Willie Scott & The Birmingham Spirituals: Keep Your Faith to the Sky

The Time For Peace Is Now, indie label Luaka Bop’s second installment in their World Spirituality Classics compilation series, features a soulful number by Willie Scott & The Birmingham Spirituals. This ’70s-era secular gospel track, “Keep Your Faith to the Sky,” calls upon spirituality—not religion—and addresses how we exist with one another. Soul DJ Greg Belson compiled all of the secular gospel tracks on the album, …

João Gilberto: Rosa Morena

The “father of bossa nova,” João Gilberto has passed away at 88 years old. His debut album Chega de Saudade was released in 1959 and is widely credited as the first-ever bossa nova record. It blends traditional samba with contemporary jazz, Gilberto’s unique guitar style, and his unhurried, effortless vocals. Gilberto frequently teamed up with Antônio Carlos Jobim as well as American jazz saxophonist Stan …

Masego: African Lady (ADM Remix)

Made in collaboration with Lagos-based producer TMXO, Masego’s “Lady Lady” is refreshed and released as “African Lady” (ADM Remix). The Africa Dance Music rework is distant from the original, which is soulful and sweet, but still feels like a natural progression—this remix is rhythmic and drenched in talkbox-filtered vocals. Masego, who’s touring internationally through the end of the year, culls influences from all over for …