On my bike ride back from work every day I pass the Hotel Costes, Café Marly and other Costes brothers creations, filled with Americans and Gulf Arabs anxiously scanning the tables for Kate Moss over their oversized glasses of kir royales. Those who live in Paris regard the Costes thing with a (typically French) mix of disdain and mild amusement but let’s face it, I’ve met for more than a few apéro inside. Say what you want about the brothers, but they have singlehandedly revived Parisian boutique chic, for better or for worse.

So while you’re far more likely to catch me at the bar at the Sattelit Café or the New Morning, everyone has their velvet moments… even Africa. Over the last few years I’ve noticed a lot of “Africa chic” musical compilations and art exhibits in both Africa and the West. The Pompidou’s Africa Remix exhibit was a prime example of showing contemporary Africa as something trendy, really doing its own thing in a modern way. DJ’s are increasingly mixing African music, and African DJs themselves are getting wider recognition in mainstream chic culture. Look at the sucess of Konomo No. 1, or Tsotsi’s Zola or any number of the remix compilations like the multiple-volume Africa, C’est Chic and Frikyiwa.

I could easily imagine today’s track playing in a Costes establishment lounge. You know, the kind with lithe bright red-lipped 18-year-olds draped over the overstuffed sofas and angry looking bouncers with bad haircuts. In fact, the DJ who remixes today’s track is French. Llorca is a producer who was part of that whole late-90s French deep house scene à la Laurent Garnier.. that, I’ll admit, was great. His mixing skills combined with Malian Abdulaye Diabate’s rhythmic singing produces a great, soothing track.

Sit back, relax, and grab a martini. If you want more, grab this track and others on the Frikyiwa 2 compilation over at Six Degrees Records.

Abdulaye Diabate – Foronto (Llorca mix)