MARK TURNER wallows in the virtuosity of Swansea Jazz Festival openers, Simon Spillett and Pete Long

BORN in 1944, Pedro Lima’s musical career began as teenager with his family band Os Leonenses. Lima was one of the very few singers and bands from Sao Tome & Principe who recorded in Luanda, Angola for the N’Gola and Merengue labels in the 1970s and in Lisbon, Portugal for IEFE Records in the 1980s.
“His music is wonderfully rich and delicate, though quite minimalistic in arrangements, revealing the subtle melodies of the islands’ harmonic and backing vocals traditions.”

TONY BURKE explains how an internationally significant breakthrough for workers’ organisation and recognition against two notoriously anti-union global mega corporations has been finally achieved in Canada

TONY BURKE revels in the publication of previously unreleased tracks by the great US folksinger

This is a remarkable set of hop hip, salsa, reggae, soul, cumbia and traditional Mexican music finds TONY BURKE

New releases from Madalitso Band, Gabriel da Rosa, and Femi Kuti