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Lovely vocals from Mayra Andrade – a singer who's been bubbling under for the past few years, and emerges here with a really strong debut for the US market! Mayra's got a very transatlantic pedigree – with roots both in Brazil and Cuba, as well as Cape Verde – and a fair bit of... read more

A wonderful collection of work from Balla Et Ses Balladins – one of the leading group on the Guinean scene during its "authenticite" years of the 60s and 70s – presented here in a massive 2CD package of their work for the Syliphone label! The group have a really wide-ranging... read more

Crucial work from Moreno Batamba – a set that brings together his Sister Pili album with a few bonus tracks as well! The core record is a cracker from 1983 – a set that shows the farther-reaching style in East African music at the time, yet without any too-commercial styles at all... read more

A really compelling blend of sounds – and a set that's billed as a hip hop album, but which is way way more than that – more a wonderful hybrid of global styles, all wrapped up with the crispness of the contemporary Brazilian underground! The set begins with a number that's straight... read more

Great work from this legendary figure in Guinean music – a really well-recorded set that really unlocks the warmth and power of Sekouba Diabate! Sekouba's vocals are wonderful throughout – with a quality that goes beyond the boundaries of language, and holds us rapt through rich... read more

The last recordings of Zani Diabate – the legendary guitarist of the Super Djata Band, working here in Parisian studio with some of his most trusted musicians! The feel of the record is nice and rootsy – very much in the spirit of older tracks you'd hear from Zani, with perhaps just... read more

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A massive look at the music of Franco – the guitarist whose music really helped transform the sound of Africa in the 60s and 70s! The career-spanning set features tracks from three different decades – beginning with some very rough early sides, then moving into a rich array of... read more

Lovely sounds on the kora from Dawda Jobarteh – a player with a touch that's light, and pretty rhythmic too – a wonderful complement to his work on percussion and vocals as well! The set's got a really crisp feel, yet still retains all the best rootsy elements of the music – kind... read more

The first ever retrospective of Issa Juma & Super Wanyika Stars – excellent material from the heart of the early-to-mid 80s! The sound is a nice mix of delicacy and excitability, with a rhythmic interplay between the guitars especially wonderful. The percussion is lighter on this style... read more

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Incredible work from Sory Kandia Kouyate – not just an amazing singer, but also a powerful political force in independent Guinea as well! This 2CD collection brings together music from Sory's best period – very heavy on early 70s numbers that feature enigmatic instrumentation on kora,... read more

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A cool collection of singles from this Kenyan group of the 70s – one that focuses on the group's long singles of the time – and features tracks that not only never appeared on full length albums, but which also haven't ever been reissued on CD! Most numbers are well past the five... read more

Not jazz in any American sense of the music – but some wonderful Tanzanian grooves from the late 70s, often inflected with some really freewheeling work on guitar! The music here is heavy on percussion at the bottom, but has a really sprightly feel overall – perfect for the dancefloor,... read more

Titles include "Bakwetu", "Mukaji Wanyi", "Esclave", "Bokulaka", and "M Fono Yami".... read more

15 years of music from the Syliphone label – a key factor in the musical shift during Guinea's first few decades of independence – and home to the new "authenticite" policy of merging older roots and modern musical touches! The styles here are a great overview of the best... read more

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