Gaby Moreno - Illustrated Songs (World Connection)

Gaby Moreno isn't a real fit for these pages, because although her Guatemalan roots might suggest otherwise, as a singer-songwriter she looks for inspiration in Western genres like soul, jazz and blues (the short bossa nova-song 'No Regrets' is a notable exception on 'Illustrated Songs').

Umoza - Tumbuka Voices (Independent Records Ltd)

Until Malawi Mouse Boys' 'He Is #1' we had never heard a note of music from Malawi and now for the second time in a just a few weeks an album from that southern African nation lands on our desk.

Kaer - Versatil (Self-published)

Rapper Kaer is a former member of Liège based hip-hop collective Starflam and for his solo debut 'Versatil' revisits his Latin-American Ecuadorian roots (lyrically beautifully illustrated in 'Mi Tierra').

Various Artists - A Search For CMS: A Story By Blue Flamingo (Excelsior Recordings)

Just when you think the end is near for physical album releases, a little gem pops out of nowhere, proving there's still light at the end of the tunnel.

Everton Blender - Higher Heights Revolution (Heartbeat Europe/Rounder/Island Splash Records)

It had been since 2005 ('It's My Time', Explorer Records) that we had heard anything of Everton Blender, but with 'Higher Heights Revolution' he returns in style.

Lloyd De Meza - Back To Eden (Heartbeat Europe/Rounder)

Yours truly's first reaction at the sight of the album cover of Lloyd De Meza's 'Back To Eden' was something like: "what terrible reggaeton album have they sent me now?"; the classic mistake of judging a book by its cover! De Mesa already built himself somewhat of a reputation in the Dutch r&b scene and 'Back To Eden' was the result of a casual visit to the studios of JahSolidRock.

Baciamolemani - L'Albero Delle Seppie (Kasba Music)

We know Kasba Music mainly as the supplier of excellent musica mestiza releases of a whole range of Spanish bands.

Soldiers Of Jah Army - Mentality EP (VP Records) + Top Shelf - There's A Place EP (Highest Vibration Music)

After the slightly disappointing 'Born In Babylon' (successor 'Strength To Survive' hasn't reached us as yet, but will be re-released in Europe in the autumn) SOJA returns with this 'Mentality' EP.

Collieman & Asham Band - The Same Blood (Majestic/Munich Records)

Stefaan Colman is barely twenty-five years old, but already he is hailed as Belgium's new roots reggae promise.

Dennis Bovell - Mek It Run (Pressure Sounds)

The release of 'Mek It Run' is preceded by a bit of a painful story as compiler/producer Dennis Bovell, because of recent surgery he underwent on a cervical vertebra, was forced to quit playing the bass for a while.

Dan Ratchet - Jah Poor People (Bristol Archive Records)

Bristol Archive Records label is gradually building a reputation publishing never released material.

Sanguebom - BlackStarLine (DoNotCross Records/Musicast Distribution)

Like Tom Fire, Sanguebom ("good blood" in Portuguese) is also a do-it-yourselfer from the French capital.

Mariem Hassan - El Aaiun Egdat (Nubenegra) + Aziza Brahim & Gulili Mankoo - Mabruk (Reaktion Records)

Since they both just released a new album, it seemed a nice idea to compare the Queen of Sahrawi music with her younger counterpart.

Toumani Diabate, Arnaldo Antunes & Edgard Scandurra - A Curva Da Cintura (Mais Um Discos)

Toumani Diabate first joined Arnaldo Antunes and Edgard Scandurra on stage at the Back2Black festival in Rio back in 2010 (the biggest festival focusing on "black music" in South America, this year crossing the Atlantic for the first time and taking place in London).

KonKoma - KonKoma (Soundway Records)

KonKoma is a project started by saxophonist Max Grunhard and producer Ben Lamdin centered on veteran Ghanaian musicians Alfred Bannerman (guitar, vocals) and Emmanuel Rentzos (vocals), both formerly active with well-known Ghanaian formation Osibisa.

Malawi Mouse Boys - He Is #1 (Independent Records Ltd)

Asked about your knowledge of music culture in Malawi the answer will probably be a painful silence and for yours truly that is no different.

Martin Zobel & Soulrise - Land Of The Free (Irievibrations Records)

The work of Bavarian Martin Zobel and his band Soulrise eluded us until now.

Omar Perry - The Journey (Talowah Productions/Bonfire Productions)

The fact Omar Perry entitled his third long player 'The Journey', is no more than logical as that title of course refers to Omar's own "life journey", but also to the journey that preceded the release of this album of which the different tracks were recorded over a period of about five years.

Analogik - New Seeland (Jenka Music)

The fact Danish band Analogik are newcomers to these pages, should not surprise as their previous work was more electro than world music inspired.

Anthony Que - Meditation Time (149 Records)

As a music critic every so often you're confronted with an album that's hard to criticize but that somehow doesn't quite touch a chord.