Twenty-something Ivorian singer Dobet Gnahore delivers nicely on the momentum generated by her 2006 BBC World Music Award nomination in the Newcomer of the Year category, and the rave reviews of her live performances as a participant in Putumayo's Acoustic Africa tour.

Throughout Na Afriki, the pairing of Gnahore's voice and the acoustic guitar of musical collaborator/life partner Colin Laroche de Feline is deeply sympathetic and arranged with a subtlety that at times triggers favorable comparisons with Rokia Traore. Infused with a spirit of genuine creative exploration, Na Afriki signals a significant arrival.

By Gallagher Parkinson