Red Spirit Singers Remind Us That Tradition Is for Today
In its instrumental simplicity, Land of the Sun is exceptionally vibrant, an album in which Red Spirit Singers remind us that tradition is not only alive but part of today.
Adriane Pontecorvo
Adriane Pontecorvo grew up in San Francisco noise scenes and writes about music from everywhere. She is a music programmer and producer for community radio station WFHB and holds a PhD in Folklore and Ethnomusicology from Indiana University.
‘A Strange Light From the East’ Sounds Beautiful, Provokes Thought
Strange Light explores many permutations of mostly English and American folk, rock, and pop, laced with modes, rhythms, and philosophies derived from the “East”.
Frederico7 Offers His Whole Heart on the Exuberant ‘Brasileirôu’
Inspired by the bossa nova and funk legends of his home country, Brazil, and the varied scenes in Austin, Texas, Frederico7 is an artist in motion.
The ‘Sounds of Malawi’ Are Vibrant and Varied
This work connects, bringing global audiences to a new understanding of creativity in Malawi. It deserves to be the first of many.
Firas Zreik Is Enchanting with Modal Jazz on ‘Tarabesque’
Firas Zreik is a much-acclaimed composer and kanunist who draws on his Palestinian roots in his art. Tarabesque is a sparkling example of this work.
Fatoumata Diawara Creates Inspiring Pop on ‘Massa’
Fatoumata Diawara is a charismatic performer whose skill set has extraordinary breadth and depth, and Massa is her fullest demonstration of it thus far.
Khun Narin Take to the Studio for Stunning ‘III’
While all of Khun Narin’s records have been masterpieces, III is their best shot at mass exposure. If there’s any justice in the music industry, it might just pay off.
Ibrahim Maalouf Radiates Joy on ‘Trumpets of Michel-Ange Vol. 2’
Trumpets of Michel-Ange Vol. 2 finds Ibrahim Maalouf reaching out to a global family of fellow artists and lifting sounds of life and culture in Lebanon and beyond.
Rizomagic Build a Brilliant Cumbia Cosmos
Rizomagic open up new intergalactic horizons for contemporary cumbia. One of the most inspired works to emerge from the tropicanibalismo movement.
Odd Okoddo and Ogoya Nengo Give Their Dreamscape an Edge
Even in the ever-changing, ever-progressive realm of folktronica, the sounds of Odd Okoddo and Ogoya Nengo stand out here as exceptional.
Nana Osei Twum Barima Takes Us on a ‘Journey to the Unknown’
There’s a wonderfully guileless quality to the softness of Nana Osei Twum Barima’s steady voice that makes this album all the more touching in addition to its loveliness.
‘A World of Our Own’ Is a Maximalist Folk Compendium
This is a well-fleshed-out picture of how UK and Irish folk revival artists of the 1960s drew from and inspired their more widely recognized North American counterparts.