bebey

Africa Seven

Rating: ★★★★

With Ponda, Cameroonian pianist and singer Patrick Bebey delivers a record that seamlessly fuses jazz, African tradition and Western folk...

Reviewed in issue February/March/2025

Review of Tears of Injustice

Tears of Injustice

Mdou Moctar

Matador Records

Rating: ★★★

Mdou Moctar, dubbed ‘the Hendrix of the Sahara’ for his blistering electric guitar riffs, has, on this acoustic companion piece...

Reviewed in issue February/March/2025

Review of Moda Antiga

Moda Antiga

Lucibela

Lusafrica/Sony

Rating: ★★★

On this, her third album, the Cape Verdean singer hailed as a worthy successor to the great Cesária Évora focuses...

Reviewed in issue February/March/2025

Review of Idrache (Traces of the Past)

Idrache (Traces of the Past)

Tinariwen

Wedge

Rating: ★★★★

With the members of Tinariwen scattered around southern Algeria while they take refuge from the political unrest in Mali ,...

Reviewed in issue February/March/2025

Review of Digital Indigenous 08: Aliyuyo Uyoo

Digital Indigenous 08: Aliyuyo Uyoo

Lulenga

1000Hz Records

Rating: ★★★

This is the eighth release in 1000HZ Records’ Digital Indigenous series featuring local producers who use rudimentary digital tools to...

Reviewed in issue February/March/2025

Review of Vol 2

Vol 2

Nahawa Doumbia

Awesome Tapes from Africa

Rating: ★★★

The Awesome Tapes from Africa label started by reissuing Vol 3 by Malian singer Nahawa in 2011, and followed it...

Reviewed in issue February/March/2025

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