Yours truly hasn't been following the career of Guinean griot Mory Kante all that closely and even though we can now appreciate his world hit 'Yeke Yeke', at the time it sounded far too commercial. Kante's poppy Parisian period seems to be firmly in the past however and once again he's producing the kind of West African music we appreciate. 'La Guinéenne' is a tribute to women in general and Guinean ones in particular containing both classic acoustic songs ('Sikaa'), as more swinging amplified tracks ('Oh Oh Oh', 'Nodiche') and even a lonesome but successful reggae song ('Malibala'). More than solid album from a West African grand master!