CD Review: Ajoyo's Self-Titled Release

Ajoyo
Ajoyo
Ropeadope

The heady grooves and rhythms of Ajoyo's West African, jazz, and afro-beat inspired music with roots in Cameroon, Tunisia, France, and beyond. Spearheaded by Yacine Boulares with lead vocals coming from Sarah Elizabeth Charles and other vocals by Linton Smith and Alon Albagli. The rhythms and textures are created with the piano, rhodes, organ, percussion, bass, drums, sax, clarinet, udu, and others. The Cameroonian-influenced release is highly-contemporary and driven with diverse sounds and hypnotic lines that will keep anyone enthralled for a long time. Whether it is world jazz, bikutsi pop, afro-beat, or jam music, Ajoyo knows how to entertain us in creative ways without succumbing to pitfalls. ~ Matthew Forss