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Salif Keita said ‘no’ for many years to recording an album as spare and stripped-back as So Kono, released on the boutique Parisian label Nø Førmat! this April. “I’m not a guitarist. People would be bored to death!” quipped the ‘Golden Voice of Africa’ in response to any overtures to arrange an album for just him and his acoustic guitar. Luckily for us, the 75-year-old was persuaded and the hauntingly beautiful nine songs collected on So Kono are as arresting […]...
The Sicily Music Conference (SMC) is back next week, and it’s not here to dazzle with red carpets or empty slogans. Running from 14 to 17 May across Palermo and Catania, its fourth edition digs into what a music industry event can really be when it’s shaped by place, people, and purpose. No gloss, no glossaries—just real conversations, sharp ideas, and artists who live the realities most conferences smooth over. At its heart: independent voices, regional dynamics, and cross-border collaboration, all […]...
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Yarın Yoksa (“If There Is No Tomorrow”) is Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek’s fourth studio album, a heartwarming and groovy record in which the band continues to deepen its sound. Playing together since 2014, the band has made a name for itself with its soulful, psychedelic Anatolian folk, recording original compositions as well as covers of traditional songs. This album is the first the band didn’t record themselves, having instead captured it at Diamond Mine Studios in New York with […]...
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Kuunatic is the Japanese trio of Fumi Kikuchi on keys, Shoko Yoshida on bass, and Yuko Araki on drums. All three lend interwoven vocals to their sophomore release Wheels of Ömon, which follows their concept debut Gate of Klüna — a mythic tale of the planet Kuurandia. This record builds on the story of that world, its moon Klüna, and its sun Ömon. “Each of its eight songs pinpoints a specific moment from one 45-hour orbit of Ömon” — though […]...
Tomorrow is the day… and the night: Budapest Ritmo kicks off its 2025 edition and celebrates its 10th anniversary. And it couldn’t mark the occasion in a better — or louder — way than by welcoming, among others, Rézeleje Fanfárosok to the stage. Bold, brassy, and deeply rooted in tradition, Rézeleje Fanfárosok are breathing new life into the folk sounds of Eastern Europe. Formed in 2020, the Budapest-based septet rework Moldavian Csángó melodies, Romanian muzică populară, and Balkan dance tunes […]...
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