In light of the forty-odd records that preceded it (but were never released in the U.S.), it seems unfair to judge Synchro System as a second album. Even so, it must be said that King Sunny Adé's latest American release does not quite match the excitement or subtlety of its predecessor, Juju Music. Like that LP, this record features one effervescent groove after another, and Adé's...

King Sunny Adéis a major star in his native Nigeria, where juju is the predominant type of popular music. Despite its name, the music is nowhere near as turbulent as one might expect. Certainly there is a wealth of rhythms – three talking drums, congas, bongos – but the mark of African music is not just fire but smoke. Guitars, voices and drums echo one another's tone and pulse so...