Burn

From the sleepy fishing village of Ngor, Senegal, to the urban underground of Paris, this innovative singer and guitarist has worked with producers Louxor Station and collaborated with musicians from Mali’s Amadou Bagayoko to Speed Caravan’s Mehdi Haddab. The results are a complex tapestry of sounds and styles. Part reggae, part roots-rock, part electronica, this is original, feisty music that will make you sit up and listen.

As the liner notes are written in Wolof – the lingua franca of Senegal – they are not much use to anyone outside of Senegal. But that doesn’t matter; the songs speak for themselves. ‘Massamba’ rides on a subtle electronic beat and a rhythm beaten out by a hang drum, before plunging into Lek Sen’s deep and expressive voice and then falling headlong into delicious guitar riffs from Amadou Bagayoko. The Arabic-style handclaps complement the beats perfectly. More acoustic, rolling on a simple but great blues riff, is the upbeat and energetic ‘Rebel Blues’. ‘Neekal’ is a touching collaboration with Jamaican reggae singer Kiddus I which, despite its bare-bones arrangement, manages to stand strong, a testimony to the strength of their voices. ‘Ana Ngeen’ rolls on a beat tapped out by a balafon (xylophone) supported by melodic guitar and vocals from, amongst others, the brilliant Senegalese singer Julia Sarr. If you thought you knew what Senegalese music was, this should make you think again.