World music purists have been up in arms about this latest effort from Malian superstar singer Salif Keita, nicknamed the ‘Golden Voice of Africa’ due to his soaring, Islamic style. Based in both Bamako and Paris, Keita has previously collaborated with the likes of Carlos Santana and Joe Zawinul; his band has long incorporated instruments both traditional – the wooden balafon xylophone, say, or the long-necked kamele n'goni lute – as well as electric guitars and the odd slice of shimmering synth work. But what a contrast this is to previous electro efforts such as 1999's lacklustre Papa. Co-produced by Keita and Philippe Solal of nuevotango-hipsters Gotan Project, Talé brims with inspiration and ideas that take it far beyond the original remit – to take Keita's song format and adapt it to the dance-floor. Guests including Manu Dibango on sax and Bumcello percussionist Cyril Atef keep the pedal to the jazz metal; the tenor scat of the dexterous Bobby McFerrin on ‘Simba’ brings out another, more experimental Keita.

Everywhere, traditional instruments are used in ways that push traditional boundaries. Samples are used innovatively, playfully: snatches of the B52's ‘Planet Claire’ are dropped between the strings of the n'goni. The sweet, floating voice of Esperanza Spalding lifts the already delicate ‘Cherie S’En Va', just as Keita's voice weaves a golden thread through all 11 tracks. Playful, brave and multi-hued, Talé rewards repeated listening – especially the stand out track ‘C’Est Bon, C'Est Bon', a sweetly surreal soundclash featuring British rapper Roots Manuva.