On this issue’s compilation – our curated selection of new music and bonus tracks from across the globe TOP OF THE WORLD
TOPOF T HE WORLD
BEST NEW
MUSIC
+ BONUS TRACKS
aturing… LINA_ AZIZA BRAHIM NATASCHA ROGERS ABDUL & THE GANG DIEUF-DIEUL DE THIÈS KATHERINE PRIDDY CARWYN ELLIS ARUSHI JAIN ANA TIJOUX SAM LEE DELASI And M e
196
TOP OF T HE WORLD
CD 196
Exclusively w i t h t he A pr i l 2 024 i s sue o f Songlines. S T WCD17 2 This compilation & © 2 024 MA Music , L e i sur e & Tr a v e l L t d
TOP OF THE WORLD TRACKS
01
01 Aziza Brahim ‘Haiyu ya Zuwar’ From Mawja on Glitterbeat Records Brahim reinvigorates a song of Sahrawi resistance to the occupation of Morocco in the Western Sahara. Raúl Rodríguez’ guitar provides a distinctively Spanish f lair beneath the searing vocals. See 43
02
03
04
02 Giuliano Gabriele ‘Basta!’ From Domino! on Coming MusicArt / InOuïe Distribution Off-kilter violin starts this pizzica tune in eerie, upbeat style, before Gabriele’s gruff voice and virtuoso accordion join the fray, building a magnificently rich and beguiling South Italian-inspired soundscape. See p51
03 Abdul & The Gang ‘Oran Drive’ From Kasbatekon Abou Bakre Bensalem / Z Production Hypnotic ‘Gnawa funk’: synth-conjured swirls, infectious rhythms, psychedelic keys and velvety smooth trumpet come courtesy of The Gang, while Abdul’s forceful Arabic vocals cut to the core. See p60
04 Natascha Rogers ‘O Baba’ From Onaida on NØ FØRMAT! Drawing on her peripatetic, far-reaching past, Rogers folds Afro-Cuban rhythms into an uplifting piano-led melody, with her infectious, f lying chorus leading above all. See p47
05
05 Dieuf-Dieul de Thiès ‘Djirim’ From Dieuf-Dieul de Thiès on Buda Musique Back after splitting in 1983, Dieuf-Dieul deliver dirty brass riffs, tinny percussion, gritty electric guitar and warm, soulf illing vox buoyed by an infectious West African groove. See p44
06
07
08
09
10
06 SONGLINES › #196
06 LINA_ ‘Que Ninguem Me Veja Ver-Vos’ From Fado Camões on Galileo Music With Justin Adams in the producer’s chair, the fadista extraordinaire renders Luís Vaz de Camões’ poetry of desire with customary passion. See p53
07 La Bottine Souriante ‘La Wagine’ From Domino! on Studio B-12 A wonderfully frenetic call-and-response on lasting love, featuring turlutte (the vocal imitation of f iddle lines) and irresistible podorhythmie. As the chorus commands, ‘jump in! .’ See p46
08 Arushi Jain ‘Our Touching Tongues’ From Delight on Leaving Records Electronica and Hindustani sounds converge, as Jain’s ephemeral incantations anoint the listener’s ear via a reverbsaturated prism of glittering techno ambience. See p63
09 Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 ‘Gair o Gysur’ From Ni A Nhw on Bubblewrap Collective This wonderfully tender ukulele-led tune, initially released digitally as a fundraiser during COVID, f inally gets the attention it deserves on Ellis’ latest collection of Welsh-language cuts. See p50
10 Hizbut Jámm ‘Caada Gi’ From Hizbut Jámm on Instant Classic Raphael Rogiński’s ‘Brotherhood for Peace’ vamp it up in f ine style, as skittering kora runs patter like summer rain and eruptions of scalding axe fury ride jazzy West Africaninspired polyrhythms. See p61
SONGLINES.CO.UK
