WESTERN AFRICAN CDS FULL-LENGTH REVIEWS

--Just click on the title in the index list below to be directed to its full-length review!

INDEX

1. NOTHING'S IN VAIN by Youssou N'Dour

2. SPECIALIST IN ALL STYLES by Orchestra Baobab

3. ESCALAY (WATER WHEEL) by Hamza El Din

4. EGYPT by Youssou N'Dour

 Youssou N'Dour's prior album was very politically charged; NOTHING'S IN VAIN  is again a reaction in the opposite direction, focusing on traditional roots and including a lovely balafon cut, vocals, and hot beats. It's obvious N'Dour returned to his roots for inspiration and came back with an album which surpasses many or most of his prior publications.

 The first cut features a single-string Senegalese fiddle, while the driving vocals lose no power to the supportive fiddle's compelling rhythms.

 It's particularly wonderful to hear kora and balafon return, after N'Dour's slicker previous productions -and the cuts only become more lovely as NOTHING'S IN VAIN  progresses.

 N'Dour heads in the right direction with NOTHING'S IN VAIN: away from studio slick, back to the roots with songs that begin traditionally, seep into modern influences, and dip back into traditional foundations.

 Perhaps his best cd yet.

 N'Dour's latest release EGYPT is different yet again: EGYPT retains N'Dour's homage to Egypt and the heartland of Sufism, blends in his Senegal sound with Middle East influences, and showcases these influences more than many of his other albums.

 Arrangements provide a blend of Egyptian Arabic orchestral sounds in striking contrast to NOTHING'S IN VAIN: EGYPT is an album for fans of traditional music and presents a Muslim flavor quote distinctly different.

 The beat and vocal chorus of the introductory cut Bu Ma-Min in Orchestra Baobab's SPECIALIST IN ALL STYLES reminds the listener of Cuban music with African vocal overtones and surf guitar!

 Ibrahim Ferrer is a guest stylist, Youssof N'Dour also contributes, and the hot lineup backs a solid jazz/Latin sound perfect for African music fans seeking other cultural injections.

 Varied styles translate to varied cultural overtones as well as varied genres: jazz, a hint of pop, and Senegalese traditions intermingle.

 Orchestra Baobob is an old band - they've been around well over 20 years, and the Latin tinge is both unusual and powerful, here, setting their music apart from competitors and creating a niche all their own.

 It's hard to obtain oud music, difficult to hear Nubian artists in the U.S., and so the combination of the two rarities in Hanza El Din's ESCALAY: THE WATER WHEEL makes his album compelling in and of itself.

  There are only three (long) tracks here: very sparse Nubian oud is picked for the intro, then accompanied by drum rhythms and vocals.

 WATER WHEEL describes the experiences of the boy who keeps the water wheel going: the fugue grows and the oud draws on Nubian classical tradition to back its rhythmic melody.

 A specialty item for avid oud enthusiasts.

 He's so modern, he's international pop more than African: that's Idrissa Diop's cut 'Universal' introducing his EXPERIENCE album, with its  drum-machine-spiced dance opening.

 There's a touch of mblax/Senegalese pop which emerges from the second cut 'Paradise', with warming backup vocals enhancing its urban dance style.

 Idrissa Diop has Latin influences, but his urban pop style is as firmly rooted in contemporary rap and pop as in Latin or African. Billed as 'Afro-Funk Latin Prince', there is only a glimmer of Afro - but a lot of percussion and rich vocals to satisfy the listener seeking a driving rhythm and contemporary beat.

 No quiet intros to Idrissa Diop's UNIVERSAL REMIXES album: these are hard-hitting blockbuster beats remixing the 'Universal' song in three remix styles.

 Suitable for disco dancers or nightclub d.j.s, these remixes will delight a modern urban dance audience.

1. Land of Dummers by Various Artists
2. Mandinka Drum Master  by Mamadou Ly
3. Balanta Balo by Malang Mane 
4. Tabala Wolof   by Boubacar Diagne
5. Keepers of the Talking Drum by Tama Walo 

Representing the styles of traditional West African drumming still alive in the region today is the all-drum compendium LAND OF DRUMMERS. You have to love drums and no other instrument to appreciate LAND OF DRUMMERS, but drum fans will find a lot to love here: selections from six Village Pulse recordings by masters ranging from the Firdu Fula to the Jola peoples.

 Cuts range from 2-8 minutes in length and provide an excellent representative sampling of styles.

 Mamadou Ly has been the lead drummer with the Senegalese National Ballet for 25 years, but rarely has he had the opportunity to show his skills as in his MANDINKA DRUM MASTER: an all-drum chorus of rhythm.

 You can't see the dancers who would take turns soloing to Mamadou Ly's beats, but the three tuned drums certainly come across loud and clear.

 The Mandinka play a set of three drums and Ly was the first to teach women to play Mandinka drum: he and two others provide mesmerizing beats in MANDINKA DRUM MASTER.

 The Balanta lives primarily in Guinee-Bissau, but Casamande in Southwest Senegal is also a stronghold, and Balanta subgroups have ther developed some unique traditions.

 Their balafon, the balo, is a 2-player gourd xylophone, and Malang Mane is the lead balafonist in the Sedhiou region in the heart of the Casamance - so his BALANTU BALO: TALKING WOOD OF CASAMANCE is a significant contribution to drumming literature.

 Former farmer Mane learned his trade from a griot mentor. His people aren't Manding, but are surrounded by them - the Mandinka have abandoned the balafon in favor of the kora and the balo lives on in BALANTU BALO.

 No buzz or murkiness here: this recording is much crisper and clearer than the typical African drumming production.

 Tabala Wolof is the ritual drum music of an African Sufi order and Boubacar Diagne's TABALA WOLOF: SUFI DRUM OF SENEGAL provides a powerful drum-only set of recordings to new audiences.

 This includes traditional Wolof rhythms to the Qudiriya traditional Sufi drum, blending the two to provide a distinctive new sound.

 Diagne is a seventh-generation Tabala Wolof drummer, and the perfect choice to expose new audiences to this unique style.

 For generations the WaloWalo peoples have danced to the West African talking drum, and the troupe Tama Walo has evolved from these rhythmic roots to become one of Senegal's leading groups in Tama work.

 The Tama Walo troupe makes the talking drum 'talk' using fine tamas and a bass drum called the lambe to improvise new sounds: their KEEPERS OF THE TALKING DRUM is a 'must' for any avid African drum fan. 

 Each drummer here comes from a family who has played the tama professionally for generations, and on KEEPERS OF THE TALKING DRUM, the experience shows.

 Gorgeous from the first beat is the blend of haunting vocals in the Fula language of Senegal with rhythmic traditional guitar and percussion in Omar Ka's SORUUNA.

 Omar Ka does the lead vocals: a strong point of SORUUNA, the lead vocal has the Senegal/Mali Muslim influence so typical of the region.

 Billed as 'Sahara blues meets Dakar beat', this certainly is part of the listening experience; but most Senegalese music lacks the power of Omar Ka's vocals, and his added percussive rhythms don't drown out this power as too many competitors do.

 Ka's Fulani people live as nomads in West Africa, and the soruuna is the day's concluding conversation sharing music and events. It's the sharing of experience which creates the soruuna - and the life flowing from Omar Ka's vocal treat.

 Issa Bagayogo is unusual in that he's essentially a traditional West African n'goni player (similar to the kora) who uses modern studio tricks and electronics on his records. "So what?" you say?

 The difference is that Issa records in Mali, not London or Paris; so there's no European hipster D.J. remixing the sound until it's unrecognizable from the original product. Although a drum machine is used throughout, it's subtle and supports rather than dominates the music. At no time do you feel like you're in a discotique, especially in the first few songs (later Issa shows he can get very modern, but he never forgets his roots and the degree of modernity varies throughout, always coming back to the sound of the village and the feel of the bush).

 It's hard to believe top guitarists like Karanokou Diabate and Mama Sissko are in the same band, they play so subtly. French producer/keyboardist Yves Wesnest knows how to best show off the traditional music with understatement: even Issa's voice is subtle; he never shouts, though occasionally his semi-spoken vocal sounds like an mild rap. On the blues-like tunes, Bagayogo sounds a bit like a toned-down John Lee Hooker.

 TASSOUMAKAN is Issa Bagayogo's third album. Let's hope there are many more: the talent is there and the whole package has strong appeal.

  Just what is Afrbobeat? It's a cross-compendium of African styles unified by a powerful percussive beat - and who better to add that beat to a modern demonstration of Afrobeat than Najite Agindotan, who studied under Fela Kuti and performed with jazz greats Hugh Masakela and Billy Higgins.

 The Fela influence shows in master drummer/composer Najite's AFRICA BEFORE INVASION: add highlife guitar and a vocal romp intersecting jazz and African elements and you have a powerful conga-spiced Nigerian achievement.

 Especially recommended for fans of Hugh Masakela and African jazz.

1. SEPIA by Coco Mbassi

2. SISEA by Coco Mbassi

 SEPIA is the first solo album by a Cameroonian now living in Paris who has made her living singing in the backup chorus on many of the African pop recordings done in Paris in recent years.

 Naturally the vocal harmonies on SEPIA are outstanding: European influences are strongly felt, including classical. Her vocals, which are the most important parts of the arrangements, lean toward the soft ballad side.

 This is very pretty music: music for listening, not for dancing.

 Most lyrics are sung in Duala, and as Coco is married to a classical double bassist, it's not surprising that this instrument is prominent on some cuts.

 Most notable is the rhythm on the chorus on cut seven 'Profunda Sensagao': a samba - a nice touch.

 SISEA is Coco Mbassi's second solo album: less African and more classical yet, than her first. It's not until much later in SISEA that a recognizable African style emerges, but still the very gentle vocal style dominates. As in her first album, SEPIA, the vocal harmonies are superb.

 The first cut's a gentle ballad: a tribute to both American and African singers who have gone before, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar.

 The second is also a gentle ballad with soft jazz pop arrangements: beautiful music played by Africans that sounds more American than African - though there's an obvious Miriam Makeba influence.

 'My Soul's Love' is like a slightly Africanized Pentangle (the British folk-pop-jazz group of the late 60s/70s): African saxophone great Manu Dibango plays marimba on cut six.

  Never heard of Seydina Insa Wade? You're missing out, then: he's influenced many of Senegal's major artists from Baaba Maal to Ismael Lo, and his latest album XALIMA is a virtual wellspring of inspired vocals.

 Influenced himself by early Cuban music in vogue in Dakar during his adolescence and by local bands, Wade first established himself as a Senegalese folk vocalist, then as a pioneer blending Senegalese and jazz traditions.

 Wade's Senegalese roots shine in XALIMA, though: the production unites the former Xalam II band members Wade and Souleymane Faye, and Juan Phillippe Rykel records its songs in both Paris and Dakar studios, so it comes packed with variety.

 It's the steady, progressive swings from jazz to African and back coupled with smooth, full-studio sound which sets XALIMA apart from most uni-phonic African cds.

 Expect the unexpected with cuts packed with versatile, changing tunes: highly recommended.

1. ROOTS OF JUJU 1928 by Domingo Justus

2. EARLY GUITAR MUSIC FROM WEST AFRICA 1927-1929

  Many Westerners who hear modern African music for the first time are dismayed to find out that modern-day Africans do indeed play, sing, dance and listen to modern music. Most people outside Africa think this must be a very recent development but as these recordings from Interstate Music's Heritage label show, it's not new at all: African musicians have been making commercial recordings since the 1920s. 

 Many of the tunes on these two collections sound like what Americans think of as 'old timey' or folk music. Well, it's old timey now and it has strong folk roots; but strictly speaking, most of it's not true African folk or traditional music.

 For one thing, the primary instrument is the guitar, which was brought to Africa by Europeans. The styles also vary considerably with West African call and response vocals mixing with popular European and American styles similar to show tunes, country music, folk ballads and more.

 Obviously some African musicians, particularly those living abroad (i.e. England) not only liked what they heard in other people's music, but heard a commonality of sounds and feeling.

 Much of the Domingo Justus ROOTS OF JUJU reminds this listener more of early highlife recordings than the later juju style. Listen to cut one, 'Bandele', for instance: the drumming on the Domingo Justus cd harkens to Guy Warren's 1950s recordings. 

Listen to Cut 2 'Agbamurere' to hear the echo of African American railroad trackmen's songs, while the song 'Tourn' sounds like it could have been cut by Leadbelly in the early 1940s. Still others remind of the early 1930s calypso recordings.

 It's a shame no one interviewed Domingo Justus and other black African recording pioneers to find out more about their musical influences: thankfully, we do have these intriguing recordings to enjoy and ponder.

 Many of the points made in the review of Domingo Justus' ROOTS OF JUJU 1928 also apply to the various artists recording EARLY GUITAR MUSIC FROM WEST AFRICA 1927-29.

 Although the leader on most cuts plays guitar and sings, other instruments including drums, kazoo, clarinet, concertina (which sounds more like harmonica) and even a piano can be heard.

 The percussion on 'Miehu Ata' appears to be claves - a type of percussion associated with Cuban music.

 Except for the song 'Chidel Wydul', which is an instrumental blend sounding like south African accordion jive, vocals actually dominate with the guitars acting as accompaniment.

 If you listen carefully, however, you will notice that some of these guitarists are quite good. Pay particular attention to Nicholas De Heer: he's as good or better than most blues or country pickers recording in the same era.

 It's intriguing to note nearly all the performers featured have Westernized names, and the performers in all three photos are wearing suits and ties: what a difference from today, when so many African musicians from cities and towns dress in traditional or "tribal" dress to appeal to a Western audience. These 1920s performers were more like the modern musicians from the capitols of Zaire and the Congo who try to dress sharp and show off their modernity.

 There are no English lyrics, however: all vocals are in Fanti. All the recordings on this album were originally released as 78RPM singles recorded in England and sold in West African cities such as  Accra and Lagos, where they did well.

 The arrangements were meant to appeal to urban Africans, not white Europeans or folklorists: yet seventy-five years later  amateur and professional folklorists treasure them - for good reason.

Gyedu Blay Ambolley cds

1. THE SEKONDI MAN

2. JAAZZ MEETS HI-LIFE

  Wow - the brassy trumpets kick in from count one on Gyedu Blay Ambolley's THE SEKONDI MAN, the hi-life beat comes peppered with a range of tasteful jazz embellishments, and Ambolley's voice kicks in with those compelling hi-life vocals to bring just the right balance between jazz and traditional African sound.

 The combination of Ghana hi-life tradition with jazz creates an appealing new result which will cross not only cultures, but genres - and best of all, it's a danceable beat! Highly recommended.

 Recorded live is Blay Ambolly's JAAZZ MEETS HI-LIFE, which opens with a 'you are there' nightclub atmosphere and introduction, moving quickly to the vocal jazz song Abrentise.

  His band joins in on both vocals and hi-life accents and the effects of Ambolley's live Los Angeles show reflect a strong JAAZZ MEETS HI-LIFE recording designed to appeal to both jazz and African music fans.

  You don't have to be an avid prior fan of either genre to appreciate these compelling rhythms and beats: that's the unique attribute of JAAZZ MEETS HI-LIFE: a little bit of both elements blend into a whole new music style in Gyedu Blay Ambolley's works

1. JANGBALAJUGBU by Beautiful Nubia & the Roots Renaissance Band

2. WHERE RIVERS SING A SONG by Segun Akinlolu

  Beautiful Nubia and the Roots Renaissance Band's JANGBALAJUGBU holds a lot to like: smooth vocals with jazz trumpet overtones slip seamlessly in and out of languages, blending traditional Yoruba folk sounds with contemporary Nigerian influences.

 Add the fame of being a two-time Kora All-African Music Awards winner and you have a gorgeous presentation which should appeal to a wide audience.

 The trumpets could be crisper and sharper, but even muted, they add a lot - and it's the vocals which carry Beautiful Nubia's tunes so beautifully.

 If you're a prior fan of BN, you'll see quite a difference here: while the earlier albums held strong reggae and soul stylings, JANGBALAJUGBU represents a major shift back to BN's Yoruba folk and Nigerian roots.

 Segun Akinlou's WHERE RIVERS SING A SONG opens with drums and bass, a powerful backdrop to a poetry collection in the chanting, rhythmic manner of Gil Scott Heron - sans the heavy political messages.

 Segun Akinlou uses the background of percussion to chant/sing his poetry about village life, African culture, and Yoruba experiences.

 While his is not a pure music cd per say, listeners with an affection for chant-style poetry paired with acoustic guitar and percussion will find WHERE RIVERS SING A SONG a compelling production and a fine contribution to storytelling tradition.

  Felicity Tchaco is nicknamed 'Fely' by fans and friends, perhaps seeking association with the famous Fela - but her dynamic stand-alone vocals need no piggybacking to prove the strength in  her own name. Those who come to know Fely's style and music will also learn that nicknaming is part of African tradition and comes from friends who used to affectionately call her 'Felie L'Amour' because she was so popular.

 DE ZERE GNAN is contemporary Ivorian music at its best: harmonies which are smooth and sensual, a folk style reminiscent of the American group Youngbloods, and a Mapouka vocal style with origins firmly rooted in Fely's native Cote D'Ivorie home.

 No single language limits Fely's repretoire: she sings in Bete, French, English, and others and even adapts a Congolese rumba as part of her repretoire.

 The variety of languages and diversity of sound will haunt any seeking a strong female African vocalist.

1. SIRE FOULA by Dianka La Divine

2. POURQUOI NOUS by NCM

3. NA BANKO by BBC Sound System

4. MENSAH, MENSAH by King Mensah

5. SA LII SA LEE  by Coumba Gawlo 

 A hard-driving, near-disco dance beat spiced with French vocals marks Djanks La Divine's SIRE FOULA. 

 Originating from Guinea, Djanka Diabate began her career at the age of seven as a balafon player and singer. She left Guinea at 12 to become more heavily involved in music in Ivory Coast, and at 20 was an international star.

 SIRE FOULA is her first album in seven years and blends Manding melodies with Latin arrangements and a powerful set of French vocals.

 Much to surprise, yet a smooth, seamless production of toe-tapping rhythms, here.

 Take four young singers from the same family, focus heavily on African polyrhythms and vocals, and provide solos as compelling as all-group harmonics get and you have the second-best-selling album in its native Cote d'Ivorie, PARQUOI NOUS.

 Not much of an African beat to several of the vocals - not as Westerners are used to, anyway - but the result is gorgeous and it's easy to see why POURQUOI NOUS stands out in its native country.

 You just don't hear powerful vocal harmonies like this everyday - except in church choirs.

 BBC = Best of Best Community: three young Senegalese who blend rap, African, and driving rhythms on one song and pure reggae on the next.

 There's nothing similar or mundane with the very modern African sounds in  NA BANKO,  which seem to connect powerfully through a series of vocal rap influences whether they're coming from the Caribbean or Africa.

 BBC Sound System's fame is growing in their new Paris home and fans seeking a healthy mix of Afro-rap will not be disappointed in NA BANKO.

 King Mensah is a star in Togo and nearby countries, but the rest of the world has yet to catch up to him.

 Perhaps MENSAH, MENSAH will be the album which breaks through: it's his third, it blends Togo traditional rhythms with world influences, and is a particularly strong vocal collection profiling King Mensah's unique soul/rock/African style.

 King Mensah's voice lends particularly well to soul style cuts, but his fine backup vocals elevate all his songs to new realms.

 Coumba Gawlo's SA LII SA LEE is a winner: while Coumba Gawlo has had twenty years experience in the show business, it wasn't until her single 'Pata Pata' was released in 1998 that she achieved her pinnacle of fame in the music industry.

 SA LII SA LEE is entirely compiled by Gawlo, use a Brazilian arranger, and adds themes of family and love, with French vocals providing the final touch. 

 When a West African kora player becomes interested in modern pop music, especially music from outside the Manding countries of West Africa, he usually switches instruments and learns to play guitar. A few have incorporated the kora into a modern electric dance band sound; but this sound is still rooted in traditional Manding rhythms and melodies.

 What if someone took the kora and not only played Manding-rooted music on it, but other seemingly-unrelated musics as well? We now have the result: Prince Diabate, the descendant of a long long of griots from Guinea and Mali, has put together an album of songs that tours the world without ever completely leaving West Africa; and by doing so he may have saved the kora from oblivion.

 Flamenco on the kora? You bet: who needs a guitar? 

 Reggae, funk, rap, waltz and don't forget blues - that peculiar American music supposedly descended from Manding music - all shine on the kora: with its 21 strings it easily holds its own with any guitar.

  The only criticism: on a few tunes - a merengue and a funk rap - the kora is not easily noticed above the sound of the band , though if you listen closely, that's a kora; not three different string instruments playing back there - and then there's that killer solo.

 As the kids say - Prince Diabate and NEW LIFE rocks!

 Kaloga Traore, Fode Camara, Segou Camara and Fode Youla perform music from across Africa in Africa Djole's LIVE: CONCERT IN BERLIN '78.

 Here are songs from Sierra Leone, traditional Malinke music, and Soussons plus more.  Guinea is a cultural melting pot, which is why Africa Djole's LIVE comes so packed with drum standards from across the continent: anticipate a heavy emphasis on drumbeats and percussion, a dance beat emphasized by some vocals.

 If it's a powerful collection of polyrhythmic drumming needed in a standard African music collection, this is not to be missed.

 Female singers Jessy Jobarteh and Maja Sakiliba - and more - accompany traditional kora in a gorgeous presentation by a Gambian vocalist and player.

 Jobarteh is the nephew of famous kora player Amadu Jobarteh: his LISTEN ALL provides eleven traditional kora songs and is accompanied all the way by a host of female singers who are very well known in the Gambia. Most of the songs are in Mandinka, and were recorded live on min-disc in the artist's home: lacking the usual tricks to smooth and soften the edges, LISTEN ALL results in a sharp and authentic sound reflecting the artist experience sans recording magic: a real plus for those seeking the authentic Gambian country sound.

 For years Jobareth worked as a professional musician on the beach, catering to tourists seeking traditional Gambian music. His production of LISTEN ALL promotes not only his music, but hopes to reveal Gambian culture and style as a whole.

 The only instrument on LISTEN ALL is a kora. Four songs are traditional Gambian folk songs; the others are written by Jobareth.

 Dembo Jobarteh has made three albums in all, but his latest is steeped in roots more than most and is thus far the pinnacle of his musical career.

Yaya Diallo CDs

1. Nangape

2. Live at Club Soda

3. Dounoukan

  Traditional West African healing drums are the signature and style of Yaya Diallo's cds, and NANGAPE, his first album in 1980, introduces the world to his blend of drum and flute styles.

 Diallo plays dembe, balafon, conga, tama and dounouba and even with only Sylvan Leroux accompanying him on flute, NANGAPE proves a powerful introduction: one which elevated him to international musician status.

 Enter his DOUNOUKAN, even more focused on West African healing drums with cuts 'by Griots for Griots', as in the traditional Djelli song 'Lamban for Mrs. Diallo'.

 Perhaps even more accessible to general fans of African music who are not exclusively drum affectionados is the latest LIVE AT CLUB SODA album, recorded with his band Kanza.

 The live recording includes vocals and a host of instrumental forms from sax and electric violin to bass guitar, providing a satisfying and accessible set of songs rounding out Diallo's drum emphasis.

  Perhaps this is the most accessible of the three for the general audience, being a solid example of 'traditional music updated' for modern listener tastes: subtle elements of jazz and a powerful rhythmic beat enhanced by multiple sets of styles in this highly recommended pick.

  Yaya Diallo has come a long way from his sparse 1980 NAGAPE all the way to LIVE AT CLUB SODA and from his 1946 Mali village drum roots to modern U.S. university teaching circles: it's a journey aptly reflected in these powerful recordings.

 Backo and Kalimba Kalimba's CONSCIENCE OF AFRICA is meant as a 'wakeup call to all Africans: Cameroon artist Backo advocates a unification of African peoples for greater prosperity, and his songs in French and English offer politically-charged perspectives on the modern African condition.

 'Respect' is the key, Backo maintains - but listeners needn't be immersed in African politics to either get the messages or enjoy the poly rhythms and instrumentals of CONSCIENCE OF AFRICA, which presents a spirited, upbeat contemporary collection of African songs throughout.

Sirika Adepoju and Vaal Serrant's debut AFRICA HEARTBEAT: IJINLE ILU ("original drumming") is so much more than just another drum cd: the surprise lies in an interesting blend of African drums with Latin and Caribbean influences, blending cultures in a subtle manner and adding a healthy backdrop of vocals for added flavor.

 The idea in AFRIKA HEARTBEAT was to blend dance rhythms with music designed with the listener's pleasure in mind: thus IJINLE ILU will please both a listening and a dancing audience.

Fatu! cds

1. FATU! RA

2. LADY DRUMMER

 FATU! RA is a tasteful drum expose: more subdued than most pounding African rhythms, FATU! RA has the basic beats all right, but lets them take back seat as backups when the vocals kick in: unusual for an African percussion presentation where drums not only tend to dominate, but under less studied hands, can overwhelm.

 Perhaps this is because drummer Fatu is a lady drummer, well able to balance the potentially heavy-handed drum with vocal interventions - and willing to let the vocals share equal light with the drums.

 This is not to say Fatu's beats are understated: she has studied with numerous master drummers in the U.S. and Africa and her West African drum rhythms show it, with impeccable precision in FATU! RA.

 LADY DRUMMER is even more focused on an appropriate blend of vocals and drums: harmonies introduce the drums in the first cut 'Legba salute', and Fatu retains that delicate, welcome balance between percussion and vocal which sets her sound and cds apart from the usual West African all-drum compilation.

 The results are recommended picks for fans of West African hand drumming seeking a touch of vocal embellishment.

 For a rich African stew, take the classic Makossa style which Hugh Masakela has reaped the benefits from for over 20 years, stir in jazz with lively dance beats, and add the pounding drums of rhythm master Olatunji and you have a foot-stompin' album which just won't quit.

 There are many stereotypes of what makes 'African music' - and SOUL MAKOSSA breaks them all. Honkin' trumpet by Marvin Stamm, not one but 6 drummers, and Joe Henderson's sax create a driven set of poly rhythmic beats from the 'Soul Makossa' introduction to 'O-Wa'. 

 Composer Brother Diabango broke Olatunji's four-year recording silence with his dynamic SOUL MAKOSSA production of jazz, drum/vocal rhythms and beyond.

 It never ceases to amaze me how African string musicians (in this case in KOMANINA, four totally acoustic N'goni players) can set such a toe-tapping, dancing groove without benefit of drums or other percussion instruments.

 When the occasional fiddle kicks in, you may be magically transported to the Mississippi Delta:  Southern Mali (the Senegambia) and nearby "Manding" enivrons must be the true home of the roots of blues music. John Lee Hooker may not have known it, but this is where his music came from with its grooving strings and haunting vocals: a sound somewhere between Ali Farka Toure's guitar and Toumane Diabate's kora.

 Strangely enough, one of the founders of Ankata is a white European who went to Africa to further his studies: Bruno Michel had learned to play the Burkino Faso style of n'goni (a harp lute ancestor of the kora) while playing in France with the late Amindou Bambara.

 In Bamako, he met Sambou Sinayko, who became his teacher, friend, and bandmaster. Bruno plays a bass n'goni while Sam Sinayko tends more towards tenor: happy with their sound but still not satisfied, they added two more musicians who played different n'gonis yet: each n'goni being from a different area and/or segment of society.

 Nothing like this had been done before: these instruments were not intended to be played together; they were tuned differently with different traditions and concepts of playing - but somehow, over a period of several months, the four musicians worked up a small repertoire of tunes (every member of the group composes songs and each takes his turn as leader or accompanist. Sam and Broulaye sing, as well).

 The group has now been together for three years and continues to move forward ('Ankata' means 'forward' or 'onward' in the language of the Bambara people of the upper Niger River region of Mali).

  Son House or early Muddy Waters journeys to the roots of the blues - Africa - in Markus James' NIGHTBIRD. 

 Ever since Sam Charters journeyed up river inland in West Africa looking for the origin of the blues, musicologists, sociologists and others have been mining the musical wealth of the former Manding empire. Good to great collaborations between African and Western musicians have been recorded; none have had the quiet intensity of Markus James' gem.

 If Clapton got together with Ali Farka Toure, I don't think it would be this good: Markus James is truly haunting and his NIGHTBIRD is not to be missed by fans of both blues and African roots music.

 Despite the charged attention given to music from the isle of Cabo Verde in recent years, Cesaria Evora remains the better-known of the Cabo musicians - but watch out Cesaria, Maria de Barros is right beyond you and coming up strong.

 NHA MUNDO holds the same lazy, jazzy Afro-Latin elements which made Cesaria's works so compelling - with the added attraction of smooth vocals surpassing most of Maria de Barrlos' would-be competitors.

 Add a dose of French cafe island flavor and you have an artist who excels in blending the Cabo Verde style with new Latin undertones.

 Most regular listeners of African popular or world music are already familiar with Sekou Diabate as 'Diamond Fingers" Diabate, the leader of Guinea's most popular band Bembaya Jazz National.

 Sekou Diabate's GUITAR FO is a bit different from Bembaya Jazz recordings, as it's not with a full band playing loud electric dance music - in fact, on some tunes the guitar sounds completely acoustic and on others, like a fat-bodied, semi-acoustic electric guitar.

 Most of the tunes on GUITAR FO are completely instrumental, although there are a few restrained vocals by Sekou dueting with the female voice of Safiata Conde.

 Many of the tunes will be familiar to Bembeya Jazz fans, as they're some of the most popular ones the band ever recorded (including soukous namesake instrumental 'Diamond Fingers'), but done in a whole new, less intense manner.

 While this sounds like a recipe for blandness - if not disaster - it's not: GUITAR FO really works! It's a great, already-classic recording sure to be an office favorite for years to come.

 Rufino Almeida (a.k.a. Bau)'s all-instrumental CAPE VERDEAN MELANCHOLY presents a monster musician who builds his own instruments, has mastered several styles of music from swing and jazz fusion to morna (the melancholic music of the Cape Verte islands of Africa), and who plays guitar, violin and cavaquinho (known in Hawaii as the ukulele) with equal skill.

 Perhaps you've been lucky enough to see him tour with the world-famous Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora as her band leader: the jazz influence shows throughout CAPE VERDEAN MELANCHOLY, but the album's sense of swing permeates many tunes.

 Comparisons which come to mind include the melancholic music of Edith Piaf, the swing of Stephan Grapelli, the jazz fusion of Al Di Meola and the nobility of Astor Piazzola's compositions.

 The only negative a listener might have is in reading the liner notes and realizing this is actually a compilation album taken from four albums and at least one soundtrack: it's so great, you'll want to search out all the original recordings - I know the staff here wants to!

 If you like your traditional West African drumming 'uncorrupted' by electric instruments, Fore-Fote's WONBERE: MUSIC AND DANCE IN BLACK AND WHITE might be just what you're looking for.

 The drummers on this recording didn't grow up together in a traditional African village (ok, actually two of them did: group leader Dibo and his brother Miguel), but they still play styles of the former Manding empire (music of Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Gambia).

 The man who put this all together is master drummer and visionary teacher Lamine 'Dibo' Camara, who trained with the best traditional music teachers in his native Guinea, then left, forming award-winning group after group in Africa, Europe, and now America. 

 Fore-Fote means black-white in the Susu language of coastal Guinea and true enough, one of the drummers on this recording is white. You would never guess that by listening to WONBERE: MUSIC AND DANCE IN BLACK AND WHITE.

 Decades of playing and teaching have helped 'Dibo' and Miguel find the creme de la creme of students: the proof is in the listening, as good or better a group as we have ever heard.

 An extra delight is the sense of swing found in some tunes which begs the question "is swing actually of African origin?"

 Fore-Fote is only a four-member group, but you'll swear there just has to be more of them. Three members sing as a group chorus, but the emphasis is on instrumentals, and all members teach traditional drumming and dance at schools and universities around the world: truly awesome talents.

 Many folk-rooted artists yearn for international success, and many struggle with the urges to modernize versus being true to their roots: Wasis Diop is one of the few to succeed at fusing his African roots with a modern studio-enhanced pop sound.

 He has succeeded so well that most people reading this review will already have heard some of these songs on the radio: this is a 'greatest hits' album and public, college and independent radio have all gotten hip to Wasis Diop.

 Diop didn't just wander out of the bush; he's taken his top-notch guitar and played around the world, all the while listening to other musics, the voices of fans, and critics. 

 The result is a true international artist: a musician/songwriter who could probably make a living anywhere as a smooth urban musician - but most definitely African, with hints of Cuban rhythm, electric Euro-pop, Afro-American chorus work, Beatles, Samite, and a host of others.

 More for listening than dancing, Wasis Diop is a world leader for tomorrow's music.

 Drum virtuoso Mamadi "Papa" Bagayogo is a traditional musician from Burkina Faso, West Africa: though his family roots are in Guinea, his father is the well-respected djembe player Fode  Bagayogo and the seed obviously has not fallen fallen from the tree as "Papa" demonstrates skills on djembe, doundoun and zinzin alike on all-acoustic, all-percussion WAKATI.

 No string instruments, no horns - not even a vocal: Mickey Hart could love this drum workout.

 Papa's full-time job is as drum soloist with the group LeFoliba lead by Adana Drame, who acted as Papa's guru and surrogate father for nearly thirty years.

 With such well-respected teachers, it's no wonder "Papa" is now compared to the world's greatest hand drummers. He's assisted on  WAKATI  by mentor Adama Drame on djembe.

 Lovers of traditional West African drum recordings should be pleased.

 Ricardo Lemvo is originally from the Congo so he is usually filed under African music, but in truth his music is more Cuban influenced than African.

 Ricardo lives in Los Angeles California - hardly a hotbed of African or Cuban style music - but somehow he's managed to put together a superb band (Makina Loca) that plays super-charged, kick-butt Latin dance music flavored with occasional African elements.

 Since soukous music (Congolese rhumba, the most popular style of music in the Congo) is loosely based on Cuban music, it's not surprising Ricardo Lemvo takes to Cuban music so naturally.

 It's great to hear Cuban piano mixed with African guitars, pulsating horns, and wonderful dance rhythms without electronics or disco beats.

 Many African bands have tried to sound Cuban: some have succeeded, but nobody has successfully captured the essence of both the way Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca have.

 If you already own and enjoy the group's cd SAO SALUADOR on Putumayo, you should get TATA MASAMBO and AY VALERIA.

 Imagine Tito Puente or Johnny Pacheco at their salsa best mixed with occasional dashes of Franco or Tabu Ley Rochereau. Hot, hot, hot!

1. BEST OF SALIF KEITA: THE GOLDEN VOICE by Salif Keita

2. BEST OF THE EARLY YEARS by Baaba Maal

3. BOOMERANG by Daata J.

 Mali superstar Salif Keita has many songs and cds to his name; but if it's only one being considered for a collection of  West African classics, make it BEST OF SALIF KEITA - THE GOLDEN VOICE, a 2-disc compilation of his life's works.

 There won't be much new for old and avid fans here: this gathers the best from Keita's works - but any newcomer to his voice and style will find BEST OF SALIF KEITA - THE GOLDEN VOICE an excellent collection profiling the traditional foundations of his West African Griot roots with influences form nearby regions.

 A hard-hitting, diverse showcase suitable for the 'Golden Voice of Mali' himself.

 Baaba Maal's name is standard among West African musicians and he's forged a name for himself in a powerful fusion of traditional and contemporary African-based sounds; but where are his roots?

 They lie right here, in the BEST OF THE EARLY YEARS collection: simply a 'must have' for any avid Baaba Maal listener who would appreciate his 1980s and 90s efforts, from his first album Wango to the 1992 Lam Touro and beyond.

 Baaba Maal's BEST OF EARLY YEARS pulls the best songs from his albums BAAYO, WANGO and the later LAM TORO and FIRE N FOUTA - and these cuts have a long-acclaimed history of being the best of these notable albums.

 BOOMERANG is African hiphop at its most rhythmic: songs are steeped in issues of social justice/injustice and reflect on the African condition; but if you can't understand the native language, that still won't prevent an appreciation for Daara J's cd.

 The hiphop beats are universal and compelling, the African backdrop unusual.

 BOOMERANG's vocals are quite solid, whether in the traditional hiphop style of opening cut 'Boomerang' or the Spanish-tinged, exciting 'Esperanza'.

1. KASSI KASSE by Kasse Mady Diabate

2. MARIMBA by Pape & Cheikh

  Popular Mali Jelis (or Griots) return even deeper to their roots with all-acoustic instruments in KASSI KASSE by Kasse Mady Diabate. 

 Most tracks were recorded in a small village deep in the bush, the home of much of the traditional styles recorded. Love of the music, not money, moves this album.

 Mady plays the Ngoni, ancestor of the kora, which may look like a pregnant sitar to some, but is played more like a cross between a small harp and a guitar - and it sounds like a cross between the two, with an occasional banjo-like sound.

 Kasse Made comes from a long line of traditional musicians: his family has been keeping the musical flame going for hundreds of years now.

 Like his previous recordings, KASSI KASSE keeps it simple and harmonious with primarily traditional instruments and style with just a small touch of modern technique to enhance the recording quality.

 A real surprise is the use of Orlando "Cachaito' Lopez, the great Cuban musician, on double bass. Of course, Cachaito is the latest star in a long line of family musicians, so maybe it's logical he was chosen for this recording: he fits right in, uplifting the African music without standing out or showboating.

 All the musicians are pros here: everyone understands their part and nobody tries to outshine the other.

 If you like Toumani Diabate (who guests on Track 8), Foday Musa Suso, or even dance band leaders like Mory Kante, you should listen to Kasse Mady Diabate: he's the real deal: nothing pretentious, a solid keeper of the flame and very pleasant to listen to.

 Pape and Cheikh are folk-rock singer/songwriters from Senegal: their strong social conscience songs moved a nation, and move their latest cd MARIMBA.

 None are sung in English, so you'll have to read the liner notes to gain their meaning and impact - but the music is hard-hitting even for those who don't know the language.

 Mostly acoustic, with occasional subtle electronic instruments: Peter, Paul & Mary would love this.

  If it's pure tribal beats intersected with vocals you seek, take a listen to Brice Wassy's BALENGU VILLAGE.

 This is the music of West Cameroon: and who better to demonstrate its range than Wassy, who grew up as a boy surrounded by traditional village rhythms, picking out his own on handmade instruments.

  Horns play a surprisingly powerful role on BALENGU VILLAGE's pieces, blending jazz fusion into traditional African sounds and drawing from the family village heartland to provide both vocals and tribal beats.

 Take Ali Farka Toure's style, add a healthy dose of vocals on every song, then rock up the results and you have Roika Traore's BOWMBOI: a hard-hitting, sensual explosion of Malian roots blending the elements of traditional Mali sound with folk and even rock roots.

 Traore is fluent in several languages, but here signs in her native Bamanan - yet the result is not wholly traditional in scope, but invents a new presentation entirely.

 Traore has become a star in Europe, but remains relatively unknown to U.S. audiences: BOWMBOI should change this, presenting her soaring vocals to a whole new world.

 He's a long way from his large band semi-disco days of Yeki Yeki, but Mory Kante continues to search for ways to return to his roots as a Kora player and keeper of the flame.

 SABOU is a great compromise between the soloist and the dance band leader of old: a nearly totally acoustic group of traditional Manding instruments (there is an electric bass to keep things pumping) includes balafon (marimba), flute, djembe (hand drums), scraper and occasional talking drum, with a mostly-female vocal group weaving its way in and out.

 Yet this music really moves: it truly is dance music despite the loss of the horn section and the electric guitars: a perfect compromise between the traditional music of the village and the dance floor groove of the big city.

 This could be his best album yet.

1. ABARAKA
2. ALI KEJA 

The Jobarteh family is a large, respected family of Jails or Griots in the Manding families of West Africa, and Kunda is the Manding word for family or clan.

 Strangely, the co-leader of the group, Tormenta Jobarteh, was not born into the family: he's originally from Germany - it's finally happening, we now have 'African' bands co-founded by Westerners who traveled to Africa in the 1980s and 90s to study or apprentice under African musicians.

 On their first album ABARAKA, the eight-piece combo do a very good job of bringing traditional Manding music of the Gambia into the modern world without losing the feel of the original. 

 Tormenta Jobarteh plays kora and talking drum amazingly well for a person who grew up in Munich, and his co-leader Mori Dioubate plays balafon (marimba) and guitar.

 The group also features a djembe player (hand drum_ who doubles on steel pans to add an exotic Caribbean flavor: just about everyone in the group is a multi-instrumentalist, and every one but the saxophonist/flutist sings.

 On their second album ALI KEJA, the group takes a great leap forward with a couple of personnel changes: guitarist Teddy Toure brings a true late-20th century African sound to the band - very professional now; not so experimental as before.

 Oddly, Humphrey Cairo, who plays bass and trombone on the first cd, is replaced on bass by Phillip Johnbaptist, but doesn't leave the band, instead switching over to trap-drums and percussion. 

 This really works well: the sound of the band is much more professional on their second album. Learning how to use the studio probably helps.

 Although the group vocals on ABARKA are fine, they are truly wonderful on ALI KEJA.

 This is a band  to watch out for!

 1. Aikbar by Afel Boucoum
 2. Oumou by Oumou Sangare

 The debut album by Afel Bocoum, a protégé of Ali Farka Toure and a Mali powerhouse in his own right, is out with AIKBAR - and you'd probably guess Bocoum's roots from the first notes of his Toure-like guitar and vocal blends, rooted in blues and backed by haunting, chant-driven vocals.

 AIKBAR blends acoustic guitar with traditional violin for maximum impact: his songs are all originals and features his prowess as a songwriter/composer as much as his guitar skills.

 AIKBAR is a 'must' for blues music fans of Ali Farka Toure's African style, and it's the original new material which makes it more than just another alone of the master.

 Oumou Sangare's OUMOU is a fitting segue for any who want more vocals than instrumentals - and Sangare is a powerful vocalist, indeed.

 OUMOU is a two-cd set tribute to the range of her skills: Oumou has been described as the 'songbird of Wassoulou', and is Mali's diva.

 Her roots lie in the musical traditions of Southern Mali, and her songs comment on social problems in women's lives as well as more universal metaphors of heroism and the human condition.

 Wassoulou music is based on the song and dance traditions of the Wasulu, a remote Southern Mali region: while OUMOU holds many of the regional stylings that proved so popular on the dance floors, it's an exuberance tempered with her personal appeal and at-times quieter vocal enhancements.

 The result is an album steeped in regional appeal.

 There's little new for long-time fans here: it's her newer audiences who will relish such a strong introduction to her style.

 Sangare has been the number one singer of this wassolu sound for at least a decade, and OUMOU is a fitting 'best of' tribute.

  DONKILI: CALL TO DANCE hosts festival music from Mali, moving West to present a more subdued, yet very basic sound.

 The field recording quality in DONKILI is excellent, bringing to life a powerful set of drum and vocal sessions which feature both equally.

 Extensive liner notes describes geography, history, culture and music (as does all the Pan line of cds), including black and white photos of musicians and plenty of background information.

 A top pick for serious ethnomusicologists interested in quality field recordings.

 Don't attempt to neatly niche Gino Sitson's SONG ZIN: it just won't work - his music is a blend of African and jazz vocals and is so intrinsically interwoven between both traditions that it's impossible to separate one from the other.

 Jazz vocalist Sitson's style comes closest to Bobby McFerrin, blended with a distinct Cameroonian vocal style and female backup singers who add touches of gospel, blues and traditional African at the drop of a hat.

 The female polyrhythmic harmonies of the introductory cut 'Ngoyak' quickly move to a more choral atmosphere in 'Lovely Dany-jo'.

 SONG ZIN is contemporary Afro-jazz at its best: with elements of both and entireties of neither.

 A pioneering work, SONG ZIN presents a refined, highly recommended pick, with all songs sung in the Nedumba language for added cultural punch.

 Paul I.K. Dairo's NUMBER ONE won't be for every African music enthusiast: it's modern African rhythm and blues at its best with little traditional sound, from disco-inspired drum beats to a modern highlife/juju blend which is slick, well produced, and polished.

 Expect little of the African associated with many modern juju players: Paul I.K. Dairo has strong roots in rhythm and blues and it's this foundation backed by soul vocals which makes his title NUMBER ONE.

1. MALI FOLI
2. MALI FOLI: DAKAN

   If it's traditional Mali rhythms and vocals you seek, with a strong emphasis on vivid drumming, look no further than Moussa Traore: seven cuts on his MALI FOLI provide a kick-ass drive basic to Malian big band sound.

 You may think of Mali's music as more 'light string', but as Traore demonstrates in MALI FOLI, this is real driving drum country and holds its own with other more recognized African drum nations such as Senegal.

 Traore is a Master Drummer born and raised in Mali, and the powerful debit release in MALI FOLI reflects twenty-five years of jembe playing.

 The inclusion of vocals and songs from traditional Mali ethnic groups provides a satisfying intersection between rhythm and song.

 Even more drum-founded and inspired is his MALI FOLI: DAKAN, presenting Traore's prowess on the dakan drum, opening with a driving rhythm more commonly associated with Senegalese drumming than Mali rhythms.

 The thumb piano segue on the second cut combined with vocals offers a refreshing difference in tempo and tone, and even when the drum kicks in soon thereafter, it's with a seasoned less driving beat which will prove more accessible to the general African music enthusiast.

 Together both provide a powerful tribute to the power of master drummer Traore and Mali rhythm.

  Traditional djembe rhythms played by traditional masters in Senegal in 2004 are the drum highlight of this 2-cd set, a recommended pick for fans of both African drum styles and field recordings.

 The narrowed focus on the djembe drum alone will especially please drummers seeking drum-specific collections and demonstrations: TAMBOCOUNDA DRUM comes packed with other percussive accents, but it's the djembe sound which is its rootsy emphasis here.

  Turn down your stereo a notch if you've been listening to soft jazz: Angelique Kidjo's OYAYA! belts out the Latin rhythms from cut one's 'Seyin Djro' and yes, we said 'Latin': for this African vocalist here provides a fitting acknowledgement to the Latin and Caribbean roots of African music.

 Kidjo's Afro-Cuban rocker is packed with beats and action and is a joyful celebration produced by Steve Berlin, best known for his work with Los Lobos.

 A group of Latin and African musicians participate in OYAYA!, but its roots go back to Kidjo's own travels and performances in Cuba and the Caribbean, where she met old musicians and learned about the meaning of Cuban music in their lives.

 Move from the dancing Puerto Rican 'bomba' style of opener 'Seyin Djro' to the more toned-down hit 'Congaleo', then to her 'Bala Bala, a classic Cuban cha-cha-cha, and you have a feel for OYAYA!'s infectious diversity.

 If you're expecting the usual laid-back folk roots from Smithsonian Folkways' MALI LOLO!, don't get too relaxed: MALI LOLO! rocks from the first beat of a drum-based display of dance music by Kassy Mady Diabate in his powerful 'Eh Ya Ye', continues with Kardia Kouyate's 'Sam Baranc', and highlights the sparse guitars unique to Malian style along the way.

 MALI LOLO! is an outstanding blend of talents, from the jazzy Rokia Traore to the long-time Super Rail Band and the contemporary Oumou Sangare.

 Smithsonian's label is noted for its traditional picks - but also add ' top artist picks' to the definition of this winning compilation.

 Salif Keita must've had little to do with these remixes: there's virtually no African influence to these remixes' disco beats and only light world influence if you listen closely.

 Each song on REMIXES comes from his Grammy-nominated album MOFFOU and each has been transformed for the dance floor.

 If it's House and drum n bass you seek with light ethnic accents and overtones underneath, Keita's REMIXES FROM MOFFOU is the item of choice: his basic traditional sound has here been transformed for the modern dance audience who needs the bass heavy and the African light.

1. SOUFFLE (email: ivoirtopmusic@hotmail.com)

2. SONERIEN AN AOD & JULIEN GOUALO
     (http://www.coop-breizh.com)

 Music from Ivory Coast is hard to get here in the US, and Julien Goualo's two cds are rocky and dance/drum styled beats unique to Goualo's percussive interests and ability to blend worldbeat into his sound. SOUFFLE is distributed and sold at present only in Ivory Coast in Africa by Ivoir Top Music: but it's worth the extra effort to obtain.

 Open with a hard beat/vocal blend with the song 'Siguinapo' in SOUFFLE, then move to more hand drums and vocals in 'Kawala', and it's obvious SOUFFLÉ is a dancer's dream. It's the intense rhythms and quick vocal chatter which set SOUFFLE's style apart from others.

 Speaking of 'like no other', don't fall out of your chair when you switch to the striking collaboration of Goualo with the band Sonerien An Aod in SONERIEN AN AOD & JULIEN GOUALO - a blend of African and bagpipe.

 Yes, we said 'Afro-bagpipe': Goualo here joins with Sonerien An Aod, blending his hard percussive beats the the Celtic flair of the pipe for an all-new sound.

 From the traditional pipe song 'Amazing Grace' to the drum workout 'Guerrier', the amazing blend works.

1. NDIGUEL by Diengoz

2. DEJENLOS HABLAR by Obama

  Obama was born almost atop the capital city of equatorial Guinea and won his first award as a vocalist at an early age, but his gorgeous orchestra/synthesizer-backed DJENLOS HABLAR is a sophisticated production representing his musical training in Paris and his ability to work with a powerful group of backup vocalists.

 So much mediocre music is produced that it's rare to find a 'keeper' in a new production which captivates from the first note with a mesmerizing beat and a lovely blend of instruments and vocals.

 Neither do later cuts disappoint: driven by (but not overwhelmed by) the same drums is the lovely 'Secundia', with its danceable rhythms and compelling vocal.

 Clean music with light jazz and danceable beats mark Obama's first solo work - a warm cd, highly recommended.

 Diengoz's NDIGUEL opens with drum beats and prepares listeners for the rhythms which will dominate: drummer Babacar founded Diengoz and was N'Dour's African drummer, and his NDIGUEL blends a high drum profile with lovely and unexpected birds and nature sounds - a theme carried on in other sparse rhythmic cuts.

 NDIGUEL is a recommended pick for drummers and fans of the drum.

1. Conjunto Mane Pchei
2. Los Afro-Salseros de Senegal en la Habana

  'Cuban music by Africans' is the best single-line description of LOS AFRO-SALSEROS DE SENEGAL: an unlikely blend of Cuban big band and Senegalese music.

 How did this association come about? The newly elected conservative president of Senegal took up diplomatic relations with Cuba: when an ambassador's visit from Cuba produced a concert by the best "salaros' in Dakar, these relations were sealed.

 Impresed, the Cuban ambassador invited local Senegalese musicians to visit his country and Afro-Cuban musical associations were strengthened.

 Musicians on LOS AFRO-SALSEROS DE SENEGAL's outstanding album include 'Labah Sosseh, James Mapate Gadiaja, Pape Fall, Mari Sek, and Yabya Fall: all excellent Senegalese musicians.

 CONJUNTO MANE PCHEI is more Latin than African, coming from Cabo Verde; and it sounds much more old-time than its 1980s recording date.

 Mane Pchei had an extensive knowledge of Sao Nicholau's musical heritage and old styles, and died only months after making this album, which showcases his violin plus his supporting group's talents.

 His violin playing is disc ordinate at times, but his authentic old-style music is unique and a recommended pick for libraries collecting field recordings and old-timey African sounds.

  Sax player Manu Dibango provides Cameroon mellow grooves, blending a sax-makossa style he developed long ago with jazzy overtones.

 Dibango is his country's best-known musician, famous for his 1973 instrumental 'Soul Makossa', and he's branched out here into some very different avenues, from his jazzy introduction in 'Ngolowake' to the more traditional 'Miango Ma Tumba'.

 ROUGH GUIDE TO MANU DIBANGO is an important anthology demonstrating the range of Dibango's prowess, covering the extent of his music from the early 1960s to modern times.

 The very diversity of sound in ROUGH GUIDE TO MANU DIBANGO shows what a monster musician Dibango is: how many world-renowned sax players can switch as deftly to marimba, for example?

 Expect a wide range of styles, from Congolese meringue to soca.

  To the average urban American, two-hand drummers meeting for the first time and immediately playing together is no big deal: it happens in city parks and all over America every weekend.

 But in Africa, this is unusual: it's a place of many drummers, most of whom grow up learning the drum styles of their own ethnic group and always playing with people of their own heritage.

 What makes BUSH TAXI FROM BAMAKO TO ACCRA so unusual is that the two drummers playing together here are from two different African countries and two totally separate ethnic groups.

 They met on a bush taxi (actually an open-air truck) traveling from Bamako, Mali to Accra, Ghana.

 Although each man speaks three different languages, they held no language in common - except that of rhythm.

 Ashitly Nsotse is from Ghana and plays the Kpanlogo, Kassoum Traore is from Mali and plays the djembe. Both drummers are full-time, professional musicians.

 It's amazing to hear them play together in unison or trading solos back and forth working together for the common cause of the music, urging each other onward to more and more difficult concepts without actually overwhelming each other.

 Although I'm sure some spirited competition is always bubbling underneath, it never takes over.

 Fans of West African drumming will truly enjoy this recording: unusual now, perhaps, but this is the way of the future for West Africa.

1. Afieye Okropong
2. Let Me Play My Drums

 Obo Addy and Kukrudu's LET ME PLAY MY DRUMS is unusual for a West African drummer who leads his own group: he constantly experiments with other instruments in his troupe and  with vocal choruses as well as soloists.

 Besides Obo Addy himself, the only person who plays with both of these groups is Garry Harris who plays flute with Okropong and saxophone with Kukrudu. Why have two separate groups?

 One group, Okropong, is an all-acoustic, traditional-leaning group, while Kukrudu is closer to a modern dance band with some electric instruments, but without synthesizers or ultra-modern electronic studio tricks.

 Kukrudu is a great compromise between ancient and modern, while Okropong features terrific vocal choral work backed by subtle percussion, especially talking drums: only on the cut "Oburu" does the vocal chorus disappear and the drums take over completely.

 Strangely enough, with Kukrudu (which is a dance band, after all) Obo Addy seems to take more drum solos, although perhaps that's only with the recording which is named after the cd's final cut LET ME PLAY MY DRUMS.

 If both groups put out a cd together, that would be astounding: each cd individually is a powerful creation.