Pachyman Expands Dub Horizons on ‘Another Place’
What Pachyman is doing is too fresh to ignore, crossing enough lines that even the most cynical reggae skeptic will find plenty to enjoy here.
Global Music
Amazonian Band Kayatibu Transmit the Forest’s Voices
Kayatibu’s NI HUI explores encounters between human societies, humans and animals, and plants and humans, and is proudly infused with the Amazon’s life force.
Elana Sasson’s Persian and Kurdish Influences Are Captivating
Elana Sasson is brilliant, and In Between is yet another elegant work treating tradition and high art with dignity and reverence while finding new ways to present them.
Mali’s Salif Keita Sounds Inspired on Irrestible ‘So Kono’
If Un Autre Blanc was Salif Keita’s music coming to a head, then certainly So Kono makes for a soothing and stunning denouement to his recording work
Kinshasa’s Kin’gongolo Kiniata Debuts with Bold Grooves
Kin’gongolo Kiniata translate vibrant existence into thrilling music with a modern punk edge and hope for the possibilities of better things that start from the ground up.
Iran’s Farnaz Ohadi Reclaims Freedom Through Flamenco
“Flamenco allows that raw expression of emotion and anger that I’m constantly feeling, the need to express, the need to fight for those who cannot,” says Farnaz Ohadi.
Raúl Monsalve Explores Vibrant Afro-Venezuelan Connections
With Sol, Raúl Monsalve y Los Forajidos add their soulful illumination to a world in which there are always bright and beautiful moments and music like this.
Derya Yıldırım’s ‘Yarın Yoksa’ Is an Astonishing Dream
Derya Yıldırım is a revelation, an artist with the kind of (literal, figurative) voice that makes legends. She finds deep meaning in everything she does musically.
Florence Adooni’s Astonishing ‘A.O.E.I.U.’ Is Electrifying
Florence Adooni has effortless, down-to-earth charisma from start to finish, from her most lighthearted moments to her most earnest.
Mdou Moctar Mourns with Sadness on ‘Tears of Injustice’
Mdou Moctar’s Tears of Injustice is cause for mourning and melancholy. It makes time for lamentation, knowing there is more to sustaining resistance than fighting with fire.
Kaito Winse Tells Vibrant Burkinabé Tales on ‘Reele Bumbou’
Kaito Winse takes seriously the responsibility of being a tradition bearer while still having fun. Reele Bumbou is a compelling sampler of his skills.
Creole Afro-Futurists Dowdelin Get Vulnerable on ‘Tchenbe!’
Dowdelin’s Tchenbe! packs an emotionally nuanced punch, allowing the Creole Afro-Futurists’ style to develop in promising ways.