Sally Nyolo and the Original Bands of Yaoundé - Studio Cameroon – Riverboat/World Music Network

I love this CD, perhaps as much for what it represents as for what’s recorded on it. The cover art says it all. A radiant Sally Nyolo – former Zap Mama singer and accomplished solo artist – stands in front of the red steel doors of what one assumes is a warehouse studio. She holds her hands outstretched, palms up, in a gesture of welcome or gift giving. Which is precisely what she is doing with this project. A long time resident of Paris, Nyolo returned to her native Cameroon in 1998, opened a studio in Yaoundé and began inviting local artists to record in her space. Nyolo’s presence as performer is limited to three tracks, and while she is credited elsewhere as a writer, the project really does belong to the 13 other ensembles featured. The individual tracks vary from polished to rough around the edges. Consistent throughout is the warmth of both the local bikoutsi rhythm and the special atmosphere in which each these tracks were recorded.