Essential music-Kebba's list*

Our now-rather-vast collection of African music started fifteen years ago in an Office Max...the check-out clerk had a million dollar smile and a name tag that said: Kebba.
I asked him where he was from and he replied: "You guess!," with a sparkle in his eyes.
"Senegal", I guessed, without a pause.
His eyes grew wide. "How you knew that?", he marveled.
I asked him to write down all the names of musicians he loved. He did. This was it. Thanks Kebba, wherever you are.
(my words in brackets, not his)

From Senegal
Ishmael Lo
Youssou N'Dour (saw him live four years ago-gulp)
Baaba Maal (saw him live three years ago-gulp, swoon-textile heaven)

From Mali
Habib Koite (saw him live twice-gulp, swoon, gulp, danced myself silly)

From the Congo
Papa Wemba

*while I enjoy ALL music, this is the only stuff I can listen to all day without my brain getting tired. Perhaps it's because I know what they're singing about-thanks to the CD jackets, but I can focus on the melodies, rhythms, chords and incredible instruments, rather than the words.