Beautiful Africa

With John Parish, PJ Harvey’s loyal collaborator, Mali’s Rokia Traoré created a superb collection of songs in 2013, in perfect harmony with their time. A soprano with a magnificently sandy voice, a brilliant lyricist and an energetic composer, the Bambara artist put her planet-spanning perspective and deep roots in the sub-Saharan zone to good use, pursuing impulses both West African and rock. There’s no fat to trim on the programme of the subtle and energetic Beautiful Africa, conceived by a global citizen very proud of her cultural heritage.