Album: Rango, Bride of the Zar (Voodoo Rhythm)

The dry, muted sound of the tanbura and the frenetic rattle of an array of percussion instruments (including the wooden xylophone from which this Egyptian/Sudanese collective gets its name) produce a bustling, involving backdrop for the sonorous call-and-response vocals.

But what really makes this outfit stand out is the fact that the five-stringed simsimiyya has been fitted with an electric pickup which subtly adds a smidgen of funky distortion to what is otherwise a fairly traditional sound.