Salif Keita - The Best Of The Early Years (CD 2003)

This is a great album for lying around in the sun or doing the housework. In general its bright and cheery with brass instruments injecting a bit of summery fun into the proceedings. Keita has an excellent and very individual voice and is occasionaly backed by an African choir.

Although the album is seemingly just a bit of light hearted fun - as with alot of African music - there is a political undercurrent in some of the lyrics, and Salif Keita has quite an interesting lifestory which is briefly talked about in the liner notes of the album cover.

All in all I think this is well worth picking up. Its possibly the most inoffensive, carefree sounding music ive ever heard!! 7.5 out of 10