This week's selection is another that I'm not familiar with, although the name is familiar to me at least. Youssou N'Dour - Immigres (1984)

The charismatic N'Dour, Senegal's top star, changed the West's perceptions of African musicians, just as he had revolutionised Sengalese music. Nothing sounded like the fusion on Immigres, with its lopsided rhythms, whooping toaking drums and discordant horns, topped by N'Dour's supple, powerful vocals. Immigres also redefined the role of West Aftrican griot, addressing migration and African identity. Without this...N'Dour wouldn't have met Peter Gabriel, there'd be no African presence at Live 8. In fact, 'world music' would not exist as a section in Western collections.

No world music section? Because of one guy? How can that be? Was he really the first to meet up with the West? I know he came a couple years before the Paul Simon / Ladysmith Black Mambazo collaberation, but surely there were others before that. What about Ravi Shankar? He was around in the 60s and would be considered World Music, correct?

Swish