World music

News/Track/Video : Jazz-funk fusionists Caixa Cubo preview new album ‘Agôra’ with hot-stepping single ‘Sábado’.
Need pepping up then Sao Paulo trio Caixa Cubo may help with the sharp grooved energetic funk of their new single Sábado. Channeling the racy pace and dynamism of their home city, Henrique Gomide (keys), João Fideles (drums) and Noa Stroeter (bass) never look back as they switch and swerve through this bustling jazz fusion/samba …

Album Review : Lucas Santtana – O Paraiso : Sophisticated samba pop that goes deeper
It seems a long while since Lucas Santtana first pushed to the front of listening lists beyond the Bahia with his first Mais Um releases. The natural flow of his songs, his giddy experimentation and ability to dig the finest grooves may have come as a surprise at the time but with a back story …

News/Track/Video: Brazilian song-crafter João Selva announces new album ‘Passarinho’ with its soulful title track
Born in Ipanema, schooled in bossa nova and steeped in Capoeira’s heady blend of martial arts, dance and traditional song, João Selva draws from some rich cultural credentials in his music. Add in a willingness to mess with those genre boundaries plus a Bahia to the Caribbean rhythmic sensibility and you get a singer/songwriter on …

Mali’s “Hendrix of the Sahara”, Vieux Farka Touré returns to Australia with new album ‘Les Racines’ in tow.
Legendary Malian guitarist, Vieux Farka Touré, along with his band, has announced a full Australian tour in 2023 from February 24 until March 11. One of the world’s most respected guitarists and musicians, Touré returns to Australia with his full band to perform from his extensive back catalogue and critically acclaimed new LP, ‘Les Racines’, …

Album Review: Mauskovic Dance Band – ‘Bukaroo Bank’: an urgent post punk dub directive from Amsterdam.
Those Mauskovic Dance Band boys are back, back with Bongo Joe Records and back with another fine slice of snappy syncopation. The mischievous Amsterdam four piece, Nico, Donnie, Marnix and Mano Mauskovic, may quirkily take the same surname to maintain their mystique but this time around their collective purpose seems intensely serious. New album ‘Bukaroo …

WOMADelaide reveal 30 extraordinary acts in massive second artist announcement
WOMADelaide today announced a further 30 artists for its 10-13 March 2023 festival in Adelaide’s Botanic Park. Spanning Korean folk to Scottish rock, Americana to Moroccan blues and everything in between, the artists represent the best music, arts and dance from around the world and include Senegalese headliner Youssou N’Dour & Le Super Etoile de …

New Track/Video: Global beatniks Mauskovic Dance Band present pumping single ‘Face’ from soon-come album ‘Bukaroo Bank’
Amsterdam’s leftfield space disco troubadours Mauskovic Dance Band are getting busy. With their new album ‘Bukaroo Bank’ due 28th October via Bongo Joe, it’s time for a second snapshot to cue us up for the main event in the shape of new single ‘Face’ . Streaming now through all the usual operatives, the track pumps …

Album Review: Star Feminine Band – In Paris : Afro-pop energy from Benin’s ‘band like no other’.
If you missed catching onto the joyous pop of Star Feminine Band when their self-titled debut burst onto the scene a couple of years ago, then now is the time to get connected with their second album ‘In Paris’ available from 7th October through Born Bad Records. This all-girl, teenage group from Natitingou village, Benin …

Track/Video: Sao Paulo soul on the rise -Tagua Tagua releases sultry cut ‘Tanto’ ahead of new album announcement.
It feels like a new wave of Brazilian pop is about to break. This year we have seen Sessa’s lush neo-tropicalia impress widely with the release of his beguiling ‘Estrella’. Now comes news from renowned global dance pace-setters Wonderwheel Recordings of the spring album release by Felipe Puperi (a.k.a Tagua Tagua). Acclaimed in his home …