Please don’t call him the ‘Jimi Hendrix of the accordion’ and don’t try to associate his name with the one of Bjork or even Vin Diesel… because, after thirty years of illustrious music career, Kimmo Pohjonen can be deservedly and simply defined as a unique accordionist. His musicianship has brought...
Interview
Articles
The South-Korean music scene is much more lively and diverse than one might think. There is much more to it than the dozens of girl and boy-bands in glittery clothing who are to be seen dancing daily on their national TV channels. In the alleys of Hongdae, the Seoul neighbourhood...
A few weeks ago, freedom-of-expression campaigners Index on Censorship announced Serge Bambara as the recipient of the inaugural Music in Exile Fund Fellowship. But this was more than an annual prize. Better known as Smockey (contraction of “se moquer“, which means “to mock”), what Serge received was really a lifetime achievement...
“This is NOT world music, this is OUR music! You can’t put me in a box just because I’m black! You can’t put me in a box because I’m African and I’m proud of what I am! Brighton, if you are with us, raise your finger!” With these few words,...
Os Mutantes always were, and still are, one of the most influential bands in the history of modern music. With their career beginning back in 1966, they remain loved and cherished by fans both old and new after over 50 years in the business. The São Paulo Tropicalia ensemble can...
Usually it would be rude to reveal a woman’s age, but there are always exceptions. Especially when it comes to an impressive young musician, composer, arranger and choir director who, at the age of 24, has already released two albums, toured the world, signed for Gilles Peterson’s label Brownswood Recordings,...
Damir Imamović’s latest album Dvojka with his band Sevdah Takht and published by Glitterbeat Records, clearly proves that some musical traditions can never be suppressed. Having grown up during the siege of his home city, Sarajevo, and coming from a long line of sevdah musicians, Damir Imamović is in a unique position both...
With just two songs and their videos, an unprecedented level of hype was created among Caribbean, African and also Latin music enthusiasts. That’s because ÌFÉ are one of the most surprising and promising new acts coming from the Puerto Rican music scene. As their Yoruba name reflects, they are all...
On April 6th, I ventured out to Rotherhithe in the South-Eastern corner of London to meet Namvula, a half-Zambian, half-Scottish musician whose 2014 debut album Shiwezwa received a wave of enthusiastic praise from the press. We meet as she waits to play an intimate set at a gig organised by...
Aziza Brahim’s new album Abbar el Hamada (out now on Glitterbeat) blew us away on first listening with its haunting tales of a life spent in refugee camps. It was therefore a great pleasure to get the chance to interview this important singer. Exiled as she is from the country of...
