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Title: Charming afro-pop--Not as funky as the reviews suggested
Review: Distinctly West African in its light charm. But great variation across tracks, almost as though produced by a collective with lots of room for different people to lead. Typically transparently layered with varying mixes of polyrhythms, harder Western grooves, and many different special effects. The influence of rap and reggae is apparent throughout. Sung mainly in clear French, but in African languages, too. General mood is happy and light. But stories about politics and society weave throughout like a kind of reporting. Children pop everywhere in many guises. Not at all what I expected (something closer to Afrobeat) from all the hype.
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