Izvorišta 449: Nidia Góngora, Ukandanz, Youssou N'Dour...

Almost the last backlog in uploading shows to Substack. This one aired two weeks ago, and in it I presented new albums by Nidia Góngora, Ukandanz, and Youssou N'Dour. We also listened to Lina_ & Marco Mezquida, Barbora Xu, Ivan Grobenski, Sophia Djebel Rose, and Chris Eckman.

(you can also listen to this episode on Mixcloud, just click here)

Nidia Góngora - Pacífico Maravilla (Positivo Records 2025.)

It's a bit unbelievable that this is Nidia Góngora's first solo album. This great Colombian singer has been present on the world stage for years through collaborations with various musicians, including Quantica, Ondatrópico, Mista Savona or The Bongo Hop, and she has also released a few albums with her Grupo Canalón de Timbiquí. But only now has she released her first album, and anyone who has heard at least one song by Nidia knows what to expect on "Pacífico Maravilla". It is a great musical journey along the Pacific coast of Colombia, confirming once again that Nidia Góngora has one of the most beautiful voices in the world.

Ukandanz - Evil Plan የክፋት እቅድ (Compagnie 4000)

Ukandanz is one of those bands that made me think "what the fuck" when I first heard them. A wild mix of brutal jazz-rock fused with Ethiopian songs, performed by the brilliant singer Asnake Gebreyes, left me breathless on their album Awo, which I declared the best album of 2016. Since then, Ukandanz have released three more albums, but none have been able to match that level — until Evil Plan was released a few weeks ago. Once again, Ukandanz delivered a fierce and energetic album, with a wild bonus: a crazy cover version of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”.

Youssou N'Dour - Éclairer le monde - Light The World (TBI Publishing 2025.)

Youssou N'Dour joins the ranks of African music veterans who have released outstanding albums in recent years. The Senegalese star recorded the album with producer Michael League, who is best known for his work with the group Snarky Puppy. "Éclairer le monde – Light The World" goes in many different directions, all of which are skillfully woven into a coherent whole.

Tracklist:

1. Ivan Grobenski - Dojdi, draga, dojdi

2. Sophia Djebel Rose - Le Palais

3. Huun Huur Tu and Carmen Rizzo - Ancestors Call

4. Nidia Góngora - Pacifico Maravilla

5. Nidia Góngora - Tu Corazón

6. Nidia Góngora - Mi Sabalo

7. Ukandanz - Liwsedsh Andken ልውሰድሽ አንድ ቀን

8. Ukandanz - War Pigs

9. Youssou N'Dour - Tout Pour Briller

10. Youssou N'Dour - Sa Ma Habiibi

11. Lina_ & Marco Mezquida - O Fado

12. Barbora Xu - Kiam

13. Chris Eckman - Genevieve

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