Galo Negro

Former OK Jazz star Mangwana presents a cool, Latin tinged acoustic album with Galo Negro. He is joined by Papa Noel (guitar), Malagasy musicians Regis Gizavo (accordion) and Justin Vali (valiha), and a host of African artists to round out the sound. Instead of his trademark soukous, Mangwana explores Cuban sounds and the more Portuguese grooves of merengue (Angola), marabenta (Mozambique) and morna (Cape Verde). Simple punchy bass lines, strummed guitars and sharp congas provide the rhythm section's solidity, with accents of Malagasy harp and the fluid, creative squeezebox of Gizavo adding color. Mangwana's voice is an interesting contrast to all this lightness, and the acoustic context gives his fans a new perspective on his abilities. --Louis Gibson