Table of contents for November 2024 in Songlines

When I got into Latin American music in a big way, there was always an elephant in the room: salsa. Tropicália I got from the get-go, it was just a short skip over from the 60s psych I had listened to as a kid. Cumbia had a hard-hitting beat I could understand. Mambo simply swung. Nueva canción and the aching tones of Atahualpa Yupanqui was beautiful guitar-based music to a boy who grew up worshipping guitars. Then there are the myriad percussive Afro-Latin styles that shook you from the get-go. But salsa, I couldn’t get it. It was music to dance to, but I couldn’t dance to it. And when I heard it, it was too often smothered in romantic schmaltz, plagued by a tinny, in-your-face production. Then I saw…

On sale November 1 Guitar is taking centre-stage with the Best 50 Guitarists in the World, a long read on Mdou Moctar, Bombino and the Niger guitar bands leading a new wave of African desert blues (also discussing the military coup in Niger) and a Beginner’s Guide on renegade guitarist Marc Ribot. We speak to sevdah revivalists Mostar Sevdah Reunion about their 25th-anniversary album, talk to Seckou Keita about a new release exploring his love of Afro pop, and hear from ganavya, an exciting new voice uniting spiritual jazz with South Asian classical traditions. Plus, Warsaw’s street music, the best Latin jazz crossover albums, Irish blues guitar prodigy Muireann Bradley and the artists bringing Québec, Canada to life.…

Born in Niterói, across Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro, Mendes started frequenting Rio’s hotspots in 1959 as a budding pianist. He was a jazz fan first, citing Horace Silver and Bud Powell as two early influences, but like so many, he joined the bossa nova path being forged by Antônio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto. By 1961, he was a regular along the infamous Beco das Garrafas alley, where he led jazz and bossa nova jams into the night. In 1962, he was the opening act at the Carnegie Hall in New York for the legendary bossa nova concert that introduced many of Brazil’s soon-to-be stars to the world. He moved to the US in 1964 and released several albums on Atlantic, but it was when he signed to…

The sacred oak is surrounded by a ring of long white banners. At its foot, in the centre of the circle, is a pile of stones forming an altar, aukuras in Lithuanian, and there’s a fire burning on it. Someone beats a shamanic drum and there is chanting. Herbs and grain are sprinkled on the fire. It’s very crowded, so it’s hard to see exactly what’s going on. But the fire will be tended and kept burning throughout the four days of this festival. This is the opening of Menuo Juodaragis (MJR) or Black-Horned Moon, one of the biggest festivals in Lithuania – held for the past few years on a small island in a lake in the north of the country. It celebrates pagan culture and the fact that…

We review full-length world music, roots and folk albums (not singles or EPs), available on CD, digital or vinyl. Please note we only accept digital submissions. Email details of albums to reviews@songlines.co.uk for consideration África Negra Antologia, Vol 2 Les Disques Bongo Joe Les Disques Bongo Joe and crate-digger DJ Tom B seem to be on a mission to bring wider attention to the vintage music of São Tomé and Príncipe. This is their fifth such album, and their second compilation from the group África Negra. While Antologia Vol 1 focused on the band’s greatest hits, Vol 2 delves into the miscellany and brings unreleased and more obscure recordings to the fore. As such, there is a bit of a range of recording quality throughout the compilation, but no such…

J’ai Mal à Mon Folklore La Compagnie du Nord Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the Québécois trio De Temps Antan are back with a new raft of songs and tunes from ‘La Belle Province’, all tied together with bombastic arrangements and the pounding rhythms of the French-Canadian foot percussion, podorythmie. Each artist in the trio, Pierre-Luc Dupuis on harmonica and accordion, guitarist Éric Beaudry, and fiddler David Boulanger, is a leading light of the tradition, but the group excels here at crafting huge arrangements for such a small band. With a robust masculinity behind their singing, it’s perhaps no surprise that the songs here are mostly upbeat, specialising in Québec’s tongue-twisting, speed-demon lyrics. Going for a vintage feel for the new album, the trio found themselves looking at Québécois prog folk…

A Thousand Pokes From Here Records Pokes’ were typos to 14th-century scribes, and it’s the rough music of a mistaken world, poked through with holes, that’s evoked in Stick in the Wheel’s fourth studio set. Musically, lyrically and sonically, it’s as adventurous and as potent as their award-winning previous, pairing pared-back acoustic folk song with angular guitar-driven beats and sheets of industrial electronica, evoking the tension of forces in huge machines of uncertain purpose. Stick is a band that like to reach out. Parallel to their three studio albums – 2015’s From Here, which won them the fRoots Album of the Year and Mojo Folk Album of the Year; 2018’s Follow Them True, which explored ritual and cycle and included a version of the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance; and 2020’s…

Akram Abdulfattah Abu Kenda Levantine and Empire Palestinian-American violinist Akram Abdulfattah returns with a first release since his 2022 EP From Here. Abu Kenda (Kenda’s Father) is a great blend and fusion of different styles, including jazz, rock’n’roll, and Palestinian and Turkish folk music. The album, we are told, ‘explores the concept of birth in both its literal and figurative senses… amidst the backdrop of war’s devastation and loss.’ Fusion music can often get muddled, struggling to form an identity amongst different styles, but that’s certainly not the case with Abu Kenda. These nine instrumental tracks display a high level of technical proficiency, from Abdulfattah on violin as well as the many guest musicians. Opening track ‘Golden Pyramids’ begins with a synthesiser that’s soon followed by crashing drums and Abdulfattah’s…

Chain of Light Real World Records By any measure this is a huge event, 27 years after his death we have the release of four newly discovered recordings by the extraordinary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. They come from a session held at the studios of Real World Records in 1990 and show him at the very height of his powers. Nusrat’s place in bringing qawwali to a wider audience is the stuff of legend and the performances here show exactly why that is the case. They begin with ‘Ya Allah Ya Rehman’, and as soon as his voice powers in over the tabla and harmonium you know you are in for a treat as Nusrat’s melismatic vocalisations float over the collective singing of the group. This is followed by ‘Aaj…

Viva Tu Because Music It has been 17 years since Manu Chao’s last studio album, 2007’s La Radiolina – but then he has never been one to measure his creative life in conventional record releases. Indeed, at the time of La Radiolina, he told this writer that he didn’t recognise the concept of a definitive ‘album’ at all, finding the idea far too limiting and finite. Rather, he insisted, he was giving us merely a snapshot of a bunch of songs that possessed a mutable life of their own and which would go on evolving and changing, both as he played them live and as he tinkered with the tracks on his laptop, posting new and updated versions online as he thought fit. So before we deal with Viva Tu,…

Through books like Don’t Touch My Hair, What White People Can Do Next: From Allyship to Coalition and Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture, Emma Dabiri has explained the politics of race, gender and the body in the every day – works recognised by the Royal Society of Literature when they made her a fellow in 2023. This continues with her most recent book, Disobedient Bodies, a look at how we treat our bodies in a capitalist world. She argues that increased pressures and ideals related to how our bodies should look and behave are making it ever more difficult to live in harmony with them. Such pressures surround us, whether they’re coming from the wellness and beauty industries, or images of vague acquaintances on social media. ‘Choices…

October 22-29 Darbar Festival London darbar.org October 24 – November 3 Sligo Live Sligo, Ireland sligolive.ie October 28 – November 3 Oslo World Oslo, Norway osloworld.no October 30 – November 2 Tromsø World Tromsø, Norway tromsoworld.com October 30 – November 3 Nordic Music Days Glasgow nordicmusicdays.org October 31 – November 2 Other Voices Cardigan Aberteifi/Cardigan othervoices.ie November 1-3 Taragalte M’Hamid el Ghizlane, Morocco taragalte.org November 5-10 Pitchfork Music Festival London London pitchforkmusicfestival.co.uk November 7-10 Fiddle Hell Westford, MA, US fiddlehell.org November 7-10 Le Guess Who? Utrecht, Netherlands leguesswho.nl November 7-11 Ennis Trad Fest Ennis, Ireland ennistradfest.com November 14-17 Nyege Nyege Jinja, Uganda nyegenyege.com November 14-17 William Kennedy Piping Festival Armagh wkpf.org November 15-17 Scots Fiddle Festival Edinburgh scotsfiddlefestival.com November 15-17 Spilt Milk Festival Sligo, Ireland linktr.ee/spiltmilkfestival November 15-24 EFG London…

The first blues and jazz recordings date back to around 1920. But what was African-American popular music like a century earlier, in 1820? At the time, people of African descent had already been in North America for more than 200 years. For these enslaved men and women, music, dance and song were key to resistance and survival. We know little about their histories, still less about their narratives. Though artists and researchers such as Rhiannon Giddens and Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje have opened up this rich field of Black heritage and reclaimed lost ground, much remains unknown. I stumbled on a piece of that history a few years ago, in an unexpected place: the National Library of Ireland in Dublin. I was leafing through old music collections, bound together in weighty…

01 Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba Ba Power (Glitterbeat Records, 2015) Bassekou Kouyate has done for the ngoni what Toumani Diabaté did for the kora. All five of the albums he’s made with his Ngoni Ba band could have been included here. This, the fourth full-length, is a fine example of his amplified playing and hard-rocking style which has led to him being dubbed the ‘Hendrix of the Ngoni’. 02 Makan Badjé Tounkara Daba (Buda Musique, 2017) From a renowned griot family, Tounkara accompanied some of West Africa’s most celebrated singers, including Salif Keita, Baaba Maal and Mah Damba, before embarking on a solo career. His innovation of adding three additional strings to the conventionally four-stringed ngoni lends tremendous flexibility to the mix of instrumentals and vocal tracks on offer.…

Known for their hypnotic Yemeni melodies, EL KHAT are touring new album mute around the UK (October 9-19) Tuvan throat-singer BATSÜKH DORJ and French musician JOHANNI CURTET are touring their .gbelerim album around the UK (October 9-26) Set in the middle of a Welsh forest, Gregynog Hall has announced a ‘feast of folk this Autumn’ with shows from ANGELINE MORRISON (October 12), JACKEN ELSWYTH, HARESS AND ALULA DOWN (October 25) and SAM LEE (November 24) Jeremy Marre’s KONKOMBE: THE NIGERIAN POP MUSIC SCENE (1979) documentary, featuring Fela Kuti, The Lijadu Sisters and King Sunny Ade, will be screened in London, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Lagos (October 16 – December 8) Led by composer Rushil Ranjan and singer Abi Sampa, ORCHESTRAL QAWWALI PROJECT are set to fill the Brighton…

ROY FRANCIS CAPE (1942-2024) played a pivotal role in the history of the calypso genre. Born in Trinidad, he was known as the ‘Duke Ellington of Calypso’ as well as ‘the hardest working man on the island,’ a justifiable nickname considering that he played saxophone in multiple bands for over 50 years and released an enviable body of work spanning over eight albums with the Roy Cape All Stars… JOSÉ MAURO (1948-2024): when Far Out Recordings reissued Obnoxious (1970) in 2016 they were under the impression that its creator had long since passed. However, sparked by the album’s release, Brazilian singer-songwriter Mauro came out of hiding, announcing that he’d been working in musical theatre until Parkinson’s disease had forced him to quit music altogether. In 2021 Far Out reissued A…

A lot of big names in music like to work with Seun Kuti, and not just because of whose son he is. Blessed with talent, committed to authenticity, variously given to championing human rights, pan-Africanism and most recently, Movement of the People (MOP), the leftwing organisation originally founded by his father Fela, the 41-year-old Nigerian singer, saxophonist and bandleader carries the Afrobeat legacy like a flaming torch. Scorching the corrupt. Fanning the embers of revolution. Empowering individuals with the sense that they can – that they must – make a difference. Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti, Fela’s youngest, was 14 when his iconic paterfamilias died in 1997. He’d already been appearing with the 14-piece Egypt 80, a mini-me in sunglasses and flares, and while some cautioned against his decision to front the…

100% Sahara Guitar Sahel Sounds Etran de l’Aïr’s job is to make people move, playing at the weddings of the working-class Touareg of Agadez, Niger. And they know what they’re doing because they’ve been doing it for almost 30 years. Now, on their third album, they’ve moved their magic to the recording studio for the first time. Their first two albums were made in their Saharan family compound; this one was born in Oregon and Los Angeles. But their sound is unmistakable – the shrill, scratchy and distorted guitars that bring to mind the traditional strains of tehardent lutes; the piercing, gunshot snares that keep the groove raucous; the circling, spiralling, twirling, never-ending pentatonic melodies; the Tamashek lyrics of love, courage and strength in community: this is Touareg party rock…

Heavier Yet (Lays the Crownless Head) Record Kicks Becoming leader of Egypt 80, his legendary father Fela’s band, at the tender age of 14, Seun Kuti has always existed within the shadow of that extraordinary musical legacy. His skill as a saxophonist and singer has, however, led to a much-lauded career of his own. Heavier Yet (Lays the Crownless Head) comes equipped with the synchronised horn lines, call-and-response vocals and funky grooves synonymous with Afrobeat. Produced by Fela’s original engineer Sodi Marciszewer and executive producer Lenny Kravitz, it has a timeless yet contemporary feel. Kuti retains the political fire of classic Afrobeat. Stirring vocal features come courtesy of Damian Marley and rapper Sampa The Great. Marley adds a cross-cultural flavour to the empowerment anthem ‘Dey’, while the Zambian MC lends…

With a big shift in the political landscape, there’s hope in the air in the United States once again! So why not pick out a host of new albums that use roots music to bring hope and love back again? The rapid rise of Texas-by-way-of-Arkansas roots country singer (and bassist) Melissa Carper seemed to take everyone by surprise, but Carper’s been a leading light of Texas country all the way back to her much-loved band The Carper Family. Still, Carper’s at the height of her powers on her new album, Borned in Ya (Mae Music ). The opening title-track is a fire-breathing, soul-stirring call-to-arms for true folk music fans, saying you need the voices of Leadbelly and Hazel Dickens ‘borned’ in you (as Ralph Stanley is supposed to have said).…

Litto Nebbia Canciones Que No Quieren Morir Vampisoul This 21-track compilation focuses on the solo career of the erstwhile Argentine frontman for Los Gatos and composer of their 1967 smash, ‘La Balsa’. The mix of rarities and well-known cuts reveals a range from rock to jazz-funk infused with Brazilian rhythms. Orquesta Olivieri Orquesta Olivieri Vampisoul The second (final) outing of Herbie Olivieri’s Nuyorican outfit from 1972. Rooted in New York’s salsa sound, there are vibrant elements of boogaloo, chachachá and guagancó, while the acclaimed opener, ‘There Is No Other Girl’, is straight from Joe Bataan’s Latin-soul bag. Sonora Ferreyra Guaracheros Vampisoul This 1961 work was originally released on Peru’s MAG label. Nelson Ferreyra’s outfit gives Cuban guaracha, once particularly popular in Havana’s brothels, a Peruvian twist with the kind of…

Traditional Singing from Dublin Macdara Yeates Macdara Yeates has played no small part in plat-forming a new generation of Irish folk singers via his stewardship of the monthly ‘The Night Before Larry Got Stretched’ singing sessions in Dublin’s feted pub, The Cobblestone, incubator to the likes of Lisa O’Neill, and Lankum’s Ian Lynch and Radie Peat. Here, the self-styled ‘singer of auld songs’ steps away from long-time associates Skipper’s Alley for his debut solo album. It’s a heady introduction to his now bracing, now baleful, baritone voice that sounds as if it’s been dug from the deepest, most fragrant turf. A lone guitar or bodhrán accompanies half of the ten tracks, the others basking in Yeates’ unaccompanied voice. And what a voice. Timeless and as nourishing as a pint of…

Trumpets of Michel-Ange Mister Ibé Long based in France, trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf was born in Lebanon and this is a tribute to his roots and specifically his father, Nassim Maalouf, also a trumpeter. It was he who devised the quarter-tone trumpet that Maalouf plays. In fact, the album cover is a photo from 1925 and includes Maalouf ’s grandfather (third from the left at the back) in the village band in Lebanon. His father said it didn’t sound that good because they didn’t have quarter-tone trumpets. The title of the album refers to Michael the Archangel who trumpets the coming of Christ, as well as Michelangelo, although the music is that of a high-spirited party. It celebrates what Maalouf describes as a wedding celebration, and some of the music from…

From China to Appalachia Community Music Musically, China is vast and variegated and Appalachia much smaller and more isolated. But you’ll find yourself tempted to hear the two as sister cultures after listening to the delightful discoveries shared here by these three women. The percussive playing of Beijing-bred Chao Tian’s yangqin, a Chinese hammered dulcimer with origins in the ancient Middle East, fits flawlessly with the plucked and strummed five-string banjo of Cathy Fink and the cello banjo of Marcy Marxer, as well as with the gourd banjo, mandolin and guitar deployed by the latter two American women on various of the 13 tracks of this album. Harmonic modes and melody lines of the cultures also blend beautifully, so that in one medley of Appalachian and Han folk songs (‘Little…

Musicport WHEN: October 25-27 WHERE: Whitby What the festival says: ‘Held annually in the historic port of Whitby, Musicport offers an impressive range of world and folk music groups, choirs, groups and duos, storytellers and DJs from across the UK and from all around the globe. Musicport takes place under the impressive roof of a 19th-century landmark entertainment complex, the Whitby Pavilion, a unique setting for both audiences and performing artists in its welcoming performance spaces.’ What we said: ‘As well as being part of the year-round local and regional music scene, Musicport has considerable pulling power – attracting some of the biggest international names, many of whom now make Musicport their only date outside of London. Take for example Tiris, the Saharawi refugees; the newly reformed, Paris-based, Les Quatre…

AFGHANISTAN: In a recent edict from the Taliban, women are now banned from raising their voices and reciting the Qur’an in public. This follows a 2021 law which saw the Ministry of Education ban girls older than 12 from singing in public arenas. In a mass response to this, despite the danger it poses, many brave women have taken to posting videos of themselves online singing songs about freedom in protest… COLOMBIA: For their latest global song, Playing for Change have connected artists from Colombia, Angola and New Orleans to perform ‘Ataole’ by legendary Afro-Colombian percussionist Paulino Salgado ‘Batata’… IRELAND: A waxwork of singer Sinéad O’Connor has been removed from Dublin’s National Wax Museum after just one day due to outcry from family and fans, who stated ‘it looked nothing…

Frente Cumbiero ‘El Tereminé’ Fresh off a US tour where Simpsons creator Matt Groening declared himself a big fan, the Colombians return with their trademark mix of irresistible brassheavy rhythms, this time with added theremin. Fanfare Ciocărlia ‘Me Sem Rom’ A raucous ska take on the Spencer Davis Group staple ‘I’m a Man’ from the legendary Romanians. Abigail Lapell ‘Serpent à Sonette’ Beautiful new French version of Lapell’s ‘Rattlesnake’, the sound of the steel string guitar and Lapell’s voice is stunning. LL COOL J ‘Black Code Suite (feat Sona Jobarteh)’ Perhaps more surprising than US rapper LL COOL J making a comeback (if we’re allowed to call it that) is the appearance of Sona Jobarteh on this stunning tribute to Black power. Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek ‘Cool Hand’ From…

Over the past couple of years, I’ve run into the brilliant Estonian duo Puuluup at quite a number of festivals, from Lublin to Taipei, including our own Songlines Encounters Festival last year. Their performances on a pair of bowed lyres with looping technology are being snapped up everywhere. I was pleased to run into them again at the Menuo Juodaragis (Black-Horned Moon) Festival in Lithuania, which celebrates the country’s pre-Christian, pagan past (see p34). They’d come there straight after a performance at the UK’s Shambala festival. “We came from a pink festival to a black festival,” chuckles Puuluup’s Marko Veisson. And it’s certainly true the Black-Horned Moon dress code is pretty dark, along with people wearing antlers, headdresses, runes and drinking from drinking horns. “This neo-pagan thing is big in…

Before delving into their spikily modernist take on the folk tradition, Stick in the Wheel’s Nicola Kearey and Ian Carter emerged out of the London dubstep scene, via the darkly folk soundscapes of Various/Various Production. In 2012 they set out on their own, playing free gigs and home concerts, and releasing homemade EPs. Their first album, From Here, arrived in 2015 on their own label. It was a powerful statement, including their take on The Copper Family’s ‘Hard Times of Old England’, as well as striking renditions of ‘Bedlam’ and ‘Bows of London’. Around that time, Kearey set out her stall as a contemporary folk artist: “We see this music as part of our culture,” she said. “We’re not pretending to be chimney sweeps or 17th-century dandies, but a lot…

Horizon Unlimited Numero Group There’s no question that the world needed this beloved 1979 album by Nigeria’s twin Lijadu Sisters back in the spotlight. Their infectious blend of Afrobeat, disco, soul and rock, delivered with such optimism and energy, is even more impactful now, thanks to Numero Group’s high-fidelity treatment. But the real delight here is that this is only a small part of a much larger project that reappraises and celebrates the sisters’ legacy and their contributions to global music. The beautifully remastered Horizon Unlimited is the first instalment in a multi-year campaign to make the Lijadu Sisters’ entire discography available. Numero will reissue each of their LPs, along with a collection of previously unavailable singles, EPs and rare recordings. This is about more than just bringing music back…

Diego Amador & José Maria Bandera Paqueando MoonJune Records Diego Amador is one of a rare breed: a flamenco pianist. Rarer still he is also a cantaor (singer). Highlighting comparisons of piano and guitar, this album is his tribute to flamenco guitar maestro Paco de Lucía on the tenth anniversary of his death. Accompanying him, appropriately, is José Maria Bandera, the guitar-playing nephew of Paco de Lucía himself. In addition to one original, they interpret a wide range of the maestro’s originals, including the orchestra-backed ‘Canción de Amor’ and ‘Chiquito’ from the three-guitar hero album (Passion, Grace & Fire) with John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola. In place of the variety of instrumentation and arrangements on the originals, the duo here mostly use extended improvisations, with some leanings into jazzier…

Acadia Nonesuch Records Yasmin Williams’ Nonesuch Records debut features the acoustic fingerstyle/lap-tapping guitarist in a variety of solo and ensemble settings across nine original, mostly instrumental, songs. In addition to guitar, Williams plays banjo, calabash drum, kora and tap shoes accompanied by acoustic scene luminaries including Aoife O’Donovan (‘Dawning’), Dom Flemons (‘Cliffwalk’) and Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves (‘Hummingbird’). On ‘Harvest,’ fellow female lap-tapper and progressive finger-style picker Kaki King and multi-instrumentalist Darian Donovan Thomas on fiddle join with Williams to create a beautifully shimmering, sweetly propulsive number. ‘Virga’ features superb instrumental support and exquisite vocal harmonising by Darlingside layered with ambient colourations by Nashville-based synthesizer specialist Rich Ruth. Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and drummer Marcus Gilmore put a fusion-jazz edge on ‘Malamu’. From jazz to folk, blues to bluegrass,…

Marta Pereira da Costa Sem Palavras (feat Iván ‘Melon’ Lewis) Marta Pereira da Costa ‘Queen of the Portuguese Guitar’, Pereira da Costa may only be on her second album, but her trailblazing reputation as the first woman to reputedly play the instrument professionally checks the heights of international stardom. Fresh from her profile-boosting appearance on the viral live music series Tiny Desk Concerts, Pereira da Costa returns with the follow-up to her acclaimed 2016 debut. Sem Palavras (No Words) sees her guitarra portuguesa share stage with Cuban pianist Iván ‘Melon’ Lewis, whose smooth, sophisticated playing complements her potent plucking while spotlighting another of her own childhood instruments. Ambling through four self-penned compositions, she opens with a tribute to her grandmother, ‘Memórias’, also delivering a cross-cultural mix that includes songs by…

From Wales comes the mystical brooding sounds of duo Peiriant in Dychwelyd (NAWR Music ). Violin and electric guitar conjure a luscious tapestry burgeoning in dreamed landscapes and heartfelt mysticism. Samples, found objects, and improvised pieces complement Rose and Dan Linn-Pearl’s love of the folk and classical traditions – all cloaked in an unsettling yet beguiling air. More a piece of sound art than an album, Dychwelyd is eerie, modernist and irresistible. ‘Carreg’ (Stone) is particularly dark and haunting while closing track ‘Spoons’ leaves one feeling playful and optimistic. It’s a softer, yet just as exciting, listen with Midlands-based trio Threaded (violin, guitar and clarinet) serving up an ambient slice of acoustic wonderment with As It Always Was (Threaded ). Occasionally chilled, at times sprightly spirited, As It Always Was…

Avra Banerjee Suron Ki Sayen Avra Banerjee Avra Banerjee is an Indian composer and sarod player based in Australia and he’s got some impressive instrumentalist and vocalist guests here, notably the wonderful ghazal singer Hariharan. Suron Ki Sayen means The Shadow of Melodies and you get plenty of melodies here in a soft, easy-listening style from different vocalists plus sarod, sarangi, saxophone, bansuri, harmonium and more. The problem is that the dominant instrument is an over-florid piano played by Tamal Kanti Halder, although he’s unnamed in the material I was sent. I find the piano pretty hard to take in Indian music, although Banerjee himself describes this as ‘world music’, but it’s of a noxiously saccharine sort. SIMON BROUGHTON TRACK TO TRY Tose Lage Nain Jaubi A Sound Heart Riaz…

Feuilles Fauves Yotanka Records The five members of French collective Lo’Jo celebrate over four decades of camaraderie exploring poetry, music and cabaret drawn from their countless travels. Feuilles Fauves, this latest and 18th album proves their inspiration and creativity has never waned. It is still as bright and free as ever. Titles are divided between Caribbean and South American influences for dancing, ‘Valse Etrange’, ‘Josephine’, and the French chanson spirit, ‘La Koler’, ‘Viens’, ‘Peu de Choses’ (without doubt the masterpiece of the album). They are constantly supported by a rich sound texture where reverberations blend with a lavish rhythmic carpet. Discreet electronics mingle with instruments including Malian kamalengoni, Touareg imzad and Rene Lacaille’s soothing accordion. The clear vocal polyphony of the Nid el Mourid sisters mix for our enchantment with…

Maroc: L’Âme Dansée (Buda Musique, 2005) Part of the Musique du Monde series, this was the album that introduced Maloumi to an international audience. It features subtle percussion by Lahoucine Baqir and was described as being ‘both timeless and utterly contemporary’ in Songlines #33. 3MA Madagascar, Mali, Maroc (Contre-Jour, 2008) The debut album of the wonderful partnership between Maloumi, kora player Ballaké Sissoko and valiha player Rajery. With a string count numbering 50-plus, it was variously described as being ‘African chamber music’ and ‘satisfyingly unclassifiable,’ by the late DJ Charlie Gillett. A Top of the World in #54. Makan (Contre-Jour, 2013) His second solo album firmly established Maloumi as a true master of his instrument with a faultless technique and joyful playing style. Featuring his younger brother Saïd El Maloumi and…

Jon Muq Uganda-born, Austin, TX-based Muq has been making waves in the US with his velvety smooth Americana vocals and sweetly earnest songwriting. At a solo set in Tønder, he was delightfully funny, breaking up his songs with rambling, charming tales of cultural conflicts. Maja Kjær si Orkester One of Denmark’s best fiddlers and an ace composer, Maja Kjær Jacobsen’s new ensemble was full of surprises, using tuba instead of bass and Romanian cimbalom instead of guitar. Lots of fun, and the beauty of her compositions shone through. Xabi Aburruzaga I was enraptured by the brilliant trikitixa (Basque button accordion) playing of Aburruzaga. He also used dancers that leaned towards tango or contact improv. Somehow, it all worked perfectly. Peter Uhrbrand While the Folk SPOT programme showcased the best Danish…

Little has been researched and documented about the way we work and think about sound as DJs and sonic researchers in South Africa. The main way we broaden our knowledge about music is through listening. This is made difficult without access to the music itself, whether that be the original vinyl records, field recordings or oral traditions. Though there is much more work to be done, there is a history of South African DJs, cultural workers and music collectives who have furthered knowledge and influenced generations greatly. The late Donald ‘Jumbo’ Vanrenen (1949-2018) was one of the finest selectors and teachers of music that we had, with an interest in African and Caribbean sounds in particular. Born near Stellenbosch, he spent most of his life in the UK working for…

On August 16, 1819, a great assembly was called at St Peter’s Field in Manchester, to witness the call of ordinary working people to Parliament in order to better represent the North West. The lead speaker was a man called Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt, known for messages of equality and honour and for ostentatiously waving a white hat to signify liberty. Up to 60,000 walked to Manchester on the appointed day from surrounding towns, villages and cities. Newly established female reform societies, co-ordinated and dressed all in white, carried flags and handkerchiefs. The Manchester Female Reform Society, led by the inspirational Mary Fildes, accompanied Hunt to the stage, with Fildes taking a place in Hunt’s carriage. To provide context: Mad King George was still alive, but useless and raving. His son,…