DIBANGO, MANU

Each Nascenté compilation has always been very respectable, providing an excellent career overview of the artist in question, even when he or she has fallen off the radar except to hardcore fans. This double-disc 32-track set by Manu Dibango from Cameroon -- and perhaps Africa's best-known saxophonist -- is no exception. Dibango became known internationally with his 1972 hit "Soul Makossa," but has been active as an solo artist and as a member of various bands and orchestras since the late '50s. This set goes through all of it, from his first recordings in 1960 and continuing right on through to the beginning of the 21st century. The late '70s and early '80s made Dibango an international dancefloor icon with his collaborations with Sly & Robbie, Bill Laswell, and François Kevorkian, as well as many others during the post-punk and Afro-funk years. His meld of dancefloor styles, folk melodies, layered percussion, and organic and synthetic sounds brilliantly complements his soulful phrasing and infectious melodies. This is the very best introduction to all of his work that is on compact disc. The package has sufficient liner notes and discographical information and excellent sound, and the price tag is unbeatable. Thom Jurek.

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