I was first exposed to Les Nubians via their collaboration with The Roots on "Tabou" from their debut album, Princesses Nubiennes. Sung in both French and English, the cover of the Sade classic "The Sweetest Taboo" was a fitting introduction to their so-called "Afropean" brand of soul. Effectively blending a collection of distinct genres from a handful of countries and eras, the accomplished French-Cameroonian sister act (Célia and Héléne Faussart) are back on the scene after several years away with Nü Revolution, their first independent album. Whereas previous releases may have been more deliberately eclectic, the sisters appear to possess a more comfortable control over their cultural hybrid sound.

As a whole, the album is a celebration of life, womanhood, and love. Taking time off to live life and enjoy motherhood, the sisters are "in a happy place" and aim to project the "love, hope, and vitality" that consumes them unto the world. Sonically, the album gets to that point at the onset. It opens strong, with a pair of the most melodious, inviting work I've heard from them yet. "Liberte," with its richly constructed vocals, almost has a gospel feel to it. It's a big, moving love song with a sweet acoustic guitar, a hip-swaying groove and not one, but two key changes. Drama! A personal favorite, the title track, "Nü Revolution," sung in English, has grand backing vocals that would make Mariah's early '90s squad of big-hipped, big-lunged belters proud. Naturally, the song embodies the uplifting, positive, love-heavy theme of the project, urging brotherly love and sisterly compassion. "Give love...make love...with no conditions," they instruct. That's my kind of party.

Having come a long way from their humble childhood in a war-torn Chad, Célia and Héléne are ever-aware and appreciative of how precious music is. "During the war, there was a period of time when music was simply not available to the public," they told me in a recent interview. "At least not the kind we enjoyed as young people. There weren't always music stores. We would have to go to the airports and wait for planes to land and make exchanges with tourists to get access to new music back then." Such experiences helped them see the value in music as art and a method of healing. Their mother suggested that they "make music that would make even a handicapped person want to get up, jump, and dance."

They explained, "Tragedy is all around us. The world is definitely f---d up. (laughs) The whole thing crumbling down. There are recessions, and tragedies. We have to ask, 'How do we stay up? How do we stand up and walk in these times?' So it was important to us to make music to lift us up. Let's dance! That's the philosophy behind our work now."

This dedication to uplifting through dancing is most evident on "Nü Soul Makossa," a reworking of the often-sampled afrobeat/disco classic "Soul Makossa" by Cameroonian saxaphonist Manu Dibango. He even assists with saxophones and spoken word bits. If the chants sound familiar, it's because the original inspired Michael's "Wanna Be Starting Something." Sure, they come alive here, but this would an undeniable jam even as an instrumental.

The oddly catchy "Afrodance" stresses natural hair acceptance, something preached by their mother. Though arguably not the best introduction to this project, the message is admirable. "Hair and appearance are a way of reaffirming identity. In the 70s, it was so important to appreciate the afro and show who we are naturally," they explained. "The mainstream represents us as having to have straight hair, but natural hair is beautiful. To us, it's all about being natural and we are hoping to promote a stronger, more African projection of ourselves."

The high hopes I had for their busy duet with SB favorite Eric Roberson ("Deja Vu") were resurrected by "Veuillez Veiller Sur Voz Revez (J. Period Remix)" and "Vogue Navire." The first features French hip-hop artist John Banzai and has an early Mary J. Blige vibe. The latter is a hypnotic ballad that could easily feature Sade's sultry alto floating over the soothing long-distant lover's lament. All of the big moments missing from other tracks are found in the bridge of this song. Their voices shine here. Definitely a standout.

Being honest, the sisters' French vocals greatly outshine their English ones. Whether it comes from increased training or comfort in the language, or not, is yet to be determined. There's a mastery and strength exuded otherwise that doesn't always seem to translate into English. While songs like "Afrodance" and "Africa For the Future" are just as intriguing musically, some of the English songwriting leaves much to be desired. As the closer, "Africa For The Future (feat. FreshlyGround)," is Afrobeat-lite. Sure to get backs twisting and hips rocking, the song is more of a restrained, well-intentioned jazzy groove rather than the big, anthemic party song it was probably intended to be. The message of unified celebration is clear and strong, and for what it lacks, the song's ambition and genuine desire to bring about change, along with their strong harmonies, all more than compensate. Fela would indeed be proud.

Overall, the album shows that Célia and Héléne haven't lost their ability to flow seemlessly between tongues, whether their native French, English, or any of the many African dialects used here. Their broad universal reach is certainly welcoming of new fans from every walk of life. Their quest to promote global citizenship and world awareness, unifying all cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds through music and positivity is alive and thriving. The theme of revolution --"rêve" (dreams) + "eve" (evolution)-- is evident and contributes to the creative success and appeal of this project. Absolutely worth exploring.

Les Nubians is currently on tour. Check here for tour dates. I'll get to see them live for the first time next week when they take the stage at the Conga Room here in Los Angeles on May 21st. LA Bouncers can use promo code HARDY for $5 off when purchasing tickets online or at the box office.

Les Nubians Nü Revolution [Amazon][iTunes]