Cheikh Lô
★★★
Maame
WORLD CIRCUIT. CD/DL/LP
The quiet man of Senegal breaks his decade-long silence.
This is only Lô’s sixth LP in 30 years, perhaps explaining why the 70-year-old has never broken through like some of his peers. Nevertheless, each of those collections has arrived like a fresh spring breeze, and if you listened to them all in a month you’d be convinced a world-conquering superstar had been uncovered. Even allowing for his work rate, though, he can struggle to stamp his own individuality on his songs: opener Baba Moussa could almost be Orchestra Baobab, Youssou N’Dour’s DNA is all over Bamba Moufi Djouli Guedi. Once you have adjusted to the singer’s light touch, however, this is a fine addition to his catalogue, Carte D’Identite being the standout: a Caribbean lilt, a tenor that blends David Ruffin grit with Eddie Kendricks silk, West African grooves with busy talking drums. Here’s hoping he returns a bit sooner next time.