1. Vaovy (Madagascar) - Veloma - 3:10
From this biography: "Slim and taciturn, a sly upward turn to his lips, a farseeing look, Jean Gabin Fanovona gives off a feeling of secrecy and one suspects that the race of musicians to which he belongs is similar to that of magicians. However, in Madagascar, it is as the modernizer of [traditional] Antandroy music that Vaovy’s leader is known...".

2. Daby Balde (Senegal) - Sora - 4:34
Moutarou ‘Daby’ Balde, in his 30s and from the troubled Cassamance region of Senegal south of Gambia, has recently gained fame in Senegal and worldwide. This is his debut album. More.

3. Original Zengela Band (Kenya) - Usimcheke Kilema - 3:44
Almost no information seems to be available about this bright and lively Kenyan dance group. Their hard-to-find album is filled with gems. You can listen to them and buy their songs on eMusic.

4. Simon Nwambeden (Cameroon) - Ndeh Be Nkeh - 3:33
From this Calabash Music page: "Simon Nwambeben was born in 1976, in Bafia, a town situated 120 km from Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroun. ... His songs, in Bafia and in French, reflect his desire for peace. tolerance and his love of life."

5. Mabulu (Mozambique) - Maldeyeni - 4:05
Mabulu, a musical collective, spans African styles. From this BBC music page: "Mabulu means 'looking for a dialogue' in the local Shangana language, a reference to the way the group is composed of very different generations of musicians."

6. Young Bakuba Band (Congo DRC) - Mama Afrika - 5:12
The Young Bakuba, originally from Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), struggled for years in Namibia and South Africa before coming to prominence in Capetown in 2004. They performed background music for Nicholas Cage's movie "Lord of War". More.

7. Eneida Marta (Guinea-Bissau) - Mindjer Dôce Mel - 3:44
A gorgeous person with an equally gorgeous voice, backed up beautifully on this and other songs. Here is her home page - but it's mostly in Portuguese. Here is an excellent review.

8. Wasis Diop (Senegal) - Le Passeur - 3:36
Now in his 50s, Wasis Diop has traveled far musically and in person since his early days in Afro-jazz. The word "subtlety" often appears with his name. He is anything but traditional Senegalese, but he still conveys the flavor of his roots. From the album liner notes: "... influences from Ghana to the small island of Chalon, from festive drums to the meditative waves of Asia, from the polyphony of Sine to the Dakar blues." A biography.

9. Dominic Kakolobango (Zambia) - Sokochomale - 4:10
This song from the album African Acoustic is squarely in the style of Jean-Bosco Mwenda and many other groundbreaking African guitarists from the 1950s and 60s. This song is highly unusual through its use of a banjo in the background. The banjo is originally from Africa and possibly Arabia before that. It was brought to the New World during the terrible times of slave trading and is very rarely heard in modern African popular music. Here is a brief biography by the remarkable Belgian musician Robert Falk.

10. Rachel Magoola (Uganda) - Akasajja - 4:21
After many years with the famous Afrigo Band of Uganda, Rachel Magoola struck out on a solo career in dance music, of which this cut is representative. Here are the Leopard Man's notes on her.

11. Mabulu (Mozambique) - Aids (But Hope) - 5:31
See above for information about this group.

12. D’Gary (Madagascar) - Kapitotsy - 4:21
Here is an unusually detailed biography of Ernest Randrianasolo, known as D'Gary and renowned in part for his fine collaborations with the formidable Dama, also of Madagascar.