(Luaka Bop)
“Crossover” is usually a pejorative term in the world of music, but the women of Zap Mama do it with class. On A Ma Zone, Zap Mama may have abandoned the pure a cappella of earlier albums, but they still have voices to contend with. Founded by Marie Daulne, a native of Zaire raised in Europe, this Brussels quintet reflects the eclectic cosmopolitanism of both Daulne’s upbringing and their home city, with lyrics in French, various African languages and English. Elements of African tribal chants and Pygmy song blend seamlessly with Daulne’s incredible lead vocals, which flow easily from breathless pixie to soul sister. But A Ma Zone should not be consigned to the world music section of record stores. It’s a pop and hip-hop album, and it markets itself as such, down to Martin Ledyard’s hip stylised cover art. “Songe"and the impossibly beautiful “Call Waiting” both blend in the stuttering backbeats of ’90s R&B, while the
inclusion of rapper Black Thought (from the Roots, Philly’s famed hip-hop collective) on “Rafiki” makes a great counterpoint to Daulne’s scat. Perhaps it’s odd that a group that uses its foray into technology so well should decry its dehumanizing effects, but this album is so in the zone, it doesn’t matter.