Oremi

There are not enough adjectives in the English language to describe adequately the power and beauty of Angelique Kidjo's voice. Here are a few: Sweeping, soaring, shiny, gruff, pliant, honey sweet, tough enough to pierce steel. On Oremi ("Friends"), Kidjo uses her profound instrument to explore a fusing of music from African and its diasporas: a funky blend of dance grooves and reflective mid-tempo soul stirrers. But the bridges go beyond musical blends. A native of Benin, Kidjo tends to sing in Fon, her regional language, but here English blends in seamlessly on R&B chillout "Never Know" (featuring Cassandra Wilson) and the glittery trip-bop of "No Worry." The whole album shimmers with these lush textures, from the Branford Marsalis's rump shaking sax solo "Itche Koutche" to the sublime cover of Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" to the South African background singers who appear on every track. Blending international concerns, multinational collaborations, and that voice, Kidjo has created something new and timeless.