Kwenge

Kareyce Fotso is an African renaissance woman. A bio–chemistry graduate with a diploma in broadcasting and photography, the Cameroonian singer rose up through the Yaounde cabaret circuit to become a regular backing vocalist on the international tours of Cameroonian stars such as Sally Nyolo. She has also won awards for her acting, represented Cameroon at numerous cultural summits around the world and spent time in Guinea honing her musical talents. There's always something a little disconcerting about these high-flying CVs – that the music is just another trophy in an overcrowded cabinet of talents. But there’s no cause for concern. Fotsos voice is like a caress, a feather-light whisper of genuine emotion with just a simple acoustic guitar for companionship. And the more upbeat and defiant songs like ‘Peu Be’, ‘Mayole’ or ‘Kuichoieu’ are up-close evidence of the steely feminine backbone that holds Africa together.

That said, there's nothing musically ambitious in the arrangements or production on Kwenge. What the microphone heard is what you get. Fotso's acoustic guitar does most of the hard work whilst small percussion instruments pitter patter like soft tropical rain. At times Fotso's voice gets all aerobic, in that percussive Cameroonian tradition that's already been well aired by the work of Nyolo or Zap Mama. But the magic lies in the album's moments of great simplicity and tenderness, and there are enough of those to make this an excellent debut.