Africa Express Presents…

Africa Express is a loose cooperative of like minds (with Damon Albarn somewhere near the hub) that takes Western rock musicians to play with African musicians in Africa, and then returns the favour, putting on stellar line¬ups in London, Glastonbury, Liverpool and latterly Paris. The shows have provided some of the finest musical moments of the decade. Amadou & Mariam with the Magic Numbers; Franz Ferdinand with Baaba Maal; and Tinariwen with Tony Allen. And now there’s an album, too. Frustratingly, the CD is available only through French FNAC, via the Africa Express website (www.africaexpress.co.uk) or Puma stores, but it’s available digitally from iTunes, Amazon or emusic. It’s a concept compilation album, the concept being to ask 17 Western rockers to pick a favourite African track. So we get Massive Attack championing Staff Benda Bilili, Hard–Fi waving a flag for Rachid Taha, and Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers picking Femi Kuti. It’s brilliantly sequenced and it’s chock–full of gold.

The first surprise is the familiar unfamiliar: unreleased numbers from Amadou & Mariam, Tinariwen and Baaba Maal (a lovely Mtukudzi–style song selected by Franz Ferdinand). Then there are odd enchantments I couldn’t believe I’d not heard – Sally Nyolo’s Cameroon–based Bidjoi Sisters (brought to us by Martha Wainwright) or South African pennywhistle star ‘Big Voice’ Jack Lerole (picked by Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals). Prepare yourself for some unfeasibly funky oddballs. Norman Cook kicks off a wild final section with ‘Psychedelic Woman’ – a wonderful slice of 1970s singalong funk from Ghana’s Honny & The Bees. Then Tony Allen and Femi Kuti take up the Afro–beat baton before Damon Albarn brings matters to a bizarrely wonderful conclusion with a Ghanaian truckers’ funeral band.

If you can track down the CD you get a great bonus DVD documentary of Africa Express’ trips to Bamako, Kinshasa and Lagos.