Drawing upon Mali's vast and varied musical heritage, this well-produced compilation emphasizes the synthesis of traditional genres such as jeliya and wassalou with modern blues and pop influences through the music of artists like desert guitar hero Ali Farka Toure and fearless vocalists Oumou Sangare and Issa Bagayogo. Much of the music is guitar- and vocal-driven but also features beautiful traditional instruments like the kora, njarka and balafon as well as the ubiquitous djembe drum. Complete with thorough liner notes and short bios of the artists, this enhanced CD also includes extensive information on the people and culture of Mali which can be accessed on PC or Mac.  (WAF128, $14.95)

World Music