THE great Senegalese singer takes a different, and mostly welcome, new direction.

While recent albums have flirted with Western music, and sometimes included cringe-worthy mainstream guests, Egypt betrays a return to his roots. N'Dour has always been willing to experiment and change, and this sense of quest has helped make him one of Africa's great musicians.

Here, he combines Senegalese influences with the Egyptian music his father loved. The result is intriguing and, mostly, enchanting, especially thanks to the use of a full Egyptian orchestra. Strings, drums and flutes combine to create a sound that is richly different.

The devotional tone is set by the opening track Allah, a Muslim prayer. If the songs sometimes wander into each other, making it difficult to distinguish one from the other, this remains an important and often delightful album.

Updated: 08:07 Thursday, June 24, 2004