1. Miriam Makeba (South Africa) - Nongqongqo - 2:22
Miriam Makeba has been internationally renowned since the early 1960s. Her tracks in this playlist were mostly recorded live in that early period. This song title means "dedicated to those whom we love".

2. Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder (Mali) - Soukora - 6:05
Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder collaborated on the album Talking TimBuktu in the early 1990s. In this quiet song a man speaks reflectively and passionately to his loved one in the evening.

3. Ivangeli Loxolo (South Africa) - Zisondeze - 3:02
This Zulu church choir sings that Jesus is the only route to salvation.

4. Jonah Moyo (Zimbabwe) - Wenhamo Ndewe Nhamo - 5:28
The title means "poverty begets poverty". A poor man is a poor man. I was born poor, so where do you expect me to find riches? If you can’t just accept love, then leave me alone. You can’t compete with the better off and demand so many things. You took me as I am, knowing I was poor. I can’t suddenly become rich. Money only changes circumstances, not the man.

5. Miriam Makeba (South Africa) - Olilili - 2:37
A lovely song, but its meaning remains a mystery.

6. Kings Messengers Quartet (South Africa) - There’s Room Enough - 2:54
This quartet dates from the early 1950s and was extant for at least 30 years. They never become fully professional and eventually disbanded, but not before becoming very popular in South Africa. Though they got the melody and words for this song from a book of American black gospel songs, they were never directly influenced by black American musical styles. Instead, they adapted four-part harmony styles found in Anglican churches in South Africa.

7. Oliver Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe) - Dzidziso - 6:21
Oliver Mtukudzi is known and loved in his native Zimbabwe as "Tuku". He has sung with Bonnie Raitt, who featured his song "Help me Lord" on one of her CDs from the 1990s. In this song Tuku says, "God, my dear Lord, teach me to say the simple words, 'Thank you, I am grateful,' all day and all night, day in and day out."

8. Diogal (Senegal) - Samba Alla - 3:50
Diogal (pronounced "JOH-gall") is from a fishing family in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. His music is bright and light ... and very difficult to find. For more information about him see his excellent website. This samba sounds as much Brazilian as African.

9. Tarika (Madagascar) - Aretina - 5:10
The Malagasy (Madagascaran) people and language are ancestrally Indonesian. Apparently migrations along the shores of the Indian Ocean brought Indonesians here many centuries ago. Isolation has led to unique animals, plants, and human culture. This song is about globalization, which can be carried too far and become a kind of disease. Materialism overwhelms traditional ways and does not replace them with anything sustainable, only craving and unrest. The Malagasy are different from other people and must not lose sight and mind of their heritage.

10. Samite (Uganda) - Wasuze Otya - 3:02
Samite learned flute in his native Uganda. He left as a young adult for Kenya and now lives in upstate New York. He has opened for Ladysmith Black Mambazo concerts. The song title means "good morning!" in Luganda, the most-spoken Bantu language of Uganda.

11. Miriam Makeba (South Africa) - Suliram - 2:48
An Indonesian lullaby.

12. Women of Mambazo (South Africa) - Vimba - 1:30
The founder of this group, Nellie Shabalala, was the wife of Joseph Shabalala, the founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. She realized her dream of singing with her husband in public in 2002 but died very shortly thereafter, killed by an assassin as her husband tried to protect her. This song speaks of the strength needed to survive in our world.