Zoom Zemmatt

Senegalese singer and guitarist Mangane is somewhat of a late bloomer. At age 60, Zoom Zemmatt is his first release on a label – but he’s been active in Senegal’s music scene for decades. The album is a stirring mix of Afro-Cuban grooves and gentler guitar-focused ballads. Mangane fronts a horn-laden octet, which at its most potent kicks out seductive jazzy stompers like opener ‘Nguistal – Smooth Talker’. Influences from Senegal’s Orchestra Baobab to Mali’s Rail Band are writ large, but Mangane’s rich voice and distinctive guitar tonality give this heady sonic stew its own flavour. Acoustic ballad ‘Cërr’ provides a gentle moment, but the quieter tracks do serve to drop the album’s tempo and impact somewhat from its polyrhythmic, toe-tapping best. Overall, Zoom Zemmatt is a versatile and enjoyable serving of West-African grooves from an artist many are likely to be discovering for the first time.