His successes range from the Afro-pop crossover "7 Seconds" with Neneh Cherry to the understated majesty of the Sufi traditions explored on 2004's Grammy-winning "Egypt." Now, with "Rokku Mi Rokka" (Nonesuch), Senegal's Youssou N'Dour moves beyond pop fusions and updated traditions to create striking new tribal hybrids defined by a rural-urban rather than East-West dynamic.
The title means "give and take," perfect for this adventurous alchemy as it wanders from the griot percussion and praise-singing of N'Dour's distinctive mbalax through fresh flavors from Senegal's northern deserts, Mali, and Mauritania. The 48-year-old N'Dour's voice resonates with the clarity of a singer decades younger, his high notes transcendent over the acoustic pulse of his pared-down Super Etoile band - usually percussion, guitars, bass, and traditional instruments including Bassekou Kouyate's banjo-like xalam.
Together, their adrenaline-powered grooves are warmly melodic, attractive in their simplicity, and the city-country tensions add an electric edge to the rustic underpinnings of "Baay Fal" and unleash the trancelike abandon of "Dabbaax." With its hip-hop pretensions, "Wake Up (It's Africa Calling)" suffers in comparison, despite the return of Cherry. It's one of the few missteps on a defining album that showcases N'Dour at his organic best.
TRISTRAM LOZAW
