Vocalist Elage Diouf mixes his African heritage with North American tastes on this thoroughly attractive album. His voice is earnest, earthy and alluring, and you don’t need to understand French to get the gist.
The instrumentation varies between traditional folk sounds, even with village voices as on “Secret World
while reggae jumps in on “Sankara” and “Probleme Yi” but the mood is always celebratory. Alain Berge’s drumming ranges from hip hop on “Misal” to galloping on “Dekouli Fi” while the guitars go from the traditional lilt on “Sai Sai” to fun and funky during the title track. All throughout, Diouf is charming as he ranges from optimistic on “Foula ak Fayda” to reflective and churchlike on “Just One Day.” Wide eyed and world wide.