Cheikh Lo - Jamm

(World Circuit)

Cheik Lô’s label as a ‘Senegalese Sufi troubadour’ is good yet it by no means gets over just how sublime the music this funky genius creates. True, he seems to hold a spliff a lot of the time and maybe it’s the way that laidback edge to life permeates this recording (made in his backyard) that makes it so irresistible.

From the seductive ‘Conia’ about the corrosiveness of jealousy to the surf guitars of ‘Il N’est Jamais Trop Tard’, this soulful synthesis of diverse African and Cuban styles is an album of the year.