Buraka Som Sistema

You've probably heard of Buraka Som Sistema, or are at least familiar with a song or two they've dropped over the past year. The release of the track "YAH!" became an instant sensation, paving the way for the unbelievably successful "Sound of Kuduro" featuring M.I.A., an explosive track that has catapulted Kuduro into foreign markets around the world and finally brought the album to North America. Black Diamond is radically inventive, shining a light on not only the Progressive Kuduro the Angolan- and Portuguese-rooted BSS are exposing the world to but creating dialogue about home-grown and global atrocities, like corruption in the oil and diamond industries, for starters — issues it seems too few artists are willing to touch. The album is a pulsating, grimy ride teeming with raucous rhythms and infectious hooks. The intense African percussion simply embeds itself in every aspect of the music, making it easy to comprehend why BSS have been praised for their manic live shows. This is easily one of the best high-intensity albums you're likely to hear all year.