-by Robin Denselow

If Seckou Keita still lived in the Casamance area of southern Senegal, I suspect he would be hailed as a major star. As it is, he's based in the UK, where African musicians can easily be overlooked in favour of visiting foreigners. So here's a reminder that he shouldn't be taken for granted. His band is now a quintet, thanks to the arrival of his sister, Binta Suso, on vocals, and their new album mixes African roots with unexpected influences and experimentation. Keita is a fine singer and kora player, able to switch from the rhythmic, gently rousing styles of Casamance to lyrical, drifting songs or passages that edge towards acoustic jazz. He's joined by a virtuoso Egyptian violinist, Samy Bishai, who matches the kora work with anything from furious improvised flurries to Arabic and western influences, and by a Gambian percussionist and an Italian bass player. They constantly switch styles, from the gently rhythmic Bimo to the drifting, traditional Souaressi, the hand drum and bass work-out on Dingba Don, or the final, thoughtful lament, Missing You, and the result is a subtle and intriguing set.