Songhoy Blues - Résistance (Transgressive Records)
For the successor of their acclaimed 2015 debut, 'Music In Exile', the foursome making up Songhoy Blues took to London's The Pool studio to record 'Résistance'.
Mark Wonder - Dragon Slayer (Irie Ites Records)
Mark Wonder already announced 'Dragon Slayer' a while back, but it's taken until now for the Irie Ites-production to actually see the light of day.
Mamadou Kelly - Politiki (Clermont Music)
On this successor for 2015's 'Djamila', Mamadou Kelly's recipe - classic Mali-blues - has remained largely unchanged, but what sets 'Politiki' somewhat apart from its predecessor is the fact that for this album Kelly extended his band Ban Kai Na with four American musicians: steel guitar player Cindy Cashdollar, percussionist Susie Ibarra, Daniel Littleton (guitarist with indie-rock band Ida) and bassist Jake Silver.
King Kong - In The Old Capital EP (Old Capital Records)
'In The Old Capital' is the first of what should become a series of EP's on the Old Capital Records label of French producer Judi.
Yaniss Odua - Nouvelle Donne (Caan Dun Music)
With the cover of his new album 'Nouvelle Donne' ("new cycle"), on which a Rasta boy hands over his headphone to a member of the French riot squad, Yaniss Odua clearly wanted to make a statement.
Mark Batson - Music Without Borders (Vizion Sounds)
The name Mark Batson might not ring a bell with most reggae lovers yet, but this young Guianese from the coastal village of Buxton already has quite a career behind him.
I Sens - Cycle EP (Binghi Production)
I Sens is a young talent from Normandy, who in the past still collaborated with his close friend Shifty (Sativa Sound), in 2015 resulting in the 'From The Light' mixtape (still downloadable for free on I Sens' website).
Ifriqiyya Electrique - Rûwâhîne (Glitterbeat Records)
For Electricque Ifriqiyya (during the middle ages Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the name for the coastal region of present-day eastern Libya, Tunisia and Algeria), guitarist François Cambuzat and bass player Gianna Greco (Putan Club) joined forces with local musicians - Tarek Sultan, vocals/nagharat/nagharat/krakebs, Yahia Chouchen, vocals/krakebs, Youssef Ghazala, vocals/krakebs - from the Tunisian Banga-community.
Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Of Ethiopia (Strut Records)
Vinyl collectors and Ethio-jazz fans will of course already be aware, but just about the most iconic album in Mulatu Astatke's discography is 1972's 'Mulatu Of Ethiopia', originally distributed on producer Gil Snapper's Worthy, but now being rereleased by Strut Records in a deluxe version (1 CD or 3 LP's, apart from the original 7 track album, also featuring 7 mono premixes and a selection of outtakes that didn't make the album).
Blay Ambolley - Ketan (Agogo Records)
On 'Ketan', the new album by Blay Ambolley, the Ghanaian music legend pays tribute to his native village near Takoradi in the West of Ghana.
King Tubby & The Aggrovators - Dubbing In The Back Yard + Delroy Wilson - Go Away Dream (Pressure Sounds)
The latest Pressure Sounds release takes us back to May 1982, when a British Channel 4 film descended in the studio of King Tubby in Kingston to make some recordings for the documentary series Deep Roots Music '.
Dona Onete - Banzeiro (Mais Um Discos)
The former history teacher, folkloriste, trade union member, culture secretary and children's author, Dona Onete may only have made her musical debut, 2014's 'Feitiço Caboclo', at the age of 73, the Brazilian seems far from done.
Rafael & Energia Dominicana - Enamorarse En La Playa (ARC Music)
Rafael Wilsikin Medina, better known as Rafael or Rafa, is a new Dominican-Canadian talent with 'Enamorarse En La Playa' presenting a Dominican party starter of a long player debut.
Newen Afrobeat - Newen Plays Fela EP + Newen Afrobeat (Self-published)
Among the afrobeat producing countries you may now also count Chile.
Devi Reed - Essence Of Life EP (Khanti Records/Pias)
To most of you Devi Reed will still be unknown, but if we add the singer is also the front man of French band The Banyans, for some people this may ring a bell.
Quartiere Coffee - Conscience (Pirames International)
After the release of the acclaimed 'Italian Reggae Familia' in 2013, Tuscan reggae band Quartiere Coffee experienced some serious setbacks.
Arthur Verocai - Encore (Far Out Recordings)
With a reissue on vinyl, Far Out Recordings celebrates the tenth anniversary of Arthur Verocai's masterpiece 'Encore'.
David Lion - Mandala (Sugar Cane Records)
For this new long player David Andrew Ferri aka Lion D travelled to California where he initially toured with Jah Sun, Raphael and Dubtonic Kru, but also had the opportunity to work with Sugar Cane Records.
Letoyo meets The Roots Radics - Simple Ticket (Khanti Records/Pias)
Letoyo began his musical career in Réunion, where he already released a first album and EP ('Ecoute' and 'Kér Métissé').
New Cool Collective Big Band feat. Thierno Koite - New Cool Collective Big Band feat. Thierno Koite (DOX Records)
If you after listening to 'Tribute To Ndiouga Dieng', the new album by Orchestra Baobab, you aren't satisfied yet, we can definitely recommend 'New Cool Collective Big Band feat.