There is Afrobeat and Afrobeat. And then there is Afrobeat from Mali. The genre kickstarted by the late great Fela Anikulapo Kuti has long been anchored in Nigeria, where highlife – one of Afrobeat's key ingredients – remains hugely popular. But now comes Afrobeat with a west African twist, courtesy of Bamako-born, Germany-based singer/songwriter Arouna Moussa Coulibaly, and mighty fine it is too. Aided by producer Chris Eckman (The Walkabouts/Dirtmusic), Coulibaly has injected some of his country's ringing, meditative richness into a genre predicated on dance floor action; the polyrhythmic rapidity of his largely Malian band recalls such James Brown-loving outfits as Super Biton de Segou and the iconic Le Super Djata Band du Mali. Ben Zabo's foundation, however, is the funky, jittery music of Mali's little known Bo culture; instruments ranging from balafon xylophone to tama talking drum underscore upbeat songs whose Bomu lyrics denounce greed and hypocrisy and champion brotherly love. A rewarding listen.