Electric Africa

Nowhere does Dibango’s ability for bridging different worlds come through as clearly as it does on his 1985 masterpiece Electric Africa. By then a world famous musician, Dibango gathered the cream of the crop from France, Africa, and the USA, fusing kora and djembe with synths and drum machines. On opener “Pata Piya” Dibango’s typically unhurried vocals sail over Bill Laswell’s drum machines, as Bernie Worrell and Wally Badarou trade synth phrases, Aiyb Dieng’s cowbell makes regular incursions, and Dibango’s laid-back sax stands in contrast to the funkiness of everything else. Herbie Hancock plays on the remaining three tracks, joining the subtle kora of Guinean virtuoso Mory Kanté on “L’arbre a Palabres.” Each track feels like a conversation, a group of luminaries as eager to contribute as they are to listen to each other.