Reviewed by George Luke

Well, it appears that the guys who brought us The Welcome Wagon and Agents Of Future are actually working on a master plan to expose us to worship-oriented music from as broad a cultural spectrum as possible. That quest has taken them to west Africa - to Burkina Faso, to be precise - from where Hermas Zopoula hails. Hermas is the son of Gouaka Djoua, a griot from the Sissali people group. He sings, writes songs and plays guitar, and for the most part his music isn't slavishly trying to ape Western styles (which is not to say there are no Western influences at all; at least one track on this album utilises the now dreaded AutoTune). Hermas sings of redemption and hope, all the time gently pointing the listener in Jesus' direction. Disc 1 of this double CD was originally released in Burkina Faso last year and features a full band. Disc 2 (titled 'Live Demos') is a laid back acoustic affair recorded mostly at Hermas' home. For the most part it's just Hermas and his guitar, beautiful and dreamy. Great stuff all round. I hope Hermas gets as big a reception as his label mates The Welcome Wagon and Sufjan Stevens; he certainly deserves it.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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