Queen Jane "Nduraga Ngwetereire"

Another whirlwind tour of national music styles from the best compilers of world music around, Rough Guide. The most satisfying Rough Guide sets are put together by folks who really know their subject, and for Kenya, one could hardly ask for a better guide than Douglas Paterson of Seattle, maestro and editor of the East African Music Website. Queen Jane's giddy, pumping, guitar-driven Kikuyu benga kicks things off with the rowdy spirit of the '70s (though, this is a more recent recording). We get more of Kenya's irresistibly up guitar boogie in two fabulous tracks from Kakai Kilonzo, and one from D.O. Misiani & Shirati Jazz, founding fathers of the sound. We also get a lush, beautiful track of Swahili rumba from The Golden Stars Band. (By the way, a full CD of this band, Swahili Rumba, also put together by Patterson, is just out on Naxos).

Nyota Ndogo, billed as "not your mother's taarab," gives a subdued, modern take on the Arab-tinged, Swahili genre. But a more satisfying offering comes from Miraj Juma & Jauhar Orchestra, with sensuous Mombasa taarab played in the style that goes back to the 1930s. Zuhira Swaleh and Mombasa Party deliver a more urgent update of the same sound, though still rich with the acoustic timbres of traditional instruments--especially harmonium and hand percussion--a far cry from the cheesy "modern taarab" common in East Africa these days, though forgivably absent here.

Modern Kenyan sounds do come through strongly on this collection, notably on a track by one of the most imaginative and spirited hip-hop acts in Africa, Gidi Gidi Maji Maji. Also in the contemporary vein, there's "Kisimu 100" by Suzzana Owiyo. Owiyo has a voice to rival that of Angelique Kidjo, and the clean, minimal production here, including a creaky traditional fiddle, offers an inspired model for African singer/songwriters wishing to escape the constraints of dance music and ethnic pop. A voice and percussion track by Yunasi--which evolved from gospel a cappella quintet to socially conscious pop innovators--also underscores the fact that Kenyan music is a vibrant source of new sounds, anything but locked into old formulas. Even traditional musicians are holding their own in the face of modernity, as a slamming, texturally rich concluding track by Kenge Kenge Orutu Systems demonstrates vividly. In all, an A+ tour of a fascinating and often overlooked source of great African music.

Contributed by: Banning Eyre for www.afropop.org