Amagni (Stern's Music, 1997)

A native of the Mali, Koko Dembele has a sound that seems typical of African reggae.  That is, it is deeply impassioned -- either very buoyant or very sorrowful -- live-instrument roots with female background singers and a pop/African edge (the latter aided by the lilts of the African languages/accents).  Dembele stands out a bit from giants like Alpha Blondy and Lucky Dube in that (at least on this album) he doesn't sing in English at all.  Other than that, however, Amagni (translation: "It's No Good") is fairly standard fare.  The album centers around the bubbly title track, which was featured on the superb Reggae Africa compilation and which, according to the liner notes, was a bit hit in Brazil of all places (Stern's Music being a Brazilian label).  If you'd like this infections tune -- along with the other best track on Amagni, N'Ka Yere (translation: "Let Us Change") -- I'd suggest getting Reggae Africa instead of Amagni because: 1) these two best cuts are on Reggae Africa, 2) Reggae Africa is probably easier to locate and 3) although Amagni is solid, it's probably not worth the effort to track down, unless you're really into the African reggae sound.