Beautiful sounds from Cabo Verde – served up by a group named after a famous composer on the island, and featuring three of his children working under the leadership of older guitarist/singer Pascoal, who'd studied with Ano Nobo before he passed away! The style of the music is wonderful – a woven tapestry of acoustic guitar lines with vocals, in a mode that has echoes of older Cuban music, but a style that's very much its own – recorded beautifully by the Ostinato label, an imprint we've really come to trust for faithful presentation of material like this. The package features very detailed notes on both Pascoal and the history of the music – and titles include "Mulatinha Vai", "Tio Bernar", "Lolinha", "Sociedad Di Mocindadi", "Badia Di Fora", and "Elefantes". CD

A group with a name that might not easily roll of the tongue, but one who've got a sublime harmony sound that's wonderfully fluid overall – a combination of nine young voices from the scene in Soweto, working without any other instrumentation at all! The combination of vocals almost takes us back to the sound of Take 6 on their first album – and as with that group, the message here is spiritual, but not entirely pointed at the church – with much more of a universal appeal that's perfect for the subtly righteous power of the harmonies! Titles include "Too Late For Mama", "Nomalizo", "My Brother", "Who Knows", "Sip", and "Baninzi". LP, Vinyl record album

Timeless sounds from this legendary group – a Somalian combo who issued all this music only on cassette back in the 80s, and who finally get a proper presentation in a much more durable format! The music is at once ancient and contemporary – with plenty of echoes of older East African rhythms and unusual horn inflections – blended with occasional use of electric guitars or keyboards, but still at a level that never overwhelms the music in the sort of way that certain West African groups were hitting at the time – which leaves the cuts here nice and raw, and with an energy that really holds up brilliantly after all these years. In addition to providing the first proper format for this work, the set's also got some great notes too – and presents tracks that include "War Wayneey", "Umaayey Iyo Abo", "Wiilkii Aan Ku Waashee", "Shavdan Buulow", "Haba Ley Habaaree", and "Ruuney". CD

Timeless sounds from this legendary group – a Somalian combo who issued all this music only on cassette back in the 80s, and who finally get a proper presentation in a much more durable format! The music is at once ancient and contemporary – with plenty of echoes of older East African rhythms and unusual horn inflections – blended with occasional use of electric guitars or keyboards, but still at a level that never overwhelms the music in the sort of way that certain West African groups were hitting at the time – which leaves the cuts here nice and raw, and with an energy that really holds up brilliantly after all these years. In addition to providing the first proper format for this work, the set's also got some great notes too – and presents tracks that include "War Wayneey", "Umaayey Iyo Abo", "Wiilkii Aan Ku Waashee", "Shavdan Buulow", "Haba Ley Habaaree", and "Ruuney". LP, Vinyl record album