Djaale

Born in France, with a Cameroonian background, singer Ekoumé was a member of saxophonist Manu Dibango's band for eight years. Her debut album was recorded in Paris and Los Angeles, mixed in New York City, and produced by drummer and percussionist Guy Nwogang. Most of the largely self-penned songs veer from being either cheesily bombastic pop belters to overly schmaltzy ballads, with drums and keyboards frequently being too dominant in the mix. Ekoumé's voice is often not strong enough to withstand scaling the heights of dramatic emoting that she seemingly desires.

‘Mama’ has a little more space in its arrangement, with some detailed guitar work, and Manu Dibango provides a brief solo on ‘Dipita Na Wellisane’, with Ekoumé layering up lead and chorus vocals over guitar and cello. The best song is the driving ‘C’est Comme l’Amour’, with its spirited vocals and purring organ parts. Unfortunately, a string section dollops syrup all over ‘Ndolo’, and ‘Changer’ could surely be a candidate for the Afrovision Song Contest, if such a thing were ever to come to pass.