At this point in the group's tenure,
Touré Kunda had returned to the format they began with, the duo of Ismaila and Sixu Tidiane Touré, albeit backed by a fairly large ensemble. Things work for the better the sparer and more limited the instrumentation, the pair sounding wonderfully pure on voice/percussion pieces like the opening "Hadidia," "Teria," and the closing "Oromiko." However, too often they drift toward easy listening or smooth jazz on songs like "Soppe," with its kitschy plucked (synth) strings and
Kenny G.-ish soprano saxophone. On the other hand, both the trumpet and trombone players take solos that could have the listener, just for a moment, thinking s/he's listening to a Brotherhood of Breath outtake. There's also some effective use of accordion and a not-too-soppy children's chorus. None of the songs have the immediate grabbing power of previous hits of theirs like "Em'ma" or "Salya," though, making this collection seem rather lightweight when judged against earlier, meatier efforts. ~ Brian Olewnick