9:20am Monday 12th July 2010
By Telegraph & Argus
Amadou & Mariam – Welcome To Mali (Because Music) ****
Could this be the feelgood record of the year? I’m pretty sure it will certainly be ranking highly, even if it does come up against some stiff opposition. Husband-and-wife team Amadou & Mariam
seem to have taken well to the role of ambassadors of African music. Their last album, championed by Manu Chao, was a great success all around Europe. And now this time they have the likes of Damon
Albarn lending a production hand. The pop, reggae, hip-hop melodies of this album are all intertwined with the beautiful sound of twangy African guitars and wonderful harmonies sung both in local
dialect as well as English. This is a CD for everyone and not just the WOMAD festival-goers. Enjoy!
Nigel Goodman, 52, teacher, Heaton
Various – Race For Life Official 2010 Soundtrack (Sony) *****
Supporting Cancer Research UK’s Race For Life, Sony Music allowed the public to select a 40-song playlist that has been released in Tesco stores across the country. Costing £5, with 50p from each
sale going to Cancer Research UK, the album is a fantastic way of raising money for charity and, unlike similar efforts, the decision to give the public control over song choice has generated 40
fun, lively tracks from across the decades, featuring hit songs by artists such as Wham!, Journey, Calvin Harris, Van Morrison and Dolly Parton. Great cause, great album.
Charlotte McCallum, 19, student, Bradford
Various – Heroes And Sweethearts ****
Seventy years on from The Battle Of Britain, and nostalgia is in the air again. With Glenn Miller riding high in the album charts, this ‘salute to the greatest wartime songs’ is a timely and
welcome release. Released in association with the Royal Air Force Museum in London, this two-CD set (plus bonus DVD) perfectly encapsulates the mood and revives memories. The almost 50 songs on the
CDs include Vera Lynn (White Cliffs Of Dover, We’ll Meet Again), Glenn Miller (In The Mood), Al Bowlly and Gracie Fields. A stirring speech from Winston Churchill ends the first CD, and the bonus
DVD has 30 songs with rare performances and newsreel footage.
Daphne Rowbotham, 60, retired, Shipley
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