• 
  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 >>

The king of Algeria's pop rai music, Khaled, is moving ahead in all directions. He's continuing with the muscular, high-angst funk that made him so popular during the 1980s Afropop explosion, as well as the gushy pop balladry that won him a mainstream French audience during the `90s. Khaled always throws a few curve balls, and this time his collaboration with Hindi film star Amar yields a home run. "El Harba Wine" melds the quirky exuberance of Hindi pop with Khaled gravitas. Khaled's bid to participate in Latin music fever, "Goulouha-Dji", also works well, perhaps since Latin and Arabic rhythms are kissing cousins from centuries back. Three tracks use a full Egyptian string section headed by Hossam Ramzy, who helped Page and Plant with their Arab music flirtation. Dark orchestral themes, pop hooks, a pumping backbeat, and Khaled's smooth, husky tenor come together magically on "Aâlach Tloumouni" and "Melha." "Raba-Raba" digs deeper still into traditional Arabic music with tumbling percussion and soaring strings providing the perfect foil for Khaled's dry-eyed vocal passion. The syrupy "Leili (C'est la vie)" might make the French pop charts like its stylistic predecessor "Aicha," but hard core rai fans may find it a blight of sentimentality on an otherwise solid record. In top creative form, and still keen for adventure, Khaled maintains his title as rai music's standard bearer.
Contributed by Banning Eyre
Originally published in: Boston Phoenix