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There is something truly mesmerising about the sound of the oud, even more so, when it's the sound of two ouds. Firmly rooted in North African and Middle Eastern culture, the lute-like, pear-shaped instrument is assumed to be of Central Asian origin. Now propelling the instrument into the 21st century are the virtuosic duo of Tunisian-born Jean-Pierre Smadja, alias Smadj, and Mehdi Haddab from Algeria.

Based in Paris, the two master oud players joined forces as [...]

London-based global online music broadcasting platform Boiler Room just released a short feature on longstanding experimental Turkish formation BaBa ZuLa. Founded in 1996, BaBa ZuLa continues to entice crowds the world around with their psychedelic improvisations and explorations and, to this day, still includes the band's lead vocalist and electric saz player Osman Murat Ertel as well as percussionist Levent Akman.

The short portrait accompanies the band [...]

In case you were wondering who's got next, you may want to keep an ear out for Soweto-based afro-psychedelic seven-piece BCUC, aka Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness. “We see ourselves as modern freedom fighters who have to tell the story of Soweto’s past, present and future to the world,” says singer Jovi Nkosi. As such, the band makes music for the people, moving audiences with their rebellious energy and uniquely explosive mix.

"Like its elders, [...]

Now-Again Records and Vinyl Me, Please have teamed up to release "one of the last treasure troves of Ethiopian Funk" by Ethiopian legend Ayalew Mesfin, over 40 years after its initial appearance. Recorded in the 1970's with his Black Lion Band, Mesfin's music "is among the funkiest to arise from Addis Ababa".

With a near two dozen 7" singles and several reel-to-reel tapes to his name, "Hasabe (My Worries)" is the first anthology of his music. Only four of his [...]

Crowned "Best Rapper" (in addition to winning "HipHop Song of the Year" for "God MC") at the 2017 Ghana Music Awards, M.anifest picked the day after Valentine's Day to drop the gorgeous companion video to "Simple Love", off his 2016-released album "Nowhere Cool".

Directed by Makere Thekiso with Motheo Moeng in charge of photography, the short film follows a ballet dancer's supple movements in slow-motion, as she winds her way through a bustling street market [...]

Little seems known about the London-based imprint and monthly NTS Radio show host Death Is Not The End, specializing in "dusty gospel, blues, folk and excavations from the field". If you are into obscure digs however, you may find extreme pleasure from rummaging through the label's Bandcamp page and the numerous releases up for grabs, ranging from mid-20th century Louisiana State Penitentiary spirituals to Mexican mushroom ceremonies and Circassian [...]

In his native Brazil the multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger Hermeto Pascoal is no short of a cultural icon and known as 'o bruxo', aka the wizard. UK-based record label Far Out Recordings recently released a lost studio session from 1976, which was one of our favourites of 2017 and is now a staple of our private record collection.

That being said, early last year, Boiler Room uploaded a 50-minute live set of Hermeto Pascoal and his group performing [...]

Back in June of last year we first introduced Benin's 'Almighty Polyrhythmic Orchestra of Cotonou' to our readers, on the occasion of their 2016-released "Madjafalao" LP (Because Music). That same month the largest and officially the longest active African formation performed live in Berlin for the first time ever, adding to their steadily rising acclaim and rocking the crowds at YAAM Berlin with lively and equally virtuosic aplomb.

Today, we are excited to [...]

This one takes us back in time or forward, you decide. Hailing from the Northern Argentine Andes, renowned composer Gaby Kerpel is somewhat of a musical visionary. His digitalised, imaginary alter ego King Coya has made a name for himself, by blending traditional elements from Colombian and Peruvian cumbias as well as Argentine folklore with electronic music.

His 2009 release on ZZK Records entitled "Cumbias de Villa Donde" features "an accessible yet timeless [...]

Berlin meet Bolgatanga on this recent release via Max Weissenfeldt's Philophon imprint, featuring Guy One. Simply entitled "#1" this is indeed a first for Guy One, "who grew up in remote northern Ghana with no schooling, spending a life herding goats, building his own instruments and teaching himself to sing". At home and in the surrounding local villages the award-winning Guy One and his Frafra music are well-adored by a "fervent following", his voice a [...]

Hailing from the busy streets of São Paulo and "blending West African themes with Ethiopian jazz and North American styles" are Brazilian ethno-fusion collective Nomade Orquestra. In a review for The Guardian, Robin Denselow writes: "This inventive, 10-piece instrumental band match a powerful brass section against guitars, drum and bass, creating tuneful big-band music driven by insistent riffs and constantly changing direction."

What he was referring to, was [...]

Released late last week via Pete Buckenham's London-based, forward-thinking Jazz imprint On The Corner Records (which was just awarded 'Label of the Year' at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards) and whom you may already be familiar with through the Mugwisa International Xylophone Group release in 2017, is the amazingly energetic new "Super Liminal" LP by Afro-Colombian electronic four-piece Penya, aka the band led by multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer and [...]