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- Summary: John Parish produced the Malian–born singer-songwriter's fifth release featuring songs sung in English, French, and Bambara.
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- Record Label: Nonesuch
- Genre(s): International
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Positive: 10 out of 10
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Apr 4, 2013She remains a real original.
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Apr 4, 2013It succeeds because of the sheer quality of her singing and the thoughtful, varied songs from the light and then furious Kouma to Mélancholie, a highly personal reflection on sadness and solitude.
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Apr 4, 2013What is perhaps most impressive about Beautiful Africa is its sheer number of thrilling twists and turns.
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UncutApr 4, 2013It's the record fans of her explosive live shows always hoped she would make and a career highlight. [May 2013, p.79]
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MojoApr 10, 2013Seb Rochford's drumming gives songs such as Kouma an unavoidably non-traditional kick, and the guitars (primarily by the singer herself) have a crunch missing from her early recordings. [May 2013, p.85]
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Sep 23, 2013The Malian singer Rokia Traoré has a gentle voice with a steely core, one that’s revealed more clearly than ever on Beautiful Africa.
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Apr 15, 2013Rokia rocks, and it's a fine and bracing thing to hear.
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