An East African Journey

The Grammy-nominated Cuban jazz pianist and composer Omar Sosa has been involved in an impressive array of fusion projects, working with everyone from trumpeter Paolo Fresu to kora virtuoso Seckou Keita. And now – after a curiously long delay – comes surely his bravest collaboration set to date. Back in 2009 he gave a series of concerts across East Africa, playing everywhere from Kenya, Sudan and Burundi through to the island states of the Indian Ocean. While on his travels he took time to meet up with local musicians and learn about native traditional instruments, and the recordings he made form the basis of this intriguing album. It works because Sosa's thoughtful and delicate piano work, along with the added bass, percussion or synth, helps to transform the music rather than dominate.

Five of the 13 tracks are from Madagascar, where he plays alongside valiha virtuoso Rajery, while elsewhere there's a stomping Ethiopian workout featuring Seleshe Damassae on krar, and ‘Shibinda’, a track from Zambia that starts with vocals and kalumbu (musical bow) from Abel Ntalasha and ends as a swinging piano work-out. If you like classy world-jazz-fusion, this is for you.