Beautiful Africa

"The Malian singer Rokia Traoré has a gentle voice with a steely core, one that's revealed more clearly than ever on Beautiful Africa," says the New York Times music critic Jon Pareles. "The album was produced by John Parish, who does for Ms. Traoré what he's done for P. J. Harvey and Eels: stripping away all unnecessary prettiness, focusing on a handful of instruments and a fully exposed voice, scratches and all. The album captures songs as they meditate, like 'Mélancolie,' or spontaneously combust, like 'Kouma,' about seduction and betrayal, and 'Sikey,' about defying caste." Read the complete review at nytimes.com.