April 04, 2008

This deal is simple: Some of Africa's most celebrated musicians take on the music of U2. It would have been very difficult to screw up this idea and, indeed, it's apparent from the opening track—Benin native Angélique Kidjo's high-powered cover of "Mysterious Ways"—that this album is a rare beauty. Every act lays down its own vibe. Vieux Farka Touré works a wicked, distinctly Malian groove on "Bullet the Blue Sky" while singing in three languages. South Africa's Soweto Gospel Choir delivers a thunderous cover of "Pride (In the Name of Love)," and fellow South African Vusi Mahlasela handles "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" with a depth of emotion that typifies his own tremendous body of work. —Philip Van Vleck

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