International Recommendations June 2014

Review: Burkina Faso native Amadou Balake's storied musical career stretches back to the early 1960s. Rising to fame in his home country thanks to a hard funk version of the track "Bar Konon Mousso", and it features on this essential compilation from the Kindred Spirits label together with a clutch of other recordings which show the many sides of his musical personality. Supposedly taking James Brown as an inspiration, the parallels between the two artists are clear to see across these six tracks, which show why Balake stands as one of Africa's most enduring musical voices.