Moffou
Salif Keitamade his name with Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs, but he gradually veered away from re-Africanized Latin tunes to explore his Mande birthright. Then, in the late 1980s, he releasedSoro, a potent blend of traditional sources, Western pop, and savvy studio electronica that took the international market by storm. There have been other high points since then, but onMoffou, what went before is consolidated and transformed via the depth and patina of an artist in his prime. The set opens with a slinky, accordion-laced duet between Keita and Cape Verdean divaCesaria Evora, but quickly moves on to the soulful Malian acoustic ballads that form the heart and soul of this masterpiece. Other tunes recall the insouciant heyday of Paris-posse Afropop, but minus that era's banal production values. Keita's voice is magnificent throughout; alternately silky, sensual, and ethereal, it floats amid Kante Manfila's intuitive settings like incense.--Christina Roden