We are thrilled to announce that Zephyrus Records has been ranked No. 9 in the WOMEX Top 20 Labels of the Year 2025!

The WOMEX Top Label Award, presented in collaboration with World Music Charts Europe and the Transglobal World Music Chart, highlights the most impactful independent labels worldwide. This year’s ranking reflects releases from August 2024 to July 2025, based on the insights of more than 100 international journalists and broadcasters.

Since its founding in Ghent, Zephyrus Records has been dedicated to sharing adventurous sounds and giving a platform to artists who cross borders and cultures. To see our work recognized among great labels like Glitterbeat, Real World, and Buda Musique is a huge honor — and a motivation to keep pushing forward.

We’d like to thank all of our artists, collaborators, and listeners who make this journey possible. This recognition is as much yours as it is ours.

You can explore the full list of the WOMEX Top 20 Labels 2025 here.

Echo’s Van De Bergen out today!

Echo’s van de Bergen is a multidisciplinary music project by singer and musician Farnoosh Khodadadeh, originally created as a stage production for young audiences. Conceived as a ‘visual symphony for all’, it brings together live music, poetry and illustration in a poetic reflection on identity, memory, and resilience.

Available through our webshop and bandcamp on CD.
(Comes with an illustrated 36page booklet)

https://echosvandebergen.bandcamp.com/album/echos-van-de-bergen

On Friday, May 30th, 2025, guitarist Dizzy Mandjeku will perform a special concert at La Grande Halle de l’Institut Français de Kinshasa. He’ll be joined on stage by two longtime musical companions: Sam Mangwana and Nyboma.

Together with his band Odemba OK All Stars, they present an evening dedicated to friendship, music, and rumba. The repertoire includes original compositions, arrangements of Franco’s music, and songs they recorded together over decades of collaboration.

Alongside Mandjeku and Toms Ntale (guitar, arrangements), the line-up features Nana Akumu and Malage De Lugendo on vocals — all musicians deeply rooted in the music scenes of Congo and the diaspora.

This concert marks a return to Kinshasa and a reunion of generations of artists carrying over sixty years of shared musical history.

Dizzy Mandjeku (b. 1946) is widely regarded as one of the foremost living guitarists in Congolese rumba. He rose to prominence with Les Grands Maquisards and Orchestre Kossa Kossa, and in the early 1980s, he joined Franco’s OK Jazz.

He later played with Tabu Ley Rochereau and co-founded the African All Stars in Abidjan, alongside Sam Mangwana, Nyboma, and Lokassa Ya Mbongo. The three albums they recorded together — all under Mandjeku’s musical direction — are considered milestones of the soukous genre.

Mandjeku went on to serve as artistic director at Verckys’ Editions Vévé, helping shape the careers of many musicians across generations. Since moving to Belgium, he has collaborated with Papa Noël, Tshala Muana, Papa Wemba, Zap Mama, Stromae (Papaoutai), Waldemar Bastos, Jimmy Cliff, and Baloji.

Today, he remains active as a performer, arranger, and mentor to young musicians in Belgium, Congo, and beyond.

‘Makasima‘ out now on vinyl!
Limited edition dub cut (25 numbered copies) by Earth Works Amsterdam available via Bandcamp.

Get your copy now -> https://kosmosound.bandcamp.com/album/makasima
Listen here -> https://album.link/be/i/1783925194

This collaboration between gnawa musician Imane Guemssy and Kosmo Sound pushes the boundaries of musical fusion. Imane, heir to the gnawa traditions, is a master of the guembri and the sacred chants of this mystical and spiritual music from Morocco. Her hypnotic playing, accompanied by ancestral rhythms, evokes meditative trances and an intimate connection with the African roots of the gnawa tradition.

Kosmo Sound on the other hand are known for their unique approach to dub, in which sonic minimalism is taken to the extreme. Their nuanced compositions are based on subtle basses and distant echoes, creating an almost ethereal sound space where every silence and every vibration takes on new importance. Taking the space between sounds, they create immersive atmospheres typical of dub, but somehow more introspective, calmer.
The result of this collaboration creates a bridge between two distant but surprisingly complementary musical worlds.

Imane Guemssy – vocals, guembri
Edmund Lauret – guitar
Ambroos De Schepper – saxophone, bongos
Marius Couvreur – drums
Bos Debusscher – keys, percussion
Mattias Geernaert – bass
Cyriel Vandenabeele – guitar

Recorded by Michiel Lagae (except for track B2 by Christopher Lonneville) 
Mixed by Dijf Sanders (except for track B2 by Michiel Lagae)
Mastered by Karel De Backer
Photo by Grégoire Verbeke

Get ready to be moved by the powerful return of Kaito Winse, the multi-talented artist from Burkina Faso based in Brussels, with his new album ‘Reele Bumbou’ released on February 21st 2025. Following the critically acclaimed debut ‘Kaladounia‘ in 2020, Kaito continues his journey through music and tradition, offering deep, reflective lyrics drawn from the rich well of oral history.

With a voice as commanding and enchanting as an opera performance, Kaito’s masterful scansion and storytelling draw the listener into timeless truths. His connection with French writer and playwright Tartar(e) has only sharpened his ability to captivate through rhythm and word. Armed with a versatile skillset, he plays an array of instruments—calabash, mouth bow, Peul flute, toutlé flute and the tama, a drum known for mimicking human speech.

Between proverbs and ancient sayings, music and dance, Kaito Winse’s new work is an invitation to find strength in the face of life’s trials. His art is a reminder that while one may laugh at the old man, no one can mock his walking stick.
Let Kaito guide you through the storms of life with his timeless wisdom and soulful melodies.

A Kaladounia, Rebel Up and Zephyrus co-production.

“And what a pleasure it is to see Kaito Winse solo again! Oh, not that his punk gesticulations with Avalanche Kaito didn’t live up to our expectations, quite the contrary, but here the griot from Burkina Faso offers us a completely different experience. Yes, the storm gives way to a mystical mist that arcs around the vibrations of the musician’s mouthbow, emanates from the openings of his Peul flute, resonates on the skins of his percussion, and finds its echo in Kaito’s voice and words.” – Djolo

“Kaito Winse’s masterly continuation of Burkinabé griot values can be seen as radical in a time of ephemerality, his passed down proverbial wisdom and millennia old musical learnings, a welcome cutting through of the illusory. 9/10” – Truth And Lies

Listen -> https://album.link/i/1792391674 
Buy yours now -> https://zephyrusrecords.bandcamp.com/album/reele-bumbou

Soolmaan is a sextet led by Belgian oud player and composer Tristan Driessens, accompanied by Nathan Daems, Christos Barbas, Annemie Osborne, Andrea Piccioni, and Levent Yildirim. Together, they create sound tableaus that float freely between the Bosphorus and India, with flute, sax, ney, cello, piano, and tamburello igniting an imaginary folklore infected by jazz. Releasing their second album ‘Kashgul’ on the 24th of January with Zephyrus Records. (Vinyl / CD)

Driessens began his career immersed in the classical music of the Ottoman court, founding the Lâmekân Ensemble in 2011. After training under oud virtuoso Necati Çelikin Istanbul, he returned to Belgium in 2016 to form Soolmaan, an ensemble that reflects his multi-faceted identity. Rooted in Eastern modal traditions, Soolmaan’s music bridges jazz, folk, and classical influences, creating a unique and contemporary sound.Their 2017 debut album, ‘Letters to Handenberg’, was described as “oriental chamber jazz,” with Istanbul serving as a common thread. With Kashgul, their latest release, Soolmaan explores Ottoman makam, Indian raga and Anatolian halk muzigi, blending these traditions with a contemporary modal language. Created during Driessens’ artist residency at the Concertgebouw of Bruges, the album features original compositions alongside reimagined works by Ravi Shankar, Amjad Ali Khan, and Art Pepper.With improvisation as a connecting factor, Soolmaan’s music invites listeners into rich, boundary-crossing soundscapes where tradition and innovation meet. Kashgul exemplifies the ensemble’s ability to craft an immersive musical experience.that resonates deeply with diverse audiences.

“I started writing the music for Kashgul two years ago. I was at a point in my career where borders had become more blurred. For some time, I had been playing side by side with musicians from India, Iran, Andalusia and elsewhere. By force of circumstance, I was soaking up new influences. And while remaining filled with the spirit passed on to me by my master Necati Çelik, I assimilated rhythms and melodies that I had never heard before. Then, during the year of composition that preceded the recording of this album, I felt that my writing language had changed. It was difficult for me to stay within the framework of the tradition in which I had been trained. I couldn’t help but give free rein to new inspirations, those that had gradually and sometimes imperceptibly found their way into my oud playing, as I met new people, played concerts and improvised alone in the evenings. Beyond the city of Istanbul, that luminous port of call that remains so dear to me, new resonances have emanated from my writing, naturally, without my being able to name them. Little by little, I began to anchor these resonances, thus revealing my long-standing affection for Persia, Central Asia and India, of course…

While the music on this album still reflects my years in Istanbul, it now expresses a more travelled, more eccentric orient. Alongside the new compositions, always approached with the jazz sparkle characteristic of the Soolmaan line-up, one of the central pieces is a cover – performed on saxophone, oud, piano, cello, doholla and tamburello – of a work by the Indian Sarod master Amjad Ali Khan.

I would like to thank the five musicians with whom I had the great honour of working to create this album, and who enriched and spiced up what I had to say with their presence and their great freedom. And I would also like to thank the Concertgebouw in Bruges, co-sponsor of this project, for placing its trust in me and supporting my creative trajectory. This album is a first fruit.”
-Tristan Driessens, Brussels, 27 January 2023

Listen here -> https://album.link/be/i/1786688189
Order ‘Kashgul’ -> https://soolmaan.bandcamp.com/album/kashgul

Kaito Winse releases ‘An Kôri‘, the first single on his upcoming album.
‘Reele Bumbou’, set to release on February 21st 2025, will be out on Rebel Up in collab with Zephyrus Records.

Listen here -> https://song.link/be/i/1790334219

Pre-order ‘Reele Bumbou’ -> https://zephyrusrecords.bandcamp.com/album/reele-bumbou

Soolmaan releases ‘Ikaros’, the third single ahead of their album ‘Kashgul’, set to release on January 24th  2025. Tristan Driessens sheds a light on the three immersive tracks:

Mashrab the Madman

“Following an extended three-part structure, Mashrab the Madman starts with a melody based on an atypical 29/8 rhythmical cycle. The composition then modulates to a straightforward middle section directly inspired by early 20^th Century gypsy music of Istanbul, with its haunting çifte telli 8/8 rhythmical pattern and its powerful nocturnal Saba scale. An extended oud taksim (non-metrical modal improvisation) subsequently modulates from Saba to the Acem Aşiran and Kürdi scales, before re-exposing the opening melody to mark the end of the piece. Mashrab The Madman is dedicated to my friend, the great Egyptian riqq and bendir player Adel Shams El Din.”

Prayer for Nature

“Based on an ancient Andalusian mode, Prayer for Nature is a composition that evokes the awakening of a new day, the announcement of new life at the break of dawn. On concerts, I often enjoy playing Prayer for Nature as the opening track, because I think it is very representative of both the typical instrumentation – oud, cello, tenor saxophone and percussion set up – and the modal jazz oriented musical direction of Soolmaan. Starting with a syncopated melody, Prayer for Nature quicky creates room for a series of short improvisations expanding like a joyous dialogue which celebrates the beauty of nature.”

Ikaros

“Ikaros is an epical and rather intense contemporary modal composition intended to be a direct musical evocation of the myth of Icarus. Virtuoso percussionists Andrea Piccioni (tamburello) and Levent Yıldırım (percussion set up) maintain a continuous groove throughout the first section of the piece. After the main themes, the two ney flutes (Christos Barbas and Nathan Daems) start to improvise simultaneously, evoking the wings of Icarus who, blinded by ambition, risks flying either too high or too low. The final section of this composition is introduced by a fiery sax solo that further emphasizes the atmosphere of menace. Stylistically, this composition borrows modal and polyrhythmic elements from Indian music, with its tihai resolutions and overall melodic structure.”

Soolmaan performing ‘Ikaros’ live @ Concertgebouw Brugge, February 10th 2023

Order ‘Kashgul’ -> https://soolmaan.bandcamp.com/album/kashgul 
Give ‘Ikaros’ a spin -> https://song.link/be/i/1790334063

‘All For A Reason’ out now!

Listen https://newsdigital.ffm.to/allforareason

With their authentic formula the Belgian Jamaican Jazz Orchestra return with a new EP. Again serious musicianship combined with the ingenious compositions of guitarist Wouter Rosseel (Pura Vida, Lee Scratch Perry, The Congos) but this time with a more rootsy, vintage feel.

“The five tracks on this EP represent one part of my musical journey between 2020 and 2022, a period that was rather tough and rocky. You can see it in some of titles. Luckily listening to music was healing and inspiring and so these tracks became alive. These tunes were meant to be, like so many things in life… it’s ‘All for A Reason’.” – Wouter Rosseel

Marie-Anne Standaert – trumpet
Bruno Van Der Haegen – tenor sax
Timothé Le Maire – trombone
Ruben Verbruggen – baritone sax
Wouter ‘Wowie’ Rosseel – rhythm guitars/lead guitars/bass
Karel Cuelenaere – keys/piano
Xan Albrecht – drums/percussion

Music by Wouter ‘Wowie’ Rosseel
Recorded and mixed by Xan Albrecht
Mastered by Karel De Backer
Artwork by Dimitri De Winter (kohusai.com)

Aboubakar Traoré & Balima ascend to the top of World Music Charts Europe for January 2025!

The album Sababu by Aboubakar Traoré & Balima claimed the coveted number one spot of the World Music Charts Europe for the month of January 2025.
Aboubakar Traoré & Balima explore West African musical traditions by combining Burkinan heritage with pan-African rhythms, jazz influences, and captivating melodies.

Traoré, a self-taught musician from Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, mastered the kamele ngoni (a traditional “young man’s harp”) and the vocal styles of Manding griots. In Sababu, he reflects on the struggles of his people, honors West Africa’s historical figures, and critiques ongoing socio-political challenges in the region.

Check out the full chart -> wmce.de

The latest single of Soolmaan’s upcoming album ‘Kashgul’ out now:

newsdigital.ffm.to/prayerfornature