I have been listening to some of Mali's modern music lately. I find the music from this African country exceptionally good in general, and this 2CD is at the summit. It is a collection mainly taken from Sangare's earlier albums "Moussolou", "Ko Sira", "Worotan", and "Laban" (the latter only released on cassette in Mali). Seldom have I encountered a CD which is so consistenly enjoyable. Every song has features that arrests you and which makes repeated listening both a must and a joy. In fact, this CD has a classical quality to it in that it doesn't wear thin after many hearings. This quality is not displayed for all to see at first, but probably you will find yourself playing these songs again and again, trying to penetrate some unassuming mystery. I cannot praise Sangare's voice too much. Maybe it will strike you as quite ordinary at first, but again repeated listening reveals an exceptional richness... Last, the themes of the songs are not the usual irrelevant stuff you find in popular music. Here are songs about women's conditions in Mali, about the vulnerability of some of Mali's traditions (like hospitality), and about how you will die, to mention some. To me, Oumou Sangare is a really great musician.