Amatah Keo - Sabaï Di (A-Lone Productions)

Before stepping out as a solo artist, Amatah was active as a drummer and percussionist with Franco-Malagasy outfit Bi.Ba or Bingy Band, and on 'Sabaï Di', conceived as a showcase album where each of the six vocal cuts is followed by a matching dub version, he can also be heard on guitar, clavinet, melodica and flute.

Though raised in France, Amatah, occasionally recalling the vocal tone of Linval Thompson, sings almost entirely in English here, with not a single word of French, while snippets of Laotian surface in a few tracks, most notably title track 'Sabaï Di' and closer 'Salawan'.

Another high-quality roots release in the tradition we have come to expect from A-Lone Productions, this time subtly seasoned with a touch of Asian mysticism.