Though the African country of Mali has boasted the talents of diva Oumou Sangare and guitarist Ali Farka Toure among its internationally known ranks, look for guitarist/singer-songwriter Habib Koité to also penetrate the American consciousness in the near future. Among his most prominent American boosters are the likes of Jackson Browne as well as Bonnie Raitt who plans to include Koité on an upcoming album in 2002. But for now Koité’s Baro is a jewel to behold in the ever-overstuffed CD bins.

Overall, Koité and Bamada exhibits subtler, gentler grooves that wash against the soul like soft ocean waves, an intoxicating blend of understated rhythms, floating background vocals and Kélétigui Diabate’s delicately tapped balafon (an indigenous marimba) lines and ethereal violin passages. Koité maintains a masterful, peaceful presence with his confident but unpretentious soulful singing while his guitar playing renders a mild hypnotic spell conveyed by his stinging pull-offs, excellent harmonics and intricate finger picking. While this may set up an atmosphere of mellowness and total complacency, the tender-voiced Koité isn’t afraid to tackle such heady topics as war and poverty in addition to providing cultural insights as heard on “Tere.” He re-works his moralistic “Cigarette Abana,” an earlier hit across West Africa, and on the instrumental “Roma,” he recreates a percolating village scene supported by his exquisite wooden flute playing. As the finale “Sinama Denw,” a tranquil instrumental, closes out this splendid affair, it’s easy to envision Koité as Africa’s musical Gandi. A soul cleansing experience.