No excuses can hide the criminal actions of a Nazi fellow-traveller in this admirably objective documentary, suggests MARTIN HALL
Global Routes with Tony Burke: December 2, 2024
Two new releases from Burkina Faso and Niger, one from French-based Afro Latin The Bongo Hop, and rare Mexican bootlegs
Aboubakar Traore
PAUL DONOVAN relishes a fascinating exploration of the leading lights of the Labour right in the 1970s
BEN LUNN alerts us to the creeping return of philanthropy and private patronage, and suggests alternative paths to explore
A novel by Argentinian Jorge Consiglio, a personal dictionary by Uruguayan Ida Vitale, and poetry by Mexican Homero Aridjis
MIK SABIERS savours the first headline solo show of the stalwart of Brighton’s indie-punk outfit Blood Red Shoes
New releases reviewed by IAN SINCLAIR
STEVEN ANDREW is moved beyond words by a historical account of mining in Britain made from the words of the miners themselves
THE second album from Burkina Faso born Aboubakar Traore and his band Balima, Sababu (Zephyrus Records), continues to expand the boundaries of West African music, marrying Traore’s Burkinabe heritage with a blend of pan-African rhythms, soulful jazz and a dash of reggae.
Traore learned the intricacies of the kamele ngoni (the young man’s harp) and here he takes a political stance on the inequities faced in Africa, particularly its exploitation by the global north. Traore stresses the importance for African countries to regain their autonomy and power to prevent young people undertaking dangerous migration routes to the west.
The album contains a celebration of pride in Africa with music that transcends borders while remaining deeply rooted in Burkina Faso.
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