Afropop Worldwide is pleased to announce our picks for the Afropop Worldwide Top Ten CDs of 2007.

Congratulations to all the artists and to their record labels for winning recognition as one of the ten Afropop Worldwide CDs of the year. (In order to be considered, an album must be released in the in 2007.) Below the Top Ten list here you will see additional “Highly Recommended” 2007 titles as well as our selections of the best of the many compilations of historic material that came out in 2007.

We hope that you as a music lover buy some of these titles, both for your own pleasure and to support the artists. Media outlets are welcome to publish our list. It must be credited as “published by www.afropop.org  © 2007”
More information at www.afropop.org

Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective “Wátina” (Cumbancha) (Belize)
Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni ba “Segu Blue” (Out There Records) (Mali)
Caetano Veloso “Cê” (Nonesuch) (Brazil)
Dee Dee Bridgewater “Red Earth” (Emarcy) (USA)
Erol Josué “Régléman” (High Times Records/Mi5 Productions) (Haiti)
Puerto Plata “Mujer de Cabaret” (iASO Records) (Dominican Republic)
Ricardo Lemvo “Isabela” (Mobiato Music) (Congo)
Sergio and Odair Assad “Jardim abandonado” (Nonesuch) (Brazil)
Vusi Mahlasela, “Guiding Star” (ATO Records) (South Africa)
Youssou N’Dour, "Rokku Mi Rokka (Give and Take)" (Nonesuch) (Senegal)

Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective “Wátina” (Cumbancha) (Belize)
A high water mark for Garifuna music, born of a fateful cohabitation of shipwrecked Africans and Carib and Arawak Indians.  Andy Palacio’s soulful, reedy voice interweaves rich guitar, percussion, and vocal.  Unforgettable melodic hooks.
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music   Artist Site   See Video

Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni ba “Segu Blue” (Out There Records) (Mali)
An extraordinary debut from ngoni (spike lute) maestro Bassekou Kouyate, a superstar African picker.  Session showcases a range of Malian vocal stars to span earthy African blues and heavenly praise jams. 
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music   Artist Site   Watch Video

Caetano Veloso “Cê” (Nonesuch) (Brazil)
Brazil’s most adventurous veteran delivers his version of a rock album, co-produced by his son, Moreno, and featuring crisp, edgy backing from three similarly young musicians.  Preserving dignity, Veloso saves his own edge for hard-hitting lyrics on sex, aging, and more.
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music

Dee Dee Bridgewater “Red Earth” (Emarcy) (USA)
Legendary Lady of Jazz, Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, journeys back to her Malian roots.  With star guests Bassekou Kouyate, Oumou Sangare, Kasse Mady Diabate and others, this summit of strings, percussion, piano, and voices sets a new benchmark for Afro-jazz.
Buy Music  Artist Site

 

Erol Josué “Régléman” (High Times Records/Mi5 Productions) (Haiti)
Initiated as a vodou priest at 17, Josué moved from Haiti to New York to create this hypnotic, hauntingly beautiful and unique set of songs.  His debut merges the rhythms, melodies, and mysterious wisdom of his spiritual life with jazz, pop, ambient trance music and more.
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music   Artist Site

Puerto Plata “Mujer de Cabaret” (iASO Records) (Dominican Republic)
Old-school bachata veteran José Manuel Cobles—a.k.a. Puerto Plata—sings in a husky tenor, capable of tenderness and bravado.  But the real stars here may be his two, spectacular guitarists, whose relentless flow of tasty riffs drive this dance-happy, acoustic session.
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music

Ricardo Lemvo “Isabela” (Mobiato Music) (Congo)
On his fifth album, Lemvo returns to his “root mission,” to explore connections between Congolese and Cuban music.  He sings in Lingala, Kikongo, Portuguese and Spanish, and supplements his tight, versatile band with Congolese legends: Nyboma, Papa Noel, and more.
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music   Artist Site

Sergio and Odair Assad “Jardim abandonado” (Nonesuch) (Brazil)
After 40 years playing together, these brothers are acclaimed worldwide for the extraordinary range of their repertoire, here spanning Gershwin, Jobim, Debussy, and original music.  Staggering virtuosity and perfectly synchronized execution make for a masterpiece, with soul.
Buy Music

Vusi Mahlasela “Guiding Star” (ATO Records) (South Africa)
The best yet from this soulful, swinging, honey-voiced champion of South African song.  Selection spans gospel, story-telling balladry, old-school SA pop, and original songs.
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music   Artist Site   Watch Video

Youssou N’Dour "Rokku Mi Rokka (Give and Take)" (Nonesuch) (Senegal)
Senegal’s preeminent superstar is many things, but above all, a brilliant songwriter.  His adventurous homage to the desert north traces roots of blues, reggae, hip hop and more.  But the real hook is the seductive melodies that take fierce hold on the inner ear, and don’t let go.
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music  Artist Site

Also Highly Recommended:

Habib Koité and Bamada “Afriki” (Cumbancha) (Mali)
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music   Artist Site

Hugh Masekela “Live at the Market Theater” (Times Square Records) (South Africa)
CD Review by Hansdale Hsu   Buy Music   Artist Site

Konono #1 “Live at Couleur Café" (Crammed Discs) (Congo)
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music

Ladysmith Black Mambazo “Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu” (Heads Up International/Gallo Music Publishing) (South Africa)
Buy Music   Artist Site

Lura “M’bem di Fora” (Times Square) (Cape Verde)
Buy Music   Artist Site

Manu Chao “La Radiolina” (Nacional Records) (France/Spain)
Buy Music   Artist Site   Watch Video

Rajery “Sofera” (Marabi) (Madagascar)
Buy Music

Tcheka “Nu Monda” (Lusafrica/Times Square) (Cape Verde)
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music    Artist Site

Tinariwen “Aman Iman” (World Village) (Mali)
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music    Artist Site    Watch Video

Top Compilations//Reissues:

African Virtuoses “The Classic Guinean Guitar Group” (Sterns Africa) (Guinea)
Buy Muisc

Alèmayèhu Eshèté “Éthiopiques, Vol. 22” (Buda Musique) (Ethiopia)
Buy Music 

Bembeya Jazz National “The Syliphone Years: Hits and Rare Recordings” (Sterns Africa) (Guinea)
Buy Muisc   Artist Site

Bi Kidude “Zanzibara, Vol. 4: Diva of Zanzibari Music” (Buda Musique) (Zanzibar)
Buy Music

King Sunny Adé “Gems from the Classic Years (1967-1974)” (Shanachie) (Nigeria)
Buy Music

Tabu Ley Rochereau “The Voice of Lightness: Congo Classics 1966-1971” (Sterns Africa) (Congo)
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music

Various Artists “Bachata Roja: Acoustic Bachata from the Cabaret Era” (IASO Records) (Dominican Republic)
Buy Music

Various Artists “Bokoor Beats: Vintage afro-beat afro-rock & electric highlife from Ghana (Otrabanda Records ) (Ghana)
CD Review by Banning Eyre  Buy Music

Various Artists “Tales of African Guitar Kings” (Sheer Africa) (Africa)
Buy Music

Various Artists “The Roots of Chicha—Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru” (Barbes Records) (Peru)
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music

Various Artists “Voodoo Love Inna Champeta-Land” (Riverboat Records/World Music Network) (Colombia)
Buy Music

Various Artists “World Hits” (Putumayo) (International)
CD Review by Banning Eyre   Buy Music

Compiled by Sean Barlow, Georges Collinet, Banning Eyre, Misha Turner and Matt Payne.

Afropop CD Reviews written by Banning Eyre and Hansdale Hsu. 

Note: When you buy music through the Amazon.com links listed here, part of the proceeds go towards supporting our work on public radio and the web.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  From everyone at Afropop Worldwide.

For more information visit
www.afropop.org

First published: www.afropop.org