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Melt Yourself Down: Pray For Me I Don't Fit In
New album: This fourth LP by saxophonist Pete Wareham, Mauritian vocalist Kushal Gaya and co is perhaps their best yet mix of fabulously stompy, staccato, dance-punk, Afrobeat, jazz, with Egyptian and another influences, buzzing with frenetic fervour
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Los Bitchos are ready to party ….
Debut album: Break out the pisco and tequila! Produced by Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, a joyously fun debut album by the international all-female London band who play foot-tapping instrumentals fusing surf guitar, Turkish psych, Argentine cumbia and Peruvian chicha, sporting a chic 60s look
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Imarhan’s beatiful new album, Aboogi
New album: Mesmerically beautiful third LP by the Algerian tuareg desert quintet, all atwirl with superb vocals, clever layering, intricate guitar work, and a somehow wonderfully entwined guest vocal appearance by Gruff Rhys
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Favourite selection part 2.
Favourite albums of 2021 – Part 2: Welcome the second instalment, following Part 1, which can be found here. A huge number of excellent releases, of which again this is just a selection many of which were written during, and about lockdown, but also saw many outstanding voices emerge as well as innovative sounds developed
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Take your pick. Are your favourites here? Also check out Part 2 coming soon.
Favourite albums of 2021, part 1: Another difficult year for everyone, but from soul and jazz, electro-pop the experimental and avant-garde, an outstanding one for music releases, perhaps in part because out of diversity comes great art. Also feel free to explore Part 2, which is now available to view here.
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Houeida Hedfi’s debut album Fleuves De L’Âme
New album: A gorgeous, entrancing debut by the Tunisian percussionist joined by fellow violin player Radhi Chaouali and Palestinian bouzouk player Jalal Nader in a brilliant fusion of North African, Middle Eastern and western styles to evoke the voices of rivers
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The Solution is Restless
New album: Joan Wasser and her long-time collaborator’s brilliant, beautiful, dark, and perfectly paced blend of funk-afro-jazz with vocals, bass, piano, strings, horns, and stored sessions from the great departed afrobeat drum pioneer
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A Touma, the new gorgeous solo album by the kora master
New album: The Malian kora master returns with a new album of exquisite acoustic solo beauty with a title that translates as “now is the moment”
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Little Simz returns with her fabulous fourth album
New album: London’s Simbiatu Ajikawo returns with her fourth album, a triumph of intelligent, tough-attitude socio-political lyrics and charisma, backed with epic orchestral soundtrack with old friend and longtime producer Inflo Sault), hopefully to propel her into world stardom
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Desire Marea
New album: The singer and African queer artist icon from Durban and founder of the FAKA collective offers something truly different with this startling LP mixing operatic voice, disco and alternative, experimental electronica with Zulu language
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Mdou Moctar: Afrique Victime
Album review: Superb new release by the Tuareg songwriter and brilliant guitarist based in Agadez, Niger, bringing new songs about the life of the Saharan region from traditional tender ballads to rocking dance numbers
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Sons of Kemet: Black to the Future
Album review: A wonderful return by the pioneering UK-based jazz quartet after 2018’s acclaimed Your Queen is a Reptile, here with fuller compositions and arrangements, and featured vocalists including Kojey Radical, Moor Mother, Angel Bat Dawid, Joshua Idehen and D Double E
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More of Tony Allen’s work posthumously in collaboration with guest artists
Album review: Entertainingly diverse posthumous album bringing together recordings by the great drummer and Afrobeat pioneer with Femi Kuti, here matched here with guests from soul to hip hop, including Sampa The Great, Skepta, Damon Albarn, and Lava La Rue
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Superwolves by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
Album review: Gorgeously sensitive and emotional collaborative album between old friends, guitarist and singer-songwriter of folk, Nashville country, Appalachian and some Malian in the mix with guest players
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Ballaké Sissoko: Djourou
Album review: This exquisitely beautiful new release from the Malian kora player includes guest appearances from Camille, Piers Faccini, Feu! Chatterton, Sona Jobarteh, Salif Keita, Patrick Messina, Oxmo Puccino, and Vincent Ségal
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Tiggs Da Author’s album covers almost every style under the sun
Album review: Sprightly, catchy and filled with hooks, the Tanzania-born London singer, producer and musicians full debut has something from many genres, from funk to African, jazz, pop, hip hop, reggae, gospel and soul
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Many stories to tell: Witch Camp (Ghana)
Album review: A unique collection of field recordings of extraordinarily moving and evocative songs performed by women accused of witchcraft, taken from where they have escaped to special safe-haven settlements
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Chips off the old block. Made Kuti (left) and father Femi
Album review: The son and grandson of the great Fela Kuti join to present a double album of the good stuff, bringing high energy Afrobeat and singing in English with wonderfully strong bursts of universal political and personal affirmation
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Madlib, aka Otis Jackson Jr
Album review: A majestic journey into sampled and recreated classic sounds with his own original, eccentric twists, Madlib, aka American rapper, producer and multi-instrumentalist Otis Jackson Jr's newest LP is in turn produced by Four Tet
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Emeka Ogboh: Beyond the Yellow Haze
Album review: The Nigerian sound and installation artist best known for his soundscapes of life in Lagos releases a fascinating LP that combines those sounds with electronica to capture the hustle-and-bustle of that busy city
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