Lieve Hugo - Blaka Rosoe En Andere Poku's + Trafassi - Wasmasjien En Andere Poku's (Top-Notch Music/Universal)
Lieve Hugo (born Julius Theodorus Uiterloo), also known as the king of kaseko, Surinamese dance music derived from traditional Surinamese-Creole kawina-music, started his musical career as a member of the Centraal Koor of the Rust & Vrede church in Paramaribo and as a drummer (Hugo played the skratjie, a large bass drum with some cymbals attached to the top) for Sluisdam, but his real breakthrough didn't happen until he joined Orchestra Washboard.
Faya Dub - On The Road (Self-published/Musicast Distribution)
With 'On The Road', Faya Dub, the band which in 1998 evolved from the meeting of saxophonist/flutist Eric 'Rico' Gaultier and bassist Thierry 'Thi' Negro, is already presenting its fourth long player.
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad - Steady (Easy Star Records)
Another American reggae band yours truly hadn't heard of.
Backbeat Soundsystem - Together Not Apart (Easy Star Records)
The fact 'Together Not Apart', Backbeat Soundsystem's debut album is distributed by the American Easy Star Records label of Michael Goldwasser, should not surprise.
Ricardo Lemvo & Macina Loca - La Rumba SoYo (Cumbancha)
'La Rumba SoYo' is without a doubt Ricardo Lemvo's most Angolan album to date.
Kid Dynamite - Kulembanban En Andere Poku's + Max Woiski Sr. - B.B. Met R. En Andere Poku's + Max Woiski Jr. - Rijst Met Kouseband En Andere Poku's (Top-Notch Music/Universal)
In our review of the Max Nijman compilation album 'Adjossi En Andere Poku's' and the various artists compilation 'Sranan Gowtu' we already informed you of the fact they were part of a whole series of releases.
DubXanne - Police In Dub, Re-synchronized by Rob Smith aka RSD (Echo Beach)
In the wake of Easy Star All-Stars releases like 'Dub Side Of The Moon' or 'Radiodread', in 2008 DubXanne, a collective from Hamburg, released 'Police In Dub'.
Aurelio - Landini (Real World Records)
With 'Laru Beya', bringing him to Senegal where he collaborated with Youssou N'Dour and members of Orchestra Baobab, Aurelio Martinez still explored the musical links between Africa and the Caribbean, but for 'Landini' ("landing/jetty") he returned to Plaplaya, his native village in the North-East of Honduras: "I have traveled quite a bit in recent years and all that travelling made me realize that my real strength as an artist , our strength as a culture, in the small Garifuna communities such as my native village.
Pucho Diaz - Coincidencia EP (Self-published)
Pucho Diaz is a Cuban troubadour who after a stint in Barcelona ended up in Brussels.
Max Nijman - Adjossi En Andere Poku's + Various Artists - Sranan Gowtu (Top-Notch Music/Universal)
'Adjossi En Andere Poku's', a compilation of the greatest hits (or "poku's" in Sranantongo) by Max Nijman, Suriname's absolute soul god, is part of the Sranan Gowtu ("Surinamese gold") series, a collaboration between the Dutch Top-Notch Music label and the Surinamese soft drink producer Fernandes.
Black Roots - Ghetto Feel (Soulbeats Records)
With the release of their 2012 album 'On The Ground' Bristolian reggae veterans Black Roots proved that even after more than thirty years they were still alive and kicking, but this brand new 'Ghetto Feel' album is in a league of its own.
Rico & A.R.T. - Irie (Top-Notch Music/Universal)
In hip-hop circles Aruban-Dutch rapper Rico aka Phreako Rico (born Ricardo McDougal) probably doesn't need an introducing anymore.
Tatanka - Tatanka (Roots Musician Records)
The recent flow of reggae releases from the United States seems to be never ending.
Naraina - Ara Toca Volar (Kasba Music)
'Ara Toca Volar' (roughly translated "time to fly") is already Naraina's third album to date.
The Afrorockerz - The Afrorockerz (Buda Musique)
The Afrorockerz is a project around Julien Raulet, a French guitarist who already earned his spurs as a founding member of the afrobeat-formation Fanga.
Ethiocolor - Ethiocolor (Selam Sounds)
Ethiocolor was one of the bands creating a buzz at the last edition of WOMEX and Swedish label Selam Sounds is now releasing their first long player.
Various Artists - Peru Bravo: Funk, Soul & Psych From Peru's Radical Decade (Tiger's Milk Records/Strut Records)
It's rare for a successor to sound better than the original, but in the case of 'Peru Bravo' (successor to the 2013 compilation 'Peru Maravilloso') that is certainly the case.
DJ Tudo E Sua Gente De Todo Lugar - Pancada Motor (Far Out Recordings)
DJ Tudo is the alter ego of Brazilian musician, record producer and musicologist Alfred Bello.
Dillinger - Reparation Now (Scandal Bag/VPal)
The first thing we noticed when listening to this new album by Lester Bullock aka Dillinger was the fact the track list of 'Reparation Now' consisted largely of conscious tracks (that being said, Dillinger does go dancehall for 'Teck Gal').
Ras Tweed - Mek A Raise (Salomon Heritage Records)
'Mek A Raise' is a collaborative effort by Brummie Ras Tweed, born Kevin Tweed, a founding member of Overproof Sound System (founded in 1999) and author of the UK stepper smash 'Watch What You Put In A Rizla', and Roots Arna, the man behind Salomon Heritage sound system from Montpellier in France.