V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of South Africa (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1 Busi Mhlongo – Yehlisan'Umoya Ma-Afrika 5:24
2 Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens – Umuntu Ngumuntu 5:35
3 Chicco – Umagubane 5:01
4 Yvonne Chaka Chaka – UmQombothi 4:55
5 Soweto String Quartet – St Agnes And The Burning Train 2:43
6 Shiyani Ngcobo – Yekanini 4:30
7 Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks – Ndidiwe Zintaba 2:34
8 Mtabhane Ndima – Thandabantu 2:47
9 Soul Brothers – Mama Ka S'Bongile 3:22
10 Lesego Rampolokeng & The Kalahari Surfers – Blue V's 3:27
11 Lucky Dube – Crying Games 4:31
12 Oom Hansie – Waar's My Pyp 3:35
13 Nothembi – Akanamandl' Usathana 4:47
14 Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds – Mbube 2:43
15 Big Voice Jack – Tsi Tsi No1 3:29
16 Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Wawukhona Yini E New York 3:29

V.A. - The Rough Guide To Highlife (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In Ghana and Nigeria, highlife was one of the main popular musics of the 20th century, made for dancing. While this collection doesn't reach back to the very early days of highlife, it does cover a fair number of classic artists, including the great E.T. Mensah, acknowledged as the King of Highlife. Joe Mensah (no relation), offers a jazzier take on highlife with the lengthy "Bosoe." While essentially guitar music, saxophone is often featured, as in Celestine Ukwu's "Igede." The incessant groove swirls all through these tracks, about the only common denominator between the pieces and the times. Unfortunately, no dates are given for the tracks, with the exception of George Darko's "Hilife Time" from the '80s, where the rigid drum machine and keyboard work against the flow of the music rather than with it; this needs a human touch to make it real. More than half the tracks here are unavailable on either vinyl or CD, making this a treasure trove for anyone remotely interested in the percolating music. And the excellent sleeve notes give a short history of the style. by Chris Nickson
Tracklist:
1 Celestine Ukwu – Igede 4:04
2 Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe – Ka-Anyi Jikota 5:05
3 Jerry Hansen & The Ramblers Dance Band – Ekombi 3:10
4 Joe Mensah – Bosoe 9:34
5 Sir Victor Uwaifo – Guitar Boy 5:18
6 Nana Ampadu & The African Brothers – Bone Biara So Wo Akatua 4:22
7 Alex Konadu – Asare 4:56
8 Inyang Henshaw – Esonta 3:09
9 E.T. Mensah – Medzi Medzi 2:52
10 Victor Olaiya – Omo Pupa 2:46
11 King Onyina – Ohia Asoma Wo 2:44
12 Rex Lawson – Bere Bote 2:54
13 TO Jazz – Agyeman Baidoo 4:12
14 Orlando Julius – Binu Binu 2:52
15 George Darko – Hilife Time 6:07 

V.A. - The Rough Guide To West African Music (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

How do you try to capture the music of such a large, rich area as West Africa on one disc? The answer, of course, is that you can't, although this compilation does glide over some of the high spots -- but only some. So there are classic performances by Mali's Super Rail Band and Ali Farka Toure, plus Orchestra Baobob, revealing the influence Cuban music had on the nascent homegrown scenes in both Senegal and Mali. Altogether, it offers some semblance of a picture, fleshed out by the thrilling kora work of Toumani Diabate on "Djelika" and the south Mali wassoulou vocals of the excellent Oumou Sangare, who brings a rougher dimension to the proceedings. There's no Youssou N'Dour or Baaba Maal to show their stuff as Senegal's brightest stars (West Africa's biggest names, in fact), but Maal's sidekick, griot Mansour Seck, is represented. Perhaps one of the oddest choices is the inclusion of Dimi Mint Abba from Mauritania. Granted, she's the country's most famous singer, but there are others artists of greater stature from the region not included. E.T. Mensah is an astute pick for Ghanaian highlife, and Kante Manfila is probably a fair nominee for mande music. The real problem with this album isn't the music, which is glorious throughout, but the fact that it suffers from the size of its ambition and the inability to full realize it. Within a small range -- Ghana, Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania -- it does a partial job, but to call it a summing up of West African music is neither fair to the geographic area nor the listener. by Chris Nickson 
Tracklist:
1 Super Rail Band – Foliba 7:46
2 Toumani Diabate – Djelika 7:11
3 Ali Farka Toure – Roucky 8:15
4 Moussa Poussy – Toro 4:41
5 Sona Diabate – M'Bore 6:43
6 Oumou Sangare – Djama Kaissoumou 6:43
7 Bajourou – I Ka Di Nye 5:17
8 E.T. Mensah – 205 3:02
9 Orchestra Baobab – Utru Horas 8:39
10 Mansour Seck – Almamy Bocoum 4:54
11 Khalifa Ould Eide & Dimi Mint Abba – Mauritania My Beloved Country 3:29
12 Kante Manfila – Agne Anko 4:38

V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of Nigeria & Ghana (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It might be more apt to call this a guide to some of the musical styles of Nigeria and Ghana. While both highlife and juju are well represented, with the less conspicuous, very percussive Fuji genre evident in the track by Adewale Ayuba, something's missing -- Afro-beat. One can only assume the label couldn't license any tracks by Fela Kuti or his son, Femi; instead, the closest they've come is a cut by Fela's former drummer, Tony Allen. It's fabulous stuff, very cutting edge in its approach -- but it's not Afro-beat, which is arguably the most successful music to come out of the area. That said, the rest of the album is great, tracing juju from its pioneer, I.K. Dairo, to the man who brought it to the international stage, King Sunny Ade (and having an early-'80s cut, rather than something more familiar, proves to be an inspired idea, as you can see the succession from Dairo). And the highlife content from Ghana, often difficult to find in the West, is exemplary. The "King of Highlife," E.T. Mensah, offers "Day By Day," a classic cut, followed by the wonderful guitar player Eric Agyeman, who brought a Congolese rhythmic feel to the music, and then Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, whose Nigerian take on this Ghanaian music is much more percussive. So, in what it does cover, this compilation does a generally excellent job, although you have to wonder why modern artists like Lagbaja weren't included. And if you understand from the beginning that this is far from being a complete exercise, you won't be disappointed. But if you want the whole story, well, this just isn't it. by Chris Nickson  
Tracklist:
1 I.K. Dairo – Okin Omo Ni (The King Of The Children) 6:40
2 King Sunny Ade & His African Beats – Maa Jo 3:22
3 C.K. Mann - Funky Hi-Life 3:50
4 Tony Allen - Asiko 7:55
5 Captain Yaba – Neribalankina 6:15
6 Adewale Ayuba – Fuji Shuffle 5:56
7 E. K. Nyame – Bra Ohoho 3:01
8 Sir Victor Uwaifo – Joromi/Monkey Yanga 6:16
9 E.T. Mensah - Day By Day 2:41
10 Eric Agyeman – Matutu Mirika 6:18
11 Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe – Oyolima 8:41
12 Sweet Talks Featuring A.B. Crentsil – Fakye Me 5:19
13 Amanzeba Nat Brew – Baawo 7:09

V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of Senegal & Gambia (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like most of the Rough Guide series, this CD takes a well-rounded, all-encompassing look at the music of a particular region, but The Rough Guide to the Music of Senegal & Gambia stands out due in large part to the rich musical traditions of the region it covers. Even casual world music fans are familiar with the buoyant sounds of Senegalese singing sensations like Youssou N'Dour and Baaba Maal, while others like Cheikh Lo and Mansour Deck have achieved only slightly lesser international recognition. All those stars, and a few future ones, are covered on this 13-song compilation, which proves why the music of Senegal and Gambia has emerged as a worldwide favorite. by Bret Love
Tracklist:
1 Cheikh Lô – Jeuness Senegal 5:42
2 Assane Ndiaye & Le Raam Daan – Nguisstal 5:43
3 Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck– Loodo 6:08
4 Orchestra Baobab – Mouhamadou Bamba 6:32
5 Tata Dinding Jobarteh – Bitillo 5:21
6 Ifang Bondi – Salimata 4:08
7 Youssou N'Dour – Letter 4:13
8 Baaba Maal – Wango Arti 8:10
9 Dembo Konte & Kausu Kuyateh – Kairaba Jabi 4:23
10 Malang Mané – Diamano Bifoula/Hal Ma Ti Wouna 4:31
11 Ismaël Lô – Taar Doucey 5:40
12 Mass Lowe – Aminatta 4:19
13 Mansour Seck – Yelayo 5:12