Songs of our mothers

"An elegant global fusion based around a series of traditional Afghan folk songs, Songs of Our Mothers represents the inspired meeting of London-based collective Kefaya and Afghan singer Elaha Soroor ... In the end, it's not the reggae-infused beats or shimmering electronics but [the] softer, more acoustic arrangements that seem to have a the most lasting effect. Still, the collaboration as a whole is a unique treat that shows the best attributes of each of its participants".

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"Top of the world" - "Recorded in Oxford with international zeal, this excellent release brings together folk songs traditionally sung by Afghan women, played here by musicians on instruments including violin, flugelhorn and double bass as well as the dombra (long-necked lute). At the project's centre are Al MacSween and Giuliano Modarelli, aka the musician/producer duo at the core of the collective Kefaya, and singer Elaha Soroor, who found fame in Afghanistan in 2009 through a reality show, the first female Afghan Hazara (Hazara people being much discriminated against) to perform on national TV ... Sung in Farsi and passed down from mother to daughter, these ten songs tell stories of joy, pain, resilience and more. The defiant, dub-friendly 'Charsi' (Pothead) sees Soroor telling a man to calm down and appreciate her as his equal. 'Jama Narenji' is a fierce, coiled track imbued with nostalgia and longing sent skywards by careering horns and Soroor's emotive, tremulous voice. The beauty of her mother language, and the wide-ranging culture it encompasses, is palpable throughout".

"The sound of a long walk to freedom ... Soroor is the star of this set, which takes traditional Afghan folk songs and gives them thoroughly modern settings".