THE WORLD'S BEST NEW MUSIC

There are few groups in contemporary music whose work becomes more unpredictable with time. Fewer still who, after thirty years of existence, sound more adventurous, stranger and more radical than ever before. BaBa ZuLa belong to that rare category.

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Often mentioned alongside other internationally acclaimed voices of the Turkish psychedelic resurgence, such as Gaye Su Akyol, Altın Gün and Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, BaBa ZuLa have always ventured furthest into experimentation, improvisation and unconventional song forms. Their music long ago transcended the boundaries of psychedelic rock, evolving into a singular sonic universe where Anatolian traditions collide with dub, electronics, performance art, avant-garde aesthetics and ritualistic trance. It is no coincidence that over the years they have collaborated with visionary artists such as Mad Professor, Jaki Liebezeit of Can, members of Faust and Einstürzende Neubauten and Warren Ellis of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Each encounter left its trace, yet none altered the essence of the band. BaBa ZuLa have remained committed to their own path — restless, exploratory and defiantly resistant to fashions and definitions.

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XXX is the latest chapter in that story. The album moves through dreamlike narratives, social commentary and contemporary mythologies. Pulsating rhythms, transformed saz textures, analogue electronics and hypnotic grooves create a space where reality and imagination dissolve into one another.

Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat are among the most revered torchbearers of Persian classical vocal tradition on the world stage. Raised in Tehran and classically trained under Iranian masters, the sisters have spent decades navigating the strict prohibition against female solo singing in Iran by taking their poignant art to global audiences. Through high-profile collaborations, most notably with the Kronos Quartet, and long-standing partnerships with producer Erik Hillestad and Norwegian label Kirkelig Kulturverksted, their work stands as both a passionate preservation of heritage and a fearless form of artistic resistance, defined by microtonal vocal mastery, profound emotional depth, and open-hearted cross-cultural exploration.

On Heart’s Endless Garden: Woven Verses, Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat reach a new peak of expressive beauty. Commissioned under a Hewlett 50 Arts Grant, the project masterfully collides historical eras, juxtaposing classical Persian poetry by Rumi, Hafez, and Omar Khayyam alongside modern verses.

Musically, the sisters' intertwined vocal lines move with effortless grace, ranging from soaring melancholic calls to intricate, intimate ornamentation. The backing arrangements brilliantly bridge Eastern classical modes with European string textures, featuring subtle modal dialogue, delicate frame drums, and the haunting, resonant addition of the Hardanger fiddle (Norway's 8 or 9 stringed national instrument) and nyckelharpa (a traditional Swedish bowed string instrument, often called a keyed fiddle) played by Annbjørg Lien. Rather than overshadowing the roots of the poetry, these subtle harmonic layers elevate the vocal resonance, creating an atmosphere of deep spiritual contemplation. It is a stunning, essential masterpiece of vocal art and cultural solidarity.

Orquesta Akokán is a Latin jazz ensemble formed by musicians from Cuba and New York, United States. It takes inspiration from mid-twentieth century mambo musicians such as Perez Prado, Beny Moré and Machito. The ensemble, whose name comes from the Yoruban word for "from the heart", began as a collaboration between US based arranger Michael Eckroth, producer Jacob Plasse, and vocalist Jose "Pepito" Gomez. They took a trip to Cuba together to record in the style of mid-century Cuban band music, and put an ensemble together during a trip to Havana with the help of Cesar Lopez of the group Irakere. Signed to Daptone Records, the ensemble has released three previous albums - a self-titled Grammy Award winning debut (2018), "16 Rayos" (2021) and "Caracoles" (2024).

Recorded live to tape at Penrose Recorders by Gabriel Roth, AMÉRICA! expands on the classic Mambo sounds that the band has become known for - blending Latin soul, boogaloo and salsa - all while staying true to their Cuban roots. This release introduces an all-star line-up of New York-based singers including Miriam Elhajli (who draws on Venezuelan, Moroccan and North American heritage), and Carolina Oliveros (of the Colombian diaspora band Combo Chimbita).

Tapping into the raw energy of seminal predecessors Celia Cruz (salsa's definitive global ambassador, who fused dazzling vocal power with joyous charisma) and La Lupe (whose raw, emotionally explosive performances redefined Latin soul and bolero) the ensemble turns the lens toward
something more intimate: themes of loss, upheaval, and the weight of the immigrant experience.

Formed in Seoul in 2019, LEENALCHI is an alternative pop ensemble that revolutionized contemporary Korean music by fusing traditional pansori narrative singing with modern dance music dynamics. Named after Lee Nal-chi, a famed 19th-century pansori master tightrope walker, the band features two bassists, a drummer, and four traditional vocalists. By stripping away melodic instruments like guitars or synths in favor of heavy, interlocking basslines and polyrhythmic percussion, LEENALCHI creates a propulsive canvas for centuries-old oral storytelling, bridging historical folklore and global dancefloors.

Across Sugungga, LEENALCHI undertakes a bold reimagining of one of Korean classical music's five surviving pansori epics. The album adapts the satirical fable of the underwater Dragon King seeking a hare's liver to cure his ailment, transforming centuries-old theatrical narrative into a relentless sequence of post-punk and disco-funk grooves.

Anchored by two driving bass guitars and tight, crisp drumming, the record bypasses traditional harmonic backing to let complex vocal counterpoint shine. The four vocalists trade rapid-fire lines, theatrical characterizations, and infectious call-and-response hooks (most famously on the centerpiece track "Tiger is Coming") bringing vivid physical energy to the ancient tale. By preserving the dramatic wit and microtonal phrasing of pansori within a sleek, sound-system-ready framework, Sugungga stands as a triumphant blueprint for global music reinvention.

Founded by Moroccan vocalist Lamiae Naki and multi-instrumentalist Nat Hulskamp, Canadian based duo Seffarine bridges cultural and geographical divides. Taking its name from the ancient metalworking square in Fez where Naki’s family holds deep historic ties, the ensemble expands outward from traditional Arab-Andalusian and flamenco foundations. Their sound effortlessly weaves together intricate Middle Eastern ornamentation, gritty basslines, and explosive rhythmic footwork. Following their acclaimed debut De Fez a Jerez (2015), the group continues to traverse global traditions, drawing critical praise for their relentless dedication to cross-cultural collaboration and authentic musical storytelling.

Inspired by an artist-in-residency in the Sahara Seffarine shifts geographic focus on Abaraz, from the northernmost tip of Morocco and the Mediterranean straits, toward the Kingdom's southern region and desert dunes. The album brilliantly connects North African melodies with the resilient musical lineages of West Africa, tackling themes of climate change, displacement, and cultural heritage. 

Naki's mesmerizing vocals soar above intricate instrumental arrangements, beautifully underscored by desert musicians. Highlights include opening tracks "Ah Ya Liyyam" and "Shahal Min Merrah" which pulse with emotional depth and urgent rhythms. Later the renowned Spanish guitarist Antonio Rey joinns, for "Al Qithra." Authentic and celebratory in equal measure, the album is a stunning triumph of roots music at its absolute richest.

Formed in Tokyo, Japan, JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra has spent over a decade establishing itself as one of Asia's most authentic and powerhouse Afrobeat ensembles. Drawing deep inspiration from Fela Kuti's Afrika 70 and Tony Allen's relentless drumming style, the instrumental outfit blends traditional West African rhythms with sharp Japanese musical precision and jazz improvisation. Across a string of celebrated releases and dynamic international festival appearances, the Arkestra continues to champion the classic Afrobeat tradition while weaving contemporary political commentary and sprawling, hypnotic instrumental arrangements into their high-energy soundscapes.​

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M'T.T. (Money Talk Talk or Mad Tyrant T.) finds the Arkestra operating at the absolute peak of their powers. Across seven tightly woven tracks, the Tokyo band unleashes a barrage of heavy basslines, biting brass fanfares, and complex interlocking percussion. The title track sets a furious tone, balancing fiery instrumental soloing with a sharp, subtextual critique of corporate greed and authoritarian overreach. Cuts like "Invisible Line" and "Army Of Sorrow" show off the group's dynamic range, moving seamlessly from slow-burning, dark grooves into explosive, horn-driven climaxes.

Recorded with a warm, analog clarity that captures the kinetic energy of a live session, M'T.T. is a thrilling, uncompromising statement that proves Afrobeat's radical global spirit is alive and thriving in Tokyo.

Omar Sosa is a multi-Grammy-nominated Cuban composer, pianist, and bandleader whose expansive career bridges world jazz, classical, electronic, and global folk traditions. Following the African diaspora from Cuba to South America, San Francisco, New York, and Europe, Sosa's nomadic spirit makes him a true internationalist. Known for his rhythmic brilliance, improvisational fluidity, and open-hearted collaboration, he routinely connects disparate cultures through music. We Are Not The Headliner, is the debut release from his East-Bay, San Francisco-based ensemble, with saxophone, clarinet and flute master Sheldon Brown, Cuban baby-bass player Ernesto Mazar Kindelán and drummer Josh Jones..​

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Across 11 dynamic tracks, recorded at Studio 9 in North Adams, Massachusetts, with additional recording and post-production by Greg Landau in Alameda, California the Quarteto Americanos weaves world-class musicianship into a flowing, unpretentious dialogue, capturing the kinetic energy they have honed over their years of touring and performance. Central to the record's appeal is its genre-defying fluidity.

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We Are Not The Headliner delivers a rich, multi-layered listening experience that memorialises the Qarteto's live performance chemistry. Eschewing mainstream contemporary trends or production, they have produced a timeless work that is simultaneously sophisticated, grounded, and profoundly soulful.

Orchestra Mambo International are an eminently groovy Latin big-band, based in the UK and featuring a multi-generational raft of global musicians from the old quarters of Latin music – Havana, Caracas and Bogotá – including Venezuelan 72-year-old lead-singer Carlos “Pachanga” Peña and driven by two unlikely lads from Yorkshire, in the north of England, Jonny Enright and Lubi Jovanovic.

Formed in 2022 by Enright, a traditional northern brass-band alumni turned songwriter/salsero and Jovanovic, Latin DJ, mentor, promoter and salsa encyclopaedia, Orchestra Mambo International’s debut album ¡Apuntalo! is an impeccable set list of good-time, New Yorican era (1970s) mambo, salsa and Afro-Cuban jazz gems featuring a guest appearance from UK flautist Chip Wickham and Cuban singer Claritzel Miyares.

Afro-Cuban, Afro-Latin, pachanga, guaracha, son montuno, big band salsa – whatever you want to call it, however you want to frame or dissect it – this is deftly played, flagrantly hot-stepping, block-rocking, and seriously swinging Puerto Rican-touched Latin music, with plenty of Tito Puente-inspired timbales and mambo shake. It’s dripping with a kind of groove-based, Latin authenticity that the likes of UK jazz outfit Ezra Collective have been impressing upon its audiences in recent years.

¡Apúntalo!, the group's debut album, derives its title from a catchphrase Carlos “Pachanga” Peña uses in songs during live shows, and it captures the spirit of the record and live show perfectly “get involved, lock into the groove, and make this moment yours”. Whilst the orchestra includes a coro (chorus) Carlos is the leading vocal light on the album.

Stella Papalamprou is a Barcelona-based, Greek vocalist, composer, and philologist specializing in traditional Balkan and East Mediterranean song. Possessing a background in classical philology and contemporary voice, her work - spread across two projects: Potanixin and Zafire - focuses on using the human voice as a conduit for living memory and cultural transmission, establishing her as a vital new voice in European root music. Blending traditional ornamentation with refined arrangement, she brings an instinctual depth to regional folklore, here alongside multi-instrumentalist Giorgos Vergos and percussionist Nikos Filippides. Her debut EP Protanixin showcases her mastery of ancient Pontic musical traditions, from the region along the southern coast of the Black Sea in north-eastern Turkey.

Claiming the top spot upon debut on this month's Chart, Protanixin - meaning "early spring"- is a sublime, deeply moving excavation of Pontic Greek musical heritage. Sung entirely in the endangered Pontic Greek dialect, the 6-track EP addresses themes of displacement, memory, and renewal. Papalamprou’s penetrating vocals soar with archaic intensity, effortlessly dominating intricate polyrhythms and modal shifts. The arrangements support songs drawn from living tradition finding new growth and renewal in modern times, with driving energy: Giorgos Vergos’ evocative Pontic lyra and raw, breathy angeion (bagpipe) lock into trance-like grooves with Nikos Filippides’ resonant davul drumming.

The explosive energy of “Trygona” ("Turtle Dove") uses the mountain dove as an emblem of resilience, locking Papalamprou’s soaring ornamentations into the pulse of the Atsapat and Serra dance traditions. In contrast, the poignant “Tsampasin” (The name for an historical region/plateau in the Black Sea/Pontus region, near modern-day Ordu) lays bare the historical weight of displacement across the Black Sea, anchoring its melancholy in Vergos' breathy, mournful angeion lines.

Nuba Nova: the title rings out like a manifesto. Think of it as a transgressive descendant of Algerian classical music, offspring of the Nuba form which gave birth to the famous stylistic movements of Tlemcen, Algiers and Constantine. Crucibles of the Arab-Andalusian heritage of Seville, Granada and Cordoba, established between the 8th and 15th centuries in royal courts and intellectual circles where Muslims and Jews celebrated courtly love and devotion to the divine.

It began with Mehdi Haddab, Franco-Algerian magician of the electric oud, and his ambition to compare notes and share inspiration with the master of the malouf annabi, Sheikh Hamdi Benani. Raised in a rich family of artists (his father a painter, his uncle and great-grandfather both malouof masters), Benani was a noble humanist of the city of Saint-Augustin, El Ghriba and Sidi Bou Merouane. It was a matter of curiosity and intuition. A meeting arranged by David Queinnec, then director of the French Institute of Annaba, helped the project along. ​​The two musicians quickly found themselves on the same wavelength.

The founder of Speed Caravan agrees: “We hit it off right away.” It remained to choose the pieces that would spark the daring revision of a legacy: an attractive prospect for the sheikh, improv enthusiast, movie buff and Eddie Constantine fan. Throughout his career, hadn’t he already been presented as a renovator and put certain “purists” at ease? A choice was made, a mosaic of classical pieces, mostly instrumental, short pieces, songs, and a long suite chosen for its temporality. The challenge? To find new proposals, some totally new combinations of sounds, to revise a well-worn repertoire and somehow give it  a new appeal.

A reformulated work that was endorsed by “L’Ange blanc du malouf” (“The White Angel of the Malouf”, in reference to his white suit and violin) before confirming its validity with an Algerian concert tour.​

Formed in Mogadishu during the mid-1980s, Dur-Dur Band was one of Somalia's most iconic groovesters, dominating hotel lounges, radio airwaves, and nightlife across the horn of Africa. Led by bassist Abdinaji Naji and featuring a rotating cast of virtuosic vocalists, including Sahra Dawo and Mukhtar Ramadan Iidi, the group fused traditional Somali rhythms like Banaadiri and Dhaanto with American funk, soul, and reggae. Following the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991, the original lineup dispersed across the diaspora, but their recorded legacy remains a high-water mark of East African popular music.

Volume 3 & Volume 4 brings together two lost masterpieces originally released on cassette tape during the height of Mogadishu’s pre-war cultural boom. Remastered by Analog Africa from rare original tapes found in cassette stalls and private collections, this double-compilation vibrates with raw, kinetic energy. Fuzzy rhythm guitars, soaring horn lines, synthesizer stabs, and hypnotic basslines back infectious dual vocal harmonies that bridge ancient Somali poetic traditions with global dancefloor rhythms.

Tracks like "Geesiyada Sharafka Luu" and "Dooxa" demonstrate the band's remarkable tightness, effortlessly gliding between polyrhythmic Afro-funk, brassy disco, and subtle reggae offbeats. It is a stunning, essential historical artifact that sounds endlessly vital today.

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With the release of his sophomore album, Amsterdam-based Ghanaian artist Kay Slice is giving notice as a creative force in the emergence of African sounds on the international stage. Growing up navigating two cultures, he initially connected with his roots through highlife and Afrobeat CDs played at Ghanaian family gatherings. Today, he merges these ancestral rhythms with organic neo-soul, hip-hop, and poetry. Slice crafts anthems of cultural connection, identity, and empowerment. His dynamic live performances are vibrant celebrations of rhythm, spirit, and liberation.

I Take U Highlife presents a dozen breathtaking songs that balance reverence for heritage with forward-thinking innovation. Co-produced with Anton de Bruin and driven by a robust Ghanaian ensemble, the album pays homage to vintage West African highlife, radically elevated with modern hip-hop energy and poetic lyricism. Two of the album's highlights, opening track "Adwuma" (featuring highlife legend Gyedu-Blay Ambolley) and "Kwame Nkrumah" (with the iconic Pat Thomas) perfectly capture this cross-generational dialogue, blending vibrant Ghanaian drums and balafon chants with Slice’s urgent, thoughtful verses. Elsewhere, "A-Way" , a collaborations with Jembaa Groove, and "Take Time" , with Peter Somuah, reinforce the project’s expansive, diaspora-facing vision.

Formed in 1993, Salento’s legendary folk ensemble Officina Zoè has been a driving pioneer behind the modern revival of pizzica tarantata, a fast-paced traditional folk music and dance from Southern Italy (specifically the Salento region of Puglia) that was historically used as an ecstatic ritual to cure people - mostly women - believed to be poisoned by the bite of a tarantula spider. Spearheaded by core founding members including vocalist Cinzia Marzo and multi-instrumentalists Donatello Pisanello and Lamberto Probo, the Italian collective has spent over three decades crafting trance-inducing music anchored in southern Italy's heritage. Their intoxicating rhythm centres on driving frame drums, accordion, strings, and visceral vocal incantations.  ​

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On Mari e Marenne, Officina Zoè returns with a commanding nine-track work that bridges traditional Salentinian folklore with the rhythmic expanse of the sea. Centred on themes of maritime journeys, memory, and coastal identity, the album weaves repetitive tamburello frame drum patterns with soaring violin lines and accordion swells. Cinzia Marzo’s raw, emotive vocals anchor standout tracks like "Furiusa", "M'invento," and "Pipinanà", carrying the ancestral weight of regional storytelling over hypnotic percussive grooves. Rather than resting on nostalgia, the arrangements feel alive and cinematic, capturing the dual tranquillity and tempestuous force of the Mediterranean tide. It is a compelling, deeply authentic record that reaffirms their masterclass in folk trance.

Sheila Chandra first came to prominence with UK-based, Asian-heritage pioneers Monsoon (in partnership with her husband, producer Steve Coe) and their timeless, 1983 album "Third Eye". Born in South London to a South Indian immigrant family, Chandra discovered her voice at the age of twelve and developed her technique whilst at Theatre Arts school. Signed by Peter Gabriel's Real World label in 1992 she released a trilogy of albums of remarkable beauty and depth. Real World label described her talent as follows: "Her...ability to cross continents in a single vocal line and weave seamlessly the vocal styles of the Arab world, Andalucia, Ireland, Scotland, India and more ancient structures...for a true fusion within one mind and one voice"

Chandra's solo recording career epitomises the cross cultural "world music" genre, combining authentic Indian vocalisation with a western folk, Celtic and Arabic inflection. For Real World and Indipop Records, she released recordings of Indian, pop, dance and  drone music, until 2013. However, she retired from singing in 2009 after contracting Burnt Mouth Syndrome (for which there is no known cause or cure), which rendered her effectively mute.

Chandra describes her new release as "a collection of live performances, (that) loosely references the nymph of Greek myth who lost her voice – just as Chandra did 15 years ago," with songs drawn from an extensive search of every concert, TV or radio session recording she ever made. From these she has picked the finest performances, drawing largely from the first two albums of her '90s solo-voice-and-drone trilogy - Weaving My Ancestors' Voices (1992), The Zen Kiss (1994) and ABoneCroneDrone (1996).

Formed in 1992 by Martin Cradick and Su Hart, Baka Beyond is a pioneering world music collective thet connects Western - especially Celtic - folk traditions and the vibrant, polyphonic musical heritage of the Baka people of southeast Cameroon. Grounded in decades of deep field recordings and cultural collaboration, frequently featuring members of the Orchestre Baka de Gbiné, the group has spent over thirty years celebrating forest music. Their signature cross-cultural sound combines intricate African rhythms, buoyant guitar-led grooves, and hypnotic choral chanting, earning widespread acclaim and dedicated global audiences across multiple decades. The music-making 

Marking their return after a twelve-year studio hiatus, Sing the World Awake finds Baka Beyond continuing their decades-long mission of cross-cultural dialogue. The album interweaves traditional Cameroonian and Western folk instrumentation. 

Much of the profit from Baka Beyond's albums has been spent improving things in the rainforest, and a new 'music house' with recording equipment that was built at the request of the tribe. At its best, the record achieves a profound emotional resonance; when the soaring, yearning ululations of the Baka singers are placed front and center, the music is utterly spellbinding. 

However, the collection also suffers from an overly ambitious patchwork effect. Dense, fussy arrangements sometimes crowd out the organic purity of the vocal performances, resulting in an uneven listening experience that shines brightest in its unadorned, roots-driven highlights. 

Formed in the working-class Tokyo suburb of Fussa, Minyo Crusaders are a ten-piece collective dedicated to revitalising min'yō - traditional Japanese working-class folk music. Historically sung by fishermen, farmers, and geishas, min'yō was once deeply ingrained in daily life but gradually receded into cultural preservation. Co-founded by guitarist Katsumi Tanaka and vocalist Freddie Tsukamoto, the group rescues these ancient melodies from dry museum archives and injects them with infectious Afrobeat, cumbia, salsa, and reggae backbeats. By marrying forgotten historical lyrics with vibrant global grooves, they have become international festival favorites and world-music charts regulars.  ​

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Topping the Transglobal World Music Chart upon entry this month, From Japan with Love expands Minyo Crusaders' kaleidoscopic vision with undeniable theatrical charm. Rooted in century-old songs about field work, regional festivals, and local legends, the record rescues min'yō  from its status as a museum relic and reinvents it as a living party. Pentatonic vocal ornamentation and traditional call-and-response (kakegoe) blend effortlessly with blazing horn sections, tropical percussion, and funky, sun-baked rhythms.

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A sly, self-aware humour underscores the entire record: seriousness is discarded in favour of tongue-in-cheek showmanship, syncopated comedic flourishes, and sheer festive abandon - reminiscent of the way UK's Madness took Madness took Caribbean ska and blue-beat and run it through a distinct, cheeky London cultural filter. Traditional chants morph into vibrant cumbia shakers and brass riffs, creating a joyful dialogue between East Asian heritage and Pan-African rhythm. It is a delightfully buoyant, groove-laden masterpiece that proves traditional folk music is at its absolute best when it makes you move your feet.

King Ayisoba is one of Ghana’s most fearless musical innovators and a defining voice of contemporary West African roots music. Hailing from Bolgatanga in northern Ghana, he transformed traditional Frafra music by amplifying the kologo (a two-stringed, skin-covered lute) and pairing it with his unmistakable, raspy vocal delivery and fiercely political lyricism. Blending traditional instruments with raw street energy, Ayisoba has spent nearly two decades bridging village folklore and urban sound systems, building an international reputation for high-octane live performances and uncompromising social commentary.

On Pure Confusion, King Ayisoba joins forces with legendary UK dub pioneer and On-U-Sound mastermind Adrian Sherwood to deliver his most sonically expansive record to date. Sherwood’s heavy basslines, space-echo delays, and deep riddim dynamics wrap seamlessly around Ayisoba’s frenetic kologo riffs and commanding, guttural chant-singing.

Lyrically, the album takes direct aim at post-colonial socio-political tensions, corruption, and land disputes, topics brought into sharp focus on stands like "Property" and the Rocky Dawuni-featuring anthem "No Tradition, No Africa". Rather than smoothing out Ayisoba’s raw edges, Sherwood’s heavy-duty dub wizardry amplifies the hypnotic, trance-like pulse of the Frafra rhythms, creating a sound clash where traditional African folk and futuristic UK dub sound-system culture collide with exhilarating, apocalyptic force.

Senegalese bassist, vocalist, and composer Alune Wade is one of modern jazz’s most fluid cross-cultural creatives. Beginning his career as a young prodigy in Ismaël Lô’s band in Dakar, Wade spent decades refining a signature technique that marries intricate West African polyrhythms with cosmopolitan jazz flexibility. Having collaborated with luminaries like Salif Keita, Marcus Miller, and Toumani Diabaté, Wade has dedicated his solo output to mapping the deep historical pathways connecting Africa to the diaspora. Following the critical success of New African Orleans (2025), his work continues to set the benchmark for organic transatlantic acoustic fusion.

Expanding on the foundations laid by New African Orleans, Family Affair is accompanied by the documentary film TUKKI: From the Roots to the Bayou and an upcoming book from University of New Orleans Press: as such, it becomes the sonic beating heart of a multi-media narrative:  one that brings transatlantic history to life, as Dakar groove and Crescent City brass interact fluently.

Across tracks like "From Congo to Square" and "Twelve Bells Chime Before Leaving Goree Island", Wade’s warm, elastic basslines serve as the anchor for soaring horn dialogues, syncopated percussion, and evocative vocal chants. As the album's centrepoint  highlight "No One Like You," Wade’s fluid, resonant basslines and tender vocal phrasing intertwine with sinuous guest vocals from Moroccan Hindi Zahra, and luminous New Orleans brass, to turn transatlantic longing into pure, euphoric celebration. Closing the album,"Créolez-Moi Ça !" showcases Wade's ability to turn complex historical recollection into celebratory, danceable acoustic swing. It is an essential, joyful record that captures the living lineage of Afro-Atlantic jazz.

Comprising virtuoso guitarist and composer Joël Rabesolo alongside percussionist Tonny Randriamanantena, Belamba is a dynamic Malagasy ensemble bridging traditional acoustic roots with modern jazz improvisation. Originating from Madagascar and based in Belgium, Rabesolo’s fluid fingerstyle technique translates ancient salegy, tsapiky, and highland ba-gasy polyrhythms through complex modal harmonies. Honed across European world-jazz circuits, Belamba’s sound is defined by nimble acoustic dialogues, organic ensemble warmth, and an intimate connection to the living oral traditions of their homeland. Randriamanantena's instrumental contribution includes various Madagascan instruments, including Valiha, (a bamboo, tube-like zither, considered the "national instrument"), Marovany, (a box-shaped zizther) and Amponga (traditional drum).

Vahoaka (meaning "the people" in Malagasy) is a deeply moving celebration of spirit, resilience, and roots in which Rabesolo’s luminous acoustic guitar intertwines effortlessly with Randriamanantena's  intricate percussion and the pair's expressive vocal harmonies, creating music that feels simultaneously grounded and weightless.

Energetic tracks like "Kiliniota" are offset by the delicacy of the title cut "Belamba", while the simple folk harmonies of "Mitomany Ny Tany" contrast with the staccato vocal and percussive rythms of "Sampy." 

Rather than relying on heavy production, the album showcases the duo's mastery, as syncopated string picking dances over shifting rhythmic foundations.. Overall, Vahoaka  thrives on the honest enegry of the live ensemble, evoking the direct-to-tape warmth of field recordings and standing as an uplifting, beautifully crafted acoustic masterwork of contemporary African jazz.

Fatoumata Diawara is a Grammy-nominated Malian singer, songwriter, and virtuoso guitarist whose artistic reach spans continents. Emerging originally as an actress, she revolutionized contemporary Wassoulou folk music with her 2011 debut Fatou. Over the last decade and a half, Diawara has established herself as an elite, borderless collaborator, working alongside legends like Herbie Hancock, Damon Albarn, and Gorillaz. Armed with a striking, sharp vocal register and formidable electric guitar chops, she continuously uses her global platform to confront fierce social issues, from female genital mutilation to the complexities of polygamy.

Massa (“The Eternal”) arrives as Diawara's most profoundly personal and authoritative work to date. Co-produced alongside her long-time creative ally, French pop icon -M- (Mathieu Cheddid), the 12-track record pulls off a miraculous balancing act, embracing a slick, commercially confident global pop aesthetic without ever diluting the raw, subcontinental West African identity at its core.

Diawara and Cheddid use pentatonic scales and Mandinka rhythms to anchor heavy blues and rock inflections. The stellar single "Sigui" pairs hypnotic, driving grooves with blistering guitar lines to tackle the quiet corrosion of polygamous family dynamics. Elsewhere, the album dives into deep reservoirs of grief and resilience. On the shattering "Denko," sung in Bambara, Diawara delivers a quiet but devastating social critique regarding the isolating burdens faced by mothers of disabled children.

What places Massa on a higher tier than her previous records is the sheer gravity and patience of her voice, which carries the weight of a lived philosophy.

Montreal-based, singer and oud player of Lebanese origin, Lamia Yared specializes in the repertoires of classical Arabic and Ottoman music. She is actively involved in projects dedicated to preserving the musical heritage of the Eastern Mediterranean region. Her discography includes Chants des Trois Cours (2019), Ottoman Splendours (2022), recorded in collaboration with Didem Başar and guests, as well as From Minho to Euphrates (2025), in collaboration with Efrén López and guests. She has performed at numerous festivals in Canada and internationally. As both an artistic curator and performer, Lamia brings together outstanding artists from diverse cultural backgrounds and has been invited to present her projects through international collaborations with ensembles such as Takht Attourath (France), and Canada's Ensemble Scholastica, Labyrinth Ontario, Ensemble La Cigale, and the Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal.

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Rooted in Ottoman Turkish and Arabic classical repertoires, and in dialogue with the Italian Trecento, this recording brings together Lamia Yared (vocals, composition) alongside an ensemble of distinguished collaborators: Antonino Anastasia (tamburello, riqq), Nikos Andrikos (lavta), Volkan Ertem (cello), Peppe Frana (lute, oud, arrangement), Savaş Özkök (kanun), Fahrettin Yarkın (daîre, bendir), and Nağme Yarkın (Istanbul kemençe).

At the crossroads of Istanbul, Florence, and the Mashreq, the album unfolds as a musical journey shaped through both collective and individual arrangements. Zalzalian Crossings brings together muwashshaḥāt, şarkılar, and Trecento repertoire within a modal suite inspired by the wasla form. The program highlights rarely performed works from the muwashshaḥ tradition by composers such as Omar al-Batch and Ali Darwish, placed in dialogue with earlier Ottoman sources, including Dede Efendi, alongside medieval Florentine repertoire.

Despite economic instability and restrictive political conditions in the 1980's, Nigeria’s music industry flourished, driven by a growing network of independent labels such as Tabansi and Phonodisk, which championed local artists and expanded creative freedom. The 1980s also marked a significant rise in visibility for female artists, with trailblazers like Onyeka Onwenu helping to reshape the landscape and open doors for a new generation of performers, writers, and producers.

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Nigeria 80 showcases the extraordinary breadth of this era, with all tracks reissued here for the first time. The compilation brings together essential recordings from across Nigeria’s musical spectrum: highlife greats Victor Uwaifo and Nico Mbarga appear alongside Paulson Kalu, whose personal favourite “Akugbue Nwa Ewu” stands out as a prime example of the style. Prince David Bull’s “Soko Soko” (later reinterpreted in Starboy’s Afrobeats hit “Soco”) features as a key touchpoint between eras. Segun Adewale delivers a driving juju workout, while Lekan Animashaun, longtime bandleader of Africa 70, contributes a late-era Afrobeat classic produced in collaboration with Fela Kuti.

The compilation also highlights more experimental and hybrid sounds, from I.C. Rock’s proto–hip hop gem “Advice” to Evi-Edna Ogholi’s self-produced reggae statement “The World”. The set closes with “Apama” by Ibealaoke Chukwukeziri, the “Apama Boy” from Achi in eastern Nigeria, featuring hypnotic vocals and percussion from his Anaedeonu band.