Yours truly got to know Kimi Djabaté, the griot from Guinea-Bissau, thanks to 'Karam', an album from 2009 in the Cumbancha Discovery series, but this new long player of the balafon-grand master appears on the all-new Red Orange Recordings label. The content of the songs on 'Kanamalu' ("let us not be ashamed") varies from ode's to Kimi's daughter and mother ('Anhonté' and 'Ululalu'), over the importance of national unity and democracy ('Democraci Bunha' and 'Sabá Sabá Nho', songs which given Guinea-Bissau's political history - since 1974 none of its presidents fulfilled his mandate - may be considered daring), to reflections abou death ('Saia') and, of course, love ('Djaraby-Lé'). For that last song Kimi invited Portuguese fado singer Susana Travassos, and the saudade added by her voice sets 'Djaraby-Lé' somewhat apart from the rest of the track list.