It might seem unusual to talk about John Legend, Akon, Fela Kuti and Chaka Demus (of Pliers fame, yes) in the same breath but this compilation demands it. Africa Plays On, as the name suggests, is a collection of music spanning various genres with an African theme in common.
Sponsored by Puma, the album celebrates Africa’s contribution to both football and music. Confused? “Like football, music is an integral part of African culture,” explains Antonio Bertone, global director of brand management for Puma. “Africa Plays On illustrates the connection between sport and culture, something that is inherent to the Puma brand. The CD compilation project is one element of our special charitable collection to benefit United for Africa’s humanitarian efforts across the continent.”
And the music itself? Well, opener Please Don’t Stop from Cameroon’s Richard Bona featuring Grammy award winner John Legend is as good a place to start as any and is exclusive to the compilation. It’s a summery slice of soul-drenched jazz with a bouncy bassline and some aggressive horns in all the right places. The vocal performances are deliberately lazy but the harmonies tight and the resulting melody practically begs to be sung-along-to.
Other exclusives are a rework of Amadou & Mariam’s Coulibaby by Akon (who also features on the track), Ngando by ONDA featuring Manu Dibango (a remix of the track which was used on Puma’s “Welcome to Football” advertisement) and a stunning Louie Vega mix of 2000 Blacks Got to be Free by Fela Kuti and Roy Ayres. The latter is a sonic masterpiece, branded heavily with the house sound for which Masters at Work are notorious but without burning away the core track, a legendary piece of music in its own right.
Another highlight is a funky nu-jazz cum afrobeat number from the Wahala Project called, aptly, Wahala. The track is full of brass and dance-inducing percussion along with a chant-style vocals and the fact that it’s the “12” mix” would suggest that this little monster has been engineered with destroying the dancefloor in mind.
Considered as a whole, this is a fantastic compilation but some tracks stand head and shoulders above the rest. No fillers, just some super-smashing-great tracks. “It’s like a conversation in the purest form which represents the true spirit of African music – it’s something that should be shared in order to grow,” says Rene Arsenault, executive producer of the album. “This is what we wanted to capture.”
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 31st July 2006
Label: Because Music
Words By: Sarah Chapman
