• 
  Alkibar Gignor : La Paix
  
  Malian garage-rock group Alkibar Gignor deliver gloriously rough album.
• 
  Brownout : Oozy
  
  Latin-Funk group Brownout get down with some seriously laid-back swagger.
• 
  Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars: Radio Salone
  
  Sixteen great new tracks from Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars.
• 
  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.
• 
  Nneka: Soul Is Heavy
  
  Nigerian-German soulstress channels her inner neo-soul star on her latest release
• 
  Sauti Sol: Sol Filosofia
  
  Kenyan, Afro-fusion outfit Sauti Sol continue their exploration of all things "pop."
• 
  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
  
  
• 
  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.

All Reviews >>

Anyone familiar with my work probably knows I consider Djelimady Tounkara of Mali the most formidable guitarist in Africa. This acoustic ensemble recording is the first under Tounkara's own name since he started out in the Super Rail Band of Bamako in 1972. It showcases his playing in an intimate setting, moving through Manding tradition and Tounkara originality with fleet riffing and sweetly rolling rhythms. Partly on the strength of this album, Tounkara won the BBC's World Music Award for Africa in January, 2002. (So it's not just me!) Now, at last, the album is commercially available in the United States, and it's an absolute must for African guitar enthusiasts and fans of Manding music, or indeed any acoustic African music.

The first thing that strikes you on "Mande Djelilou," the album's darkly proud opener, is the sheer gravitas of Tounkara's sound. In his hands, an acoustic guitar has the ability to hit you deep in the chest. His crystalline tone, easy, perfect execution, and musical attitude demand your attention from the start, and don't let go through eleven varied tracks. "Gnima Diala" rides jauntily into the Latin-tinged zone of Guinean Manding music. "Ayebo" is animated by percussion and a warm harmonized chant of celebration. And "Samankoun," a song dedicated to Tounkara's eldest son, flirts openly with flamenco.

But the core of this album is classic Manding repertoire. "Diaoura," "Amary Ndaou," "Sigui," and "Yemaryo" (a version of the venerable "Djanjon") all bristle with the visionary certainty of the griot's ancient art. Djelimady's soloing always progresses with thoughtfulness, logic, and passion. Some ardent Tounkara fans have complained that there isn't more guitar and less singing on the record, but singing by Lafia Diabaté, Rail Band vocalist Samba Sissoko, and Tounkara's daughter Fatoumata, among others, only sweeten the mix to these ears. This is one of the great African acoustic recordings, and a very promising start to the belated solo career of Africa's guitar king.

for www.afropop.org