Twelve years ago, that great Malian duo Amadou & Mariam transformed their careers by teaming up with Manu Chao to record for Because Music. Now the label features a new Chao collaboration, with the veteran star McArtha Linda Sandy-Lewis, better known in Trinidad and Tobago as Calypso Rose. She’s 76, still on impressive form and keen to experiment. Helped by co-producer Ivan Duran (of Andy Palacio fame) and with Chao appearing on three tracks, she shows how calypso can be transformed into an exuberant, infectious dance style, driven on by a slick brass section. But as ever with calypso, the lyrics are crucial. The songs include the celebratory I Am African, and a reminder of her proud history, Calypso Queen. And there’s a new version of her 1970s protest No Madame, which led to government intervention to stop the exploitation of domestic servants. A glorious summer album.
