Officially licensed reissue of Letta Mbulu's African boogie disco holy grail. The South African singer's catalog runs deep with quality releases. In The Music The Village Never Ends was recorded in Los Angeles, but the record was aimed at white audiences in South Africa. This has led to more artistic freedom than if Mbulu has been recording specifically for an American audience. Throughout the album she combines traditional African folk music, reggae, Trinidadian calypso and American R&B. One of the record's big tunes is "Nomalizo," a slinky groovy that features Mbulu's shimmering vocals. It merges Balearic vibes with boogie undertones to great effect. There is plenty more to dig into besides that one though. Opener "Sweet Juju" is a London two-step classic, while the deep and slow moving "Down By The River" is undeniable.

• 180 gram pressing
• music label: Munjale 1983 / Be With Records 2015

reviewed by Señor Sueño Latino 07/2015