The Very Best: Radioclit and Esra Mwamwaya - Warm Heart of Africa

Rating

: * * * *

Verdict

:

World music far too hip to be confined to cafes.

This album will take you on a dance from the sun-soaked dusty plains of Africa to the dark and gritty streets of London - a 48-minute musical translation of the singer Esau Mwamwaya's journey.

Mwamwaya was born in Mzuzu in Malawi, East Africa and grew up in the capital, Lilongwe, where he played drums in various bands. He was a good friend of the legendary Evison Matafale and the pair played together before Matafale died in Malawi police custody in 2003.

In 1999 Esau Mwamwaya moved to London and ran a second-hand furniture shop in Clapton. His shop was on the same street as producer/DJ duo Radioclit's old studio, and after the Radioclit boys bought a bike from Esau they invited him to one of their housewarming parties.

They became friends and started working on music together. Their project

The Very Best

comes out three years later. Mwamwaya moved back to his homeland in 2008.

Warm Heart of Africa

starts out tribal, afro-beat, paint-your-face-and-perform - like most World music albums - but quickly rolls out 80s disco pop, indie-rock influences and stirring orchestral violins. Ezra Koenig, the lead singer of Vampire Weekend, and M.I.A feature on

Whoa (Warm Heart of Africa)

and

Rain Dance

. It's addictive, seductive and will urge you to join in - the coolest kids of music already have.

Jacqueline Smith