Rough Guide:  The Music of Africa
Africa is a musical world unto itself, characterized roughly by an accentuated tradition of rhythm and community. And while this anthology makes no argument for the essence of African music, it's extremely entertaining nonetheless. Why shouldn't the jittery pleasures of Senegalesembalax(Cheikh LoandYoussou N'Dour) rub shoulders with the gorgeously laid-back Afro-Cuban grooves of Guinea's Bembeya Jazz National or Eric Agyeman's punchy Ghanaian highlife? The middle of the disc takes a swing north to check out the pentatonic Nubian style ofAli Hassan Kuban, Ethiopian soul singerMahmoud Ahmed, and techno-Algerian Hamid Baroudi. There's also rebellious South African starMiriam Makebaat her jazziest and Zimbabwe protest singerOliver Mtukudzi. There's much more: from Zaire, the quicksilver guitars of Mose "Fan Fan"; the Afro-Congo-Portuguese experience of Mozambique's Orchestra Marrabenta;Toumani Diabate'skoravirtuosity... And it's all, as they say, good.--Richard Gehr