Listening to Afro Celt Sound System’s new album “The Source” is like tuning in to Youssou N’dour meets The Chieftains. If that sounds unlikely, keep the faith. This is an album that is a celebration two forms of roots music that meld in a way you really would not have thought possible.

First there are the drums – as in African drums thumping away with an hypnotic rhythm. There there are the woodwinds – as in Irish flute work that soars as dips and just makes you want to dance (and maybe quaff a Guinness).

In fact you can’t really beat Wikipedia’s genre description:

World fusion, worldbeat, Afro beat, Celtic fusion, ethnic electronica

The band has been around in various formation since 1995 and produced something like six or seven albums. This latest is a gem. If you had to listen to just one track, I would recommend “The Magnificent Seven” (which has no relation to the song you are thinking about) for the aforementioned drums and woodwind.

More hardcore, perhaps, is “Mansani Cissé/Tàladh” which should tell you by its name the different forms it takes. It starts off pure WOMAD, West Africa beats and chants. But then what is this – a backing track featuring Celtic harp? Just lovely.

