''Ancestry in Progress'' is an album by Zap Mama, released in 2004. Marie Daulne, Zap Mama's leader, deemed the music "Afropean". The album peaked at No. 1 on ''Billboards World Albums chart.

Production

The album was mostly recorded in Philadelphia, where Daulne worked with musicians associated with

the Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...

. It contains contributions from Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu,

Questlove Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American musician, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thou ...

, Bahamadia, and

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

. Daulne sings in French and English, while also employing chants from Pygmy music.

Critical reception

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' thought that "'Bandy Bandy', with Erykah Badu, stands out because of its polished immediacy." '' The Baltimore Sun'' determined that "Daulne blends the ancient (her trademark pygmy onomatopoeic vocal techniques and chants) with the present (smoothed- out, atmospheric grooves)." '' The New York Times'' concluded: "Half of the album comes across simply as neo-soul with a Belgian accent. But the other half—especially 'Show Me the Way'—meshes Zap Mama's dizzying, ping-ponging vocal polyphony with pithy hip-hop beats and a pan-African assortment of guitar curlicues." '' The Sydney Morning Herald'' opined: "Singing in both French and English, she's a breathy African Bjork one minute, an operatic Afro-funk diva the next." '' Rolling Stone'' considered that "despite rap cameos and world-beat sound effects, the grooves are as bland as bad neosoul, and the songs sound like bundles of self-consciously eclectic singing." AllMusic wrote that "this is far more an urban recording, where urban pop and nu-soul are informed by worldbeat esthetics rather than the other way around."

Track listing

#Intro #Sweet Melody #Vivre #Bandy Bandy #Yelling Away #Show Me the Way #Follow Me #Miss Q'N #Yaku #Ca Varie Varie #Alright #Cache Cache #LeÇon N°5 #Wadidyusay? #Zap Bébés

References

{{reflist 2004 albums Luaka Bop albums