Reviews
Koya
The affinity between American blues and West African traditional idioms has led to some great recordings: Ali Farka Touré with...
Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2017
I am Suffering
Agongo – full name Jacob Abagnagongo – plays the kologo, a two-stringed calabash lute which is the typical instrument of...
Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2017
Kenya-Congo Connection: From the Archives of Audio Productions, Nairobi, Kenya
There are several compilations of East African recordings that show the strong link between Congolese guitar-band music and bands located...
Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2017
“I Will Not Stop Singing”
As the title states, these Malawian inmates will not stop singing – at least until the 30 minutes of this...
Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2017
Kenya Special Vol 2
The first volume in Soundway's Kenya Special series was released in 2013 and gave us a generous 32 tracks of...
Reviewed in issue December/2016
Nigeria Soul Fever
All but two of the 16 tracks here were recorded between 1977 and 1980 at the height of the disco...
Reviewed in issue December/2016
Urgent Jumping! East African Musiki Wa Dansi Classics
We live in a glorious age, in which record companies are eager to open up their vaults in order to...
Reviewed in issue December/2016
Permanent War
Sir Jean & NMB Afrobeat Experience
This French outfit comprise singer Sir Jean accompanied by the style-shifting brass band known as the NMB Afrobeat Experience. They...
Reviewed in issue December/2016
Manara
Sudanese-American singer Alsarah and her Nubatones first showed up on the radar with their fantastic debut Silt in 2014. As...
Reviewed in issue December/2016
Tambacounda Express
The Lovin’ Spoonful's John Sebastian once sang that ‘there's 1,352 guitar pickers in Nashville’; there are surely at least as...
Reviewed in issue December/2016
