• 
  KG Omulo: Ayah Ye!: Moving Train
  
  A synergy of funk, rock, reggae and traditional African sounds from this inventive, young singer/songwriter.
• 
  Various Artists: Chief Boima Presents: Lone Stars - Hipco and Gbema
  
  
• 
  Mamadou Diabaté: Courage
  
  Mamadou Diabate, the kora master, takes a fresh look at Mali instrumental music with his new CD Courage.
• 
  Various Artists: The Kankobela of the Batonga, Vol. 2
  
  Mysterious melodies from a disappearing thumb piano tradition of Southern Africa.
• 
  Kiran Ahluwalia: Aam Zameen: Common Ground
  
  Indo-Canadian Songwriter Combines Folk Poetry with African Rock, Jazz and more
• 
  M.anifest: Immigrant Chronicles: Coming to America
  
  
• 
  Sona Jobarteh: FASIYA
  
  West African female kora virtuoso releases an album full of grace, warmth, and passion.
• 
  Sia Tolno: My Life
  
  Kissi singer releases a strong second album full of pop-infused star power over songs of strife and triumph.
• 
  Zieti: Zemelewa
  
  Eclectic blend of Afro-infused pop out of Cote d'Ivoire.
• 
  Guelewar: Halleli N Dakarou
  
  Re-released and remastered live CD from this 80's experimental Senegambian outfit.
• 
  Tinariwen: Tassili
  
  Touareg desert legends return with an offering that is meandering, sorrowful and proud.
• 
  Los Rakas: Chancletas y Camisetas Bordada
  
  Oakland/Panamanian rappers -call it "Panabay"-- return with good results.
• 
  Cheikh Lo: Jamm
  
  The unique Senegalese singer and multi-instrumentalist crafts an eclectically excellent record.
• 
  David Rudder: Random Notes
  
  Calypsonian David Rudder returns with an album that covers various styles with excellent results.

All Reviews >>

Bassist, guitarist, singer and songwriter Richard Bona began life as a musically precocious child in a Cameroonian village, but wound up playing bass alongside the likes of Joe Zawinul, Pat Metheny, Bobby McFerrin and Joni Mitchell. His second album reflects this remarkable life in twelve polished, sophisticated compositions that feature his own soothing, multi-tracked vocals, some nifty acoustic guitar picking, and melodious Jaco Pastorious-possessed bass lines, all rolled together in lush, subtle arrangements by Gil Evans protégé Gil Goldstein. The music is intensely controlled, and Bona's starry-eyed spirituality can take him dangerously close to sentimental, easy-listening jazz--staggering musicianship by him and guests like Metheny, Michael Brecker, and drummer Vinny Colaiuta save the day.

At moments, Bona's African background emerges in the music: a brief 6/8 percussion jam slipped in at the close of "Te Misea" (A Scream to Save the Planet), or Bona's energetic polyrhythmic guitar work on "Laka Mba" (Plea for Forgiveness/ With the Pride of Lions). Elsewhere, his pop-jazz swoon is so powerful that only the unfamiliar language gives him away. Intriguingly, Africa is far more present in Bona's lyrics, which may deal with arranged marriages, or the wisdom of a village chief. Bona is an original, practically the only African musician to earn a place in the jazz mainstream.
Contributed by Banning Eyre