One Step Forward

1	Nu-Hymne 1:03
2	Temperature Rising / Talib Kweli Edit 3:39
3	J'Veux d' la Musique 4:30
4	La Guerre 7:37
5	El Son Reggae 3:52
6	One Step Forward 5:49
7	Brothers and Sisters 4:18
8	Me and Me 4:55
9	Take T (Interlude Lounge Intermezzo) 1:27
10	Amour À Mort 5:43
11	Insomnie 4:20
12	Que le Mot Soit Perle 5:09
13	Unfaithful/Si Infidèle 4:16
14	Saravah 4:56
15	Immortel Cheikh Anta Diop 8:29

Barnes & Noble

Before clever music marketing executives concocted the category "neo-soul" to help define the genre-splicing and classic soul–inspired music of artists such as Jill Scott, India.Arie, and Floetry, French-Cameroonian sisters Les Nubians had already cooked up a tasty melting pot of African rhythms, hip-hop, Latin, reggae, and R&B on their acclaimed 1999 debut, Princesses Nubiennes. Like Sade -- to whom they paid homage with a French cover of "The Sweetest Taboo" -- sisters Celia and Helene Faussart continue to set musical trends, rather than follow them. On their sophomore disc, One Step Forward, the sisters sing in French half the time, but it seems only to add to the Les Nubians mystique. The emotion of the tortured love song "Amour a mort" and the ambient acoustic guitar and percussion of "Que le mot soit perle" translate easily into any language. When the lovely ladies do sing in English, the results are stellar, as on the hip-hop-inspired lead single, "Temperature Rising," featuring Talib Kweli, and the reggae-tinged "Brothers and Sisters." Amid the festive, motherland rhythms of "Me & Me," the sisters sing: "Give me music from all over the world / Give me some good sound that rocks." And that's exactly what Les Nubians provide on this sonically rich disc. With one foot firmly planted in their regal African ancestry, these Afropean sisters proudly take One Step Forward -- and world music and soul music lovers alike would be wise to follow. Tracy E. Hopkins

Entertainment Weekly

Alternating between French and English, they sing intricate harmonies that sound like an updated version of Sade's seductive soul mixed with the jazz-pop stylings of Swing Out Sister. Kimberly Reyes [B+]

The Source

Still singing primarily in French, Les Nubians lace their satiny vocals with beats that move from ragga and spirited souk to drum 'n' bass and the airy pop of the single "Temperature Rising," featuring Talib Kweli. Amy Linden