Search dance music

Review: As part of their 20th anniversary celebrations, Strut has decided to bring back the compilation series that first put the label on the map: "Nigeria 70". Curated by Duncan Brooker, this latest volume in the series is the first for eight years. It's another history lesson, with Brooker largely focusing on exposing the musical links between the music of Nigeria and Benin. You get a white-hot mixture of Highlife, Afro-Funk and Ju-Ju, mostly hand-picked from albums and singles that are near impossible for mere mortals to find. Interestingly, this edition doesn't just contain heavy cuts from the '70s, but also more synth-powered songs from the 1980s, too. As you'd expect, it makes for terrific listening.

Review: Acclaimed South African folk singer Vusi Mahlasela joined forces with singer songwriter Norman Zulu as well as the superb Swedish jazz and soul collective Jive Connection for this album back in 2002. It was thought to be a lost recording until it recently showed up and now gets fully revived by Strut. There are strong political links between these countries which no doubt adds weight to this musical link up. It is a great exchange of cultures from parables to laments on child abuse to tunes that fuse reggae, jazz and post-punk with township styles.