Modou Touré & Ramon Goose - The West African Blues Project (ARC Music)

Where the title and cover photo of this album are concerned, duo Modou Touré (son of Amadou Touré, a former member of Senegalese band Toure Kunda) and Ramon Goose (a British blues musician who in 2010 already collaborated with Senegalese kora player Diabel Cissokho, resulting in the 'Mansana Blues' album) could have shown at tad more creativity, but musically 'The West African Blues Project' proves to be a solid effort.

Yellam - Get On Board EP (Irie Ites Records)

In 2014 Franco-American singjay Yellam (until recently Jr.

Gasper Nali - Abale Ndikuwuzeni (Spare Dog Records)

Gasper Nali is a singer-songwriter from Malawi and with 'Abale Ndikuwuzeni' ("people, let me tell you") is presenting his long player debut.

Tony Prophit - Sweet Nazarine's Prophecy (Self-published)

Tony Prophit is a Jamaican do-it-yourselfer from Montego Bay who migrated to Canada, presenting his long player debut with 'Sweet Nazarine's Prophecy'.

Forelock & Arawak - Zero (La Tempesta Dischi)

Forelock is a descendant of a musical family from Sassari in Sardinia. His mother Alessandra is an ethnomusicologist and Alfredo's father, Antonio, who introduced him to classical music at the age of eight, is a renowned clarinetist and conductor of the Sardinian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Iba Mahr - Diamond Sox (Born Rollin Music/VPal)

Thanks to Iba Mahr, just before the end of the year we're still offered one of the better releases for 2015.

Soul Drifter - Back To The Ground (Self-published/Musicast Distribution)

Six-piece band Soul Drifter hails from Bordeaux and with 'Back To The Ground' presents its first long player.

Jacko With Bambool - Jacko With Bambool (Sahama Musiques/Musicast Distribution)

Apart from the fact they are a six-piece band from Paris, we unfortunately can't tell you all that much about Jacko With Bambool.

Weeding Dub - Still Looking For (Wise & Dubwise Recordings)

In the European dub scene Romain Weeding aka Weeding Dub, with 'Still Looking For' already presenting his fourth long player to date, is far from a stranger anymore.

Various Artists - 10 Years Eastblok Music (Eastblok Music)

In 2005 Alexander Kasparov and Armin Siebert started Eastblok Music in Berlin, a label that now celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Victor Démé - Yafaké (Chapa Blues/World Village/Harmonia Mundi)

On December 21st 2015 Burkinabe troubadour Victor Démé succumbed to a heavy surge of malaria.

Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra - Balkan Reunion (Satélite K)

After the release of their debut album 'Imbarca' in 2014, Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra took to the road for a tour that brought them to various places all over Europe and beyond where they met and performed with local artists from the gypsy- and klezmer genre.

Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Pura Vida - The Super Ape Strikes Again (Lost Ark Music)

Pura Vida-chief Bregt 'Puraman' De Boever has never made a secret of the fact he somewhat idolizes Lee 'Scratch' Perry.

Dennis Bovell - Dub 4 Daze (Glitterbeat Records)

In 2014, the English-Barbadian dub and reggae guru Dennis Bovell already collaborated a first time with Glitterbeat Records for their 'Glitterbeat: Dubs & Versions 1' compilation, and now Bovell's new long player, 'Dub 4 Daze', also appears on the same label.

Meridian Brothers - Los Suicidas (Soundway Records)

'Los Suicidas' ("the suicides"), the new long player by Colombian band Meridian Brothers is the first part of what should eventually become a trilogy, dedicated to and inspired by the work of Colombian pianist and Hammond organist Jaime Llano Gonzalez, who made a name for himself with his ambient-versions of traditional Colombian genres like pasillo, bambuco and, of course, cumbia.

Afro Omega - American Ital (Rebel Sound Records)

The fact not all American reggae necessarily needs to come from the East or West coast, is proven by Salt Lake City, Utah-based Afro Omega, a band around duo Bronte James aka Bronte Omega and Elisa Sofia aka Miss Omega, who're also couple in real life.

Cheikh Lô - Balbalou (Chapter Two Records/Wagram)

It had been since 2010's 'Jamm' that we'd heard anything from the Senegalese bard Cheikh Lô.

Gentleman's Dub Club - The Big Smoke (Easy Star Records)

The members of Gentleman's Dub Club may all hail from the Leeds area, their new long player is a tribute to the British capital nonetheless, as album title 'The Big Smoke' is one of the nicknames for London.

Romain Virgo - Lifted EP (VP Records)

A few singles aside, it had been since 2012's 'The System' that we'd heard anything from Romain Virgo.

Bottle Of Moonshine - Believe The Numbers (Self-published)

With 'Everybody Watches No One Knows' Campine ska-phenomenon Bottle Of Moonshine already proved that with singer Hanne Peetermans they had added a serious asset to the band's line up and on 'Believe The Numbers' her voice is highlighted even more.