Communal Grooves Are Unstoppable on Aba Diop’s ‘Revolution Sabar’
Aba Diop’s commanding voice soars at an electrifying pitch on every song, calling out local histories, genealogies, and moral messages: a human archive.
Adriane Pontecorvo
Adriane Pontecorvo is a native San Franciscan with a penchant for global beats. She is a music programmer for community radio station WFHB and studies ethnomusicology at Indiana University.
‘Ghana Special 2’ Chronicles an Innovative Chapter in Highlife History
Ghana Special 2 possesses a wide range of styles. The 18 substantial tracks are packed with synths, horns, and driving beats.
Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti and Frank Rosaly’s ‘MESTIZX’ Is a Cosmic Collage
MESTIZX is unquestionably cosmic, but it’s also grounded in the real lives and spaces of artists who refuse to be broken into cultural shards.
Desperate Times Call for Poetic Protest From Cyril Cyril
Cyril Cyril’s Le Futur Ça Marche Pas is for agitators, a genre-be-damned assemblage of poetry and vivid effects in the form of well-produced electronic rock.
Mdou Moctar Holds Nothing Back on Extraordinary ‘Funeral for Justice’
Even by Mdou Moctar’s high standards, Funeral for Justice is extraordinary. Its music and lyrics are searing, and the messages are essential in 2024.
‘Once We Had a Home’ Uplifts Rohingya Refugee Voices
Home records vocal expressions of pain, love, and life at Kutupalong, bringing Rohingya refugee experiences into its audiences’ aural consciousnesses.
Ibibio Sound Machine Elevate Their Sound on ‘Pull the Rope’
Ibibio Sound Machine have gone from exciting transcontinental party upstarts to a soulful, sophisticated phenomenon. Pull the Rope is a refreshing new chapter.
Jembaa Groove’s Jazzy Highlife Is Beautiful on ‘Ye Ankasa’
Berlin’s Jembaa Groove tap into the sonic palettes of African and diasporic forms like highlife and jazz to create a truly elevated work of art.
Arthur Melo’s ‘Mirantes Emocionais’ Is Much More Than Vintage Vibes
Even at this young age, Arthur Melo has a careful hand and a grasp on what’s timely as he crafts dreamy new música popular brasileira on his luscious new LP.
Emel Keeps Her Electropop Revolution Strong on ‘MRA’
Tunisian artist Emel’s MRA is what contemporary pop should be: a true and socially conscious mélange that makes its audiences want to listen, learn, and move.
Leyla McCalla Tends to Deep Roots on ‘Sun Without the Heat’
In this most recent work, folk artist Leyla McCalla continues cultivating an expansive and complex sense of roots and relative self. It’s a joy to witness.
Avalanche Kaito’s ‘Talitakum’ Is a Jagged, Electroacoustic Dream
Avalanche Kaito’s Talitakum is one of the most intriguing albums this year so far. It’s a work of futurist folk-rock and a mixed-media sculpture.