Joel Dwek & Danny Wiser
USA: Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
One of the most iconic records of all time, the multi-talented Wonder manages to pack complex and poetic lyricism alongside intricate and...
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DISCOVEr CULTURE through music
Joel Dwek & Danny Wiser
Apr 18, 20228 min read
UK: Abbey Road - The Beatles
After two years of honouring musical delights from across the globe, we don't have to search hard in our home nation to find a gem of our...
Joel Dwek
Feb 28, 20225 min read
ZAMBIA: The Return - Sampa The Great
This behemoth rap record masterfully combines a whole range of genres into hip-hop, while retaining a firm worldview Events, dear boy....
Danny Wiser
Feb 14, 20224 min read
GEORGIA: In Vino Veritas - Mgzavrebi
This hope-infused record is not to be ignored as it uses styles of the past whilst mainting a current and modern feel On the border of...
Joel Dwek
Jan 31, 20226 min read
JAMAICA: Funky Kingston - Toots and the Maytals
Taking reggae and blending it with blues, R&B, and rock'n'roll, the Jamaican icons are at their best on this resplendent album I have...
Danny Wiser
Jan 17, 20224 min read
YEMEN: Akher El Akhbar - Ahmed Fathi
The master of the oud demonstrates his skill not only in his musicianship but also through his production of the record Around November...
Joel Dwek
Jan 2, 20224 min read
PHILIPPINES: Diwa - Juan Karlos
Containing a variety of rock genres within, Juan Karlos' debut album shatters the child star image of its lead singer and songwriter with...
Danny Wiser
Nov 22, 20217 min read
NAMIBIA: Black Colonialists - Black Vulcanite
A whirlwind ride through many important themes, the hip-hop collective create innovative rhythms whilst always speaking truth to power...
Joel Dwek
Nov 9, 20214 min read
MOZAMBIQUE: Eparaka - Deltino Guerreiro
Mozambican traditional sounds meet the modern world in this vibrant and wonderfully ambitious debut album Usually, the albums I pick as...
Danny Wiser
Oct 25, 20218 min read
FRANCE/ARMENIA: La Bohème - Charles Aznavour
A unique record with the capacity to provoke a sense of rather deep and beautiful self-reflection about dreams, desires and direction I...
Joel Dwek
Oct 11, 20214 min read
SWITZERLAND: Aliento - Danit
Looking across the Atlantic for inspiration, the Swiss musician raputures and entrances her listeners with soft instrumentation and her...
Danny Wiser
Sep 27, 20214 min read
LEBANON: Ibn El Leil - Mashrou' Leila
Defiance is the order of the day, as the techinically gifted Lebanese outfit produce an album that is as enjoyable as it is powerful In...
Joel Dwek
Sep 17, 20214 min read
CUBA: Beautiful - Cándido
Latin jazz with some infectious drumbeats, percussionist Cándido shows off his immense talent and flair for fusion music When I first...
Danny Wiser
Aug 30, 20215 min read
ZIMBABWE: Ammartia - Ammara Brown
Brown earns her crown as Zimbabwe's "Queen of Pop" in this magnificent debut attempt In my first forays into adulthood, I fell deeply in...
Joel Dwek
Aug 16, 20214 min read
IVORY COAST: Djekpa La You - Dobet Gnahoré
An unorthodox musical education and a fiery natural talent make for an album that mixes a wide range of African styles within a modern...
Danny Wiser
Aug 2, 20216 min read
ARGENTINA: Clics Modernos - Charly García
Finding the right adjective to sum-up an album is not always an easy task, but the word 'revolutionary' is obvious in the case of...
Joel Dwek
Jul 20, 20214 min read
SUDAN: Ya Dunya - Sharhabil Ahmed
The beloved Sudanese icon gives a masterclass in musical expression with an album that combines soulful vocals and musical fusion Known...
Danny Wiser
Jul 4, 20215 min read
ESWATINI: Swazi Soul - Bholoja
A beautiful and powerful first incarnation of what can be labelled as Bholoja's somewhat unique genre Nowadays when people ask me what...
Joel Dwek
Jun 20, 20213 min read
GUATEMALA: Mil Palabras Con Sus Dientes - Bohemia Suburbana
Subgenres of rock galore - Bohemia Suburbana demonstrate their supreme talent It has become a cliché among myself and Danny that whenever...
Danny Wiser
Jun 7, 20215 min read
BURKINA FASO: Victor Démé - Victor Démé
Marxist policy often suppresses creative freedom, Démé's distinguished self-titled album proves itself as the exception to this rule Over...
Joel Dwek
May 24, 20214 min read
IRAN: Enlighten The Night - Mahsa Vahdat
Sensuous vocals and gentle jazz combine with Iranian traditional music in a beautiful confluence of sounds Many, though not all, of the...
Danny Wiser
May 10, 20213 min read
SIERRA LEONE: Dead Men Don't Smoke Marijuana - S. E. Rogie
Humorous, uplifting, and endearing - this palm wine record is the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing day in the sun The Beatles’ Abbey...
Joel Dwek
Apr 26, 20214 min read
MALI: Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux - Les Ambassadeurs
The swansong for one of Mali's finest musical exports, Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux demonstrate exactly why they are still a world...
Danny Wiser
Apr 12, 20214 min read
UGANDA: Exile - Geoffrey Oryema
Oryema tackles the difficult theme of being exiled from one's homeland using the emotions from his personal hardship to guide him through...
Joel Dwek
Mar 28, 20215 min read
HAITI: HaitiaNola - Lakou Mizik
Combining their fearsome talents with New Orleans-based musicians, Lakou Mizik aim to highlight cultural links to the US, while also...
Danny Wiser
Mar 15, 20214 min read
BHUTAN/FRANCE: Rain of Blessings: Vajra Chants - Lama Gyurme & Jean-Philippe Rykiel
Serenity, spirituality and sanctity feature as strands of this phenomenal collaboration between two musical devotees When many in the...
Joel Dwek
Mar 1, 20215 min read
INDONESIA: Los Skut Leboys - Sore
Their first album after their main songwriter left the band, the remaining members of Indonesian outfit Sore seized the opportunity to...
Danny Wiser
Feb 14, 20216 min read
ITALY: Oro Incenso & Birra - Zucchero Fornaciari
Fun, raw and multi-talented; Zucchero shows off a fusion style decades ahead of his time in a country that often fails to welcome in...
Joel Dwek
Feb 1, 20214 min read
DENMARK: Det er Mig der Holder Træerne Sammen - Under Byen
This album full of interesting musical ideas and consummate musicianship certainly succeeds in creating an intellectually and emotionally...
Danny Wiser
Jan 18, 20214 min read
TURKMENISTAN: Gunesh - Gunesh
State-sponsored bands often are 'middle-of-the-road'; however, this is far from the case for these experimental Turkmen extraordinaires...
Joel Dwek
Jan 11, 20214 min read
CAMEROON: Get On Board - Emmanuel Pi Djob
The soul man shows off his talent as he crosses the divide of the Anglo-Francophone conflict in his native Cameroon Many musicians from...
Danny Wiser
Dec 21, 20206 min read
IRELAND: Let The People Sing - The Wolfe Tones
Perhaps the very definition of a problematic favourite, Let The People Sing poses the difficult question of whether an album can be loved...
Joel Dwek
Dec 7, 20204 min read
CHINA: Black Panther - Hei Bao
The Chinese rockers prove their worth in this blisteringly brilliant debut album, demonstrating their lightness of touch as well as their...
Danny Wiser
Nov 22, 20205 min read
GUINEA: Objectif Perfection - Balla Et Ses Balladins
A bittersweet masterpiece that celebrates liberation from colonialism Whilst on the surface, this might seem a fun album with songs that...
Joel Dwek
Nov 9, 20207 min read
AUSTRALIA: Gurrumul - Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
A masterpiece of the highest order that evokes plenty of emotion and highlights the importance of preserving Aboriginal culture About two...
Danny Wiser
Oct 26, 20204 min read
SOUTH SUDAN: The Key - Emmanuel Jal
Jal’s repeated calls to action throughout the entire record cut through the incredibly fun and upbeat tunes All across the world there...
Joel Dwek
Oct 12, 20204 min read
CAMBODIA: Reatrei Nov Hong Kong, Vol. 58 - Sinn Sisamouth
The work of Sinn Sisamouth reveals a fascinating lost world of Cambodian music, and the tragic circumstances that surrounded its downfall...
Danny Wiser
Sep 27, 20205 min read
THE NETHERLANDS: Moontan - Golden Earring
If Golden Earring were from the UK or the US they would have reached legendary status and this album would be seen as one of the great...
Joel Dwek
Sep 14, 20203 min read
BRAZIL/USA: Sammy Davis, Jr Sings, Laurindo Almeida Plays - Sammy Davis, Jr & Laurindo Almeida
Beautiful singing and gorgeous acoustic guitar playing - what more do you need? What do we mean when we pick an album as 'album of the...
Danny Wiser
Sep 7, 20205 min read
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Sanza Soul - Laetitia Zonzambé
Is Bangui Africa’s very own Detroit? Zonzambé puts forward a convincing case… The last time I was tasked with writing an 'album of the...
Joel Dwek
Aug 23, 20204 min read
ISRAEL: Badeshe Etzel Avigdor - Arik Einstein & Miki Gavrielov
The Voice of Israel provides a wonderful soft rock album filled to the brim with beautiful melodies and soothing sounds The music of...
Danny Wiser
Aug 17, 20205 min read
CANADA: You Want It Darker - Leonard Cohen
There is not a blurb that could do justice to this album. Listen to it ASAP. At NoiseNomad we typically review albums that are...
Joel Dwek
Aug 10, 20205 min read
PAKISTAN: Mustt Mustt - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
In his first Western album, the King of Qawwali shows off his immense vocal talent in an album that straddles the line between tradition...
Danny Wiser
Aug 3, 20203 min read
SPAIN: El Momento - Nacha Pop
An album full of hits that celebrates the freedom of the post-dictatorship era When I first listened to Nacha Pop’s El Momento, I thought...
Joel Dwek
Jul 27, 20204 min read
AUSTRALIA: Flow State - Tash Sultana
Exciting and fresh, Sultana reinvigorates alternative rock by infusing it with a wide range of styles and genres At the age of 13 I...
Danny Wiser
Jul 19, 20204 min read
SENEGAL: Immigrés - Youssou N'Dour
The King of mbalax proves why he is arguably Africa’s greatest living musical export For those who want to explore African music, Youssou...
Joel Dwek
Jul 13, 20206 min read
SOUTH AFRICA: When You Come Back - Vusi Mahlasela
Joyous and melancholy, hopeful and cautious, Mahlasela's masterful lyrical and musical ability make for an especially wonderful album...
Danny Wiser
Jul 6, 20205 min read
ICELAND: Ágætis Byrjun - Sigur Rós
An artistic masterpiece that at moments transcends reality with its truly unique sound. Labelling something as ‘art’ does not bother me,...
Joel Dwek
Jun 29, 20204 min read
AUSTRIA: The Princess Pts 1 & 2 - Parov Stelar
Despite being an album in two parts with distinct styles, Parov Stelar’s The Princess is an exceptionally consistent, coherent and...
Danny Wiser
Jun 4, 20205 min read
CAPE VERDE: Miss Perfumado - Cesária Évora
The Barefoot Diva takes us on a musical journey as we are challenged to reflect on the eternal beauty of home, loved ones from our past,...
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