Amadou & Mariam, the likeable duo from Mali, is back! For 'Welcome To Mali' they could still count on Manu Chao (with 'Je Te Kiffe' Juan Rozoff brings to life Chao's spirit once again), but his absence is compensated by, among others, Gorillaz and Blur figurehead Damon Albarn ('Sabali', 'Ce N'Est Pas Bon'), Canadian rapper with Somali roots K'naan and singer-songwriter Keziah Jones. Be sure to check the hidden bonus track 'Boula', featuring reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly shedding some light on Fakoly family history. Amadou & Mariam are sometimes reproached for their simplistic lyrics, but at the same time that has also become the duo's trademark. 'Welcome To Mali' builds on the success of 'Un Dimanche A Bamako' and is far from a bad album, we only want to express our hope that for their next project Amadou & Mariam will put the accent firmly back on themselves and less on their guests.