"Collaborer par si, par la..." Adama Yalomba sings somewhere in 'Kassa' and it was also thanks to his collaboration with dub guru Manjul that we discovered this young Malian talent a few years ago. After we saw him perform live at the Sfinks festival in 2007, we eagerly looked forward to his first album. His debut long player is now finally ready and 'Kassa' proves to have been well worth the wait. With its mix of traditional Malian sounds and Western influences, Yalomba prepares the way for Malian music in the 21st century. Without a doubt one of the best African releases of 2009!