New York City, USA – Zap Mama, the group led by Congolese singer Marie Daulne has a new album, Ancestry in Progress (Luaka Bop/V2). Daulne shows her passion for hip hop and explores and stretches that music's boundaries.

Marie relocated from Europe to Philadelphia, where she began to collaborate with its R&B and hip hop artists. Zap Mama's fifth album is an experience in global soul, featuring help from neo-soul superstar Erykah Badu (on "Bandy Bandy"), hip-hop artists Common and Talib Kweli (on "Yelling Away"), and other members of the Roots' Philly massive.

Created mostly in the U.S. with Philadelphia’s own, Anthony Tidd, tracks such as "Show Me the Way" and "Ca Varie Varie" strut with the openhearted Afro-funk common to the clubs of racially diverse Western European capitals. Belgium born producer Phillippe Allaert, put his production magic on tracks such as "Sweet Melody" and "Yaku" which incorporates the sounds of European ambience with an American vibe.

The Ancestry in Progress album addresses issues that are not specific to any one people or any one culture. "I'm talking about all the humans who made this world better, their philosophy and their fight. I want my work to show respect for those people. Because I know that tomorrow we're going to be ancestors, and that is the kind of ancestor I want to represent," Marie says.

[Buy the CD now].