Mama Funny Day

Was Manu Chao hugely influential or so eclectic that it's hard not to nick some aspect of his style? A bit of both, probably, and Sarazino is certainly in the same mestizo tradition, alongside the likes of Ojos de Brujo and Macaco. Mixing up reggae, dub, hip-hop, Latin and Arabic grooves, this much-travelled Algerian singer is in full command on his third release, adding a heavy rai element, which gives the sound power and a sonic richness. Several tracks on Mama Funny Day find room for free-form electric guitar – dagger-like jabs and sustained blasts rather than solos – which adds its own power. Raised in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Montréal and a few other spots, now based in Ecuador, Sarazino's life has been wonderfully random. He sings in Spanish, French and Arabic, quotes media sources in loops, and, bringing in guests such as Toots Hibbert of Toots & The Maytals and South African singer Zolani Mahola – his is a Babelian world. All musical and cultural forms are made welcome. ‘Frente Latina’, a pro-freedom of the press song produced in partnership with Wikileaks and featuring the voice of Julian Assange shows he is close to the political pulse when it comes to content. The world has got darker since Clandestino; here's a pan-global pop that captures the light and shade of the times