Vusi Mahlasela – Say Africa

South African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela achieved a certain level of global exposure when he became one of the featured musicians for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, an event which was (much to my delight) just as much an exhibition of the music of Africa as it was of soccer. In January of 2011, Mahlasela proved that he deserved that position and more with his beautiful, acoustic album Say Africa, Mahlasela‰’s tribute to the continent that inspired his complex finger-picking and soulful croon.

The album is a multilingual, expansive exploration of Mahlasela‰’s home continent, as well as a deeply emotional ode to the people and places that raised him. Mahlasela‰’s mostly-simple arrangements emphasize his genuine, soulful voice, making the album emotionally relatable to audiences around the world. Though he sings of Africa, Mahlasela touches on something universal, so that when he sings in the title track (the best song of the year as far as I‰’m concerned) that “the dust on my boots and the rhythm of my feet and my heartbeat say Africa,‰” even those who‰’ve never set foot on the continent are inclined to agree.