Djam Leelii
Artist: Baaba Maal

Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck, two of Senegal's biggest pop stars, return to their roots (and the roots of the blues, from the sound of it) on this beautifully hypnotic picking session, which also features Djam Leelii. Two guitars, accented by a bit of African percussion and some tasty electric fills by Aziz Dieng, produce pure magic. ~ J. Poet,... Read More

Toxu
Artist: Wasis Diop

Toxu, Wasis Diop's follow-up to his breakthrough record No Sant, is an equally impressive amalgam of African rhythms, reggae, funk, blues, pop, and soul. ~ Leo Stanley, All Music Guide Read More

Balance
Artist: Tarika Sammy

More oriented toward contemporary, original material than their debut (Fanafody), though still sung entirely in Malagasy. Characterized by effervescent vocals and arrangements, it strikes a rare, even balance between traditional and contemporary regional African music without sounding strained. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide Read More

Non Stop Non Stop
Artist: Kanda Bongo Man

Early hits by one of the hottest new wave soukous bands, it features lead guitarist Diblo Dibala (see Loketo). ~ J. Poet, All Music Guide Read More

Beat the Border
Artist: Geoffrey Oryema

This highly creative mix of Ugandan songs and laidback rock should have been a disaster, since the genres meet on the field of ambient dreams -- a woozy terrain amply littered with the rainsticks of fallen warriors. But ex-pat Ugandan Oryema neither tries mainstreaming African sources to fit rock fissures nor piles extra beats and instruments on... Read More

Universal Men
Artist: Juluka

Universal Men, Juluka's 1979 debut album (belatedly released in the U.S. in 1992), was a remarkable document for its time. Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu achieved a canny mixture of Western folk-rock and Zulu chant, creating a pop hybrid like nothing that had been heard before, even if the flute and sax solos of Robbie Jansen, playing against the... Read More

Malinga J T
Artist: Kanda Bongo Man