Tiken Jah Fakoly's new album hits hard and that both musically and content-wise. In comparison to his previous albums, the music on 'L'Africain' has much more of an African feel (balafon, kora) and this is the first album Tiken recorded with the band with which he also tours. Lyrically Fakoly takes stock of the unenviable existence of the average African: there is the agony of the African migrant in 'Ouvrez Les Frontières' (criticizing Europe's immigration politics) and 'Africain A Paris' is a successful reworking of Sting's 'Englishman In New York'. Tiken Jah does not shy away from more controversial themes either ('Non A L'Excision' is an indictment against female circumcision), but it's not all doom and gloom, as in 'Viens Voir' and 'Ma Côte d’Ivoire' he sings of his love for his country and continent.