Various Artists - 'Africa Plays On' (Because) Released 31/07/06

Africa - Land Of The Rhino. And also some 1000 languages, vast lands, impenetrable mystery, savage poverty, beautiful people, and hot and cool music. 'Africa Plays On' takes its cue from Football as a cultural phenomenon and part of the lingua franca, and music as the Universal  and unitary language by showcasing the best of contemporary African artists.

Tasty openings from kick off with Richard Bona featuring John Legend 'Please Don't Stop' - a jazzy soft-keys number with cool sway soul-jazz like Roy Ayers or Lewis Taylor; and the expressive man from Senegal - Cheikh Lo's 'Kelle Magni' upping the action at the centre half with tempo and more of African location in evidence with jive licks and light percussive beats in dedication to peace and love. Amadou & Mariam's funky 'Coulibaly' gets the remix treatment in a pared down number with percussion laid thin crust on top and the jaunt of the original gone but the vocals still intact. WOMAD festie faves Alpha Blondy bring along a party-lite African reggie number with 'Cocody Rock' - a skank and African sunshine, whilst Daara J and 'Number One' evinces laid back French-speaking rap with live brassy sounds. African giant Baaba Maal, one of the most delightful and distinctive voices in the world delivers 'Kettode' with a voice roaming over the plains lite beats and female harmonies amidst a delicious b-line on a hymn delivered to Africa - "...Football/ Soccer/ Africa...". Deep vocals from Wasis Diop and 'Defaal Lu Wor'  with a slow shuffle and entrancing vocals and gorgeous harmonies - hell, it's Talking Heads 'Once In A Lifetime' as an African Acapella and is the biz-niz - a track that makes you want to leap and dance with uninhibited joy, an unassailable blinder!

Ba Sissoko looks to Espana on 'Silani' - a Flamenco flava with lilting rhythms and strumming guitars like a Manu Chao number crossed with Blur/Gorillaz. Osibisa's 'Watusi' take on the 4-square dance rhythms with Afro-dance and a Santana-like jazzmatazz brass lifted by funk. ONDA featuring Manu Dibango on 'Ngando' features deep bass throb with sassy sax  supportive brass section, whilst ragga looks in with Waldemar Bastos featuring Chaka Demus with piff-poof jerky rhythms. 'Amen' then from King Mensah and a deliciously light African sundowner - repetitive up and strummy acoustic guitar strong on cadence with harmonious vocals lift the heart with glee; and two legends - Roy Ayers and Fela Kuti bring us '2000 Blacks Got To Be Free' with a Louis Vega Remix, a soul-jazz number for the conscious generation who love a dance floor shuffle.

'Africa Plays On' is a wonderful celebration of the music of the African Continent - a celebration of the vitality and creativity of its people as displayed here by its leading and emergent artists, a spirit so often overlooked in media whitewsh. The Footie link is tentative and comes on the back of the World Cup, but 'Africa Plays On' is a fleetfooted release with swift maneuvres and good old pass and move with the old charge and young bucks geeting to don the jersey. 'Defaal Lu Wor'  - what a tune!