Rokku Mi Rokka asin: B000V2NAFE

After visiting Egypt for his last album, Youssou N'dour returns home to Senegal for this one. In "Rokku Mi Rokka" explores sounds from northern Senegal and neighboring Mali & Mauritania.

Youssou says: "The music and inspiration on this album are from the north, from the desert, from parts of the country that border on Mali and Mauritania. People from those countries will know and understand this music as well as people who come from the centre of Senegal."

"Some people might think Senegalese music means mbalax, which is Wolof, the most important language in the country, everybody speaks it. But all my life I have been saying that this is not the only music we have in Senegal, we have a wide range of sounds and rhythms. When it came to writing the songs for this album, I wanted to use different sounds."

"Sometimes you will hear a little blues on the album, a little reggae, a bit of Cuba. In Africa, we get excited when we hear these rhythms, because we feel them, they are ours, but they left Africa with the slaves a long time ago. Rokku Mi Rokka means 'You give me something, I give you something' and that's the message of the album: we have received a lot from the developed world, but remember that we brought a lot, too."

The album opens with one of his bounciest pop songs, "4-4-44" and also includes a duet with Neneh Cherry, "Wake Up (It's Africa Calling)", which sounds very unlike "7 Seconds". The final song, "Boul Bayékou", written by Ashley Maher, comes closest to his usual style.

In many of the songs you'll hear traditional Malian instruments such as the Ngoni along with the Kora, Xalam, and other Senegalese instruments. The guitar styling on "Pullo Ardo" and "Baye Faal" are reminiscent of the "Desert Blues" style of Ali Farka Toure or Tinariwen.

An album by Youssou N'dour is never a disappointment, and this one is no exception. Long-time fans and newcomers will both find a lot to like about this album.