Supreme Talent Show

Upon listening to this album, it is clear that MC Waraba and Mélèké Tchatcho deserve the confidence their album title suggests. Their record encapsulates the emergence of a new style of music making in Bamako, Mali – which may also be indicative of a trend in new African music as a whole – that embraces electronic methods of composition and performance while still drawing heavily upon various styles of traditional musics native to the region. The first track, ‘Yayoroba’, is a prime example of this where a call-and-response introduction between balafon and synths, which lead into the chorus. One can hear the swag and groove of Afrobeats when the chorus repeats, and the four-to-the-floor kick and syncopated snare prove a powerful and welcome addition. Following on from there, ‘Bofan’ has a 12/8 sabar groove; ‘Ambiance Bamako’ is a 4/4 Afropop groove at 145bpm; and ‘Yobale’ contains a rap about people who bleach their skin. It's all here in Supreme Talent Show's infectious, incredibly danceable blend of modernity and antiquity. MC Waraba and Mélèké Tchatcho have their finger on the pulse of urban Bamako and its residents. Here, we have an album that demonstrates the best of what Africa has to offer.