Westerners have been discovering the music of the Manding countries for years now, but one of those countries, Mali, seems to be getting the most attention as musicians of different styles keep getting 'discovered', and the good folks at Putumayo have been emphasizing Malian musicians over other African musicians for at least six years, profiling both individual artists such as Habib Koite and anthologies such as MALI TO MEMPHIS.

Now, at last, we have PUTUMAYO PRESENTS MALI: a wonderful cd that shows off many or most of the musical styles of Mali.

Some fans will be disappointed that Ali Farka Toure, the great guitarist who plays in a style similar (but not the same) to John Lee Hooker, isn't on MALI, but fear not: Toure's been a big influence on other musicians in his area, so his sound is well represented.

What makes Mali different or unique from its neighbors is the fact that it extends north into the southern Sahara, so the music of the dessert mixes with the sounds of the Manding south in many interesting ways.

Musicians on MALI vary from hit-makers of the 1960s like Boubacar Traore (a big influence of Ali Farka Toure) to the latest young stars like Tinariwen.

Whether Mali becomes the next rage or not, Putumayo's MALI will become one of the essential African anthologies of all time and is a 'must' for any definitive African library collection.