Various Artists "AFRICA AND THE BLUES: CONNECTIONS AND RECONNECTIONS" (Neatwork Records, 2001)
An interesting, and not overly academic, look at the links between traditional African music and American blues. This CD is a companion disc to a book by the same title (which I haven't read), and pairs up various ethnomusicological field recordings from Western and Southern Africa with their counterparts within the ranks of lesser-known country blues artists. The similarities and shared motifs are readily apparent, and the album also works on a musical level as well... If you are into the less polished aspects of both styles of music, then this disc has plenty of nice stuff to listen to.

Various Artists "AFRICA BOOGALOO: THE LATINIZATION OF WEST AFRICA" (Honest Jon's Records, 2009)
A totally sweet set of Latin-influenced African pop that includes examples of the chiming, hypnotic guitar styles of the '70s as well as a bit of hyperactive "boogaloo" material as well. A well-selected songlist with rare but absolutely prime material. Highly recommended!

Various Artists "AFRICAN CAVALCADE: THE GLORY DAYS OF AFRICAN MUSIC" (RetroAfric Records, 1996)
An outstanding collection of songs by artists profiled in the fab archival series on the RetroAfric label... Fourteen prime cuts featuring artists such as Henri Bowane, Franco, Fundi Konde, E.T. Mensah, Shikamoo Jazz and Zaiko Langa Langa... I strongly recommend tracking down the original collections of work from each artist, but this sampler will certainly let you know if this label is right for you.

Various Artists "AFRICAN PEARLS, v.1: CONGO - RUMBA ON THE RIVER" (Discograph/Syllart Records, 2006)

Various Artists "AFRICAN PEARLS, v.2: GUINEE - CULTURAL REVOLUTION" (Discograph/Syllart Records, 2006)

Various Artists "AFRICAN PEARLS, v.3: MALI - ONE DAY ON RADIO MALI" (Discograph/Syllart Records, 2006)

Various Artists "AFRICAN PEARLS, v.4: SENEGAL - THE TERANGA SPIRIT" (Discograph/Syllart Records, 2006)

Various Artists "AFRICAN PEARLS, v.5: COTE D'IVOIRE - WEST AFRICAN CROSSROADS" (Discograph/Syllart Records, 2009)

Various Artists "AFRICAN SCREAM CONTEST: RAW & PSYCHEDELIC AFRO SOUNDS FROM BENIN AND TOGO" (Analog Africa Records, 2008)

Various Artists "AFRICAN TRAVELS" (Six Degrees Records, 2000)
This companion disc is perhaps less rich than FRIKYIWA, but has its clubbish charms... The spirit of Fela Kuti looms large over several tracks, and the incorporation of indigenous acoustic instruments into high-tech sound beds is skillfully managed throughout. I didn't find this as engaging as some of the other Six degrees releases, but it's still worth checking out.

Various Artists "AFRO BABY -- THE EVOLUTION OF THE AFRO-SOUND IN NIGERIA: 1970-79" (Sound Way Records, 2004)
A first-rate set of vintage Nigerian Afro-Beat, which touches lightly on Orlando Julius and the famed Fela Ransome Kuti, but goes on to include numerous less well-known artists, such as The Sahara All-Stars, Bola Johnson, The Mebusas, Tunji Oyelana & The Benders, Thony Shorby Nyenwi, Victor Olaiya, et al. These bands may not have had the same overwhelming firepower as Kuti's juggernaut Africa 70 orchestra, but often made up for it with the rhythmic and melodic grace that Kuti often destained. I have to confess, I'm not a huge fan of this particular style of African pop, but I found this disc to be quite listenable and quite pleasant -- a cut above many similar collections. Strongly recommended -- an ideal introduction to the genre!

Various Artists "AFRO-BEAT AIRWAYS" (Analog Africa Records, 2010)
(Various producers)

Various Artists "AFROLATIN VIA CONAKRY" (Syllart Records, 2011)

Various Artists "AFROLATIN VIA COTONOU" (Syllart Records, 2011)

Various Artists "AFROLATIN VIA DAKAR" (Syllart Records, 2011)

Various Artists "AFROLATIN VIA KINSASHA" (Syllart Records, 2011)

Various Artists "AMANDLA! A REVOLUTION IN FOUR-PART HARMONY" (Soundtrack) (ATO Records, 2003)
An excellent album. Although I have a fondness for 1950s-era South African "jive" music, I've never been that keen on the other, more modern pop styles. This, however, is a great collection which bridges these styles, including representative tunes from a wide variety of artists and eras. The album accompanies a highly-recommended documentary film, which explores the role of music in South Africa's anti-apartheid political movement... Folk tunes, the vast vocal choruses, the funky pop, and the old-fashioned, jazzy jive... It's all there, and the song selection and album pacing are both superior. A highly recommended sampler. (PS - when I get a chance to see the film, I'll also let you know about it as well... Meanwhile, here's a link to the film's website, www.amandla.com.)

Various Artists "ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA" (Arc Music, 2005)
A beautiful, wonderfully varied collection drawing from several albums previously out on the Arc Music label... From older traditional chants and story-songs to complex percussive numbers and softer, more modern and melodic mbira (finger piano) numbers, this generously packed album gathers music from the tribal cultures of the Bushman, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu traditions... It's a well-programmed set, with a fluid feel from track to track, with each transition as intriguing as the last... The liner notes are concise yet informative, with an easy but authoritative presentation... After hearing this collection, you may be tempted to track down some of the individual albums that this draws from, and while those are also quite rich, this is a very listenable disc in itself... Well worth checking out!

Various Artists "ANGOLA 60s: 1956-1970" (Buda Musique, 1999)
Various Artists "ANGOLA 70s: 1972-1973" (Buda Musique, 2000)
Various Artists "ANGOLA 70s: 1974-1978" (Buda Musique, 2000)
Various Artists "ANGOLA 80s: 1978-1990" (Buda Musique, 1999)
Various Artists "ANGOLA 90s: 1993-1998" (Buda Musique, 1998)
An outstanding series which spans the length of Angolan popular music, from its traditionalist and Congolese-style rumba origins, through the peak years of the early '70s, and on into glossier material recorded in the '80s and '90s. The music is great, as are the liner notes, which among other things describe how many of the best bands were torn apart, politically co-opted -- and in some cases murderously liquidated -- by various military factions following the 1974-75 independence from Portugal. Many of the songs from the late '70s mask political material in pop coating... The music is no less seductive, though, and this is another magnificent series on this French reissue label. Highly recommended! (NOTE: for more of this kind of music, check out my Angolan Music page, and related Lusophone music info...)

Various Artists "ARCHIVE AFRICA: JAZZ, JIVE AND JIBE" (Afribeat Records, 2002)
As with many vintage South African sets, it's hard to judge a book by its cover. This is particularly true as the terms "jazz" and "jive" are often used interchangeably (although usually just to mean straight-ahead jazz, which seems to be more popular, at least with the folks who put these kind of collections together. Like many other discs, this collection concentrates mainly on jazz -- instrumental ballads, perky, poppy Young-Holt imitators, some stuff in the cool school, a couple of more difficult tracks -- but precious little "jive," per se. I picked up a copy, listened to it, then set it free, back into the used bins, as it wasn't really the kind of stuff I was looking for. Still, it's more engaging and adventurous than similar sets I've heard, and is definitely worth checking out. The songs -- dating from the 1950s and '60s and culled from the archives of the South African SABC radio network -- are well-chosen and show a real variety of styles, some of it quite fun.

Various Artists "ASAP: THE AFROBEAT SUDAN AID PROJECT" (Mobida Records, 2005)
A plea for help and a call to action come forth from this driving, impassioned set of modern-day Afro-Beat, a benefit album for the thousands of people dying in the Darfur region of the Sudan. Darfur is caught in what is politely called a "humanitarian crisis," although brutal genocide is more like it -- the light-skinned elite that controls the Sudanese government has countless people penned up in the country's remote Darfur region, starving to death those they don't kill outright, through the use of paramilitary proxy militias. The spirit of Afro-Beat apostle Fela Kuti runs strongly through this set, where his loping, unceasing beat sets the stage for squonking, muscular horn sections and political lyrics up the wazoo. There's one actual Fela track on here, but the work of his spiritual grandchildren -- bands such as Kokolo, Antibalas and the Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble -- adopts the style almost whole cloth, and shows that the music Fela made is alive and well, nearly a decade after his passing away. If you're an Afro-Beat fan, this disc might really wow you, plus the money goes to a good cause. To order the album, check out Mobida's website at: www.mobida.net; for more information about Darfur, go to http://savedarfur.org. )

Various Artists "AUTHENTICITE: THE SYLIPHONE YEARS - GUINEA'S ORCHESTRES NATIONAUX AND FEDERAUX 1965-1980" (Stern's/Syllart Records, 2007)
An awesome 2-CD set of shimmering, scintillating, utterly hypnotic African guitar music from Guinea, featuring classic bands such as Bembeya Jazz National, Camayenne Sofa, Horoya Band, Keletigui and Pivi Et Ses Balaldins who recorded for the Syliphone label during the golden years of Guinean pop... Even though I had a lot of this stuff already, I just had to pick up this collection -- it looked so tasty! And it is: even though there are occasional passages that get on my nerves, the guitar playing is so awesome and so alluring, it's still some of the most addictive music ever made. These two discs are divided chronologically, with the first disc covering 1965-1972, and the second covering 1972-80, all of it well within the glory years of West African (and Guinean) pop... This is a perfect introduction to the style, including prime tracks by bands who have full albums out on Syliphone, as well as a slew of lesser-known groups that were no less musically exciting. All in all, this is a wonderful collection... Highly recommended!

Various Artists "BAMBARA MYSTIC SOUL - THE RAW SOUND OF BURKINA FASO: 1974-79" (Analog Africa, 2011)

Various Artists "BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO AFRICA" (Nascente Records, 2005)
A generously programmed, budget-priced 3-CD overview of modern African pop, covering several decades of key musicians. A lot of territory is covered, and though this is just a cursory glance, it's a pretty strong set. Worth checking out!

Various Artists "BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO AFRICAN FUNK" (Nascente Records, 2009)
A groovy 3-CD set, digging into the groove-laden African funk scene, with special attention paid to the 1970s... A great starting point for deeper explorations, or maybe just the right amount of this vintage material for those of us with less shelf space to fill. Pretty tasty, either way.

Various Artists "CAZUMBI: AFRICAN SIXTIES GARAGE, v.1" (No Smoke Records, 2008)
I looked for this one for a long time -- one afternoon I heard a track played on my old radio station and I thought, "Woah! gotta get that!!" For folks delving into classic African garage rock and American-style vintage acid-rock, this collection is a goldmine... There are a lot of great compilations that touch on similar material, but this one has some of the rawest, grittiest, really rock'n'roll flavored material, with only a few tracks that drift into the multi-textured, super-groovy African pop styles that were more typical in the '60s and '70s... This is less local and more "foreign"-sounding, although along with the three-chord workouts there are many tracks sung in local dialects, which is the ideal combination for me: imitative, but still stamped with the regional culture. Some of the tracks are a little sketchy or poorly recorded -- pretty demo-y or of dubious merit to begin with, but the stuff that's cool is really, really cool. If you're looking into vintage African rock music, you should definitely try and track this one down.

Various Artists "CAZUMBI: AFRICAN SIXTIES GARAGE, v.2" (Nosmokerrecords, 2010)

Various Artists "COMPILATION ORCHESTRES ZAIRO CONGOLAIS: 1968/1976" (Sonodisc, 1993)
Classic, beautiful guitar pop from Zaire, featuring three bands that nobody has ever heard of anywhere else: Orchestre Cercul Jazz, Orchestre Vox Africa and Orchestre G. O. Malebo. It's all great stuff, taken from the heyday of the style, gorgeous music by second-string bands that had the same magic touch as the better-known biggies such as Grand Kalle, Tabu Ley Rocherau, et al. If you can still track this one down, it's definitely worth picking up.

Various Artists "DADA KIDAWA: CLASSIC DANCE HITS FROM TANZANIA" (Original Music, 1995)
A great collection spanning the decade of the 1960s, a golden era of Tanzanian dance music... Featured here are the Cuban Marimba Band, NUTA Jazz Band and Kiko Kids Jazz, each adept in their own way with making the most of limited technical resources (many of these tracks having been recorded, remarkably, with the whole band sharing a single microphone...) Some amazing guitar tones and rhythmic textures arise, as well as some super-catchy melodies. There's also a rough-hewn edge still in the mix; these weren't quite the days of the super-perfect studio sound that came to engulf African pop. The influence of Cuban-flavored Congolese "rumba" music is strongly felt, and the recurrence of the archetypal "La Bamba" riff propels several songs, adding to their irresistibility. This is music that's both rare and delightful... a strong collection, well worth tracking down!

Various Artists "DELTA DANDIES: DANCE BANDS IN NIGERIA: 1936-1941" (Honest Jon's Records, 2008)

Various Artists "DISCOTHEQUE '70" (Syllart Records, 1999)
Various Artists "DISCOTHEQUE '71" (Syllart Records, 1999)
Various Artists "DISCOTHEQUE '72" (Syllart Records, 1999)
Various Artists "DISCOTHEQUE '73" (Syllart Records, 1999)
Various Artists "DISCOTHEQUE '74" (Syllart Records, 1999)
Various Artists "DISCOTHEQUE '75" (Syllart Records, 1999)
Various Artists "DISCOTHEQUE '76" (Syllart Records, 1999)
A stunning collection of hypnotic, beautiful music from the heyday of Guinea's pop scene. Lots of lovely guitar work, horn sections and harps, along with plenty of surprises, such as the occasional psychedelic guitar solo or funky drummer backbeat. These are old recordings from the legendary Syliphone label, grouped together according to the years the songs came out. You might expect there to be an ebb and flow in the quality of the music, but all of these albums are consistently strong. Great stuff -- highly recommended!

Various Artists "DRUMS OF DEATH" (Avant Records, 1997)
Uber-hip "difficult music" wunderkind John Zorn oversaw the creation of this fabulous, eerie album of Ghanaian drumming. A captivating set, with multilayered rhythms and surprisingly clean production, the DRUMS OF DEATH recordings are taken from funeral rituals of the Ashante and Ewe tribes, and are more ecstatic and evocative than morbid or foreboding. Powerful traditional music... not at all what you'd expect from a label that has brought us some of the most irritating and indulgent albums by Zorn and his crowd. Highly recommended, particularly for percussion and drumming fans.

Various Artists "DRUM -- SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ & JIVE: 1954-1960" (Line Records, 1991)
Another first-rate set of classic jive, this disc takes its name from Drum magazine, one of the lifelines of the townships during the post-WWII era... This collection hits many of the same notes as other collections that are listed here, including songs such as the Solven Whistlers' irresistible pennywhistle tune, "Something New From Africa" and tunes from the Manhattan Brothers, the Skylarks and Spokes Mashiyane. There are also several jazz tunes that are more clearly derived from the "jump" style popular in the US at the time, notably tracks from the Philharmonic Stars and the Jazz Maniacs... One notable highlight is Dolly Rathebe's R&B vocal on "Kitty's Blues" (which I haven't heard anywhere else but here) and a similarly themed scat number featuring Miriam Makeba with the Jimmy Pratt band... A little more rooted in mainstream jazz and R&B than the other sets, this album is certainly worth tracking down!

Various Artists "EARLY GUITAR MUSIC OF WEST AFRICA: 1927-1929" (Heritage Records, 2003)
These are some of the earliest examples of guitar-based pop music recordings from Western Africa, rare old 78s recorded for the British-based Zonophone label, which specialized in such material at the dawn of the record industry. Artists include George Williams Alngo, J. Kwesi Blney, Acousla Bonso, Nicholas De Heer and Edmund Tagoe... I'd have to say this set is mostly of interest to archivists and historians; it didn't spark my imagination the same way other releases in this same series did, notably the Jacob Sam & Kumasi Trio albums that came out earlier but hail from the same era as these tracks. This is okay, but for some reason it just didn't grab me.

Various Artists "EAST OF AFRICA: PIONEERS OF AFRICAN POPULAR MUSIC" (Dakar Sound, 1999)
A gorgeous collection of early Congolese and Gambian pop, recorded around 1960. This features some of the biggest names in the business, early in their careers, artists such as Manu Dibangu, Docteur Nico and Grand Kalle, performing in a number of record label "house bands," with various nondescript names, such as African Team, African Jazz, Negro Succes, etc.... One thing that's cool about this record is that it's actually not a set that was assembled after the fact: this is actually a reissue of a compilation album that came out in the early '60s. Features plenty of unbelievably cool, hypnotic guitar work, some relatively mellow horn charts, and several tunes that are real doozies, in particular, "Tika Kutupende Kolo," which seems to take it's main riff from the song "La Bamba..." This is thoughtfully followed by a fine example of African-style Cuban rumba, also by the band, African Jazz. An outstanding album -- highly recommended!

Various Artists "ECHOES OF AFRICA -- EARLY RECORDINGS: 1930s-1950s" (Wergo Records, 2002)
A fascinating, if relatively inaccessible, collection of two dozen oldies from the dawn of the African music industry. These tracks come from geographically disparate locales, but the real distance is between these anarchic, archaic styles and the sleek African pop of today. This is a challenging set for modern ears, but well worth checking out if you like hearing truly different sounds, and are also into historical material. Nice liner notes and cool graphics, too.

Various Artists "ELECTRIC HIGHLIFE: SESSIONS FROM THE BOKOOR STUDIOS" (Naxos Music, 2002)
A really splendid set of classic, mellow Ghanaian highlife music. Although these tracks were recorded in the early 1980s, they have the warm, relaxed feel of classic material from the '60s... Maybe at the time the folks at the independent Bokoor label were a little out of step with the move towards glossy Afro-pop that emanated out from Paris, but hey... more power to them! I enjoy this stuff a lot more!

Various Artists "ESCALE EN GUINEE" (Ocora-France, 1968)
Very old-school folkloric/anthropological field recordings gathered by French ethnographers... mainly kalimbas and vocal choruses of women and children, presented in a stark but not unwelcoming style. I enjoyed this record, though I didn't keep it. It's the kind of thing that would sit on my shelves exuding authenticity, but I would rarely if ever refer to... Let someone else discover it, I say... spread the wealth.

Various Artists "THE ETHIOPIAN MILLENNIUM COLLECTION" (Box Set) (AIT, 2007)
Various Artists "THE ETHIOPIAN MILLENNIUM COLLECTION: DANCE" (AIT, 2007)
Various Artists "THE ETHIOPIAN MILLENNIUM COLLECTION: BALLADS" (AIT, 2007)
Various Artists "THE ETHIOPIAN MILLENNIUM COLLECTION: CHIC-CHIC-KA" (AIT, 2007)
Various Artists "THE ETHIOPIAN MILLENNIUM COLLECTION: TRADITIONAL" (AIT, 2007)
Various Artists "THE ETHIOPIAN MILLENNIUM COLLECTION: CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL" (AIT, 2007)
Various Artists "THE ETHIOPIAN MILLENNIUM COLLECTION: MEMORIES OF ETHIOPIA - INSTRUMENTALS" (AIT, 2007)
The golden age of Ethiopian popular music (as heard on the fabled ETHIOPIQUES series) is famous in part for the sparsity of material that it yielded: The state-owned recording industry was largely a ramshackle government vanity, and while music of the music it captured was strikingly haunting, only a few dozen tracks were recorded in the 1960s and '70s... Since then, the floodgates have opened as Ethiopia has more or less entered the modern world -- more artists are making and recording more music than was dreamed possible back in the politically repressive "good old days," and the fruits of this renaissance are heard on this 6-CD set. Each of these discs is also sold separately, and each centers on a general theme -- one for ballads, one of traditional music (which is quite nice), a disc's worth of contemporary dance music and one of "chic-chic-ka" rhythm, a popular modern style. There are also two discs worth of instrumental music -- one featuring recent recordings of more traditional themes is quite nice, while the other has a contemporary feel and is closer to modern "smooth jazz." The tracks are from the late 1990s and early '00s -- the artists are generally younger, more modern musicians, although a few old-timers like Mahmoud Ahmed are still alive and kicking, and sound as cool as ever. Although this collection doesn't have the same eerie power as the '70s-era recordings, anyone who got into the ETHIOPIQUES discs below will want to check this out as well, to see where the music has gone since then.

ETHIOPIQUES v. 1: Various Artists
"GOLDEN YEARS OF MODERN ETHIOPIAN MUSIC 1969-1975" (Buda Music/France, 1999)
The ETHIOPIQUES series on Buda Musique is one of the most remarkable reissues series in recent history... Over twenty volumes of rare Ethiopian pop from the late '60s to the present day.This first volume is a perfect sampler of all that's best of the series, paying special mind to the slinky soul-and-pop blends that run through the best Ethiopian tracks of the time. One of the best discs in the series -- HIGHLY recommended.

ETHIOPIQUES v. 2: Various Artists
"TETCHAWET! URBAN AMARIS OF THE '90s" (Buda Music/France, 1999)
The series veers sharply away from the mysterious worldliness of the soul-flavored pop into a different urban party style. Although the "azmaribets" - or cabarets - of modern Ethiopia feature contemporary bands, the style sounds (to outside ears) distinctly rustic and old-fashioned. This may be one of the least accessible albums to listeners who are approaching the series from a "pop" orientation, but it's still cool stuff, particularly if you are a fan of African tuareg music, which is somewhat similar.

ETHIOPIQUES v. 3: Various Artists
"GOLDEN YEARS OF MODERN ETHIOPIAN MUSIC 1969-1975" (Buda Music/France, 1999)
This disc picks up where Volume 1 leaves off, with an exotic blend of Ethiopia's five-note scale and Euro-American pop. Another lively, heady set of tunes, with a more pronounced soul flavor on many of the tunes... also highly recommended!

ETHIOPIQUES v. 4: Mulatu Astatqe
"ETHIO JAZZ & MUSIQUE INSTRUMENTALE - 1969-1974" (Buda Music/France, 1999)
This disc documents one man's limited success trying to build a jazz scene in Ethiopia's habitually insular culture. Mulatu Astatqe was classically trained, and while studying abroad, performed in several European and American jazz and latin dance bands. Be brought new musical ideas back with him, and formed several ensembles in Ethiopia that aimed at creating a new musical tradition, almost out of whole cloth. Astatqe's records share a lot of the adventurous mix-and-match quality of the other ETHIOPIQUES artists (he also played in a lot of the other bands featured in this series...) but the jazz thread is pretty distinct. It's not uniformly compelling, though -- improv soloists were presumably in short supply and many tracks simply sound like somewhat marginal easy listening. But if the rest of the series has caught your attention, this is worth checking out, to round off your appreciation of the big picture.

ETHIOPIQUES v. 5: Various Artists
"TIRIGNA MUSIC - 1970-1975" (Buda Music/France, 1999)
Certainly some of the most distinctive music in this series, "Tirigna" music comes from the northern part of the Ethiopia, near Eritrea. The style features squeeky vocals and instrumentation... all of which is made even more appealing with the introduction of modern instruments such as electronic keyboards -- into the mix. Unfamiliar to Eurocentric ears, but hardly less accessible, Tirigna music is also built on a five-note scale, but has a radically different sound than other Ethiopian styles. Definitely worth checking out.

ETHIOPIQUES v. 6: Mahmoud Ahmed
"Almaz: 1973" (Buda Music/France, 1999)
Mahmoud Ahmed is probably the single best-known Ethiopian musician in the world today. His 1975 album, Ere Mela Mela, (reviewed below) was a watershed record for African pop, following its reissue by a European label in the mid-1980s. Ahmed's uniquely hypnotic style is a mix of what can most efficiently be described as Middle Eastern bellydancing music with African pop, American soul and jazz. It's got a distinctly mystical bent to it, elusive and enthralling, and is one of the clearest demonstrations of just how distinct Ethiopian music is from the rest of the African styles. These earlier recordings are less sleek than the renowned Ere Mela Mela, but all the elements are in place. Fans of Ahmed's music will find this disc a must-have as well.

ETHIOPIQUES v. 7: Mahmoud Ahmed
"Ere Mela Mela: 1975" (Buda Music/France, 1999)
Probably the single most accomplished -- and magical -- album to come out of Ethiopian groove's golden years. This disc contains the entire original Ere Mela Mela LP, as well as several "new" tracks from the archives of the Kaifa label. Ere Mela Mela is the flagship release of the rejuvenation of interest in Ethiopian music; in 1986 it was reissued on the Crammed Disc and Hannibal labels, and blew the minds of world music fans worldwide. Ahmed had, quite simply, one of the fattest and most sensuous grooves of anybody, anywhere, projecting the vibe of master musicians who transcend their own styles and connect with the hearts of listeners across many divides. It's a great record. Almaz (Volume 6) shows the earlier incarnation of this style, but this is its perfection. Highly recommended.

ETHIOPIQUES v. 8: Various Artists
"SWINGING ADDIS - 1970-1974" (Buda Music/France, 1999)
This may be the funkiest volume yet in this supreme series, concentrating exclusively on funk and R&B oriented artists who took their cues straight from James Brown and the early '70s soul scene. More surprisingly, there are several tracks with a heavy New Orleans stroll influence... stuff that would have made Ernie K-Doe and Dave Bartolemew proud. Even without the exoticism of hearing this great lost pop, these tracks are pretty catchy on their own... some of these grooves are really heavy! Wild stuff and highly recommended.

ETHIOPIQUES v. 9: Alemayehu Eshete
"1969-1974" (Buda Music/France, 2000)
When folks talk about Ethiopian pop in terms of "groove" or "world beat", the singer Alemayehu Eshete should be at the top of the list. Eshete's music derives straight lineage from American rock'n'roll, with hints of New Orleans R&B and outright teenybopper pop throughout; he's one of the most "Western" of the great Ethiopian pop stars. There's also more than a smidge of James Brown-styled funkiness here, filtered, naturally, through the peculiar stylings of the Abyssinian folk sounds. This CD is truly an amazing set, collecting about half the material Eshete released in the days of "Swinging Addis". It's unfortunate but understandable that several of his best songs are not included on this album -- they are instead heard on Volumes 2 and 8 of the ETHIOPIQUES series. Their inclusion elsewhere is noteworthy because they are some of the best songs in the entire series, but unfortunate for Eshete's legacy since this current volume then lacks some of his hardest rocking, grooviest recordings. Nonetheless, what's on here is pretty incredible -- this disc will not disappoint!

Various Artists "FREEDOM BLUES: SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ UNDER APARTHEID" (Music Club, 1999)
Although this isn't "jive" music per se, there was a lot of crossover between the two styles as former jive musicians moved into the more serious hard jazz genre in the late '50s and early '60s. The most famous South African jazzman, pianist Dollar Brand, gained a wide audience in the European and American jazz scene, later changing his name to Abdullah Ibrahim -- his entry on this disc, "Bombella," is a bouncy mid-'70s recording that cops its melody from the Patrick Macnee novelty tune, "Kinky Boots." There's a dappling of drekky soft-jazz tracks on here, but for the most part this is a pretty solid collection, drenched in the soulful spirituality of John Coltrane and, to a lesser extent, the late-'50s cool-jazz of Miles Davis. Certainly worth checking out, although it's more a jazz set than a world music collection.

Various Artists "FRIKYIWA, v.1" (Six Degrees Records, 2000)
A very pleasant mix of "traditional" African music and ambient chill-room electronica, which starts of on a house-ish note, but quickly slows down and brings out some dub stylings which would be worthy of the Lee "Scratch" Perry seal of approval. I'm not sure if the DJs doing the remixes here were working directly with the original artists or not, but either way the results are pretty nice. One reason may be that this particular set of DJs were content to let the source material remain on equal footing with their studio noodlings, as opposed to other world-beat remix projects that I consider to have been fairly disastrous (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, for starters). As is, this more unobtrusive approach actually does allow the two styles to complement one another, and makes for a very listenable disc. Recommended!

Various Artists "FRIKYIWA, v.2" (Six Degrees Records, 2000)

Various Artists "GHANA FUNK FROM THE '70s" (Hippo Records, 2009)
(Various producers)
Rarities from the West African pop scene of the 1970s. Lush, electrified guitar music was common then, although a heavier beat and a deeper groove also led to a fusion with American-style funk and soul. This collection includes a bunch of lesser-known artists performing in the heyday of that scene, many of them heavily influenced by (and some giving shout-outs to) James Brown, and by extension, Nigerian bandleader Fela Kuti. Sounds groovy, right? Well, I guess. But like a lot of the JB'n'Fela inspired African funk from the 1960s and '70s, this is heavy on repetitious grooves, light on creative spark. Indeed, a lot of these tracks sound like studio demos or rehearsal numbers -- overall, I found this collection to be quite monotonous and taxing, and all but a few of the songs to be on the negligible side. But maybe that's just me. I did force myself to give it a few more tries, and briefly felt more favorable towards the collection, but then I'd bored again, and ultimately gave this one back to my local Record Hut. Most of the dozen tracks come from the vaults of Essiebons Music, and though some of the artists may be familiar from other archival reissues -- Ebo Taylor, Amartey Hedzoleh (of the band Hedzoleh Soundz), C. K. Mann, The Cutlass Dance Band -- and some who are more obscure. Worth noting that the CD edition includes a couple more more tracks than the LP, and different sequencing.

Various Artists "GHANA SOUNDZ: AFRO-BEAT, FUNK AND FUSION IN '70s GHANA" (Soundway Records, 2002)
You'd be hard pressed to find a funkier, more satisfying Afro-Beat collection than this. I first heard this album blasting out of the speakers of my local Record Hut, and felt my jaw drop as track after track kept up the relentlessly funky, muscular pace. This collection -- gathering some of the funkiest music to come out of Ghana's 1970s pop scene -- is definitely all killer, no filler. In addition to a great set of tunes, this also sports some excellent liner notes, including discographical and historical information on all of the tracks, the sort of thing that is often sorely missing from this kind of reissue release. Pretty much as good as it gets... Highly recommended!

Various Artists "GHANA SOUNDZ: AFRO-BEAT, FUNK AND FUSION IN '70s GHANA, v.2" (Soundway Records, 2005)

Various Artists "GUITAR PARADISE OF EAST AFRICA" (Earthworks Records, 1995)

Various Artists "HIGHLIFE HIGH-UPS: LA MUSIQUE DU GOLD COAST DES ANEES 60" (Night & Day Records, 1996)
An excellent 2-CD overview of 1960s Ghanaian and Congolese highlife music, drawn largely from the (now out-of-print) catalog of John Storm Robert's fabulous Original Music label. Disc One represents the mellower end of highlife; Disc Two is more upbeat and perky. Both discs are gorgeous -- definitely worth tracking this one down!

Various Artists "HIGHLIFE TIME FROM THE '60s AND EARLY '70s NIGERIAN & GHANAIAN SOUND" (Vampisoul Records, 2008)
Rarities and obscuro oldies from the heyday of West African guitar pop... A nice compliment to the flood of similar material out on the Sylliphone label. Groovy, hypnotic, genre-busting stuff; a bit more off the beaten track, as we've come to expect from the folks at VampiSoul.

Various Artists "THE HISTORY OF TOWNSHIP MUSIC" (Wrasse Records, 2000)
This survey of South African pop casts its net a little wider than just "jive" and kwela bands, but includes enough early jive goodies that it's also well worth picking up. Plus, the non-jive tracks are also pretty first-rate; it includes tracks by well-known artists such as the Mahotella Queens and Boyoyo Boys... but older material from the '60s and '70s, which may be unfamiliar to modern fans. The collection spans as far back as 1939, with such gems as Solomon Linda's "Mbube," (the original version of "Wimoweh") and deftly works its way up through 1981, when the music became sleeker and more aggressive. The disc is nicely paced and well-researched, with generous liner notes and beautiful music. Highly recommended, and definitely worth searching for! (Previously released in 1994 under the title, "FROM MARABI TO DISCO: 42 YEARS OF TOWNSHIP MUSIC.")

Various Artists "JAMIILA: SONGS FROM A SOMALI CITY" (Original Music, 1987)
Gentle, Arab-flavored songs from the Somalian coastal town of Baraawe, which has a mixed Arabic and Bantu culture. The Arabian musical influence is unmistakable, although this has a softer, less shrill tone than similar music from the nearby Arabian Peninsula and elsewhere. The songs are from a group of musicians who play together in different combinations, each with a slightly different approach... The title track, "Jamiila," is a sinuous, dreamy number, combining a bouncy, organ-led melody and subtle vocals by Kuusow Kurtunwaarey; other songs featuring Amin Xaaji Cusmaan sound more typically "Arab," but still have a downtempo feel that is pretty nice.

Various Artists "JAZZ FROM THE TOWNSHIP" (Harrison James Music, 1959)
Vintage "jive" music from South Africa, with 1950's bands such as The African Mills Brothers, Spokes Mashiyane, Martha Mdenge, The Royal Players and others... I'm not sure what the provenance of these recordings is, but it sounds as if whese might have been informal recordings made in the 'Fifties... Anyway, it's the kind of South African "jazz" that I like... I especially dig the Zulu country yodeling of Timothy Umlaba Mkize -- awesome stuff!!

Various Artists "KERESTINA -- GUITAR SONGS OF SOUTHERN MOZAMBIQUE: 1955-1957" (Original Music, 1995)
This is a fascinating historical document of Mozambique's budding music scene in the mid-1950s. The songs are all acoustic, with rough-hewn vocals and a choppy, rhythmic guitar style. They're also largely very static musically, the real appeal being the lyrics, which were often topical or humorous (don't ask me for a translation; I'm just regurgitating what the liner notes say...) Of interest to fans of lusophone music may be the curious regionalized form of Portuguese, and how the unique, declarative accent is also present in songs using the local languages. Overall, this disc is probably not that accessible to the average listener, although it does have some gems to offer, for those willing to dig a little.

Various Artists "THE KAMPALA SOUND: 1960s UGANDAN DANCE MUSIC" (Original Music, 1988)
A lovely sampler of some rare and half-forgotten pop from mid-'60s Uganda. A poor nation, Uganda's music industry was modest, particularly in regards to its recording facilities, which were nonexistent. Thus, most Ugandan musicians traveled to Nairobi to record, and there they were usually backed by local studio bands, who played in the Kenyan pop style. Later, the influence of Congolese guitar pop became more pronounced, and the stylistic debt is equally obvious. What makes these songs distinctive, however, is the soft, restrained vocal style, presumably an outgrowth of the Luganda language, featured on all of these tracks. Ugandan politics fell apart not long after these records were made, as did the social space that made pop music possible, and the artists featured here -- Freddie Kigozi, Fred Masagazi, Charles and Frida Sonko, Billy Mbowa and others -- fell into obscurity, although their music is preserved here. Good thing, too -- this is a sweet little record.

Various Artists "KENYA DANCE MANIA" (Stern's/Earthworks, 2002) lipcuecom-20">
A solid set of lovely, light guitar pop from Kenya, with half the tracks coming from Gabriel Omolo, and five others from various artists. They all share a sweetness and lilt, along with plenty of delicate, delightful guitar work and generally soft-toned vocals. Very pretty, and highly recommended.

Various Artists "LAGOS CHOP UP" (Honest Jon's Records, 2005)
Wow. This album is the result of some first-class crate-digging undertaken by Damon Albarn, of the rock band Blur, during a working trip to Nigeria... The guy really knows how to find cool records: this crazy, kaleidoscopic disc blows almost every other Afro-Beat collection I've heard out of the water, mainly because the songs all sound so distinctive and unique. These aren't big-name artists or first-tier ensembles, and because they're more little guys on the margins, they take more chances and play things in ways that are surprising and new. The crazy, rhythmic keyboard attack on Dr. Victor Olaiyo's "Omelebele," for example, is the kind of thing Bernie Worrell might have pulled out on a particularly wild night in the '70s. Clattersome, shocking percussion fills the album, guitars with weird tunings, bursts of super-funky grooves and odd rhythmic changes are the hallmarks of this disc, one of the most exciting and vibrant records I've come across in recent years. This record is dynamite. Check it out.

Various Artists "LAGOS DISCO INFERNO" (Academy Records, 2010)
A crate-digging collection that features exactly what's advertised: real-deal, vintage disco music from Nigeria... If you like disco and are into its global permutations, this collection will trip you out. If you're approaching this album from an Afro-Beat orientation, and are expecting more of a funk or R&B sound, it may be too disco-y for you. Also, many songs include English-language lyrics, which I personally find less interesting than when artists work in their local languages. Anyway, this is a strong archival set, and filled with obscurities -- the only artist I recognize here is Geraldo Pino -- but it really is jittery disco, not funky Afro-Beat, so be forewarned.

Various Artists "LIGHTNING OVER THE RIVER" (Music Club, 1999)
Modern-day soukous guitar music from the Congo, with groups such as Zaiko Langa Langa, Papa Kalle, Kanda Bongo Man and Tabu Ley Rochereau... Some of the songs are quite lovely, and some are fairly monotonous... Mostly, this is a first-rate collection, well worth checking out.

Various Artists "LOS NICKELOS DE ZATHO, ZIZI ET JO RINO: 1967-1968-1969" (Sonodisc, 1995)
With no liner notes, it's a little hard to pin down just what is going on with this album, but I'll give it my best shot... These seems to be a collection of late 'Sixties guitar-pop recordings from (I'm guessing) the Congo, featuring three bands or artists, Les Nickelos de Zatho, Zizi and Jo Rino (or Rino Jo, as listed by the song titles...) It's also possible that the same band, Los Nickelos, was backing three different artists (Zatho, Zizi and Jo Rino), but I just ain't sure. (Anyone out there able to clarify?) Anyway, this is okay material, but only okay... It doesn't have the same sparkle and magic as the best guitar music of this era, and didn't enchant me the way other records have. Not a keeper, for me at least.

Various Artists "LOVE IS A REAL THING: THE FUNKY, FUZZY SOUNDS OF WEST AFRICA" (Luaka Bop Records, 2004)
Another noteworthy album, expanding the David Byrne-sponsored world music pantheon to include psychedelic funk freakouts from the 1960s and '70s... I could live without the jazz-based, Fela Kuti-inspired Afro Beat jamfests (been there, done that; not necessarily what I'd refer to as "psychedelic...") but those are only a small part of the album and there are definitely some real gems to be heard on here as well. The prettiest-sounding song is an unusual number by superstar Manu Dibongo, called "Ceddo End Title," a dreamy, spacy marimba tune that sounds like lotus blossoms melting inside your eardrums -- absolutely gorgeous. The rest of this is a bit more hit or miss. Elsewhere, there are some cool, fuzzed-out guitars and genuinely freaky melodies, and yeah, the African musical palette lent itself well to the experimental sounds that were coming out of the hippie culture in the developed Western world. But the obligatory dips back to the intrusive, staccato rhythms of the Fela-esque material are, for me, kind of a bummer (man)... There are other tracks I've heard that would have sounded much for earbendingly unique and alluring, but I guess the fact that I have heard them elsewhere may have something to do with why they didn't also turn up here. Anyway, curator Ronnie Graham (cofounder of the awesome RetroAfric label) did a great job here, and most folks will really dig it. I checked it out and decided I probably didn't need to keep the disc around...

Various Artists "LOVE, PEACE AND POETRY: AFRICAN PSYCHEDELIC MUSIC" (Normal Records, 2004)

Various Artists "LUCKY STARS AND ROSY MORNINGS: THE '60s IBADAN JUJU SCENE" (Original Music, 1996)

Various Artists "MONEY NO BE SAND: 1960s AFRO-LYPSO, PIDGIN HIGHLIFE, AFRO-SOUL & AFRO-ROCK" (Afrodisia/Original Music, 1995)
Some real oddities and rarities, mainly drawn from the Nigerian and Ghanaian pop scenes of the 1960s and early '70s. There are some delightful rock'n'roll "twist" tunes, as well as a lot of calypso- and ska-flavored novelty songs and a few funk tunes as well (notably "Ewele Aya" and "One Early Morning," from Professor Y.S. & His BB Band, from Nigeria). Most of these songs were sung either in English or in pidgin English, which provides a novelty appeal (although I prefer the non-English numbers, such as the lively "Eje Ka Jo.") Other highlights include Charlotte Dada's kooky, clanky-percussion cover of the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down," and the politically charged "Lumamba Calypso," from 1961. This isn't the smoothest African pop collection you'll ever hear, but it does have some interesting historical nuggets!

Various Artists "THE MUSIC IN MY HEAD" (Stern's Africa, 1998)
Designed to accompany a book by the same name, this disc has a discernible Sub-Saharan/Arabic musical tilt. Plenty of big-name artists on here, including Salif Keita and Youssou N'Dour early in their careers... What's most notable, though, are the distinctive styles of music -- this has a lot of music with an experimental pop orientation, and is a favorite among devotees of African pop. Recommended!

Various Artists "THE MUSIC IN MY HEAD v.2" (Stern's Africa, 2002)
The second volume in this series is of similarly high calibre... If you're already heavily into African pop, many of these names may already be familiar to you, but this would be great for anyone looking for a strong introduction to the style, or just for a pleasantly structured collection to put on and groove out on... Recommended!

Various Artists "THE MUSIC OF CENTRAL AFRICA: SONGS AND DANCES OF OUBANGUI CHARI" (World Record Club-Australia, 1967/1972) (LP)
(Produced by Simhka Arom)
An unusually rich set of field recordings from the former French colony of Ubangi-Shari, which would later be named the Central African Republic, after gaining independence in 1960. It's not clear from this album title whether these recordings date back to before the periods of autonomy and independence, or whether they were made afterwards, with the old name still being used out of force of habit. This album was originally released by the Harmonia Mundi label in 1967, under the title Chants Et Danses De La Foret Centrafricaine, then relicensed to the Australian World Record Club a few years later. Anyway, even with the requisite sparse-sounding tracks of drumming and chants, this disc presents modern listeners with many marvelously surprising, unique sounds, delightful, uptempo bursts of rhythm, melody and tonalities that seem rich for both remixing and simple appreciation. These are sounds that surprise and enrapture, including some "otherworldly" passages that could easily be mistaken for early electronic music. Not for everyone, sure, but if you're open to it, this could be a very rewarding record.

Various Artists "MUSIC OF THE NILE: THE ORIGINAL AFRICAN SANCTUS JOURNEY -- FIELD RECORDINGS BY DAVID FANSHAWE" (Arc Music, 2003)
Decidedly noncommercial, richly authentic tribal and traditional music gathered from along the length of the Nile River, in Egypt, Uganda, Kenya and the Sudan. Islamic prayers, cattle herding songs, children's tunes and various ritual chants intermingle on this multi-textured, fascinating collection. Not the glossy, pop-tinged world music we've come to know and love, but certainly a fascinating glimpse into several other, very different cultures. Nice.

Various Artists "MUSIKI WA DANSI: AFROPOP HITS FROM TANZANIA" (Africassette, 1995)

Various Artists "NAIROBI BEAT: KENYAN POP MUSIC TODAY" (Rounder Records, 1992)

Various Artists "NEXT STOP... SOWETO, v.1" (Strut Records, 2010)

Various Artists "NEXT STOP... SOWETO, v.2" (Strut Records, 2010)
As previously noted, I am not a huge fan of South African music, popular or otherwise... But I had high hopes for this disc, which whispered promises of "funk and psych sounds from the townships," which potentially sounded farther off the beaten track of the other stuff I already knew I didn't like. The opening number, J. K. Mayengani's "Khubani" certainly showed promise, with a nutty, slightly post-punk rock vibe, and a few of the other opening tracks had an appealing feel, notably the wild, giddy organ-led instrumental "Skophom," by a late '60 group called The S.A. Move. But for the most part, this is yet another set of highly derivative knockoffs of American-style funk and James Brown-ish R&B, a style that gets old, quick. I lent it to a friend and apologetically characterized it as "subpar," which he soundly agreed was the case when he gave it back. There is one genuinely super-groovy, totally unusual song, Bazali Bam's "Bazali Bam," a weird nugget of tinny, treble-icious, super-kooky psychedelic/new wave-y weirdness from 1975 that would fit in nicely sandwiched between some old Talking Heads and something along the lines of Shuggie Otis's "Strawberry Letter 23" or Timmy Thomas's "Why Can't We Live Together." Still, that's a pretty low hit ratio for an album with almost two dozen songs on it... I'm sure the other volumes in this series have a tune or two of interest, but I wasn't inspired to track 'em down any time soon.

Various Artists "NEXT STOP... SOWETO, v.3" (Strut Records, 2010)

Various Artists "NEXT STOP... SOWETO, v.4" (Strut Records, 2010)

Various Artists "NGOMA - THE EARLY YEARS: 1948-1960" (Popular African Music, 1996)
An enthralling compilation of super-rare 78s and 45s made following the independence of the Republic of Congo in 1948. There's a bewildering stylistic variety here, from blues-y acoustic numbers and Big Band pop, to more traditional sounding material. This is one of those rare discs that's packed full of songs that leap out at you... well worth checking out!

Various Artists "NGOMA: SOUVENIR DE LA INDEPENDENCE" (Popular African Music, 1997)
The acoustic sound of the first Ngoma collection (reviewed above) is superseded here by a lively, enthralling electric guitar style -- the classic West African pop sound. Great stuff from start to finish!

Various Artists "NIGERIA SPECIAL: MODERN HIGHLIFE, AFRO-SOUNDS AND NIGERIAN BLUES" (Soundway Records, 2007)
A fine, often electrifying 2-CD set of vintage Nigerian pop and funk from the 1960s and '70s... Although a few of the artists are relatively well-known, such as Sir Victor Uwaifo, this collection is mostly a crate-digger's special: it's not necessarily "representative" of the main or classic bands of the era, but it is packed with rare tracks and plenty of gems... And it's fun! There are some beautiful guitar-pop grooves, a few more challenging, dissonant tunes and several really slamming American-style funk tunes, notably "I Want a Break Thru" by the Hykkers and "Alabeke," by Dan Satch and His Atomic 8 Dance Band. There's also plenty of pure, potent Afro-Pop, with relaxed, hypnotic grooves. Great stuff - definitely worth picking up!

Various Artists "NIGERIA SPECIAL 2 -- MODERN HIGHLIFE, AFRO SOUNDS & NIGERIAN BLUES: 1970-6" (Soundway Records, 2010)

Various Artists "NONESUCH EXPLORER SERIES: AFRICAN MUSIC SAMPLER" (Nonesuch Records, 2002)
A single-disc sampling of the CD-era reissue of Nonesuch's groundbreaking "Explorer" series, which brought world music to an American audience during the hippie years. Although the original albums were a bit "folkloric" and dry, compared to the wealth of world styles we can hear today, this CD wisely plucks out some of the best sonic oddities from the original, august albums, songs that have such distinctive, alluring aural properties, that they will instantly grab the attention of even the most jaded modern listener. Includes several eerily ambient songs that are similar in feel to Francis Bebey's best work. A nice chance to check out the best this multi-album series has to offer. Be sure to also check out the many volumes of Asian music when they become available!

Various Artists "OUAGA AFFAIR -- HARD WON SOUND OF THE UPPER VOLTA: 1974-78" (Savannahtone Records, 2009)
A fascinating collection of uber-rare 1970's Afro-pop recordings from the former Portuguese colony of Upper Volta (now known as Burkina Faso...) These mid-'70s tracks have a funky, loose, improvisational feel to them, equal parts soul and highlife. The artists include Sandwidi Pierre, Cisse Abdoulaye, Amadou Ballake, Mange Konde -- none of whom I've ever heard before -- and various bands such as Super Volta, Volta Jazz and Harmonie Voltaique. It's cool music, although the sound quality is lamentably muffled. Worth tracking down, though, if you're into vintage African pop!

Various Artists "OUELELE" (Comet Records, 1999)
An interesting set with an avant and acid-jazzy orientation, curated by this ambitious French reissue label. Some of these tracks are a bit hard to take, particularly Letta M'Bulu's screechy, ungainly "jazz-dance classic," "What's Wrong With Grooving," which I would say qualifies as camp, rather than super-groovy Afro-soul. But then again, I'm not a European club-hopper and, as they say, there's no accounting for taste. On the other hand, there are several real gems on here, such as Philip Cohran's avant-based "Unity," and other songs that are perfectly fine and funky. Worth checking out!

Various Artists "PARANDA: AFRICA IN CENTRAL AMERICA" (Detour Records, 2000)
One of the most striking world music releases of recent years! This collection highlights musicians from the Garifuna, an African enclave that once populated the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, but later spread into coastal Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. These songs are intensely African, musically as well as linguistically -- the Latin American heritage is represented by a gypsy/flamenco twist to the catchy guitar work. Apparently this particular style is dying out, but one hopeful sign about this project is that younger musicians from the newer popular style -- called Punta Rock -- also take part in these acoustic recordings. Really interesting stuff -- well worth checking out!

Various Artists "THE PULSE OF AFRICA" (Arc Music, 2004)
This set of drumming and percussive instrumentals is surprisingly compelling; I hadn't expected to be that into it, and then became transfixed as the waves of rhythm overtook me and carried me along. Five different groups perform on this well-paced collection: The El Hadj Ensemble specializes in Ghanaian and Senegalese drumming; Ipelegeng, Matodzi and the Soweto Ensemble represent South Africa and a group called African Works adds a "bush" beat to many tracks. Often these groups perform collaboratively, and the cumulative effect is quite nice. After decades of brisk, somewhat jarring drumming albums, it's nice to hear the recording methods and the presentation softening up a bit, so that the melodic and textural depths come out more clearly... There's no pop fusion going on here; the drumming is fairly pure, but it's also kind of laid back and pleasant to space out on, with plenty of stylistic variety. Very nice.

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: ACOUSTIC AFRICA" (Putumayo, 2006)
A sweet, mellow set of acoustic-based ballads from contemporary artists across the African continent... This is a pretty-sounding album, not terribly challenging but also not icky or saccharine in any way... Best of all is the high proportion of new faces and relatively unknown artists on here... I only recognized a few names -- Habib Koite, Angelique Kidjo -- and was pleasantly surprised by several of the newcomers, particularly

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: AFRICAN BEAT" (Putumayo Records, 2011)
A smooth mix of African pop and modern production. The first half of this collection sounded fairly generic but more alluring, ear-bending sounds crept in towards the end, like the angular, unexpected riffs on Donso's "Mogoya," Afro Fiesta's slinky, Marley-esque reggae-funk on "Baweli" and Vieux Farka Toure's Toureg-influenced groove on "Wosoubour." The album closes with "Lagos Sound System" by Les Barons, one of the only tracks that sounds like pure Afro-Beat, in the Fela style (which is kind of what I expected this album to be full of...) The clubby stuff up front didn't do much for me, but like many Putumayo collections, this is full of signposts to a variety of artists and styles that might otherwise be hard to find. Definitely worth checking out!

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: AFRICAN PARTY" (Putumayo Records, 2008)
A fun record! This collects several sweet African pop grooves from artists such as Oliver Mtukudzi, Bonga and Sekouba Bambino, as well as several lesser-known artists such as BoPol Mansiamina, from Congo, and Macire Sylla, from Guinea... The songs come from 2000 to 2008, with a lone 1990s track by Oakland, California's venerable band, Kotoja. Almost all the songs sound lively and cheerful, living up to the album's promise of a good time party vibe for all. There are one or two tracks that are a little too overproduced for my tastes, but that's still a darn good batting average: like many Putumayo discs of recent vintage, this is an excellent set, sticking to more soulful, rootsy material that will make longtime world music fans quite happy. Just the kind of album to have on all morning long to brighten up your day.

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: AFRICAN REGGAE" (Putumayo Records, 2009)
A strong set of modern reggae tunes from various Africa countries, including Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, South Africa and several artists each from the Cape Verde Islands and Ivory Coast. The appeal of reggae music, which is a product of the African diaspora, to African artists is readily apparent -- it shares a musical heritage with Africa's past, along with a politically conscious world view in the present... Most of the artists here are unknown to me (which I usually find appealing) and several are pleasant surprises. There are some pretty cool songs on here, particularly those sung in local languages (most of the tracks on this collection) and even with an English-language tune or two that recall the dreary days of 1980s reggae, this is a pretty engaging and invigorating collection. Indeed, hearing reggae sung in different languages does a lot to help an old-timer like me to hear the music with new ears, and feel the vibes of the music again, rather than get caught up in the whole "reggae is dead" feeling of years gone by. Another strong collection on Putumayo -- definitely worth checking out!

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS MALI" (Putumayo Records, 2005)
Generally speaking, I am not a Malian music true believer... Too much Ali Farka Toure too early on, I guess. But this is a first-rate set with a delightful variety of artists and styles, from mellow acoustic to more modern, techno-laced pop. All of the tracks on here are both substantive and easy on the ears -- this is a consistently enjoyable, listenable album, a nice cross-section of this venerated, fertile musical culture. Featured artists include Moussou Dianllo, Habib Koite, Tinariawen, Boubacar Traore and others... The set flows well from track to track, and makes for one lovely, listenable album. Recommended!

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: SOUTH AFRICA" (Putumayo Records, 2010)
A nice sampling of contemporary South African pop, featuring recordings from 1998-2009 (and one anachronistic dip back to the '50s, for a classic Miriam Makeba track, thrown in for good measure...) Like much South African music, the production style is generally too slick and posh for my tastes, but there's some nice, mellow stuff on here. Includes a few English-language tracks, a smidge of rap and soul, and lots of traditional instruments blended with more modern sounds. If you're looking for an update from the township music of the 1980s, this disc would be a good introduction to some f the newer artists.

Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: WOMEN OF AFRICA" (Putumayo Records, 2004)
One of the better entries in the Putumayo catalog -- a very listenable overview of contemporary female African pop singers, ranging across the continent from the Southern horn to the Saharan expanse, from Madagasgar to the Cape Verde islands. Some of the choices include well-known artists such as Dorothy Masuka, Angelique Kidjo and Tarika; others are welcome adventures off the beaten path, introducing lesser known singers such as Dobet Gnahore of Ivory Coast, Maria De Barros, and Kaissa, from Cameroon. A well-programmed, soulful selection. Recommended!

Various Artists "RACUBAH" (Comet Records, 1999)

Various Artists "RED HOT AND RIOT" (MCA Records, 2002)
A skillfully produced homage to the classic Afro-Beat sound of Nigerian bandleader Fela Anikulapo Kuti, with a lineup of high-power musicians like you wouldn't believe... Everyone from hip-hop's Common, Mixmaster Mike and Talib Kweli to neo-soulsters such as D'Angelo, Macy Gray, M'Shell Ndegocello to African pop stars such as Ray Lema, Cheikh Lo and Baaba Maal and even a few Brazilians and avant-jazz cats in the mix, for good measure (folks like Jorge Ben Jor, Lenine, Ron Blake and Archie Shepp...) Plus, Fela's old drummer Tony Allen and son Femi Kuti are on board as well... For and album with such a far-flung cast of characters, this is remarkably cohesive; producers John Carlin, Paul Heck and Andre Levin did an amazing job threading the performances together and giving this project an organic feel that flows from track to track. Plus, it's a for a charitable cause...! What more could you want? This is a very skillful and noteworthy extension of the classic Afro-Beat style... Worth checking out!

Various Artists "THE ROUGH GUIDE TO AFROBEAT REVIVAL" (Rough Guide, 2009)

Various Artists "THE ROUGH GUIDE TO AFROBEAT REVOLUTION" (Rough Guide, 2009)

Various Artists "ROUGH GUIDE TO CONGOLESE SOUKOUS" (Rough Guide, 2001)

Various Artists "ROUGH GUIDE TO MARRABENTA MOZAMBIQUE" (Rough Guide, 2001)

Various Artists "ROUGH GUIDE TO SOUTH AFRICAN GOSPEL" (Rough Guide, 2003)
I'm not, personally, a huge fan of the South African gospel/group vocal style... (Living in Berkeley in the 1980s, I kind of got overexposed to the secular version, exemplified by groups such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, et al...) Still, I can recognize a class act when I see one, and this collection of harmonically rich, dense, soulful religious songs, sung primarily in Zulu and Sotho, is an excellent introduction to the genre. Drawing on the archives of several record labels, this concentrates mainly on recordings made in the 1980s and '90s, but also dips lightly into the '60s and '70s, when the music was going through a period of intense development and modernization. If you like the style, or you're just curious what it's all about, this is a fine disc to try out.

Various Artists "ROUGH GUIDE TO WEST AFRICAN GOLD" (Rough Guide, 2006)

Various Artists "ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF ETHIOPIA" (Rough Guide, 2004)
While this does have some cool stuff on it, mostly they play it pretty safe in the song selection, leaning heavily on smoother, more modern sounding material. If you'd hoped for a single disc selection that would double for a "best-of" of the ETHIOPIQUES series, this one ain't it. It ain't bad, though...

Various Artists "SALSA AFRICA" (Tinder Records, 2000)
A fascinating mix of African and Cuban music... For centuries, Afro-Cuban rhythms has wafted back and forth over the Atlantic, inspiring the growth of Cuba's various musical styles, and in turn, the West African "rumba" music of the 1950s and '60s. This disc is fairly unique in that it collects hits by African artists who plays specifically "salsa" style music, sometimes singing in French or their local languages, sometimes mixing the style with lovely, lush African guitar work. This is a companion disc to an earlier collection of international salsa acts (from as far afield as Israel...) As interesting as that disc was, though, this one is superior -- the music is more powerful, and the pacing is more cohesive. Highly recommended!

Various Artists "SONGS OF THE AFRICAN COAST: CAFE SONGS OF LIBERIA" (Yarngo Records, 2007)
A fascinating set of late 1940s recordings, documenting the "cafe music" of coastal Liberia, originally recorded by ethnographer Arthur S. Alberts and released on 10" records in the 1950s. This disc reprises most of the songs from those old discs, along with six previously unreleased tracks that amplify the other material. In a timeless chicken-or-the-egg scenario, the music of this former American protectorate echoes and overlaps American blues (and, indeed, some songs will be familiar to folk-blues fans from reinterpretations made in the '60s, after the originals had circulated through the Greenwich Village scene...) Unlike much popular African music, this is linguistically accessible to American audiences -- the songs are sung mostly in English and pidgin English, with some local slang, so on the whole, the meaning of the lyrics is readily apparent. Most songs are comedic takes on romantic or ribald themes, a few are topical (although the meaning may be lost on the modern listener: the reprinted old liner notes come in handy...) and all bear the obvious stamp of a relaxed nightclub/cabaret culture. The similarities between these recordings and classic calypso are quite striking, both musically and in the lyrical form, with a tinge of the American and British music halls as well. Like old-school calypso, this might not appeal to the average world music fan -- it's far less about the melodies and rhythm than about wordplay and story-related entertainment. But students of African cultural history will find this collection fascinating, as will those of us who just like the sonic qualities of old things... It's definitely an echo of a time and place that are long gone, but enchanting nonetheless.

Various Artists "THE SOUL OF CAPE VERDE" (Lusafrica/Tinder Records, 1996)
A gorgeous collection of deeply lush, romantic material from Cape Verde. This is, flat out, one of my favorite "world music" albums ever. If you don't have it already, you should correct that problem as soon as possible. The basic form here is the morna, a languid, florid ballad style which is closely related to the Portuguese fado. This album includes big name artists such as Cesaria Evora (Cape Verde's first verifiable international star), and her protege, Maria Alice. More precious still, though, is the older material from the mid-1960s, which I imagine is pretty hard to come by. (Note to music labels: an album of stuff by Luis Morais, or even just more music in this general vein, would be wonderful wonderful wonderful). Highly recommended.

Various Artists "SWAHILI MUSIC -- 78RPM RECORDINGS: 1930-1955" (Musical Ark, 2006)
A beautiful set of archival recordings from Kenya and Tanzania... Too bad it's only available as a download; I'd love to spend more time with this glorious acoustic music!

Various Artists "TOWNSHIP JAZZ'N'JIVE" (Music Club, 1997)
This is the single best collection of South African "jive" music that I've heard. A stellar set of South African pop music from the 1940s and '50s. American swing and pop vocal styles are gloriously transmuted into utterly delectable melodic forms -- the perfect thing to put on some day when you're down in the dumps and want to feel really, really warm and fuzzy. This disc features the best artists of the time, the recordings of many of whom are maddeningly impossible to find anywhere else. Especially cool are Miriam Makeba's original vocal ensemble, The Skylarks, and the beautiful pennywhistle music of groups such as the Solven Whistlers. This is a fun, fascinating album, and highly, highly recommended! (Note to Music Club: I eagerly await Volume Two!)

Various Artists "TOWNSHIP SWING JAZZ! Vol. 1" (Celluloid Records, 1990)
An earlier compilation with slightly murky sound quality, and a predilection towards instrumentals, this disc nonetheless has bragging right over the other collections, at least in the sense that it came out several years earlier. The Music Club collection is far superior -- more varied and punchier material -- but this set has a more ragged, jazzier edge. The liner notes are minimal, but like the other discs, this features material from Gallo Records... a cool cast of characters, including more Skylarks, and a couple of tracks by Dorothy Rathebe. If you can find it, pick it up!

Various Artists "TOWNSHIP SWING JAZZ! Vol. 1" (Harlequin Records, 1991)
Same title, superior record. Another out-of-print goodie to keep your eyes peeled for... I haven't heard this one, but considering the high quality of other Harlequin releases, this is probably an astonishing album.

Various Artists "UMALALI: THE GARIFUNA WOMEN'S PROJECT" (Cumbancha Records, 2008)
The Garifuna people, who live in enclaves along the Caribbean coast of Belize and other Central American countries; they have strong, vibrantly alive African roots and, up until modern times, their own distinctive language and dialects. Because of external economic and cultural pressures, the Garifuna culture was in danger of dying out in the 1980s when a group of younger artists seized it back from the precipice, embraced it, and brought it into the 20th Century. One of the most prominent artists, Andy Palacio, delved into the wellspring of Garifuna traditional music, both preserving the fading oral tradition and combining it with rock, jazz, and other outside influences. He led several bands, and more recently released solo albums including his last one, Watina (also on the Cumbancha label) which brought widespread acclaim, just before his untimely passing away early in 2008. Despite the loss of its great champion, Garifuna culture appears to be healthy and thriving, at least if this fine compilation album is any indication. This is a set of music featuring several women from Palacio's own region of Belize, with keening vocals set against sleek, velvety modern arrangements. Sofia Blanco, Desere Diego, Bernadine Flores, Damiana Gutierez, Sarita Martinez -- none of these are famous musicians, indeed, their singing style is marked by its roughness and authentic rural character, a sharp, distinctly African vocal style that's rather similar to the roda de samba sung by older women in Bahia, Brazil. The pairing of the contemporary pop production and their other-worldly chanting seems potentially perilous, but much to the producers' credit, they don't subsume the women's vocals, don't remix or gussy them up, but rather play off of them, and support them delicately and with admirable restraint. Although the rugged core of their pre-modern culture is left intact, the album is surprisingly rich and engaging... Another nice one from this up-and-coming new label!

Various Artists "VIBRANT ZIMBABWE" (Vibrant/Zimbob Records, 1993)
A nice sampler of contemporary Zimbabwean pop bands of the early 1990s... The disc opens with an super-catchy dance tune by John Pound, where the thumping rhythm that drives South African mbaqanga is joined by jangly, hypnotic guitar riffs that sound more typical of the West African pop scene: the very epitome of modern Zimbabwean music. The beat continues for several songs (and even gets a bit monotonous at times), then is broken by a reggae riddim or two. If you want to check out some of the newer music from this impoverished nation, this collection is a nice place to start.

Various Artists "THE WASSOULOU SOUND -- WOMEN OF MALI, v.1" (Stern's Africa, 1994)

Various Artists "THE WASSOULOU SOUND -- WOMEN OF MALI, v.2" (Stern's Africa, 1994)

Various Artists "THE WORLD ENDS: AFRO-ROCK & PSYCHEDELIA IN 1970's NIGERIA, v.1" (Soundway Records, 2010)

Various Artists "THE WORLD ENDS: AFRO-ROCK & PSYCHEDELIA IN 1970's NIGERIA, v.2" (Soundway Records, 2010)

Various Artists "ZANZIBARA 1: A HUNDRED YEARS OF TARAAB IN ZANZIBAR" (Buda Musique, 2006)

Various Artists "ZANZIBARA 2: THE GOLDEN YEARS OF MOMBASA TARAAB" (Buda Musique, 2007)

Various Artists "ZANZIBARA 3: UJAMAA: THE 1960s SOUND OF TANZANIA" (Buda Musique, 2007)
A sweet set of '60s grooves from Tanzania. Includes work by the Jamhuri Jazz Band, Nuta Jazz Band, Atomic Jazz Band and others... (Note: Volumes Four and Six of this series were devoted to individual artists -- Bi Kidude and the Mtendeni Maulid Ensemble -- and are not listed here with the compilation albums.)

Various Artists "ZANZIBARA 5: HOT IN DAR: THE SOUND OF TANZANIA 1978-83" (Buda Musique, 2009)

Various Artists "ZULU WORKER CHOIRS IN SOUTH AFRICA" (Heritage Records, 1999)

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African Music Index
World Music Index

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