Kharifa

Recorded in Bamako with his six-piece band Bamada and some of the finest names in Malian music among the guests, Habib Koité's first studio album in five years is a gem of mellow, laid-back grooves and impressive song craft sung in Bamana, French and, somewhat less convincingly, in English.

‘Wara’ (The Lion) opens the disc strongly with a funky, bubbling riff that is inflectious, yet not entirely representative: for the most part, Kharifa finds Habib favouring soft-hued Afro-pop guitar melodies crooned in a gentle tenor voice. The flute on the title-track lends an appealing folk whimsy and ‘Hakilina’ is lilting Californian canyon-rock transposed to West Africa. ‘iVazi’ with Habib's son, Cheick Tidiane Koité taking the lead vocal, is the sort of catchy pop song you might find a West African boy band singing. The interlocking strings of Toumani Diabaté's kora, Sékou Bembeya Diabaté's slide guitar and Abou Sissoko's ngoni make ‘Forever’ the album's musical highlight, but the effect is somewhat marred by the vocal; if you cringe when Youssou N'Dour sings in English, this is worse. However, the spirited banjo picking on ‘Mande’, synth horns on the upbeat ‘Djiguya’ and some great singing by Amy Sacko on the rippling ‘Symbo’ get things back on track.