Cheikh Lo: Bambay Gueej (World Circuit)
Reasonable advice for critics: never read a record company biog before first listening to the album. That done, this excerpt is apposite: "Adding to the rippling Senegalese m'balax rhythms, felicitous Latin inflections and spiritual intensity of his debut (1996's Ne La Thiass), Cheikh Lo draws on sounds from (his native) Burkina Faso, Mali and Zaire and adds influences from Cuba, subtle reggae and blasting African funk into the mix." Yes folks all those elements are there and more. This album crosses so many musical boundaries and moods that it is dizzying, and yet Lo's music and singing never sound anything but completely African, but African with confidence and conviction. For the most part, the playing is wonderful, the melodies inviting and the rhythms seductive. Check out tracks such as Jeunesse Senegal or Africaden for sounds of a vibrant continent.
Joe Breen