• 
  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 >>

Salif Keita's latest incarnation--as an acoustic music maestro--has been long awaited, especially by fans smitten with his soulful voice, but impatient with his various forays into dance pop and progressive rock. Keita always takes his time with recording projects; it's been over three years since his rockin' Papa, co-produced with Vernon Reid. But the time he takes with things definitely pays off. Moffou is very close to a perfect record: understated, varied, and imbued with all the delicious complexities of this brilliant, inscrutable African maverick.

Keita opens with the rich, warm, rolling, romantic "Yamore," featuring beautiful guest vocals from Cesaria Evora. The two West African icons manage to tune their voices so closely to each other, that you can almost be tricked as to which one is singing. It's one of the most successful collaborative songs Afropop has heard in years. "Madan," an uptempo number with strong overtones of wassolou music, is also a standout, rising through plateaus of emotion to a rollicking crescendo. "Koukou" also has a great groove, a little reminiscent of Keita's 1995 hit, "Tekere," and his vocal here is gentle and sweet.

Most of these songs are more reserved. Three feature only Keita and his guitar, a spare, searing combination. "Ananaming (It's Been Too Long)," a remake of a song from Papa, is probably the best of these, featuring an absolutely heart-breaking vocal, but all three solo numbers are gorgeous. If there is any misstep here at all, it might be the rather syrupy female backing vocals on "Katolon," otherwise an inspired re-working of a griot melody. Keita favors minor keys and there's a profound melancholy that runs through even his most party-hardy music. On this album, he is free to delve into that soft, vulnerable side of his musical persona, never losing that sense of personal power that makes his so voice so complex and so satisfying. This sets a new standard in the current trend of West African acoustic albums.
Contributed by Banning Eyre for www.afropop.org