Joel Dwek
TUNISIA: The Astounding Eyes Of Rita - Anouar Brahem
The oud pioneer manages to create a softly smooth album of intricately constructed genre-bending melodies The oud has a long history in...
DISCOVEr CULTURE through music
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Danny Wiser
- Mar 2
- 3 min
ANGOLA: Pretaluz (Blacklight) - Waldemar Bastos
Another Luaka Bop classic, Bastos guides us through the sounds of his life and his country... Before this wild descent of exploration...
Joel Dwek
- Mar 2
- 3 min
LIBYA: Aghany El Thawra El Libeya - Salah Ghaly
This album of good Arabic pop songs may provide an easy entry point into the wider world of this rich genre When I first listened to...
Joel Dwek
- Feb 28
- 5 min
ZAMBIA: The Return - Sampa The Great
This behemoth rap record masterfully combines a whole range of genres into hip-hop, while retaining a firm worldview Events, dear boy....
Joel Dwek
- Feb 20
- 3 min
MAURITANIA: Arbina - Noura Mint Seymali
Adapting the music of West Africa's griots for the modern day can be a challenge, but Noura Mint Seymali proves herself worthy Like many...
Joel Dwek
- Feb 16
- 5 min
LIBERIA: Take A Look Outside - Kapingbdi
Liberia's only funk-rock band dazzle on this album which remained hidden away for decades During the course of Danny and I searching for...
Joel Dwek & Danny Wiser
- Feb 15
- 7 min
PALESTINE: Dabke On The Moon - DAM
Hard-hitting political rap music is the order of the day with these Arabic-language hip-hop pioneers When reviewing an album as political...
Danny Wiser
- Jan 27
- 3 min
THE GAMBIA: Jaliya - Malamini Jobarteh & Dembo Konte
The brothers record centuries of inherited musical wisdom on this pleasant kora album A trend one might expect to find when searching for...
Joel Dwek
- Jan 20
- 3 min
ERITREA: Numey - Faytinga
On this solo record, the Eritrean vocalist proudly sings the songs of her people We try to be as positive as possible on this site. I...
Joel Dwek
- Jan 18
- 3 min
GHANA: Kologo - Alostmen
Highlighting an ancient musical form and fusing it with modern sounds, this Ghanaian four-piece take the kologo into the 21st Century...
Danny Wiser
- Jan 10
- 3 min
MOZAMBIQUE: Majurugenta - Ghorwane
Dance or cry to this beautiful album, Majurugenta reminds us of Mozambique's challenging past and shows off the work of a phenomenal...
Joel Dwek
- Jan 6
- 3 min
NIGER: Houmeissa - Hama
Putting his own spin on both electronic music and the folk traditions of Niger, Hama has created an singular album that is all his own...
Danny Wiser
- Dec 31, 2021
- 3 min
GABON: Patience Dabany - Patience Dabany
Once part of the elite in Gabonese society, Dabany proves it was worth breaking free from the shackles of her former life with the...
Danny Wiser
- Nov 22, 2021
- 7 min
NAMIBIA: Black Colonialists - Black Vulcanite
A whirlwind ride through many important themes, the hip-hop collective create innovative rhythms whilst always speaking truth to power...
Danny Wiser
- Nov 17, 2021
- 3 min
MOROCCO/FRANCE: Nayda! - Bab L'Bluz
Touted as 'psychedelic Gnawa blues', but what does that actually mean? Many nations hold a proud tradition of ritual poetry being sung to...
Danny Wiser
- Aug 30, 2021
- 5 min
ZIMBABWE: Ammartia - Ammara Brown
Informally labelled as Zimbabwe's "Queen of Pop", Brown earns her crown on this magnificent debut attempt In my first forays into...
Joel Dwek
- Aug 21, 2021
- 4 min
SOMALIA: Volume 5 - Dur-Dur Band
Kick back, relax, and maybe even dance along to some disco funk from a time in Somalia's history where briefly musical creativity was...
Danny Wiser
- Aug 20, 2021
- 3 min
SEYCHELLES: Black Queen - Dezil'
Party rhythms and good times in store on an album with a much faster tempo than its makers' homeland's giant tortoises As a big reggae...
Joel Dwek
- Aug 18, 2021
- 3 min
BURUNDI: Les Maitres-Tambours du Burundi - Les Maitres-Tambours du Burundi
Known primarily for their show-stopping live act, these Burundian cultural icons struggle to transfer their palpable stage presence to...
Joel Dwek
- Aug 16, 2021
- 4 min
IVORY COAST: Djekpa La You - Dobet Gnahoré
An unorthodox musical education and a fiery natural talent make for an album that mixes a wide range of African styles within a modern...