"Mr. Loueke is a gentle virtuoso. As a singer, he has a husky, sincere baritone and a melting falsetto that he uses to scat-sing along with his guitar solos. He’s also a full-fledged jazz guitarist, and he uses both electronics–guitar synthesizer, looping devices–and African roots. In one piece, unassisted by any technology beyond microphone and amplifier, he sang, made percussive tongue clicks and played syncopated guitar chords and leads. He multiplied himself, one way or another, in nearly every song." - Jon Pareles, The New York Times

"Lionel Loueke sings and his music rolls along with a feel-good sense of joy…he always radiates a groove…[but] he is also a sophisticated jazz player… Karibu is a thoughtful mix of hybrid grooves, straightahead guitar soloing, free-improv and a couple standards… Virgin Forest was excellent. But Karibu is better, a solid showcase of a new Afro-jazz star who clearly will be with us for a long time." - DownBeat

"Loueke’s lines are smartly formed and deftly executed. His ear-friendly melodicism draws both from traditional African sources and a lifetime of closely studying the likes of Jim Hall and George Benson, and his rhythmic shifts come quickly and packaed with surprises." - JazzTimes

"Lionel Loueke’s Karibu seamlessly blends West African harmonies and rhythms with jazz for a fresh and energetic sound. The buzz-generating guitarist has journeyed a long way for his turn in the modern jazz spotlight, so rightfully deserved." - PLANET°

"Recorded live with no overdubs, Loueke's debut for Blue Note feels like a jazz trio set albeit with a brand new identity stamped all over it. Loueke gets the African music he grew up with to work in places it might not have been before." - Jazzwise (UK)

"Lionel Loueke's first track on Karibu sounds like an artist exploding onto the big time. Producing a unique sound, Loueke appears to be making up the rules as he goes along, creating his own musical world for listeners to explore." - UK Velocity - KLM magazine