Karamba Dioubate is a jeli (griot) from the West African nation of Guinea where, like other descendants of this centuries-old Manding caste, he was drilled in music and oral history from his earliest childhood. His pleasant baritone has a weathered patina but can also spiral up into the tenor range. Despite a beguiling hint of Latin hotcha, his sound is a bit more retro overall than those of his famous countrymen Djeli Moussa Diawara and Mory Kante. Ace players from Salif Keita"s and Manu Dibango"s bands sit in on kora (a 21-string Manding harp), balafons (wooden xylophones), guitars, and percussion, supported by a gracefully deployed female choir. From the rollicking first track of the set onward, Dioubate is revealed as a proud custodian of past glories who is also present in his own lifetime. --Christina Roden