• 
  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
  
  
• 
  Mamadou Diabaté: Courage
  
  Mamadou Diabate, the kora master, takes a fresh look at Mali instrumental music with his new CD Courage.
• 
  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.
• 
  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.
• 
  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.
• 
  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 >>

If the name Francis Bebey doesn't ring a bell, blame this country's promoters of modern African music for overlooking a veteran innovator. Born in Cameroon in 1929, Bebey grew up playing western music and developed an early passion for jazz, especially Louis Armstrong.. Bebey concentrated on guitar and led a jazz band in Paris during the '50s--he gave his more famous countryman Manu Dibango his first gig in that city. Bebey went on to compose and play his own idiosyncratic songs, but also to study and write books about African music. He headed up UNESCO's traditional music department during the '70s, and later incorporated sanza (thumb piano) and the Pygmee's one-note bamboo flute into his work.

This representative set of 18 tracks includes early gems, like Bebey's lilting acoustic guitar, bass, percussion and voice number "O Bia" ("Be Careful"), and later explorations as well, such as his 1988 high-tech blowout "Ndolo" ("Love"), which combines bass, balafon, voices and drum machine to make a tough-to-pigeonhole fusion. Think Ray Lema, or Manu Dibango in one of his rougher, rootsier moments. Bebey's vocal work stands out consistently. His big, easy baritone warbles and growls effortlessly through a folksy gospel number, "Maloba" ("Gods"), laced with intriguing, dark vocal harmonies. Bebey's plays fingerstyle, nylon string guitar and reveals many influences--the rolling, lullaby tonalities of West African palm wine music, Spanish guitar, the original makossa rhythm--which swings like old South African jazz--and classical guitar. Bebey's 1963 "West African Suite #3" suggests his reported fascination with Andre Segovia even as it segues gracefully through loving renderings of folksy, palm wine-like melodies. This 1990 recording of the piece is both rare and beautiful, but it's one of a few tracks here where Bebey should have passed on the drum machine and used the kind of live percussionists that grace his '70s-era tracks. The collection also includes examples of Bebey's hypnotic sanza and flute playing.
Contributed by Banning Eyre for www.afropop.org