• 
  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 >>

When musicians become professionals, sometimes passion becomes dial-up perfection: technically adept, but missing something that stirs the soul. That s why listening to Polo Montañez is so satisfying. A Cuban lumberjack who always dreamed of singing professionally, he got his break at 47 - when most popular musicians are in retrospect - with a recording contract in 1999. His debut first broke in Colombia, onto Latin America, before becoming an unlikely hometown hero in Cuba. Unfortunately, his storybook rise had a tragic ending with his death as a result of a car crash shortly after recording Guitarra Mia. Here Montañez takes listeners to the Cuban countryside with an acoustic backup band and no horn section. Even without brass, faster tunes swing tough and his rough-hewn voice wrings the heartfelt pain out of his achingly beautiful ballads. Was he the best singer in the world? Hardly, but he sounds fiercely determined to make every moment count. Listeners will be grateful he made it there, even if but for a moment.

[From the world music magazine, Global Rhythm.]
Contributed by Marty Lipp
Originally published in: Global Rhythm