Slick and funky, Logozo sounds more like Chaka Khan singing in Ewe than like South Africa's pop matriarch Miriam Makeba, or even Ethiopia's fusion siren Aster Aweke. Logozo's bold gambit may not please purists, but it promises to electrify US dance floors. The lead track, "Batonga," melds resonant, tuned percussion with darkly slithering Arabic violins over a hip-hop groove. Kidjo's vocal hits like a big cat moving in for the kill--fierce, decisive, and riveting. The song shifts into overdrive with Kidjo snarling deliciously over a sampled chorus of bass voices. The language, the melody, and the background chanting bear the signature of Africa, but far from folkolric, "Batonga" delivers incandescent, in-your-face dance pop.

If Logozo succeeds, much credit goes to Kidjo's copilot, Joe Galdo of Miami Sound Machine, who produced the album between studios in Paris and Miami. But the themes are all Kidjo's. "Kaleta"--a funky reggae number with a West African melody--excoriates those in countries like Columbia or Brazil who victimize children to achieve political goals. And "We-We" another blistering dance track, takes on political torturers. Despite a preponderance of dance grooves, Logozo has its soft moments too, notably Kidjo's plaintive delivery of a Tanzanian love song "Malaika." Kidjo's first and most enduring model, Miriam Makeba, popularized this song in the 60's. Against a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment that offers welcome respite from Logozo's hyper production, Kidjo sings "Malaika" with a convincing blend of delicacy and bravado. "Logozo," which means "tortoise," also soothes with its reflection on people who bottle up their problems and refuse to talk about them.

Contributed by: Banning Eyre
Originally published in: Boston Phoenix