Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia have been musical partners since they met at the Malian Institute for the Young Blind in Bamako, Mali over 30 years ago. Eight well-received albums combining traditional music and modern pop have made them international stars—first gaining traction in Mali and West Africa in the ‘80s, before becoming a global sensation in 2005 with Dimanche à Bamako, produced by Manu Chao. On La Confusion, they continue expanding their crossover impulses. Drum loops, synthesizers and glossy urban/pop arrangements dominate the production, almost overwhelming the music’s Malian roots. The notable exception is “Mokou Mokou,” a ballad that features Bagayoko’s acoustic work and Doumbia’s gently insistent vocals, backed by her own multitracked harmonies. The minimal production makes it the album’s most traditional sounding song. It also highlights the way Bagayoko’s melodic embellishments complement Doumbia’s vocals, an interplay that’s absent in many of the tunes on the record. “Bofou Safou” is a thumping synth track that calls to mind the New Wave dance hits of the mid ‘80s, while the swinging funk of “Filaou Bessame”—a salute to “Les Peuls,” an immigrant group from Mali—is driven by flute, sax and Doumbia’s stirring vocals. Bagayoko sings lead on “Femmes du Monde,” a mid-tempo R&B number that is marked by multilayered percussion and lyrics that celebrate women’s emancipation in Africa and their fight for equality.