daara j brings rap back to its african roots

Boston Globe: Senegalese trio Daara J brings rap back to its African roots

Despite the urgent nature of the material, ''Boomerang" is brimming with optimism. Daara J -- which means ''school of life" -- weds buoyant Afro-Cuban rhythms, crisp hip-hop grooves, and soulful R&B vocals to lyrics that tumble out in a celebratory cultural stew of French, English, Spanish, and their native Wolof.

The album's title refers to the group's belief that hip-hop was, if not born, at least seeded in Africa. ''When we were taken from Africa to be slaves and sent to all parts of the world, a form of rap called tasso, which is rhythm-based storytelling, already existed," explains Freddy. ''When it left the motherland, it remained dormant for a while. And then one day it was awakened. African-Americans forgot where it originally came from. It was a natural evolutionary process for it to come back to Africa, where we have developed it further!"

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