LOVE DRUM TALK

The 1998 edition of Babatunde Olatunji's "Drums of Passion" series focuses on themes of "love." He mixes the traditional drums of west Africa with an easygoing blend of highlife, pop and jazz. Don't expect any lyrical revelations though, with words as philosophical as any thing you've heard from The Spice Girls or The Beach Boys. But that is probably not the point here, as the album rolls through its lightweight themes with a luscious tropi-pop attitude. This is certainly not one for fans of rootsy African drumming, but if you like highlife and Afro-pop with a romantic twist, Love Drum Talk will speak to you. --Louis Gibson