World music
Album review: DJINN’s ‘Transmission’ commands an increasingly colourful palette
Transmission perfectly commands an increasingly colourful palette, an enriching conduit to what could be termed DJINN’s equally chasmic sound
Track: Marie Minet’s shimmering ‘Je Serais Tout Se Que Tu Veux’ is a gorgeous indie folk pop track touched with a world music magic
Marie Minet is a Portuguese-based French singer/songwriter with a silky, expressive voice, and her new single ‘Je Serais Tout Se Que Tu Veux’ (I Would Be Anything You Want) is an absolute mesmerising wonder. Intermingled into the sound is an element of African music (particularly Cape Verde) and what I detect to be a touch …
News: Falle Nioke and sir Was announce joint EP; hear ‘Rain’
FORWARD-thinking indie labels are fast beginning to celebrate the soulful connection between dancefloor-slanted electronica and the rhythmic foundations of anything dubbed ‘world’ music. So right on cue Moshi Moshi offshoot PRAH have announced the release of a new EP, Marasi, which will be ready for consumption on April 30th. The new record captures the results …
News: Mdou Moctar set to release a new album for Matador; hear ‘Tala Tannam’
MDOU MOCTAR is at last gathering momentum. Still, it’s been an epic journey since 2008 when his raw, emotional guitar music first began to spread across West Africa via the DIY network of traded SIM cards. Picked up by Chris Kirkley of Sahel Sounds, who sent Mdou a much-needed left-handed Strat, and which label then …
Track: Dear Doonan’s new single ‘Papaya’ is a scintillating slice of world music
‘Papaya’s is a fascinating new single from the Sunshine Coast (Queensland) band Dear Doonan – it has a world music tone delivered in a mostly instrumental bed with a melodic and effervescent flow. A song of many movements, there is an Indian flavour to the sounds with the use of Sitars, and vocals mixed with …
Album Review: Ngozi Family – ‘45,000 Volts’ (reissue)
At times it’s hard to keep tabs on the overflowing treasure chest of re-issues from the ever-giving seventies African rock and funk scenes. But here is one gem that shouldn’t be missed- it’s got pedigree, it’s got provenance but more importantly it’s a blast. Originally released in 1977 Ngozi Family’s ’45,000 Volts’ was a sharp …
Track: Made Kuti signs to Partisan, with debut single
THE RECENT announcement of Made Kuti’s signing on the dotted line for Partisan marks him as the third generation of his family to join the record label, after legendary and revolutionary grandfather Fela Kuti and four-time Grammy nominee father Femi Kuti. The debut single “Free Your Mind” exhibits a myriad of Kuti markers but also …
Premiere: Cable Street Collective reveal new track featuring Gregg Kofi Brown of Osibisa: ‘Speaking In Tongues’
We’re delighted to premiere the new single from London based 7-piece Cable Street Collective right here on Backseat Mafia here this morning. Titled ‘Speaking in Tongues’, the track features Gregg Kofi Brown from legendary Afro-rockers Osibisa, who also co-write the song. Mixing up Afro rock, Soul and a good deal of sunshine, the track is …
News: Mr. Bongo announce new compilation, ‘Volume 4’, for November
We’ve been a fan of Brighton-based record company Mr. Bongo for some time, with many of their brilliant reissues of world/Latin music appearing on our collective shelves over the years; and we’re delighted that their news of their latest release, volume four of their lauded compilations, has been sent our way (plea directly to Mr …
See: Orchestra Baobab – 50th Anniversary/ re-release and archive video for Dee Moo Woor
Ok so this is really heart and soul stuff. The legendary seminal Senegalese collective Orchestra Baobab are marking the 50th anniversary of their ground breaking music making with the vinyl release on World Circuit of their 2002 ‘come back’ album ‘Specialist In All Styles’. The record announced the return of the band a full nineteen …