Ah, the beauty of ‘first times’. My first time at Notting Hill Arts Club. Do Amor’s first time in London. And so most definitely the first time that the Arts Club and it’s patrons shook on down to the sounds of Do Amor. Continue Reading

Tuesday night saw desert-blues rockers Tamikrest enchant a sweltering audience with their mesmeric and undulating melodies. With the recent release of their acclaimed Toumastin, the five-piece walked tentatively onto a silent stage and unravelled a slow and captivating “Aidjan Adaky” where frontman Mossa, dressed in a long robe, introduced his deeply hypnotic Tuareg-drenched vocals. The tempo was relaxed, however, percussionist Ahmed Salim and his dub-style syncopation on the calabash kept a steady momentum. Continue Reading

The self-titled album Owiny Sigoma Band presents an eclectic soundscape of musical delights- reflecting a compelling collaboration between London-based and Kenyan musicians. Continue Reading

After Rio, Bahia and Pernambuco, São Paulo is the new hub of emerging talent from Brazil. Over the past couple of years artists such as Céu, Tiê, Tulipa Ruiz and Thiago Petit have formed the new generation of creative Brazilian musicians. In that prolific scenario has emerged Criolo, aka Kleber Gomes (ex- Criolo Doido). Continue Reading

Bursting onto the world music circuit in the late 90s, Franco-Spanish music maestro Sergent Garcia introduced a searing and innovative mix of Jamaican dancehall, reggae and Latin salsa grooves. Continue Reading

Susana Baca is one of Peru’s most acclaimed world musicians, who has put her eclectic brand of Afro-Peruvian music on the map. Continue Reading

The Nascente label’s “Experience” compilations use a simple formula: get someone knowledgeable to put together 15-20 great tracks from any given genre, put them all on a CD, and sell them cheap. Continue Reading

The long-awaited third compilation from the pioneering Nigeria 70 collective has finally arrived. The exclusive Sweet Times: Afro Funk, Highlife and Juju from 1970s Lagos features a carefully hand-picked collection of tunes by series curator Duncan Brooker. Continue Reading

Raf Vilar’s Studies In Bossa opener is a Samba opus that immediately transports the listener to a Brazilian sambódromo, sunny lead cavaquinho presses the song’s chest and guarantees jittery feet. The beautiful “Bossa Me” follows, slowing the pace drastically with only a Rhodes piano accompanying Vilar’s frail, emotional voice. Continue Reading