Among longtime followers of
Zap Mama, there has been considerable debate over the artistic merits of the group's evolution. Some die-hard fans of
Zap Mama's early work miss the days when they were strictly an a cappella group and functioned as somewhat of a female equivalent of
Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Others, however, like what
Marie Daulne's outfit evolved into, which is a group that uses instruments most of the time and favors a sound that inspires comparisons to
Erykah Badu but with more of a strong Afro-pop element, some lyrics in French, and the influence of European pop. But if
ReCreation exemplifies a sleeker, more commercial direction for
Zap Mama, it is a long way from generic -- and
Daulne is still taking her share of chances.
ReCreation is fairly diverse, ranging from the salsa-flavored "Hello to Mama" to "Paroles Paroles" (Words Words), a French-language version of
Mina and
Alberto Lupo's early-'70s Italian pop hit "Parole Parole."
Zap Mama's version (which features French actor Vincent Cassell) is somewhere between chanson and chillout/downtempo, and it reminds listeners that
Daulne can sing as convincingly in French as she sings in English. Meanwhile, "Singing Sisters" (which reunites
Daulne with Sylvie Nawasadio and
Sabine Kabongo, two members of
Zap Mama's a cappella lineup of the early '90s) is the closest this 2009 release comes to the group's early sound. But that track is atypical of
ReCreation on the whole, and enjoyable,
Badu-ish offerings like "Togetherness," "Drifting" (which features
G. Love), and "Non, Non, Non" clearly aren't going for the type of rawness that
Zap Mama had in the beginning. Although slightly inconsistent,
ReCreation is a generally respectable effort that has a lot more ups than downs -- at least if one accepts the fact that
Zap Mama didn't quit making worthwhile albums in the 1990s. ~ Alex Henderson