Rendez-vous with Lucas Keen for an appointment to meet the little boat shaped lute played across the West African Sahel since the time of Mansa Musa.   Hear the story of the djeli n’goni, get the job description for a griot, and learn where this iconic instrument which is the…

In our new podcast series, we’ve chosen to focus on who provide us with the precious “raw material” for our listenings and features: quality new music! We are talking about those heroes who decided to launch, nurture and cultivate a record label (better if with an ‘independent’ in front of it). As the…

Electrify your week with Flavia Coelho! On the 20th of February, the Jazz Cafe will shake up your night with a show by the sparkling Brazilian singer. The carioca-born, but Paris-based artist has just released her new album DNA and will introduce it to her London fans with her usual…

 If you have attended any of the previous Africa Express shows, you know they never disappoint your thirst for music. For hours and hours, they stun you with a deluge of quality acts and unexpected collaborations, not only featuring the exceptional artistry of the musicians involved but also their welcoming…

It was another triumphant weekend at Walthamstow Garden Party. Sunbathing in glorious weather and indulging in radiant notes played by brilliant musicians, we enjoyed every minute of it. From its debut, basking in Saturday’s early afternoon heat with London African Gospel Choir and their rendition of Paul Simon’s Graceland, until Sunday…

Walking into the small, church-like Stanley Halls, one could hear the familiar stabbing-horn sounds of afrobeat emanating from the hall. The venue almost juxtaposed the performance on stage; as one entered, a musical, colourful spectacle erupted from the stage, held together with aged wooden beams and high ceilings. The sound…

Black Times opens with warm congas, followed by afro-typical cyclical riffs on the guitar, layered with repetitive female chorus, the introduction of bass and full drum kit, then a short break before bursting full power back into the groove – this time with an added horn section of trumpet, tenor…

BoomTown Fair returned to Matterley Estate in Winchester from the 10th – 13th August for its much anticipated Chapter 9: Behind the Mask festival. A rather diverse crowd of 60,000 excited punters showed up to a surprisingly sunny weekend after days of rain, and to arguably one of the most imaginative…

Are you looking for an anthology of Brazilian music? Don’t try to find it on Amazon or at your nearby record shop… buy a ticket for the next Flavia Coelho gig instead. Because the Brazilianidade oozes from every pore of the carioca singer/songwriter. At Omeara, accompanied by two remarkable music…

IRL’s double album, Terraforming In Analogue Space – IRL Remixes 2000 – 2015 celebrates 15 years (2000-2015) of the unique, Aztec, spiritual sound for which they are so well known. With a tunnel-like soundscape for the listener to pass through, all the while marvelling at the journey. The very best…

There was a time, not long ago, when ‘independent’ was the new hype. During the late-1990s/early 2000s, everything needed to be independent or indie to be cool, almost hipster. Labels, bands and venues competed to be or look like as independent as possible. Unfortunately, very few of those (so-called) independent…

Solo Moderna, DJ Inko, Gypsy Hill and Rumpsteppers have chosen and remixed four tracks of The Discount Orchestra‘s debut EP And She Dances. We listened to them and are still tapping the rhythms, whistling the melodies and moving our feet under the desk following the electro-gypsy-punk sound… are you ready to join us? Here’s…

For the thirteenth year in a row, London becomes the northernmost African city. Twenty-six acts spread over ten days of “glorious music” and ten London vibrant venues will bring to life the 2015 edition of the London African Music Festival. The event, organized by Joyful Noise since 2003, has always…

Gypsy Hill have taken about four years to publish their first LP, but that’s because they like to do things right and properly! And if you were present at Our Routes launch party in one of Dalston’s most vibrant venues you’d understand why. Gypsy Hill are a rising phenomenon of…