From afrobeat to zouk: the Mauritanian home of rare African sounds

Mohamed Vall's Saphire d'Or record store helps melt divisions in a still-segregated society – and helps people track down that half-remembered tune. Hear some gems belowTucked down a sandy alleyway in Nouakchott, the desert capital of Mauritania, Mohamed Vall's record store isn't an obvious musical oasis from outside. But in its cool interior, the screech of cars in the blazing heat outside recedes; a bygone era opens up. For three decades, Vall has built an eclectic collection of rare music f...

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