Womama

Hailing from Guinea, living in Paris and with spiritual roots in Mali and Gambia, Djeli Moussa Condé's experience is one that will be familiar to many West Africans living in France. The music on this, Condé's second solo release, reflects his status as a citizen of many countries. Condé provides lead vocals, guitar and kora backed by a French band and with several West African guest musicians. European influences sit next to the West African styles easily, and the album journeys through reggae, jazz and funk without ever leaving the Mande influence behind.

The album is strongest during its more Latin phases, such as the tracks ‘La Salsa Africana’ and ‘Palma’ (an ode to the Balearic city), and the disco Afrobeat piece ‘African Bond’ is great fun, managing to be both cheesy and extremely funky at the same time. There are no weak tracks on this album as such, but there is an amount of filler: pieces that are listenable but essentially unexciting. Nevertheless, this is a good album, and the standout tracks make the less interesting parts well worth wading through.