An Afro-pop legend, Papa Wemba has been a template for world music synthesis since the 1970s, blending, over the course of several bands and solo albums, elements of traditional Zairean music, soukous, r&b, funk, jazz, and Caribbean rhythms, among other sounds. The two-disc BEST OF PAPA WEMBA serves as an overview of the icon’s output, offering 15 tracks of danceable, high-energy fusion music that showcases the man’s knack for accessible hybrids, and the full force of his wailing, passionate, powerhouse voice.