Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

The African Children's Choir is like the famous axe that beheaded Anne Boleyn - four new heads and six new handles, but it's the same axe. The ACC has a complete change of personnel every year, and having heard several of the Choir'' previous albums, I definitely think that the class '99 is one of the best technique-wise. This 25-song album demonstrates their multi-lingual capacity, with songs in English, Swahili, Nigerian and several other, less well-known tongues; the English songs (six out of the 25) include the quasi-spiritual "From A Distance" (I thought that Cliff's version was seriously naff, so this didn't impress), along with some well-known stuff such as "Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee", "Let There Be Peace On Earth" and "O Happy Day", all of which suffer from tinkly and/or fussy Western-style arrangements which do the Choir no favours. The novelty title track, on the other hand, is a jolly number that contains a warning against getting too closely acquainted with crocodiles! This album's best moments are all from the African language material, most of which is sung with zip and enthusiasm, and with punchy ethnic rhythms, including some acappella. Which all goes to prove that one doesn't need to understand what is being sung to appreciate the quality of the singing. The English items are the weak link in this otherwise enjoyable collection.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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