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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.
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  Zieti: Zemelewa
  
  Eclectic blend of Afro-infused pop out of Cote d'Ivoire.
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  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.
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  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.
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  David Rudder: Random Notes
  
  Calypsonian David Rudder returns with an album that covers various styles with excellent results.

All Reviews >>

If there is a record that epitomizes the contemporary Parisian Algerian music scene, this has to be it. With "Made in Medina", the music of the Magreb meets Paris club as driving guitar riffs, a trance setting oud, Steve Hillage's (Khaled, Gong, System 7, Robin Hitchcock and Simple Minds) state of the art production, and Taha's evocative vocals collide in a landmark production. Born in Oran, Algeria in 1958, Taha grew up in a large Algerian working class community in Lyon, where he began experimenting as a DJ before forming his own band. Over the past decade, Taha has risen to the top of the competitive Parisian Arabic music scene with groundbreaking politically charged albums from his "Carte de Sejour" (Green Card) band, as well as the legendary "1-2-3 Soleils" concert and recording (the critically acclaimed mega celebration of Rai in Paris whose live recording topped the European pop charts in 1999). With "Made in Medina", Taha pushes Magreb's boundaries even further. With guests such as Nigeria's Femi Kuti and Morocco's B'net Marrakesh, Taha takes world fusion to an art form. "Ala Jalkoum", a melancholy duet with Afrobeat star Kuti weaves its way between Arabic, French pop and Afrobeat worlds with an eerie tone reminiscent of Peter Gabriel's "So". Another standout is "Foqt Foqt", a hard driving modern North African track where Hillage's electric guitar mimics the Arabic oud as a bass layer to the trance setting vocals of the all female Moroccan chorus, B'net Marrakesh. "Made in Medina" is destined to be a Parisian club classic that defies categorization. -Dan Rosenberg