Violin or hardanger fiddle, piano or harmonium duets: moody, contemplative, melodic crossings of Norwegian folk and classical in the manner of its nineteenth century muse. Recommended.

Olima Anditi is a blind guitarist beloved throughout Western Kenya for his old Luo songs about love, morality and politics. This warmly intimate session was recorded in his room in Kisumu, in 2010. Like Usiende Ukualale, it’s lovingly presented, with a colour booklet.

Hypnotic variations of the compositions of the legendary Mohamed Abdel Wahab, on early electronic keyboards like the Steelphon S900 and the Farfisa, cut with El Shariyi’s hip, whizzy jazz and pop stylings. Ana Wa Habibi is here; and the classic Ahwak, made famous by Abdel Halim Hafez and Fairuz. Originally released by Soutelphan in 1976.

Musical interaction between the Mbuti pygmies and the Nande, Bira, Mangbele and Budu peoples living on the edge of the Ituri rainforest in the northeastern Belgian Congo.

Opening in 1973, tucked into a tangle of railway parts scattered across an industrial park at the western edge of Orlando East, Club Pelican was Soweto’s first night-club, and its premier live music venue throughout the seventies.
Pretty much everyone on the scene passed through its doors — to sing, or perform in the house band, or hang out. Schooled in standards, and fluent in the local musical vernacular, the music would take off in different directions at a moment’s notice — SA twists on jazz, funk, fusion, disco — spurred by the sounds coming in from Philadelphia, Detroit and New York City.
One Night In Pelican encapsulates these halcyon times, with a musical roll call of all the key groups and players, besides evocative, previously-unseen photographs, cover artwork by Zulu ‘Batsumi’ Bidi, and notes by Kwanele Sosibo, lit up by a gallery of first-person testimony.

The Uruguayans’ first, best Milestone album — Airto producing, Hermeto Pascoal guesting, with the jazz-dance bomb African Bird. A buzzing, seamless blend of jazz-fusion flash with diverse rootical influences.

Forgotten masterpieces, out-of-this-world improvisations from the 1920s; and dazzling commissions by Sir Richard Bishop, Six Organs Of Admittance and co. ‘Dextrous, frenzied, fearless… awesome’ (Plan B).

Better sound than the first volume, and presented in the fine style of this label, with a 44-page booklet full of great photos, low-down and interviews.

The first album, straight no chaser, from 1973 — superlative Beninese Afrobeat.

A staggering third helping of raw Benin funk. Check YouTube for a totally knockout film of the band performing the second track, Houzou Houzou Wa.

From the copper mining towns of Katanga province, within the likembe tradition of the Luba peoples; and from the Zambian Copperbelt, diversely influenced by tradition or by American music from the radio.

Two albums repackaged — Super Afro Soul and Orlando’s Afro Ideas 1969-72. Sublime Nigerian soul, jazz and funk grooves.

José Roberto Bertrami from Azymuth (and Tatuí, a small city in the Brazilian state of São Paulo) — not to mention his work for Elis Regina, George Duke, Sarah Vaughn, Jorge Ben, Eddie Palmieri, Milton Nascimento, Flora Purim, and Erasmo Carlos, among countless others — playing piano alongside his bro Claudio on double bass, a horn section, and an organist. With compositions by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Roberto Menescal, Carlos Lyra, Durval Ferreira, and Adilson Godoy, the album also features Bertrami’s own A Bossa Do Zé Roberto, mesmerising bossa jazz which ensconces him amongst the bossa greats, even at the age of nineteen.

Assorted mbira, mouth bows, karimba, story-songs, mulanji flutes, panpipes, drums.

Charged, gritty, soulful pop yeh yeh from 1968-71, with backing by Malaysian legends like The Rhythm Boys, The Wanderers, The Flamingoes and The Falcons.
With a full-size, eight-page, colour booklet containing detailed biographical notes and Othman’s own rare photos.