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Other than Manu Dibango's soul-infused 70s hit, Soul Makossa, and Henri Dikongue's latter-day singer-songwriterly poetics, artists from the West African nation of Cameroon are still relatively unfamiliar to Western audiences. But the area is home to some of the continent¹s most vital and accessible pop styles, and Coco Mbassi¹s throaty, caressing vocals and sophisticated arrangements require even less translation than most. Her soulful, urbane sound is assembled from relatively small forces. A tinge of dreamy, melancholic French cabaret melody weaves through jazzy piano, woodwinds, and acoustic bass, but the multi-layered percussion and women's choirs speak eloquently of centuries past. She sings about the tragedy of drug addiction, her devout Christian beliefs, and appreciating those you love before it's too late. It may seem odd to recommend this album to fans of Norah Jones, but open-minded listeners who are not overly attached to English-language lyrics will find plenty to love here. -- Christina Roden
Angels do exist. It is true, and one needs no more proof of this than to pop Sepia into the CD player. The heavens will sing; your heart will tremble. Everything one has ever thought beautiful will come pouring into your ears. Cameroonian-born Coco Mbassi is the source of that beauty. Hers is the voice of an angel. Not since Mbilia Bel or Rokia Traore have I been struck with the crystalline power of a vocalist's larynx. Mbassi combines subtle layering of African music, American jazz and European classical music to accentuate the power reverberating from her golden throat. Sepia is a deep, rich album from an utterly amazing artist. Mbassi has composed gem after gem that have a beauty, style, a grace seldom heard in a debut effort. Her voice washes over you, leaving mournful calm in its wake. It chokes you up, forms tears in your eyes. The woman fills you with awe and wonder. She's a refreshing wave of contemplation. There seem to be fewer and fewer beautiful things in today's music world. However, Sepia is definitely one of them
