Even in the cold north people are gradually warming to the sounds from West-Africa and the release of Becaye Aw's debut album 'Sibi' on the Norwegian Etnisk Musikklub label is proof of that. Aw, a gifted Senegalese guitarist, earned his stripes playing with Baaba Maal, Ali Farka Toure and "our own" Malik Pathe Sow. 'Sibi' (an abbreviation of Sibikutan, a suburb of Dakar with a mostly Fula population) offers music that is similar of the work of Habib Koite which, thanks to Solfrid Molland's and Helge Andreas Norbakken's percussion is given a somewhat Asian (Pakistani) touch on certain tracks. With 'Sibi' Becaye Aw delivers a very solid and original afro-blues album that already makes us long to see him play live. Discovery!