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The stark Saharan blues masterpiece Talking Timbuktoo by Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder having already been nominated on these pages, we go to the opposite end of the musical spectrum, the ringing guitars, skipping snares and sweet harmonies of the Congo basin, for the first African choice. It could have been Zairean - Papa Wemba's Foridoles or Madilu System's Sans commentaire - but in fact it's Angolan, the veteran 400 metre sprinter, Benfica forward, political activist and African musical avant gardistBonga's compilation album Katendu (Celluloid). For the simplicity and soul of the voice, the deceptive catchiness of the sembas and kimbundu rhythms, the small-town disco authenticity.
Burnin' urn of churnin' funk of 1994 was Mambo el Soudani (Piranha) by a group of Nubian musicians known as Salamat. "A beautiful flower in the garden of musical styles," remark the sleeve notes.
It's tempting to nominate the late Algerian rai star Cheb...