In the hot glove of a sticky East African night, the last act of the annual Sauti za Busara festival takes place. ‘Local’ outfit FM Academia – with over twenty members in the band – are rocking the open-air venue (an old walled fort in the centre of Zanzibar Town) with their unique ‘muziki da dansa’ rumba style, when, suddenly, on stage come literally dozens of the festival’s crew. The now over-crowded hugely enthusiastic stage dances out the last number of the 2012 event. Mark Stewart reports… Continue reading Busara Festival to leave its Zanzibar home?
If you’re going to see Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Contonou at the Scala tonight, I’m well jealous but then, it’s time to review their latest album Contonou Club so I’m very happy.
Get this, Will ‘Quantic’ Holland brings dub and reggae flavours to his Afro-Latin American Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno project; who much better can it get?
Continue reading Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno – Dog With A Rope
As this is on the Sound Way label with a sub-title of “Biguine, Afro & Latin sounds from the French Caribbean, 1964-74″ can you imagine that this CD is totally excellent from start to finish? Well, I think I can say that it’s even better than that!
Continue reading V/A – Tumblele! Biguine, Afro & Latin Sounds – French Caribbean 1963-73
When it comes to Afro Latin grooves and music of black origin Rich Medina and Bobbito are two of New York’s top tastemakers. They are also long time friends and DJ collaborators so you know this compilation is going to be “un poco caliente”
This 12″ release off Brownswood Bubblers Two is a fine piece of “cinematic jazz dance” but you’ll probably be more interested in the Spiritual South’s remix that harks back to the Jazz Room fiesta
Wátina is where the ancient and modern worlds meet, where African rhythms blend effortlessly with Latin flavours. It is full of loping rhythms (familiar yet new), warm, powerful voices and perfectly blended percussion
Continue reading Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective – W?°tina
Don’t expect anything like his re-mixed work of late as this is, whisper it, a little concept albumish
“A burning voice providing us with reasons to live …” that was the first quote I read on Lura when researching the young Portuguese/ Cape Verdean singer who seems to have shimmied on to the Lusaphone music scene, and now the world music stage.
This is Mr. Fukutomi’s ninth album. It’s said to be his most broad reaching so it should appeal to more than his established fanbase such as: Norman Jay, Danny Krivit and Dimitri from Paris
Cuban/Yoruba themes, chants and rhythms, jazz and a dash of the oriental come together in this striking outing from the Netherlands
Continue reading Mark Lotz & Shango’s Dance – Cuban Fishes Make Good Dishes
Meeting people over the internet gets a fairly bad press. However, in the case of the introduction of Chris Thomas King and Paul Murphy the result is an audio love child that is going to be the apple of your record box for some time to come.







