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  KG Omulo: Ayah Ye!: Moving Train
  
  A synergy of funk, rock, reggae and traditional African sounds from this inventive, young singer/songwriter.
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  Various Artists: Chief Boima Presents: Lone Stars - Hipco and Gbema
  
  
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  Mamadou Diabaté: Courage
  
  Mamadou Diabate, the kora master, takes a fresh look at Mali instrumental music with his new CD Courage.
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  Various Artists: The Kankobela of the Batonga, Vol. 2
  
  Mysterious melodies from a disappearing thumb piano tradition of Southern Africa.
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  Kiran Ahluwalia: Aam Zameen: Common Ground
  
  Indo-Canadian Songwriter Combines Folk Poetry with African Rock, Jazz and more
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  M.anifest: Immigrant Chronicles: Coming to America
  
  
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  Sona Jobarteh: FASIYA
  
  West African female kora virtuoso releases an album full of grace, warmth, and passion.
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  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.
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  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.
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  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 Rough Guide compilation team displays the top of their game with this set of thirteen tracks from the vast, north African desert. Punctuated by hand claps and ululations, and at times supporting paint peeling vocal performances, these hypnotic grooves evoke varieties of life in a vast, forbidding land that dried up in around 3000 BC. Compagnie Jellouli & Ghin from Tafilalet, , begin this audio journey in a melodious style believed to preserve remnants of Andalusian music within its largely Berber cultural mix. A deep, resounding jangle of oud graces the snap and boom of trance percussion as two male vocals intertwine lines. The track is paritcularly satisfying, but there are literally no misses here.

Malouma’s searing, bluesy take on Mauritanean folklore is about as pop as the selection gets, along with a track from Sekou Maïga from Ali Farka Toure’s neck of the woods in northern . Backed by a tasty band with bass, a wheedling fiddle, acoustic guitar, traditional lute, backing singers, and the ubiquitous keyboard and drum machine, Maïga turns the sort of track fans of northern music yearn for. Even when the song lulls midway into a spoken-word homage to heroes, the vibe carries through. is, of course, represented by the champions of Tuareg electric guitar trance music, Tinariwen, and Tuareg folklore, Tartit. Although, the grunting, sputtering vocals of another Tuareg troupe, Kel Tin Lokiene, recorded in the field put you into the scene more than any track here.

Two lesser known vocalists deserve special mention. Hasna el Becharia’s stylish reworking of her gnawa heritage in incorporates rolling oud, loping percussion and an arrangement that lets her spectacular voice build to a peak that really makes you believe this is music capable of healing the sick. From the disputed territory of the Western Sahara , Sahraoui vocalist Mariam Hassan hits still harder with “Id Chab,” for me the best of many strong vocal tracks here. And Sahraoui electric guitarist Nayim Alal sets a new standard for desert Hendrix wannabes with his jangling, chiming tone and riffs that roar with satisfying severity.

Kudos to desert veteran Andy Morgan , the mind behind this collection. From the Berber lands of , Sahraoui Bachir’s flute and vocal duo offer a fittingly serene end to a desert journey the listener will want to take over and over again.