(Nascente)

Baaba Maal is one of the world’s most extraordinary people, never mind musicians, and these two CDs, culled by Phil Meadley from the three albums Wango, Taara and Jombaajo, make for a landmark compilation. It catches Maal just before he hit the international big time, mapping how, under the guidance of genius producer Ibrahima Sylla, he and his group Dande Lenol moved into the Senegalese mainstream by electrifying roots music in magical ways. The timbre of his voice, the depth of emotion embedded in fantastic lyrics over seething beds of sounds: there’s not one dud track in the twenty-three on offer.