Zap Mama: Ancestry In Progress

Zap Mama, who describe their sound as "Afropean," creates a cohesive underground feel fusing funk, hip hop, and R&B.; Marie Daulne, the Zaire born visionary behind Zap Mama, moves their sound forward with her soft, breathy vocals that sound as if they've been dipped in West African sensibilities.

Their mix seems most palatable when Daulne is joined by neosoul hipster Erykah Badu on "Bandy Bandy." An ode to moving one's body in a bandy snake like motion, the track is rooted with sullen chants while Badu's unmistakable wailings float over the Afro-punk melodies.

"Show Me The Way," a trippy, non-western ode to nightlife, featuring Bahamadia, Lady Alma with Amir "?uestlove" Thompson jamming with the collective. Sounds like what modern hip hop could be if it was started in Zaire instead of the Bronx.

If Ancestry in Progress is any indication of what music can become due to globalization, then we can only hope that Zap Mama will be purveyor of continuing that exploration.