Songhai 2

This more musically ambitious sequel to 1988's Songhai reunites Gypsy new-flamenco stars Ketama (and their former vocalist Jos Soto) with Mali's Toumani Diabate, a virtuoso of the 21-string African harp called the kora. And while British doublebassist Danny Thompson returns for a few tracks, the music is enriched by the addition of Keletigui Diabate's balafon (which resembles a marimba) and a variety of Spanish and Mali guests. The musical coloration drifts pleasantly back and forth between Iberian rhythms, complete with clattering castanets, spitfire guitar lines, and ferocious hand claps--and the Diabates' undulating griot grooves and honeyed female vocal choruses. Since Latin music is well-known in Mali, the contrasts are less marked than you might think, while the lyrical counterpoint between Moorish and African cultures is fascinating. --Richard Gehr