African beats and Western rhythms unite on these contemporary tunes from Cape Town to Bamako. On African Beat, Putumayo features artists who are as likely to have traditional African drumming, soukous and mbaqanga on their iPods as they are the latest European dubstep and US hip-hop. These tracks reveal that even in this globalized, hi-tech world, the divide between the past and the future is not as great as it may seem. Songs by musicians with deep connections to their roots, including Vieux Farka Touré and Les Barons, are remixed and reworked by Western DJs. The music of South Africa's Busi Mhlongo, Senegal's Lëk Sèn and Malian/French group Donso reveals how hip-hop, electronica and other urban musical styles have been incorporated into traditional African music, taking it in surprising new directions.

Listen to song samples from African Beat on the Putumayo website.