Wanita
When Rokia Traore turned to non-Malian vocal styles onWanita, she didn't opt for an obvious Western approach like fellow West African divaAngelique Kidjo, who steeps her songs in funk. Instead, Traore's multilayered singing has the delicate complexity ofZap Mamaalumnus Sally Nyolo'sTribuplus the gentility of chamber music. Instrumentation hews to the traditional arsenal of her country's griot troubadours, though with a modern edge. Rokia contributes acoustic guitar to a solid ensemble ofbalafonmarimba,ngoni bafour-string guitar,djembahand drum, electric bass, andkoraharp from whirlwindToumani Diabate. "Souba," based none too obviously on an Indian raga, shows her willingness to stretch boundaries in unexpected directions while the title track lingers on lush harmonies seldom heard in African pop. The hushed atmosphere of her performances may lack the raw soulfulness of Mali's best-known female vocalist,Oumou Sangare, but Traore's melodic hooks and quiet acrobatics prove the truth of the old adage that a whisper can be more dramatic than a shout.--Bob Tarte.