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  Alkibar Gignor : La Paix
  
  Malian garage-rock group Alkibar Gignor deliver gloriously rough album.
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  Brownout : Oozy
  
  Latin-Funk group Brownout get down with some seriously laid-back swagger.
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  Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars: Radio Salone
  
  Sixteen great new tracks from Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars.
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  Funk Ark : High Noon
  
  Group from DC brings the Afrobeat fire.
• 
  , Amadou et Mariam: Folila
  
  Amadou and Mariam continue their foray into fusing their Malian styles with the sounds of western artists.
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  Nneka: Soul Is Heavy
  
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• 
  Sauti Sol: Sol Filosofia
  
  Kenyan, Afro-fusion outfit Sauti Sol continue their exploration of all things "pop."
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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.
• 
  Various Artists: Chief Boima Presents: Lone Stars - Hipco and Gbema
  
  
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  Various Artists: The Kankobela of the Batonga, Vol. 2
  
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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
  
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All Reviews >>

Cheikh Lô has done it again. The vanguard Senegalese singer's second international release fulfills the promise of his much heralded debut. Lô's metier is a personalized blend of Afro-Cuban sensuousness and the tough attitude of Senegalese pop, especially the percussion-driven mbalax style. Acoustic sounds, starting with Lô's ubiquitous acoustic guitar, keep the soundscape light, but the music seethes with restless drive and Lô's vocal performances never miss. On "M'Beddemi" he crows like a salsero. On the album's funkiest track, "Bambay Gueej," he channels Smokey Robinson and Nigeria's late musical icon Fela Kuti. Elsewhere, he wails with the force of his famous countrymen Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour, who has co-produced this release. Aside from great arranging instincts and a mean set of pipes, Lô can write. His melodies are strong and natural. They manage to steer clear of the old formulas without seeming forced or clever. A guest spot from Malian Wassoulou star Oumou Sangare on "Bobo-Dioulasso," a moody invocation of Lo's hometown in Burkina Faso, is a plus. Now we know. Lô's 1996 calling card Ne la Tiass was no fluke. Lô claims a spot in the top echelon of African pop.
Contributed by Banning Eyre
Originally published in: Boston Phoenix