[.ca] Africa: Rough Guides To

From Amazon.co.uk:
A continent in a box? Well, a vivid taste of one: The Rough Guides to Africa--repackaging four of their previous compilations--will certainly reinforce this label's market dominance. So a big hand for the Rough Guide to Congolese Soukous, and those to Senegal & Gambia and South Africa: the fourth CD--the Rough Guides Collection--is a canny pointer to further Guides elsewhere. And while my own favourite Rough Guide compilations are excluded--Unwired: Africa and Mali & Guinea--the ones we have here are still superb. Senegal & Gambia may now be a known quantity--Cheikh Lo, Baaba Maal, Orchestra Baobab and Youssou N'Dour--the tracks are no less beguiling for that (and N'Dour's comes from his pre-Peter Gabriel heyday). But listen to Congolese Soukous and you'll find magical things which never made it to western stages: starting with the late great Franco, and moving on through a plethora of now-period bands specialising in tumbling guitar riffs, this disc is imbued with a gentle swing and discreet virtuosity unique to this part of Africa. Meanwhile South Africa reaches way back into the past--to Solomon Linda's mega-hit from the 1930s--and incorporates everyone from jazz-diva Miriam Makeba and reggae-king Lucky Dube to the chanting Boyoyo Boys and the Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It also points up how close South African jazz is to its American counterpart. And when you finally get round to listening to the Rough Guides Collection, you'll be pulled in a dozen directions more. --Michael Church

Rough Guide to Africa!!!!!:
The Rough Guide series is wonderful. Almost every compilation they have released is a wonderful slice of a given culture or country's musical traditions. I cannot recommend these CDs highly enough. Therefore, this boxed set, focusing on the music of Africa, is a wonderful addition to any world music fan's collection. It contains four CDs, three of which were released seperately originally. The first of these CDs focuses on the traditions of Sene-Gambian pop music, with such great names as Baobob Orchestra, Baaba Maal, Cheikh Lo and Youssou N'Dour. The music is lively and melodious, and uniquely west African. The next CD focuses on Soukous, a dance tradition based on Rumba, which originated in the Congo, and rapidly spread across the African continent. Featuring such great names as Papa Wemba, Franco, Same Mangwana, Kanda Bongo Man and Koffi Olomide. After hearing their lively performances, you'll understand the popularity, even if you can't speak Lingala. Rounding this out, is a CD featuring the musical styles of South Africa, which is of added interest given the recent popularity that South African artists are enjoying in the west. A number of near legendary performers, ranging from Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Mariam Makeba to the Soul Brothers, Boyoyo Boys and Lucky Dube, and everything in between, appear on this CD. These three CDs, which do a pretty good job giving an overview of music from across the African contient, would be worth buying the Boxed Set for alone. However, there is a fourth CD, a Rough Guide sampler, included in the boxed set. Included on the sampler is a song from Mozambique, and a sample of South African Jazz. However, it also features two tracks already in the Boxed Set, but thats not much of a problem. This Boxed Set is an excellent collection of African music, and is definately well worth the price. You won't get three excellent CDs for a better price. I love mine, and listen to it frequently (in fact, I'm listening to it right now). You will definately appreciate this CD.

• Jeunesse Senegal - Cheikh Lô
• Nguisstal - Assane Ndiaye,
• Loodo - Baaba Maal, Mansour Seck
• Mouhamadou Bamba - Orchestra Baobab
• Bitillo - Tata Dinding Jobarteh
• Salimata - Ifang Bondi
• Letter - Youssou N'Dour,
• Wango Arti - Baaba Maal
• Kairaba Jabi - Dembo Konte, Kausu Kuyateh
• Diamono Bifoula/Hal Ma Ti Wouna
• Taar Doucey
• Aminatta - Mass Lowe
• Yelayo - Mansour Seck
• Cooperation - Franco, Sam Mangwana
• Amie Mamibo
• Loi - Koffi Olomide
• Sa - Kanda Bongo Man
• Sarah
• Marie Jose - Ry-Co Jazz
• Vie
• Naji - Pepe Kalle, Rigo Star
• Sanga Mbele Mbele
• Overdose - Papa Wemba
• Ma Cherie
• Bilanga - Yondo Sister
• Nigizongena Kanjani - Izingqungqulu Zomhlaba
• Nyamphemphe - Mahlathini & the Mahotella Queens
• Groovin' Jive No. 1 - Noise Khanyile & the Jo'Burg City Stars
• House of Exile - Lucky Dube,
• Motherland - Yvonne Chaka Chaka
• My Kind of Jazz - Tebogo
• Meva - Spokes Mashiyane
• Jive Township - African Jazz Pioneers
• Yaze Yangala - Elite Swingsters
• Celebration - Bheki Mseleku
• Ungithatha Kanjani - West Nkosi
• Udlame
• Tsotsi - The Boyoyo Boys
• Inkomo Zodwa - Miriam Makeba & the Skylarks
• Mbube - Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds
• Kangivumanga \oI Disagreed\c - Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• Get Together - Tony Allen
• Loi - Koffi Olomide
• Mahanhela - Mabulu
• Joe le Taxi - Sharlene Boodram
• Jaro - Impact All-Stars, Tommy McCook
• En Guantanamo - Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro
• Mabarane - Sheer All Stars
• Pyar Ka Hai Bairi
• Akata Sun Dunchi - Bob Brozman, Takashi Hirayasu
• James Bond Theme - Surf Champlers
• Griogal Cridhe - Mac-Talla,
• Maggio - Riccardo Tesi
• Antin Mikko - JPP
• Bassa - Momo Wandel Soumah
• Salimata - Ifang Bondi
• Que Pena
• Secrets of the Life Tree - Arthur Kroker