• Music

    Malaaz – Lélé / Malaazé

    This 7-inch two-track single is pure funky joy to listen to!  Malaaz were a band out of Reunion Island, of all places, and is considered to be a solid funk gem.  The backstory of the band is here, at their label, Babani Records’ Bandcamp site: “Malaaz was initiated by Patrick Donat, who is described as a pioneer and major contributor of the Electric Maloya scene, this fusion of island traditional music and western instrumentation in the mid 70s. 
He was joined by Franck Raholison and Del Rabenja, creating this powerful band of exceptional musicians from Réunion Island and Madagascar. Lélé…

  • Music

    Amine Mesnaoui & Labelle – African Prayers

    What a strangely beautiful album… From the duo’s Bandcamp site: Berlin and Reunion based duo, Amine Mesnaoui and Labelle are set to release their debut album on revered London independent imprint Lo Recordings on the 1st of April 2022. ‘African Prayers’ is a collection of seven new compositions, which includes lead single ‘Bleu Noir’, that aims to bring a contemporary and fresh interpretation to the Lila Ritual of the Moroccan Gnawa masters – also known as the Ritual of the Seven Colors. With a firm belief they can deliver a sound that finds its anchor in heritage and yet escape…