Various Artists - A Rough Guide to the Music of Vietnam (World Music Network) and Kenge Kenge - Introducing Kenge Kenge(World Music Network)

There must be some people who when travelling abroad purchase not only a phrasebook and appropriate footwear, but also hunt for the music of their planned destination in the local record shops before departing.

How else to explain the format and branding of the compilation of Vietnamese music here?

The Rough Guide travel books are well known for their realism and comprehensiveness; this compilation attempts a similar scope and approach. Some compilations of a national music attempt to provide an authoritative overview of the "genuine" music of the country, excluding material tainted by outside influence.

But music transcends boundaries, and the true test of genuineness is whether people actually listen to it, regardless of perceived attempts to copy US chart-toppers or preserve centuries-old traditions. And the Rough Guide approach does better justice to this.

On this album you'll hear from chart-topping "Westernised" pop stars as well as virtuosos on traditional instruments you've never heard the like of, and everything in between. It's a rough overview, but pretty good nonetheless.

If you prefer something a bit more in depth, the WMN also does the Introducing series, features the music of a single artist. Kenge Kenge seems a sort of Kenyan The Black Seeds, i.e a hugely popular dance band (albeit with genuinely African rhythms).

As such, you can't really listen to this stuff without being in the middle of a heaving sweaty dancefloor - or the sheer repetitiveness will drive you crazy.

Rating: 3/5 (both releases)

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