It's Critics' Week at Soundcheck, from New York City NPR member station WNYC, and AfroCubism has made the list of the Top 5 World Music Releases of 2010. Anastasia Tsioulcas, who assembled the list, spoke with the show's host John Schaefer, about her picks, on today's episode.

Tsioulcas and Schaefer discuss the deep-rooted musical ties between Cuba and Mali, the countries represented by the musicians on the album, as well as the longer-than-expected history of this album, originally intended for the recording sessions from which the famed Buena Vista Social Club was born.

The two listen to the AfroCubism track "Al vaivén de mi carreta," to which Schaefer exclaims, "The whole album's like that, this amazing conglomeration of two traditions." Tsioulcas concurs: "Absolutely."

You can listen to the complete episode below or at wnyc.org and see the Soundcheck list of the Top 5 World Music Releases, which also includes Kronos Quartet's collaboration with the Alim Qasimov Ensemble on the Smithsonian Folkways label.

To order the AfroCubism CD and receive the complete album MP3s upon checkout, with the exclusive bonus track "Keme Bourama," head to the Nonesuch Store.