Mesa

It’s been easy to get lost in the music of King Sunny Ade since he first exposed his juju to the world some 30 years ago. Seven Degrees North, his latest release, is another convergence of Western pop and traditional African rhythms. Fronting a 20-plus-member group of drummers, percussionists, guitarists, bassists, keyboardists and vocalists (plus unusual pedal steel and accordion), Ade works a tightly syncopated poly-rhythmic groove into a hypnotic condition. There is some experimentation – pockets of ‘60s sounding keyboards or a funkier than usual groove, but if there is any down side, it’s that Ade doesn’t take his explorations further. The “I know I’ve heard this before” moments seem to come frequently. But maybe the idea is not to tamper with a signature sound found on 111 other albums.